Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: John Wagner
Artist: Cam Kennedy
Release Date: 2nd April 2014

When you think of definitive Judge Dredd artists, a few names come immediately to mind. Carlos Ezquerra. Mike McMahon. Brian Bolland. Cam Kennedy is another one, or at the very least he should be.

That this is the second volume of his complete Dredd material suggests that the Scotsman’s unique style is now being given the respect it has always deserved, if not received. Kennedy was a top, top talent from his first stories in 2000ad, but he never seemed to be spoken about in the same hushed tones as the McMahons and Bollands of the world for some reason.

After after establishing himself as one of the main artists on Rogue Trooper, Cam was headhunted by Dredd writers John Wagner and Alan Grant and it’s not difficult to see why.

Kennedy was an all-rounder. Most artists, even the great ones, have things that they don’t do so well. Without naming names, even some of the definitive Dredd artists couldn’t design technology or draw different faces or even be bothered to do backgrounds. Cam Kennedy could do everything. And do it brilliantly too.

His action had a real kinetic quality, combined with a fluid approach to storytelling meant you could feel every kick in the stomach or punch in the face, while his expressive characterisation allowed writers to tell any story they wanted, from the comedic to the tragic, safe in the knowledge that Kennedy would deliver the goods.

His chunky, gnarly approach to tech design was unsurpassed too, bringing a realism to the most outlandish of ideas, just as his Mega-City 1 looked like a real, very lived-in city. Kennedy never took short-cuts, giving each panel the detail it deserved.

This volume is a perfect testament to one of the greats, covering the later period of Cam’s time on Dredd. His Kenny Who? creation is present obviously, but for the most part it’s full of those wonderful “slice of life in the Big Meg” stories that John Wagner seems to be able to fire out with ridiculous ease.

Even as a primer on Dredd this would work perfectly, but as a showcase of one man’s stunning talent, it’s absolutely essential.

Cam Kennedy is not only one of the greatest Dredd artists of all time, he’s one of the greatest artists of all time. This collection is proof of that.

Rating: 5/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Jules Boyle