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Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd: The Garth Ennis Collection
Hit writer Garth Ennis' best Judge Dredd stories.
Garth Ennis is one of the most admired writers in the Western comics’ industry. From his earliest work written whilst still a teen in Northern Ireland, to his US work on Preacher for Vertigo/DC Comics and The Punisher for Marvel, Ennis has always had the ability to shock, titillate and most importantly entertain his legion of international fans. Here are a selection of his best Judge Dredd stories, including his brilliantly funny take on the Irish Justice System in Judge Dredd’s world - The Emerald Isle - which he co-created with Preacher artist Steve Dillon .
Garth Ennis is one of the most admired writers in the Western comics’ industry. From his earliest work written whilst still a teen in Northern Ireland, to his US work on Preacher for Vertigo/DC Comics and The Punisher for Marvel, Ennis has always had the ability to shock, titillate and most importantly entertain his legion of international fans. Here are a selection of his best Judge Dredd stories, including his brilliantly funny take on the Irish Justice System in Judge Dredd’s world - The Emerald Isle - which he co-created with Preacher artist Steve Dillon .
160 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2012
5 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,635 books3,193 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 26, 2022
I really loved this collection. All of it written by Garth and backed up by some amazing artist - especially Steve Dillon (I also love Ian Gibson's over the top cartoon style).
No truly stand out stories but all are a lot of fun and Garth does a great job in varying the tone and messages of the stories all set in the backdrop of harder than nails Joe Dredd and this "Law Above All" future. My fav has to be Emerald Isle where we get a bit of a fish out of water story as Dredd visits Ireland whose Judges are a lot looser in style than him. It is a fun story.
I also really liked Raider about a retired Judge who turns vigilante - but the motives of the ex-Judge were a tad weak and the ending fizzled. Still - it was an interesting look at an ex Judge and ex teammate of Dredd's. It hints at Dredd's brother whom I didn't know about.
All in all - a great collection of Judge Dredd stories by on the of the best writers in the game.
No truly stand out stories but all are a lot of fun and Garth does a great job in varying the tone and messages of the stories all set in the backdrop of harder than nails Joe Dredd and this "Law Above All" future. My fav has to be Emerald Isle where we get a bit of a fish out of water story as Dredd visits Ireland whose Judges are a lot looser in style than him. It is a fun story.
I also really liked Raider about a retired Judge who turns vigilante - but the motives of the ex-Judge were a tad weak and the ending fizzled. Still - it was an interesting look at an ex Judge and ex teammate of Dredd's. It hints at Dredd's brother whom I didn't know about.
All in all - a great collection of Judge Dredd stories by on the of the best writers in the game.
May 11, 2014
This review originally appeared on my blog, Shared Universe Reviews.
I like these Judge Dredd collections that focus on a particular writer. I have one of the Mark Millar and Grant Morrison collections. I quite liked it. Have they done the same for artists? I know IDW published a big hardcover collection of Brian Bolland’s Judge Dredd work but do any others exist? It would be interesting to find out. I think it’s a good idea to collect Judge Dredd comics in this way since, to my knowledge, there isn’t a very large amount of longer storylines but I could be very wrong. Judge Dredd’s been published weekly since 1977! No matter, there is a Garth Ennis collection and I’m very pleased to own it.
Fans of Ennis are sure to like some stories in here but not all. “Emerald Isle” and “When Irish Pies Are Smiling” most resemble the style of writing Ennis has become known for. There are severed body parts, dark humour, death by blunt trauma to the head, plenty of Irish flavour, interesting commentary on a variety of subjects and, even so early in his career, a pretty good grasp for dialogue.
This collect does offer a nice variety of stories. The stories here differ in tone, in artistic styles and, somewhat unfortunately, in quality. Like all anthology, and don’t be fooled, this is essentially what this is, there will be good stories and there will be bad stories. Some of these I didn’t like because of the art, one in particular I thought was borderline terrible, “Almighty Dredd” in which a some lunatics create the Church of Dredd and go about sacrificing people Dredd so that he can transform Mega City One into a crime free paradise. The story itself isn’t great but it does have a few humorous panels. It’s the art that really brings this down to level of throwaway story.
There are a few handfuls of well executed stories that don’t have much weigh to them once you’ve turned the last page. “Snow Storm” is a good standalone story that is well executed but I’m certain I’ll forget all about it once I’m done writing this review. Another standalone, “First of Many” leaves a more lasting impression because of the story being told. Other stories, like “Emerald Isle”, are fun and representative of Ennis as a writer. This collection opens with “Emerald Isle” and it has many of the Ennis staples, including long-time collaborator Steve Dillon who I must say has been a pro from the very start. I remember the first time I saw his art I didn’t have any strong feelings for it, whether good or bad. Over time I’ve come to absolutely love it. I have to look long and hard to find art by Dillon I don’t enjoy. As much as I enjoy the showcase of artists in most 2000 AD/Rebellion collections I’ve purchased, I wish this book had more stories drawn by Dillon.
Death by potato!
I got a little off track there. “Emerald Isle”, its good and fans of Ennis will enjoy it. Judge Dredd travels to the Emerald Isle which is, you’ve guessed it, the Ireland of the future. Ireland has become a theme park filled with Irish stereotypes and the locals hate it. Ennis introduces an Irish Judge and he has some nice back and forth happen between him and Dredd. This is probably one of the funnier stories in this collection and I’ll resist the temptation to share some of the better jokes with you here. It was a great way to start the collection and it’s also one of Ennis’s earlier Dredd stories from what I read online. Pretty great start for a writer who was still very green at the time this story was published.
Ennis’s usual dark and gross sense of humour is present nearly throughout. Only two stories in this collection try for a more serious tone. The first one doesn’t work, “A Magic Place”. Its and unsuccessful mix of Ennis’s strange humour (there is character called the Blender who, uh, blends people to death) and a romantic story that is more serious in tone. I find serious stories can be difficult to pull off as a Judge Dredd, particularly so when the focus isn’t really on Dredd or even the romantic couple and the Blender’s presence just seems to confuse the whole thing. I guess what this story really lacks is focus. Another reason why this story doesn’t work well is the artistic shift. The first chapter is expertly drawn by Steve Dillon but the remaining two are by Simon Coleby who’s art is blocky but still retains a cartoonish that wasn’t suited the story Ennis was telling. Still, I did appreciate the effort.
A young Dredd making his first arrest.
The other more serious story is “Raider”. It’s a science fiction noir tale set in Mega City One and staring a former Judge. Raider actually went to the academy at the same time as Dredd! Ennis gives us a story of what a man does after he voluntarily leaves the force. The art and the writing are very moody. I didn’t expect this from Ennis and I’m very pleased to have discovered this little story. It packs a swift, but long lasting, emotional punch and it’s the gem of this collection despite being the least representative of Ennis’s body of work.
If you’re a fan of Ellis you’re sure to find something to like in this collection. You might be a bit put off by some of the growing pains. This is, after all, a collection of some of his earlier work not only on Judge Dredd, but also in comics. Fans of Judge Dredd may have already read some of these stories in other 2000 AD/Rebellion collections but there are some undeniable classic Dredd stories here. Make sure you don’t own these stories in another trade before you go out and buy this comic. If your Judge Dredd collection is just starting off, like mine, this would make a nice addition, particularly if you like Garth Ennis’s style. It’s on full display here, growing pains and all.
I like these Judge Dredd collections that focus on a particular writer. I have one of the Mark Millar and Grant Morrison collections. I quite liked it. Have they done the same for artists? I know IDW published a big hardcover collection of Brian Bolland’s Judge Dredd work but do any others exist? It would be interesting to find out. I think it’s a good idea to collect Judge Dredd comics in this way since, to my knowledge, there isn’t a very large amount of longer storylines but I could be very wrong. Judge Dredd’s been published weekly since 1977! No matter, there is a Garth Ennis collection and I’m very pleased to own it.
Fans of Ennis are sure to like some stories in here but not all. “Emerald Isle” and “When Irish Pies Are Smiling” most resemble the style of writing Ennis has become known for. There are severed body parts, dark humour, death by blunt trauma to the head, plenty of Irish flavour, interesting commentary on a variety of subjects and, even so early in his career, a pretty good grasp for dialogue.
This collect does offer a nice variety of stories. The stories here differ in tone, in artistic styles and, somewhat unfortunately, in quality. Like all anthology, and don’t be fooled, this is essentially what this is, there will be good stories and there will be bad stories. Some of these I didn’t like because of the art, one in particular I thought was borderline terrible, “Almighty Dredd” in which a some lunatics create the Church of Dredd and go about sacrificing people Dredd so that he can transform Mega City One into a crime free paradise. The story itself isn’t great but it does have a few humorous panels. It’s the art that really brings this down to level of throwaway story.
There are a few handfuls of well executed stories that don’t have much weigh to them once you’ve turned the last page. “Snow Storm” is a good standalone story that is well executed but I’m certain I’ll forget all about it once I’m done writing this review. Another standalone, “First of Many” leaves a more lasting impression because of the story being told. Other stories, like “Emerald Isle”, are fun and representative of Ennis as a writer. This collection opens with “Emerald Isle” and it has many of the Ennis staples, including long-time collaborator Steve Dillon who I must say has been a pro from the very start. I remember the first time I saw his art I didn’t have any strong feelings for it, whether good or bad. Over time I’ve come to absolutely love it. I have to look long and hard to find art by Dillon I don’t enjoy. As much as I enjoy the showcase of artists in most 2000 AD/Rebellion collections I’ve purchased, I wish this book had more stories drawn by Dillon.
Death by potato!
I got a little off track there. “Emerald Isle”, its good and fans of Ennis will enjoy it. Judge Dredd travels to the Emerald Isle which is, you’ve guessed it, the Ireland of the future. Ireland has become a theme park filled with Irish stereotypes and the locals hate it. Ennis introduces an Irish Judge and he has some nice back and forth happen between him and Dredd. This is probably one of the funnier stories in this collection and I’ll resist the temptation to share some of the better jokes with you here. It was a great way to start the collection and it’s also one of Ennis’s earlier Dredd stories from what I read online. Pretty great start for a writer who was still very green at the time this story was published.
Ennis’s usual dark and gross sense of humour is present nearly throughout. Only two stories in this collection try for a more serious tone. The first one doesn’t work, “A Magic Place”. Its and unsuccessful mix of Ennis’s strange humour (there is character called the Blender who, uh, blends people to death) and a romantic story that is more serious in tone. I find serious stories can be difficult to pull off as a Judge Dredd, particularly so when the focus isn’t really on Dredd or even the romantic couple and the Blender’s presence just seems to confuse the whole thing. I guess what this story really lacks is focus. Another reason why this story doesn’t work well is the artistic shift. The first chapter is expertly drawn by Steve Dillon but the remaining two are by Simon Coleby who’s art is blocky but still retains a cartoonish that wasn’t suited the story Ennis was telling. Still, I did appreciate the effort.
A young Dredd making his first arrest.
The other more serious story is “Raider”. It’s a science fiction noir tale set in Mega City One and staring a former Judge. Raider actually went to the academy at the same time as Dredd! Ennis gives us a story of what a man does after he voluntarily leaves the force. The art and the writing are very moody. I didn’t expect this from Ennis and I’m very pleased to have discovered this little story. It packs a swift, but long lasting, emotional punch and it’s the gem of this collection despite being the least representative of Ennis’s body of work.
If you’re a fan of Ellis you’re sure to find something to like in this collection. You might be a bit put off by some of the growing pains. This is, after all, a collection of some of his earlier work not only on Judge Dredd, but also in comics. Fans of Judge Dredd may have already read some of these stories in other 2000 AD/Rebellion collections but there are some undeniable classic Dredd stories here. Make sure you don’t own these stories in another trade before you go out and buy this comic. If your Judge Dredd collection is just starting off, like mine, this would make a nice addition, particularly if you like Garth Ennis’s style. It’s on full display here, growing pains and all.
January 8, 2020
First half of this generally drags with some good moments sprinkled in here, but the back half is really solid, especially "Raider," which is about a former judge who's become a vigilante.
Having read a lot of Ennis's work, it became clear he wrote this when he brought some irish characters on board. This book really feels like the precursor it is to Ennis's Punisher work, though it's not as good as that.
Basically, if you've already read Ennis's Hellblazer, PunisherMax, and Preacher, check this out, though it's nothing mindblowing.
Having read a lot of Ennis's work, it became clear he wrote this when he brought some irish characters on board. This book really feels like the precursor it is to Ennis's Punisher work, though it's not as good as that.
Basically, if you've already read Ennis's Hellblazer, PunisherMax, and Preacher, check this out, though it's nothing mindblowing.
May 19, 2019
I think everything in here is also in the complete case files 16. Garth Ennis has some quality Dredd work. I'm a niche reader so I haven't branched out to his other work yet, but if all these Garth Ennis fans poopoo'ing this book because it's not as good as good other stuff, the preacher and the boys will give me a thrill overload.
April 16, 2023
Had this piece o' old hauled to my local communal library all the way from the other side o' the globe! NZ that is. Marvellous 🤙
Love Judge Dredd, both the character but even more the setting. And the works of Garth Ennis even more. Got hooked at Preacher.
This is clearly some of Garth's older writing, but good fun none-the-less.
Love Judge Dredd, both the character but even more the setting. And the works of Garth Ennis even more. Got hooked at Preacher.
This is clearly some of Garth's older writing, but good fun none-the-less.
February 9, 2013
Reason for Reading: I'm a huge Judge Dredd fan and this is the latest North American publication.
At this point I recognise the names of the popular Dredd writers but I can't say I have any particular favourites except for Wagner, of course. This is actually my first time to come across Ennis in my rediscovery of Dredd this past year or so; so my attraction here was not to the author in particular but just to more Dredd stories. This book contains quite a nice selection of stories with several longer multi-issue stories interspersed with short one-issue ones. The entire book is in colour except for the last story which comes to us from the 1993 Judge Dredd Yearbook. All the stories are from the '90s which brings a nice consistency to the collection.
The book begins with "Emerald Isle", a multi-part story which takes Dredd to Ireland and a violent tale of terrorists. Here we meet Judge Joyce who will return again in this collection. I only had two problems with this book and one was the "cheese" in this story. Now I like the cheesiness of early Judge Dredd as much as the next fellow but a gun invented to shoot potatoes instead of bullets was a bit beyond it; death by potato lodged in forehead, uh-huh. Otherwise a great story. Next is a short story where Dredd meets the very first guy he ever arrested. "Almighty Dredd" then brings a multi-parter where a bunch of kooks have created a religion around Dredd himself. Let's just say they do get to meet their maker! This is where I had my second problem. Artist Ian Gibson drew this one and used a very cartoony style which I did not appreciate at all. His work is in a lot of my books and I haven't had this problem with it before but the style just didn't work for me here.
I love the '90s Dredd! His typical attitude is "Give yourself up to the laaaaaw!" Criminal "Never!" Dredd "Brakka! Brakka! Blamm!" "Call in the meat." Anyway, next up is a story with probably the most violent villain I've come across in the Dredd Universe so far, Blender McCoy. This multi-parter is violent but also a love story. A very good one. Then another multi-parter as Judge Joyce comes to Mega-City One following a couple of bad guys on the run from Emerald Isle. By the time he's finished he's more than glad to go back home. I rather like Judge Joyce. Another multi-parter of a vigilante ex-Judge called "Raider". Here I actually sympathized with him rather than Dredd. I love Dredd, but he can be a high and mighty jerk. LOL. This story also introduced me to my first "Wally Squad" (I'll be reading Low Life soon) member Judge Lola Palmtree. I liked her and hope she comes back again.
Then the book ends with two one issue stories a mediocre story of the illegal drug snow, aka sugar and finally the only b/w in this book, a return to Emerald Isle with a funny but very gruesome story of a case for Judge Joyce. A great collection of '90s Judge Dredd stories!
At this point I recognise the names of the popular Dredd writers but I can't say I have any particular favourites except for Wagner, of course. This is actually my first time to come across Ennis in my rediscovery of Dredd this past year or so; so my attraction here was not to the author in particular but just to more Dredd stories. This book contains quite a nice selection of stories with several longer multi-issue stories interspersed with short one-issue ones. The entire book is in colour except for the last story which comes to us from the 1993 Judge Dredd Yearbook. All the stories are from the '90s which brings a nice consistency to the collection.
The book begins with "Emerald Isle", a multi-part story which takes Dredd to Ireland and a violent tale of terrorists. Here we meet Judge Joyce who will return again in this collection. I only had two problems with this book and one was the "cheese" in this story. Now I like the cheesiness of early Judge Dredd as much as the next fellow but a gun invented to shoot potatoes instead of bullets was a bit beyond it; death by potato lodged in forehead, uh-huh. Otherwise a great story. Next is a short story where Dredd meets the very first guy he ever arrested. "Almighty Dredd" then brings a multi-parter where a bunch of kooks have created a religion around Dredd himself. Let's just say they do get to meet their maker! This is where I had my second problem. Artist Ian Gibson drew this one and used a very cartoony style which I did not appreciate at all. His work is in a lot of my books and I haven't had this problem with it before but the style just didn't work for me here.
I love the '90s Dredd! His typical attitude is "Give yourself up to the laaaaaw!" Criminal "Never!" Dredd "Brakka! Brakka! Blamm!" "Call in the meat." Anyway, next up is a story with probably the most violent villain I've come across in the Dredd Universe so far, Blender McCoy. This multi-parter is violent but also a love story. A very good one. Then another multi-parter as Judge Joyce comes to Mega-City One following a couple of bad guys on the run from Emerald Isle. By the time he's finished he's more than glad to go back home. I rather like Judge Joyce. Another multi-parter of a vigilante ex-Judge called "Raider". Here I actually sympathized with him rather than Dredd. I love Dredd, but he can be a high and mighty jerk. LOL. This story also introduced me to my first "Wally Squad" (I'll be reading Low Life soon) member Judge Lola Palmtree. I liked her and hope she comes back again.
Then the book ends with two one issue stories a mediocre story of the illegal drug snow, aka sugar and finally the only b/w in this book, a return to Emerald Isle with a funny but very gruesome story of a case for Judge Joyce. A great collection of '90s Judge Dredd stories!
January 22, 2013
I am not sure if the regular Ennis fan will dig this, as he is conforming to the norms of Dredd, but I thought this was nice collection of his years on the title. Emerald Isle is probably the standout in this set, with Dredd headed to Ireland, now a amusement park for the Brit-Cit (ouch!) to chase down some Mega-City perps. I also really enjoyed 'First of Many' with Dredd running into his first arrest 35 years later, and the stellar 'Raider', featuring an ex-judge trying to dish out his own brand of justice. I think I actually like Raider the best, much more of a noir story than Dredd usually ventures into. Good stuff!
January 18, 2013
Garth Ennis has always been an intense writer, but honestly, his Judge Dredd stuff leaves much to be desired. Maybe it had to do with the brevity of the stories that retard this collection. Trademark black humor abounds however, and a bulk of the stories enlist long-time Ennis cohort Steve Dillon as artist, so fans of the Preacher series may find this Dredd stuff worth checking out.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews