The Law In Order: The Making Of A Judge

Becoming a Judge and having the weight of the world on your shoulders is difficult enough, but doing it under Dredd’s direction is probably the worst thing. How would it be to have the honour of being chosen by the great man only to have him completely ignore you for several years until he needs you to die to make him angry enough to seek vengeance? Man, it’s like being married to an 80s action hero.

DATELINE:
May 2106 (Prog 373).

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?:
John Wagner and Alan Grant offer the full eagle and Kim Raymond pins it on.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (IN ONE SENTENCE)?:
Rookie Judge Dekker undergoes her final test.

WHO’S THAT IN THE HELMET?:
Dekker becomes a Street Judge.
Chief Judge Hilda McGruder gives Dekker her Full Eagle.
Judge Bean is in a world of his own, looking at Dekker’s ass during her full eagle ceremony. She’s a teenager, dude.

IT’S CULTURAL, INNIT?:
Lloyd Bridges was a noted American actor who picked the wrong day to give up living.

ANY LAW LORE?:
It’s great to see a Judge’s decision making is based on available resources and open to change. I guess if you are anyone but Dredd, they don’t jump to attention.
Dredd’s comportment is mentioned for the first time as an Academy text.

CANON FODDER?:
Like Giant, Dekker seems to get a special one on one ceremony while other Judges have been seen in later stories at mass graduation. Fucking proles.

WHAT THE DROKK?:
The roadways of Mega City One appear to be a health and safety nightmare with no barriers on them at all.

WHAT’S THE ART LIKE?:
There’s an amazing opening panel of the road down to the city. The only downside is that Raymond’s art is quite varied in quality. Some panels are jaw dropping while others look scratchy as hell.

HOW MANY LINKS?:
From the ruthlessness of the perps executing their greedy colleague to the solemn ceremony of the Full Eagle, this is good stuff. It’s also rare praise from Dredd in that Dekker is his best ever Rookie. Five links.