Judge Dredd Chronicles #11: Robot Wars Part 3
"Robot Wars Part 3”
Mega City One Year: 2099
Published 14th May 1977, 2000ad Prog: 12 (The Best Of 2000AD, The Complete Judge Dredd 1 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 01.)
Parts: 8
Written by John Wagner
Illustrated by Mike McMahon
Letters by Jack Potter
Synopsis
Dredd, having reinstated himself as a Judge, leads an army of Judges to fight back against Call-Me-Kenneth’s advancements to take over Mega-City One with its army of advanced robots. Despite suffering many losses, the Judges are standing firm, with Dredd their appointed leader.
To counterattack the resistance, Call-Me-Kenneth, who now has established a base in sector 9, sends The Metal Heavy Kids, a “crack squad” of super demolition robots, who break through the Judges “robot proof” steel barriers (ok then) and kill several of the supporting street police. Dredd ignores pleas to fall back, instead riding circles around the squad at close quarters, with each missed metal blow gradually destroying the road beneath them. This results in the Metal Heavy Kids falling to their doom courtesy of a mile high drop to the city below.
Following seven days of fighting the robots non-stop, Dredd is left physically exhausted and taken home to his apartment to rest. But any such rest is momentary as Dredd won’t rest until he has stopped Call-Me-Kenneth, a feat he wishes to achieve alone.
Review
There is a lot happening here in just five pages. Relentless action, a quick yet necessary nod to the plot foundations, and a nice slice of humanity thrown in at the end. Upping the baddie ante so soon was a bit Power Rangers for me, and thankfully it didn’t last long.
McMahon’s art here doesn’t differ much from Turner’s in the last episode, again Dredd’s helmet looking more like a kids bike helmet. The final page, where we see Dredd’s cleaning lady Maria again, depicts Dredd’s determination as absolute, despite her protests. I couldn’t help but read her speech in a Super Mario voice (“what have you-a-done to-a my judge?”) which probably isn’t appropriate!
Nevertheless, part three leaves off nicely by showing an unexpected human side to Dredd we’ll likely never see again - I mean, Dredd is normally grouchy by design, but tired?! We’d never know it, but this is the early days of building the character and his world, so it’s acceptable here. Onto part four!
Line of the strip - Maria: "what have you-a-done to-a my judge?”
Be back next time citizens for “Robot Wars - Part 4!”