The Forbidden Planet International Blog

The biggest character in UK comics is set to get a new lease of life on the other side of the Black Atlantic this autumn as US publisher IDW announced they have been talking to 2000 AD’s owners Rebellion on creating a new series of Judge Dredd comics. The range will include new stories as well as deluxe editions of classic material from Dredd’s 35 year history.

“Judge Dredd turns 35 this year, and it’s great to help him celebrate his birthday like this. It was great to meet up with the 2000 AD team at the recent London Super Con and cement the partnership on this one. My interest in Judge Dredd far predates my tenure at IDW, so it’s a real drokkin’ pleasure for us to now be the first American publisher in 18 years to create new tales of Dredd,”  Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief.

I know that Chris is indeed a major Dredd head, and given how enjoyable IDW’s take on another Brit classic has been with their well-received Doctor Who comics, I think both of those aspects mean we can expect ole’ Stoney Face to get respectful treatment. I did ask Chris via Twitter if it was for the US only, as international copyright issues have created problems with showing collected editions of their Who material in the UK, and he replied that it should be available everywhere.

Of course some of us old Dredd hands recall the frankly grud-awful attempt years back to relaunch Dredd for the American comic market, in the US comic book format, set a bit earlier with Dredd and his clone brother Rico as cadets suddenly called into action, but I suspect Chris and the IDW gang are also aware of that and it is proper Dredd they like and I reckon they will do a good job. One to watch for and good news in 2000 AD’s 35th anniversary year, with the Karl Urban Dredd movie heading out way and 2000 AD increasingly targetting the US market with special collections of classic material.