America was the story that launched the megazine back in 1990. A love story set against the violence of mega-city 1. Well kind of. With hindsight its more about creepy friendzone guy, Bennett Beeny's unhealthy obsession and betrayal of America Jara. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. But it has dated a bit and I actually preferred the three sequels (also included here) featuring America's daughter, directly and indirectly. I'm trying to avoid spoilers here. The last three stories are space fillers: A sequel to "The Return of Rico", written 23 years later and finally answering a glaring plot hole (how did Rico have a young daughter when he had been on titan for 20 years?). And two short Garth Ennis Dredd's from the early 90s. So, unlike the Case Files they are not going through the Dredds chronologically with this series. The America saga spans several decades and two generations. ( )

I was a massive fan of ‘2000 AD’, the comic that Judge Dredd first appeared in, as a kid. Every Friday I’d pick up my reserved copy from the newsagents and devour the often violent, always inventive tales within it. Unlike US comics, which tend to focus on one character or team, British titles like ‘2000 AD’ feature a number of different stories, told episodically each week. Of all the characters that appear in ‘2000 AD’, Dredd is the only constant, turning up each week to dispense ruthless justice in the grim future city he polices.
Even if you’ve never read Dredd, you may know him from the two Hollywood movies based on the comic. One starring Sylvester Stallone (and very bad), one starring Karl Urban (and much better). If you’ve seen neither of those, then think ‘RoboCop’. Dredd has always had a similar feel to Paul Verhoeven’s classic movie (and predates it by a decade). It’s violent, satirical and treads the thin line between condoning state brutality and applauding it.
The three stories in ‘Judge Dredd: America’, come not from ‘2000 AD’, but from spin-off ‘Judge Dredd: The Megazine’ which launched in 1990 with the intention of publishing more mature stories about Dredd. The stories are all written by John Wagner, one of Dredd’s creators back in the 1970s. The first of the three premiered in the first issue of ‘The Megazine’. What we have here, then, is a trio of stories that are mature in both senses of the word. They explore themes of sexuality and political rebellion that may not have made it into the pages of ‘2000 AD’, and they are reflective on the cultural phenomenon of Dredd, warts and all.
The first of the stories tells the tale of a young woman, the America of its title, fighting against the tyrannical rule of the Judges. It’s wonderfully even-handed, covering both her motivations and those of Dredd. It’s a story that has no hero but also no villain, and it follows America through to an inevitably tragic conclusion. The second story ‘Fading of the Light’ is if anything even more moving than the first, a nicely introspective sci fi tale that isn’t quite as successful as ‘America’ but is in some ways more memorable. The third, ‘Cadet’ is a clever detective story in the classic Dredd mould, that wraps things up beautifully.
Taken together, the stories are an impressive collection, and one that could perhaps only have come from John Wagner and only after he’d had sufficient time to ruminate on his creation and its cultural impact. Dredd is a more complex character than his stern, monosyllabic demeanour suggests, and these stories brilliantly explore that depth. Dredd himself comes out of them unchanged, but my view of the world he inhabits was undoubtedly changed by America and the characters whose lives she touched.
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A collection of three related stories "America" from 1990, "Fading of the Light" from 1996 and "Cadet" from 2006. "America" explores opposition to the Judge's totalitarian regime. The title character takes up armed rebellion, leaving her childhood friend behind. There's some heavy-handed symbolism going on, but the story is an exceptional one. The sequel, "Fading of the Light" is a step down. Neither the art nor the script are on the same level as the original story. "Cadet" is a well-executed procedural, which develops the Beeny character further and sets her up for future stories. Despite the prominent branding on the cover, Dredd is a peripheral figure in the first two stories and is mainly used symbolically. He takes a more active role in "Cadet".

All three stories are illustrated by Colin MacNeil, though in drastically different styles. "America" has wonderful painted art, among MacNeil's best work. "Fading of the Light" is in conventional pencils and ink, with computer colouring, and is by far the poorest of the three. MacNeil's pencilling is very poor and the colours used are distractingly gaudy and inappropriate. It's hard to believe that the same artist who produced "America" did this. "Cadet" is again in conventional pencils and ink, but is far better executed.

It's worth noting that this edition has been resized from the original. This does cause issues with some panels and lettering, but nothing too bad. ( )

Before reading America I only knew comics as simplistic bang flash stories. After reading America in its original run in The Megazine I was inspired to go looking for the real stories that exist in the graphic format. Maus, Watchmen etc.
America is a relatively simple short story from Mega City One. But it is not about Judge Dredd. It is about his world. It is about politics. It is about relationships. It is very good.
John Wagner takes the character he created and turns his whole world upside down. But does so in a simple, gentle way that really has me feeling for Beeny and America.
A truly brilliant story.
The two follow ups are similar character pieces. Less impressive perhaps but that is mostly because they have to follow up something so good. And I do like the way the story progresses. Judge Dredd is a fascinating character but it is equally fascinating to look at his world from the opposite view. ( )