Judge Dredd Megazine #479: Meg 479

We’ve a bunch of new stories starting in this issue – after the Cadet Rico series, it’s time for his clone-brother to step into the spotlight as Paul Starkey and Nick Brokenshire collaborate on a strange new case for Joe Junior in the shape of The Haunting of Iso-Block 8.

At the other end of generational divide, Ol’ Stoney-Face catches up his alt-reality counterpart, who we first met at the end of last year’s Lawmen of the Future, in Old Man Joe by Ken Niemand and Dan Cornwell.

Elsewhere, Brit-Cit Detective Judge turned consultant Armitage is back investigating another of his cold cases in Murder. Setting: Automated, Express by Liam Johnson and Warren Pleece, plus David Barnett and Luke Horsman introduce the brand-new series Barrel & Hammer, a rollicking space-pirate comedy about a pair of buccaneers looking to make a name for themselves in the highly competitive world of booty acquisition.

Plus there’s the penultimate part of Death Cap, the second instalment of Atomfall, more football action in Rok of the Reds, the next chapter in the Meg Files, and a chat with Cadet Dredd artist Nick Brokenshire. Enjoy, creeps!

JUDGE DREDD // OLD MAN JOE

Mega-City One, 2146 AD. This vast urban hell on the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America is home to over 200 million citizens, bordered by the irradiated Cursed Earth to the west and the toxic Black Atlantic to the east. Tensions run a knife-edge and crime is rampant. Stemming the tide of chaos are the Judges. Toughest of them all is Judge Dredd – he is the Law!

DEATH CAP // FRONTIER JUSTICE, Part Seven

The Cursed Earth, 2144 AD. This blasted, irradiated wilderness covers much of what’s left of post-apocalyptic twenty-second century North America. Here, mutants scratch out a meagre existence in ramshackle townships. Former Judge Anita Goya’s family were massacred, and she became infected with a virulent fungus. Now she’s being hunted by Justice Dept…

ARMITAGE // Murder. Setting: Automated, Express, Part One

Brit-Cit, 2147 AD. While the UK equivalent of Mega-City One has its own Judge force, it’s retained its CID plainclothes division, of which Detective Inspector Armitage was one of its veteran officers. Now a consultant, Armitage hasn’t lost his surly demeanour and distrust of authority – and now he’s looking into another of his cold cases..

CADET DREDD // THE HAUNTING OF ISO-BLOCK 8, Part One

Mega-City One, 2076 AD. Overcrowding in the metropolis is rife, unemployment is at ninety per cent, boredom is universal and crime is rampant. Only the Judges can stop total anarchy. Cadet Joe Dredd – together with his clone-brother Rico – is a rising star in Justice Department, and will one day be its finest officer. Make no mistake, he is the Law!

ROK OF THE REDS // Chapter Four

Dangerous intergalactic outlaws and an arrogant footballer collide, on the run after his home world is destroyed, Rok of Arkadi needs a hiding place. And that hiding place happens to be troubled football star Kyle Dixon. A black comedy about revenge, redemption and the ‘beautiful game’.

ATOMFALL // Part Two

It’s 1957, and investigative journalist Jenny Coggins has been sent by her bosses to explore the picturesque village of Wyndham. Nothing ever happens in Wyndham – except that recently a mysterious plant has been built in the confines of the village. After receiving a message that the plant is not all that it seems, Jenny finds out that something very strange is happening in the woods…

BARREL & HAMMER // BOOTY CALL, Part One

Deep in the void of space, the far future. The buccaneers that patrol the galaxy on the hunt for ships to plunder have a strict hierarchy that they have to adhere to – certain targets are only available to those that belong to the Space Pirates Guild, and to break that ruling can land you in a whole heap of trouble…