Graphic Novel Reviews
Judge Dredd: A Better World
(2025) Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt et al, 2000AD – Rebellion,
£19.99 / Can$33.99 / US$24.99, trdpbk, 144pp, ISBN 978-1-837-86421-8
This full-colour graphic collection brings together a number of linked Dredd stories that ran in 2000AD between 2022 and 2024. These feature the now Head of Accounts Judge Maitland whom appeared as a junior Accounts Judge in Judge Dredd: Trifecta.
In the first story, 'Carry the Nine', following the storm that hit Mega-City One, Head of Accounts Judge Maitland has been tasked with finding the money from other budgets for repairs, and she cannot find it no matter how hard she tries computer modelling budgets: whenever she takes money away from somewhere, the consequences have a fart worse cost. For example, when she modelled cutting education crme soars.. And then she has the idea of increasing Mega-City One's education budget and the economic models show that crime and the cost of crime, dramatically decreases! It is an unforeseen discovery: it looks like if the Judges spent more money investing in education and social care rather than on street judges then Mega-City One's citizens would not be pressurised into committing crime and would also have the ability to earn, or at least be kept occupied given the ultra-modern city's extreme unemployment, and so not be tempted into crime. The figures were stark: a massive shift in funding from the judges to education and social well-being would drastically cut crime and so there would be much less a need for the city to have a heavy judicial force – crime would be virtually wiped out!
When, outside the Hall of Justice, a reporter asks her about rumoured budget cuts an assassin steps out to kill her in the name of the Red Queen but Judge Dredd happens to be there to protect her…. Dredd fans may recall that previously Maitland took out part of the Red Queen criminal boss' operation through forensic accounting and now it seems as if the Red Queen wants revenge.
Meanwhile the sinister Special Judicial Service (SJS) – the Judges who Judge the Judges – routine monitoring picks up Maitland's draft idea of cutting the Judges' budget in favour of education. This is potential treason, but, having spoken to Dredd who agrees to mention the idea to the Judges Council, Maitland deletes the draft and so SJS decide not to act… for now.
The second story, 'The Hard Way' sees Maitland returning through the ocean floor tunnel connecting Brit-Cit with Mega-City One having negotiated a trade deal with Brit Cit. Dredd is there to provide protection on the journey, but the Red Queen (La Reine Rouge) has sent a number of assassins to get Maitland… Needless to say, going up against Dredd is not a good idea no matter how many you have taken out as an assassin.
The 'Pitch' sees Maitland putting her idea of increased education and social budgets to the Council as an extremely cost effective way of cutting crime as much less funding for Judges would be needed. Dredd speaks up for the idea to the Council and supports Maitland's pitch. The Council decides to task Maitland with turning the crime-ridden Sector 304 around with a test programme of enhanced education and social welfare.
This graphic collection 'A Better World' title story A year on in Sector 304 it seems to be working: crime is down! The Council have to review the Sector 304 experiment. However, some judges do not like the idea of cutting the Judicial budget in favour of education and social schemes… Meanwhile, the right-wing media tycoon Robert Glenn does not want his audience educated and so stirs social unrest in Sector 304…. How far will some Judges and Robert Glenn go to stop Maitland's plan....?
Some avid collectors of Judge Dredd graphic novels may get a sense of de jà vous with this one. No worries, this is because a couple of the stories appear in other Dredd collections. 'Carry the Nine' appears in another Dredd collection of Rob Williams scripted stories, Judge Dredd: End of Days (2021), whose titular story is standalone and additional Williams' stories were needed to make the page count. 'Carry the Nine', being central to the whole judicial raison d'être is a worthy inclusion. Meanwhile, 'The Hard Way' also appears in Judge Dredd: Regicide (2023). The inclusion here is because 'The Hard Way' is integral to the Regicide plot arc of taking down the Red Queen (La Reine Rouge). This is not an unnecessary duplication: Dredd plot arcs intersect and overlap and I have accrued many, many story duplications in my collection of Dredd graphic novels over what is now (disturbingly) getting on for half a century of Dredd. I have no problem with this; indeed, it is to be welcomed.
Now, one of a number of things I like about the Judge Dredd universe are some of the long-term themes. One of the big ones is Dredd feeling that the Judges could do better, that things are not quite right, that there should be justice for all – including Cursed Earth mutants, and that some innocent citizens have a raw deal not of their own making. The master of these long-arc themes is the writing due of Dredd co-creator John Wagner (Carlos Ezquerra created Dredd's look) and Alan Grant, which sadly with Alan's passing is no more. However, with A Better World the writing duo Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt have done a great job in furthering this theme. This graphic novel speaks to the heart of the Dredd-verse dichotomy: are the judges a force for good or evil. A Better World is a must for Dredd fans
Meanwhile, if the social relevance of Judge Dredd intrigues you, then I highly recommend the non-fiction, and well referenced, book I Am The Law: How Judge Dredd predicted our future.
Jonathan Cowie
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