IDW Publishing; $19.99

Created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, Judge Dredd first appeared in the pages of the British weekly comics anthology 2000 AD in 1977. Many American readers didn’t discover him until Eagle Comics launched their series of Judge Dredd reprints for the U.S. and Canadian market in 1983.

Among the pivotal stories reprinted in the 33 Eagle Comics issues (the series would be continued by Quality Comics when Eagle folded) were the first appearance of Judge Death, perhaps Dredd’s archnemesis, and his equally intimidating co-horts, Judge Fear, Judge Fire, and Judge Mortis.

Wagner teamed with artist Brian Bolland for the “Judge Death” story arc, which introduced both Judge Death and Psi-Judge Anderson. The judges from death’s universe had come to the conclusion that life was the source of all crime, and then went about solving that by finding everyone guilty and sentencing them accordingly. He had then expanded his war on the living to Dredd’s reality.

Not long after that, Wagner, co-writer Alan Grant, and Bolland teamed up for the “Judge Death Lives!” which not only returned Death to Dredd’s world, but introduced the menaces of Judge Fear, Judge Fire, and Judge Mortis.

Both stories found receptive audiences and played a tremendous role in firmly establishing Judge Dredd, MegaCity One and its denizens in the minds of American readers.

This collected edition, which also includes the “Four Dark Judges” material illustrated by Brett Ewins, Cliff Robinson, and Robin Smith presents the material in a slightly oversized format (compared to U.S. comics), and the stories truly stand up well.

If you’ve never sampled Judge Dredd, this is the one you’ll want. If you’re already a fan, this is the collection no Dredd fan should be without.

– J.C. Vaughn