"Mr Buzzz”
Mega City One Year: 2099
Published 23rd July 1977, 2000ad Prog: 22 (Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 01.)
Parts: 1
Script: John WagnerArtist: Ian GibsonLetters: Peter Knight
Synopsis
Dredd executes a successful raid on a murder gang’s hideout, taking down and sentencing three perps. One of the gang offers up their leader for a reduced sentence, and Dredd obliges: problem is, the leader is in hiding in a hotel across the city. Following his arrival, Dredd gets Justice Department to issue a demolition order on the hotel under the Public Health Act of 2087, and proceeds to burn down the hotel. This flushes out the gang leader, Mr Buzzz, who is revealed to be a mutant due to his noticeable goblin-headed appearance and lack of eyes. Mutants are deemed illegal citizens in Mega City One by default.
Mr Buzzz escapes via a car until the mutant crashes it as Dredd is in pursuit, and holes up in a store basement, where its discovered that Mr Buzzz can see in the dark, regardless of the lack of eyes. Dredd pursues, quickly flushing out Mr Buzzz with explosive rounds from his lawgiver, and takes him down, much to the delight of the citizens at the scene.
Review
The return of John Wagner is felt across the board here in a simple yet entertaining tale that across its five pages adds quite a bit of world-building with the first mention of the isocubes (Justice Department jail cells) and exploring the legality of mutants in Mega City One.
The hotel Mr Buzzz was flushed out of was on 3rd and Grover, which also came up in “The Comic Pusher”, so presumably it’s a rough part of the city. The best moment comes when Dredd shows leniency with the perp that gives up their boss, reducing their sentence….by one day. Fantastic stuff.
Line of the strip - Dredd: "I'm burning it down under the public health act of 2087. The place is infested with a rat!"
Be back next time citizens for “Smoker's Crime”
