Judge Dredd: Year One (Judge Dredd: The Early Years) Mass Market Paperback – 28 Oct. 2014

I really enjoyed this. A handful of comics many years ago, the Stallone film misstep (although his was a great looking Mega City) and the superb Karl Urban Dredd movie were my only main sampling of Dredd and his world. I was lucky enough to download this and the Judge Anderson books in an amazon sale thinking it was a comic. To my surprise this is actually a novel version not a comic. The author describes him as I imagined him to be: logical and confident in who he is, what he does and that his interpretation of the Mega City law is pretty much perfect. The gritty version of Mega City One feels very much in keeping with the Dredd film version for the most part. The author keeps the stories zipping along at a good pace and I really liked the way this world plays with simple vocabulary to make mundane things have a futuristic alternative. The Anderson Year One book is also great. This feels like a brilliant jumping in point for a Dredd novice.

Michael Carroll’s work is sensational. There’s a couple of stories involving ‘Rico’, Judge Dredd’s brother. The writing is crisp and action packed. Never dull. Moves along nicely.

Great novel, awesome stories of Dredd's first year as a Judge. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this 👏 👌

The stories are mildly interesting although none feel very original. The overriding impression is that the stories read like fan fiction. Nothing of course wrong with fan fiction but it wasn’t what I expected.

I bought both Year one and Year two of both Dredd and Anderson, as I love both characters, and always preferred the books to the comic strips, and this book and the others have NOT disappointed in the least :-)You get a good insight into the relationship between Joseph Dredd and his clone brother Rico, a relationship that is as different as night from day, as both epitomize different character traits of their clone father Judge Fargo, and Rico goes from bad to worse along the way. We also see just how isolated Joe Dredd is from humanity, as all he lives for is the Law, and nothing else. He has no friends, no social life, and no personal interests outside of his duty to uphold the Law, no matter what, even when he is arrested himself at one point, offering no resistance to the Judge who carries out the arrest. Dredd has a troubled psyche, it seems, when it comes to his brother, and the deterioration of the bond between them is thoroughly exposed as Rico slowly derails himself, and even impersonates his clone brother in order to commit crime. The stories are good, the plots just get thicker as they go along, and their are some moments of humour, both light and dark at times. Dredd has such a strong belief in the Law that even in his first year on the streets, his arrest record outstrips those of senior judges, and things go from bad to worse as he is sent to one of the most troubled sectors of Mega-City One, where the Law isn't exactly feared, and Muties are allowed to co-exist with regular citizens. We see just how Dredd copes with his adherence to the Law in all matters throughout the stories, and the problems it causes even other Judges around him, who come under Dredd's personal scrutiny in their duties and how they are deemed lacking in Dredd's eyes. I just LOVE these books, and the Year Two sequel is even better, as we see Dredd, barely out of his teens, and even more dogged in his duty to uphold everything the Law states he should believe in. I honestly cannot wait to see how this series hopefully continues, as it adds flesh to the bones of Old Stone Face as a newly badged Judge, and how he grew into the man we only saw as an adult from Issue 3 of 200AD comic (The Judges were first seen in Issue 2, but Dredd's first appearance was in Issue 3). I'm definitely going to get the other Judges books, as the teaser at the end of the Year Two book has seriously whetted my appetite for more, especially the early years of the Justice Dept and the first Judges :-) I cannot recommend these books highly enough, as they are far more insightful than the comic strips, and are now canon for the history of one of the greatest lawmen in comic history.

Enjoyed reading this. A treat for any Dredd fans. Enjoyed reading this. A treat for any Dredd fans. Enjoyed reading this. A treat for any Dredd fans.

This is the first ever Judge Dredd fiction book that I have ever seen which covers the first year of Dredd's serviceas a brand new Judge -as background I was reading 2000AD way back in 1977 and only stopped reading it when I got a job in the mid 1980'sHowever I have always been a fan of Judge Dredd and re-subscribed after the 2012 Dredd Film(one of my best ever decisions as Megazine and 2000AD are superb reading )- so to the book review - I am very , very impressed how well written the book by Michael Carroll's book is , and how good thenovel links up with your view of Dredd as a brand new Judge - I wont go into the book contents - as you should read it yourselfnote this is a thick ( American size ) paperback , so its a slighly smaller sized book than a British one , but is really good quality from Abaddon Books

I rember reading 2000AD in the Seventies & Dredd was my favourite character of all. Haven't read any since I was young but this book has brought back fond memories of Mega City one & the big man himself. Of course this means I will now have to read more & I can enjoy life in the city again. Happy reading

Very well written collection of Dredd stories, page turners. Recommended for all Dredd/2000ad fans, but also for general sci fi. Knowledge of Dredd universe advised, but not necessary.

Didn't know until I read it, but the stories are pretty good.

Nach den Omnibus Geschichten ahbe ich jetzt begonnen, diese Serie zu lesen - spannend, was Dredd in seinen Jugendjahren alles erlebt - auch die Anfeindungen wegen seiner Klon-Abstammung und Rico`s Verbrechen

I couldn't put it down. Three great paced, easy reads covering Dredd and Rico's first year on the force. I liked it so much I've launched straight in to the Judges Omnibus, three more stories covering the creation of the judicial system.

The story was good, the book was new & it arrived b4 schedule.