Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: John Wagner
Artist: Kevin O’Neill, Mike McMahon, Cliff Robinson, Ron Smith, Ian Gibson
Release Date: 19th March 2014

This is a weird one. Over the years there’s been countless Dredd compilations on both sides of the Atlantic, but none of them have ever felt quite so random as this one.

That’s not to say it’s no good, though. Drawing material from the first decade or so of 2000ad, it would be pretty difficult to fill a collection of sub-standard stories, such is the wealth of riches available.

As quality as it is, the Big Drokkin’ Treasury Edition does feel a tad on disjointed side, with no real cohesion to the stories selected.

Opener The Law According To Judge Dredd is a real treat. The legendary Kevin O’Neill makes a rare appearance on Dredd, bringing his uniquely twisted style to a typically warped John Wagner tale of a mutant leader dispensing his own brand of justice under the guise if his hero, Judge Dredd.

The pick of the bunch are a brave of classic Mike McMahon stories that show one of the definitive Dredd artists at the top of his game. Judge Minty is the standout here, a powerful tale of an ageing Judge that was turned into an excellent fan film on recent years.

Uncle Ump’s Umpty Candy and Monkey Business At The Charles Darwin Block are both great examples of John Wagner at his world-building best, fleshing out the insanity that is Mega-City via sharp satire and full-on action.

Other highlights are Ron Smith’s Battle Of The Black Atlantic, a seemingly innocuous Crime Blitz that turns into a major international incident and foreshadows the coming Apocalypse War and Vienna, an early Ian Gibson episode that introduced Dredd’s niece.

There’s no such thing as a bad collector of early Dredd stories and while this volume lacks any kind of theme, it’s jam-packed with quality stories and art.

If you don’t own them already, you could do a lot worse than picking this one up.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Jules Boyle