"Robot Wars Part 2"
Mega City One Year: 2099
Published 7th May 1977, 2000ad Prog: 11 (Judge Dredd the Early Cases 1, The Best of 2000AD, The Complete Judge Dredd 1and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 01.)
Parts: 8
Written by John Wagner
Illustrated by Ron Turner
Letters by Bill Nuttall
Synopsis
Following the carnage created by the robot Call-Me-Kenneth that was responsible for the deaths of fourteen people, Dredd tables a motion to the Grand Judge to have all Hi-Grade robots destroyed. Given the work most do without issue compared to that of the citizens of Mega-City One are even willing to do, the motion is denied, and Dredd resigns his position as a member of the Justice Department.
Meanwhile, Call-Me-Kenneth repair and refurbishment is being televised. As the doctor in charge Arnold Wisenheimer locates the short circuit responsible for negating the robot’s protocols against harming humans, his assistant clumsily drops a soldering lance into the robot’s circuitry, awakening both it and it's anti-human agenda. After murdering the doctor live on TV for all to see, Call-Me-Kenneth uses the broadcast to rally his robot allies against their human masters.
The approach works instantly, with robots leaving their places of work en masse or even worse, murdering their owners. As the street police struggle to contain sector after sector of rampaging robots, the Grand Judge passes the necessary laws to declare war on the robots, the very thing Dredd promoted that very morning. As the senior judges lament their “best man” quitting when they need him the most, Dredd reappears and immediately reinstates himself, citing the citizens safety more important than his own views. And with that, Dredd takes to his bike and leads the Judges out against the robot army….
Review
It feels a little too obvious at this point that this episode is the real part one, and last prog’s story would have been one more fitting a few weeks apart as a prologue. This would become more typical as the Dredd strip would develop, but given this is the first few weeks of a brand new comic, backup strips may well have been in short supply.
Another decent episode though, although the art doesn’t come close to Ezquerra’s from last time out. Turner’s art has more of a glossy effect, and Dredd’s helmet looks more like a cycle helmet of the present. I was initially surprised that Dredd quit the force with less than three months of strips, which slightly diminishes Dredd “law or nothing” hardline approach (especially in contrast to his other resignation that served as the lynchpin of another saga years later), but its quick annulment serves up a couple of cool cowboy sheriff style panels to finish off the episode. Speaking of cool panels, the Christopher Reeve-likeness robot office workers was a nice touch.
All in all, a functional second part - our first ever don’t forget - that leaves off nicely for what’s to come.
Line of the strip - Grand Judge: "The citizens would never agree to work more than a ten hour week" - astonishing!
Be back next time citizens for “Robot Wars - Part 3!”
