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Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection #26
Mean Machine
Mean Machine Angel is the most violent and deranged member of the notorious criminal family the Angel Gang. Once a peaceful, nature-loving boy, his father ordered drastic surgery to increase his psychopathic tendencies, including welding a dial to his brain that controls his temperament. On 1 he’s surly; on 2 he’s mean; on 3 he’s vicious; and on 4 he’s downright brutal!
242 pages, Hardcover
Published March 15, 2017
21 people want to read
About the author
John Wagner
1,293 books191 followersJohn 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)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 14, 2023
This is another of the Mega-collection and I have to say another one of the major milestones - in the form of Mean Machine. Now I remember Mean Machine from the days of old when my friend used to get 2000AD back in the 80s and I think he is such a character that reading about him all these years later - it feels like nothing has changed.
Mean Machine is one of those parodies that can be played as much for laughs as thrills and even horror in equal measure without diminishing either the story or the characters.
I think also consider the range of stories I love that there artwork used is so reminiscent of the days I reading them for the first time. For me I think these books are as much nostalgia as they are reading them for the first time
Mean Machine is one of those parodies that can be played as much for laughs as thrills and even horror in equal measure without diminishing either the story or the characters.
I think also consider the range of stories I love that there artwork used is so reminiscent of the days I reading them for the first time. For me I think these books are as much nostalgia as they are reading them for the first time
March 25, 2018
Love me some Mean Machine and this collection shows one of the rare reoccurring bad guys in the Dredd Universe in all his glory, whether it's the simple violent humour or the sadistic bad guy that we all know and love.
Also here are stories that try to involve more, like how Mean was once a goody two shoes in the Angel Gang and Pa didn't like that so Mean ended up half cyborg and full of hatred. We also meet Mean's son who like Mean before the surgery is a good boy and his mum don't like it so sends the child to learn from his father.
Some fun reads in if you want to while away the time.
Also here are stories that try to involve more, like how Mean was once a goody two shoes in the Angel Gang and Pa didn't like that so Mean ended up half cyborg and full of hatred. We also meet Mean's son who like Mean before the surgery is a good boy and his mum don't like it so sends the child to learn from his father.
Some fun reads in if you want to while away the time.
May 28, 2025
BOK! Nice nostalgia rush from the Smith and Dillon strips. Dolan’s painted art is refreshingly non-Bisley for the time. Judge Death’s appearance, however, is a PR disaster.
April 2, 2017
2000AD anthology centred around Mean Machine the comic head-butting hillbilly mutant surgically enhanced with a dial from 1-4 (surly, mean, vicious, brutal).
This anthology is fun, but Mean Machine is very much a one dimensional character and the majority of stories lack the depth of some of the more satirical Dredd strips - it all feels a little 'lite' - My favourite story here is 'Son of Mean' in which Mean finds out that he has a son by his wife of one day, Seven Pound Sadie. Junior is a little goodie two shoes so Sadie has sent him to his pa to turn him bad. This one is both comic and tragic at the same time - great fun.
The Three Amigos is very silly indeed - Dredd takes Mean Machine and Judge Death into the cursed earth to uncover some nukes. The whole set up of the three working together seems implausible right from the start. There's another nice companion piece in which Dredd takes Mean Machine as a guide to locate the treasures of Liberace and 5 maternity robots incubating judge clones.
While I enjoyed this one, there are far better Dredd anthologies out there. A solid 2.5 stars.
This anthology is fun, but Mean Machine is very much a one dimensional character and the majority of stories lack the depth of some of the more satirical Dredd strips - it all feels a little 'lite' - My favourite story here is 'Son of Mean' in which Mean finds out that he has a son by his wife of one day, Seven Pound Sadie. Junior is a little goodie two shoes so Sadie has sent him to his pa to turn him bad. This one is both comic and tragic at the same time - great fun.
The Three Amigos is very silly indeed - Dredd takes Mean Machine and Judge Death into the cursed earth to uncover some nukes. The whole set up of the three working together seems implausible right from the start. There's another nice companion piece in which Dredd takes Mean Machine as a guide to locate the treasures of Liberace and 5 maternity robots incubating judge clones.
While I enjoyed this one, there are far better Dredd anthologies out there. A solid 2.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews