“Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future” was the tie-in comic book to 1995’s Sylvester Stallone movie. Where the movie flopped, it got the character right.
The 1995 comic book adaptation Judge Dredd is widely regarded as one of the worst comic book movies ever made. Starring Sylvester Stallone as the futuristic cop – judge, jury, and executioner – Danny Cannon’s adaptation disregarded almost everything which made the character popular with his fans. Now an archetypal Sylvester Stallone hero, this version of Judge Dredd would spout silly one-liners, nonsensical catchphrases (“I knew you’d say that”) and, most unforgivably at all – barely ever wore the iconic helmet.
A far cry from the unbending, merciless fascist as created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra in 1977’s 2000AD #2. However, a redemption, of sorts, followed in the pages of the movie’s tie-in comic, published by Fleetway from 1995 to 1996. Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future was a fortnightly comic book for kids and teens, depicting Dredd’s futuristic adventures.
Although the comic followed the movie version of the character, it was notable for the way in which it reconciled two very different personalities. Fleetway’s Judge Dredd was still very recognizably the Stallone version (at least in appearance) but it toned down his eccentricities; gone were the silly catchphrases, in favor of creator John Wagner’s blunt, snappier style. It also introduced a number of concepts and characters which had originated in the pages of 2000AD. In this respect, it was a precursor to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, rebooting and reinventing Mega-City One for its own purposes.
Crucially, Lawman of the Future had much more input from the character’s creators. Indeed, Wagner served as the writer on the very first story published – “Future Crimes,” illustrated by Jim O’ Ready and P.B. Smith, with letters by Gordon Robson. Wagner returned in lawman of the Future #4, for the story “Dial Mean for Murder,” (illustrated by Jim Murray and Dondie Cox, with letters by Gordon Robson). This brought back the villain Mean Machine Angel, a cybernetically enhanced psychopath with a temper-controlling dial in his head, for an all-action showdown with the lawman. Both Dredd and the Mean Machine’s dialogue and behavior are consistent with how fans might expect them to act in 2000AD proper. And, crucially for Judge Dredd, this one never once takes off the helmet.
However, when Judge Death made his Lawman of the Future debut in Issue #8, he did so with an all-new origin (written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Alex Ronald, with colors by Mike Hadley and letters by Gordon Robson). Where 2000AD’s Judge Death was a zealot dictator from another dimension, Lawman of the Future re-imagined the alien super fiend as being a version of Dredd himself, from an alternate reality where Dredd had taken his love of the law to horrifying new levels. In addition, to Mean Machine and Judge Death, Lawman of the Future also introduced its own recurring villains – an easier prospect, now that Dredd only killed in extreme circumstances of self-defense. Villains included tattooed assassin Dragon, mutant killer Coldblood (a variation on Batman’s Killer Croc), and mobster Lucius Bludd.
Lawman of the Future may have lacked Judge Dredd’s usual satirical bite and often extreme violence, but its depiction of Dredd is a faithful one, offering younger readers a respectable springboard to the real thing. Where Stallone’s Judge Dredd barely resembled the character, this book delivered a slick, accessible version of the character to appeal to all ages.
Lawman of the Future would end in 1996, with its 23rd issue. Hitherto commissioned but unpublished stories would be collected in the same year’s Judge Dredd Action Special – marking the last appearance of Stallone’s Dredd, at least until the 2021 crossover “Trinity,” published in 2000AD #2262. While this version of the character is often mocked for its silliness and lack of faithfulness to the source material, this tie-in shows what could have been – a streamlined, simplified Dredd for all ages.
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