Judge Dredd: OZ

Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection #31

by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Cliff Robinson (Artist)

2000AD Judge Dredd OZ epic - contains progs 545-570

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction

Hardcover

First published September 2, 2015

About the author

John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since. He is best known for his work on 2000 AD, for which he created Judge Dredd. He is noted for his taut, violent thrillers and his black humour. Among his pseudonyms are The best known are John Howard, T.B. Grover, Mike Stott, Keef Ripley, Rick Clark and Brian Skuter. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife wont read this.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chopper escapes the cubes for a new SuperSurf. A bunch of clones out of nowhere assault the Justice HQ. Both lead Dredd to the same place - Australia.

Two altogether different stories they had to mix and match, due to falling behind schedule. It doesn't really work all too well. For one thing, the two stories are about as different from one another as they could be, tonally: there's relatively lighthearted action and sports, and then a high-stakes scifi clone adventure with vast and long-lasting consequences (it might be how we got Necropolis!). Even worse, neither one is willing to play the second fiddle to the other - they're both competing for the spot of the A-plot, with no B-plot on the way - and despite some token effort to work the two stories together, they ultimately have almost nothing to do with one another, all their story beats and tense moments being completely separate. Every time we switch from one storyline to the other, I feel a tiny whiplash.

On their own they're both pretty good stories, and I enjoyed my time with them. But that's the thing - they should have remained on their own.

[Leila Anani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the more epic Judge Dredd Mega collection works containing one complete 25 instalment story: OZ.

The main story deals with surf champion Marlon 'Chopper' Shakespeare as he escapes from the ISO cubes of Meg-City to head to OZ for the 10th annual super surf championship. Dread hot on his heels.

Whilst Down Under Dredd discovers the Judda - A group of fanatical Judge clones - the private army of ex-Judge & geneticist Morton Judd.

I love the way these two strands weave together giving a multi-layered look at the notions of Justice and order.

Chopper is a wonderful expression of personal freedom and rebellion which contrasts with Old Stoneyface's Draconian I am the Law then he in turn is contrasted by the Judda who show the true meaning of extremism.

Can sum this one up in a single word. Epic.

[Johnny Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt really fresh and original-a different element to Dredd yet still a Judge Dredd Strip. The main focus is the character of 'Chopper' a beyond great sky surfer who escapes the clutches of the Judges in Mega City one to make the huge trek on his board all the way to Oz for that years sky surfer contest.
Through multiple challenges to stop him this relaxed but determined hero pushes forth and you really are cheering him on so when in the unlikely or likely case that this lone surfer makes it all the way to Oz, Dredd himself flies out there to meet him and bring him back in.
However as a sub-plot we are introduced to the deadly Judda a clone force of teleporting religious zealot Judges and their leader Judd a former Judge who wanted to clone the citizens of mega city one so they would be more docile and allow for the Judges work to be a tad more easier.
Will the Judda be stopped from destroying everything? Will 'Chopper' make it to Oz to compete if so after such a gruelling mission to get there-can he stand a chance at winning and will Judge Dredd get his man at the end.
Another good or bad thing about this whole arc is the Australian stance-relaxed Judges compared to the stiff and by the book Dredd. You can feel the difference of energies and how much Judge Dredd is going to overstep his welcome.
A good albeit different read.

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Dredd epic and revisiting it nearly thirty years later the most noticeable thing is how obvious Grant and Wagner’s creative partnership is fracturing in front of your eyes. The Chopper stuff: great, especially the journey to Oz. The Judda stuff: almost great but a bit hurried with none of the seeded build up Wagner would excel with in future. Together? Absolutely do not mix at all. It lurches from comedy - Judge Bruce! - to caper - the Supersurf itself - to the slow seeds of Dredd’s disillusion continuing to grow and finally the big legacy Judda stuff which Wagner would revisit with far more calmness and nuance. As it is it feels restless and confused and jarring whilst also still very much being part of why I loved the prog so deeply in the first place

2000AD is funny like that

[Al No · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stone-cold classic and one of the most successful mega-epics, even if it did lead to the dissolution of TB Grover. Terrific art throughout, with special kudos to Brendan McCarthy, who came up with the thing.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good especially for any Aussie 🇦🇺

The one comment I have to make is that volumes 29 and 31 should’ve been swapped- it’d have made more sense to read Oz first before Chopper.

[Richard Eyres · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first big story I read when I collected 2000ad back in the day. I enjoyed it then, and still enjoy it as much today. Artwork was great and while the story pacing was a little off at times, the who death race portion at the end was brilliant.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two fun, weirdly unrelated stories that are more conventional than the previous stuff but the art carries them.