Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 13

Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files + The Restricted Files+ The Daily Dredds

by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Dougie Braithwaite (Illustrator)

Mega-City One: the future metropolis bustling with life and every crime imaginable. Keeping order are the Judges, a stern police force acting as judge, jury and executioner. Toughest of all is Judge Dredd. He is the law.

Collects:

- Lockin' Up the House (Prog #619)
- Breakdown on 9th Street (Prog #620-#621)
- On Meeting Your Enemy (Prog #622)
- Banana City (Prog #623-#625)
- In the Bath (Prog #626)
- John Cassavetes is Dead (Prog #627)
- 10,000,000 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (Prog #628)
- A Total Near Death Experience (Prog #629-#630)
- A Child's Tale (Prog #631)
- The Confeshuns of PJ Maybe (Prog #632-#634)
- An Elm Street Nightmare (Prog #635)
- Dead Juve's Curve (Prog #636)
- And The Wind Cried (Prog #637)
- Kirby's Demon (Prog #638)
- Curse of the Spider Man (Prog #639)
- The Amazing Ant Man (Prog #640)
- The Great Little U-Front Disaster (Prog #641)
- Playaday (Prog #642)
- Cardboard City (Prog #643-#645)
- Over the Top (Prog #646)
- A Monkey's Tale (Prog #647)
- Confessions of a Rottweiller (Prog #648-#649)
- The Shooting Match (Prog #650)
- Young Giant (Prog #651-#655)
- Politics (Prog #656)
- It Still Pays To Be Mental (Prog #657)
- Little Spuggy's Xmas (Prog #658)
- Family Affair (Prog #659)
- I'm Manny, Me Fly (Prog #660)
- A Letter To Judge Dredd (Prog #661)

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Dystopia, Comic Book

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

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

[Mhorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Dredd...

Faces a:
Looney.
A Rottweiler with a human brain.
Meets the deceased judge giants son.
Stops a bunch of crimes.
He is the law.

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this today on something of a whim, without realising it’s in effect the last complete year of the prog that I read as a kid. So a lot of these stories are very memorable to me already. But more interestingly, it functions as probably the most transitional year of Judge Dredd yet. After Oz, Wagner and Grant stopped working together because they both had very different visions for the series: Grant wanted to push the satire, black humour and Dredd as fascist; Wagner wasn’t averse to these, but wanted to focus more on the sense of Dredd ageing, becoming a more human and flawed character and how he felt about the Judge system and democracy

It’s a surprise that the story that had the most effect on me as a child is a Grant version of Wagner’s vision. John Cassavetes is Dead was not only the first time I had heard of the actor/ director but felt for the first time like a story that was in our future - the incongruity of Dredd reading the Guardian and doubts beginning to seed inside him feel like a subtler dry run for the final story in this (and the prelude for the Necropolis saga), Letter to Judge Dredd. It’s also the only Grant story like this here, as he’s happier with the goofy stuff

But Wagner may well have been thinking along these lines already. There’s periodic discussion of Dredd’s age - he’s well into middle age by now - and so when we get the first appearance of Kraken about midway through the year, we’re already beginning to see the first major story about Dredd facing his future starting to slowly turn up. Necropolis is a horror epic with a subtler sense of Dredd’s doubts bubbling under and it’s actually very impressive seeing these slowly grow as the book develops. The Cadet Giant story - I think the longest here - very much feels more purposeful than it did first time round

The biggest problem with the year is that there’s not a solid base of Dredd artists to latch onto. Some iconic artists are here: Ezquerra, Cam Kennedy, Jim Baikie, Cliff Robinson and Wagner’s sort of chosen replacement for Ezquerra as collaborator, Colin MacNeil. It’s also surprising to see Chris Weston here, who sort of holds the position of the new Brian Bolland in the prog at the moment and is becoming a significant writer in his own right of late. The problem is there’s also a lot of rather careless and listless artists turning up and being shifted along, so the year seems significantly less focused than it really is because there’s no one artist staying put for a majority of the stories. These days you tend to get Dredd with a rotation of artists, but this feels almost like Tharg is just trying people out which doesn’t help the stories feel very cohesive. It’s a shame too because otherwise this is a surprisingly vintage year - to the extent that PJ Maybe finally coming to his first brush with the law feels like a minor element

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Case Files 13 continues more of Dredd’s storylines that were either hinted at in previous progs or are the typical one-offs that give some levity and light humor to the character and the overall theme. This particular collection lacked a lot of the coherent and continuing arcs that were in 11 and 12, but the majority of the progs here are darker and more mean spirited than they used to be. I’m not complaining, as when Dredd and Megacity are violent, I think it makes for more realistic, more entertaining reading. The color strips aren’t as prevalent as in 12, though what is in color tends to be pretty great. Some highlights include “Banana City”, in which Dredd and Hershey visit a Mexican mega city to find an AWOL judge from a previous arc. It’s a great story and illustrated in a style I’ve really come to enjoy. The 4 part “Young Giant” story is also a lot of fun, as we get to see Judge Giant’s son become a judge and deal with his anger. The art is kinda “meh” on this one but it fits well within the story being told. Case Files 13 fills in some gaps and serves as a bit of a place holder, but that’s ok since 14 finally sees the return of Judge Death and his minions.

[Nick Boldrini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stories and artwork, but no real standout stories. A few teasers for stories to come (eg Stan Lee), and a couple of wrap ups of some loose ends (Dredds cleaner Maria, for example), so ok overall.

[Christopher M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a mixed bag. No epics, some more serious stories with character development for a disillusioned Dredd, but some quite silly stories too.

[Mat Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Thrilling Dive into Dredd's World! ⚖️🏙️

Judge Dredd may be showing his age, but Mega-City 1 never slows down, and this latest installment proves it! Picture Dredd in the bath, a vulnerable glimpse into his aging self, while Mega-City 1's madness unfolds around him. From wild parties to intense car chases, the stories here are as diverse as they come.

Prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride through hilarious, gross, and sometimes ironic tales. 'Curse of the Spier Man' and 'Ant-Man' are standout adventures, filled with unexpected twists and turns. And then there's the epic saga of heated underpants - surprisingly gripping, especially with the crazy nods to Monkey Shines and Nightmare on Elm Street!

But the real magic lies in the continuity. Dive into the aftermath of Stan Lee's legacy and witness the emergence of Young Giant, a poignant reminder of Judge Giant's sacrifice during the Apocalypse War. The return of characters like P.J Maybe and Maria, the former housekeeper, adds layers to this intricate universe. The ghostly remnants of the Apocalypse War still haunt the pages, casting a shadow even eight years later.

Amidst the chaos, 'John Cassavetes is Dead' stands out as a deep exploration of media's iron grip and the suppression of democracy. The narrative skillfully weaves together stand-alone stories, building up to something massive, especially in the gripping 'Kraken!' storyline.

This Case File is a masterpiece, flawlessly balancing the intricate themes and levels of Dredd's world. The investment in this ongoing saga pays off in spades, leaving readers eagerly anticipating Case File 14. Judge Dredd fans, this is a must-read that keeps the legacy alive and kicking!

[Oneirosophos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full experimentation at colorful art, a significant drop at script quality...

The 2/3 is extremely mediocre, due to extremely many below average short stories.

The only redeeming value are the last stories and the promise for a new large epic.

[Rockito · Rating 3 out of 5]

It suffers a little from not having an over-arching storyline, but some of the short stories are pretty memorable.

[Rachel Redhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a mixed bag, story wise and quality wise, still good but perhaps lost between two greater volumes...

[Derek Moreland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a rough one, but “Young Giant” is pretty much a perfect Dredd story and nailed the three star rating pretty much on its own.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 enjoyed the PJ Maybe set of stories

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it to the end. I enjoyed most of the stories.

[Timo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really pops out in this collection. Solid art, loads of short stories, Dredd being Dredd. Just the way I like it but still.... nothing made me go "ooooo".

[Druss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide variety of artists in this one. Prefer the old school. A range of stories, most work, some less effective

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, fast paced, relentless and epic! :D

[Brendan Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye read 2018
7/10

[Doctor Action · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give this a 4 as it's Dredd and a really interesting stage but I'm sticking to 3 as it's very inconsistent.

The colour artwork is much improved over volume 12, happily. About half of it is pretty good. Much of the lesser half is mediocre, rather than shite. Ezquerra's Dredd looks much better in colour, though, surprisingly. It's not the perceived wisdom but he's not my top Dredd artist at all. Prefer him on Strontium Dog but yeah, much better in colour.

The stories are as uneven as the art here. The tone is darker, generally. The lighter one's aren't as fun as usual, tho there is good fun to be had.

As well as the improvement in the coloured art, the good stuff here is the shift to Dredd aging and his beginning to question the system. It's a thoroughly intriguing move from what was, for a long time, pointed but jolly satire to... well, we'll see.

[Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 13 is pretty much business as usual for Dredd, with many colour instalments but the majority still being in black and white. As usual there is the odd experimentation with style and bizarre stories, many of which seem to up the focus on the fascist nature of the Judges. Highlights include John Cassavetes Is Dead, A Total Near Death Experience, A Child's Tale (a morose Dredd story told and drawn from the perspective of a child), the return of P.J. Maybe, the Nightmare on Elm Street spoof, ghostly tale And The Wind Cried, Cardboard City and call back to the early days with Young Giant.

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another decent volume in the long-running (over thirty years!) series about a cop in the dystopian future of Mega-City One.

The most interesting thread here is a series of stand alone stories , scattered through the book, where Dredd starts to feel his age and be confronted with doubts about the Judge system. This will lead into the Necropolis arc in Volume 14.

For more science fiction reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/science-fict...