‘The Academy of Law - Part 1’
Mega City One Year: 2099
Published 27th August 1977, 2000ad Prog: 27 (Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 01)
Parts: 2
Script: John WagnerArtist: Ian GibsonLetters: Bill Nuttall
Synopsis
Dredd is in attendance at The Academy of Law, the school for the young cadet judges that are coming of age or ready for their assessment to become a fully fledged street judge. Dredd is there to collect cadet Giant, who has successfully graduated from the academy, achieving Rookie status. He is one such student who must prove he is ready for the streets without the safety of the Academy’s training environments, and Dredd is his examiner. Dredd is aware of Giant’s name due to his father’s involvement on an aeroball team for the Harlem Heroes.
Dredd already has a reputation for being a tough examiner, demonstrated by immediately trying to play down Giant’s chances. As they hit the streets, they encounter a ‘futsie’ - a citizen driven mad by the fast-paced Mega City One life - and Giant’s assessment ends in immediate failure as he misses the target with his Lawgiver, hitting Dredd on his (thankfully) bulletproof helmet visor instead, and also offering the incorrect sentence for the subsequently-downed perp. Giant pleads for a last chance that is granted as a kidnapping case is reported nearby. Dredd makes it clear it really will be Giant’s final chance to become a Judge….
Review
We’re finally getting into the lore (pardon the pun) of the Judges, particularly what it takes to become one. Parents give up their children at a young age, in a boarding school fashion, to spend those school years of their lives failing or succeeding in graduating to be a rookie judge. Giant is of course a name that will remain ingrained in Dredd’s life and world for years to come. Although never a consistently prominent figure, any appearance of the Giant name is always significant.
Futsie is a term used to those suffering from Future Shock, where Mega City One life drives them crazy and try and cause harm to others. Giant’s sentencing was key as any Futsie who commits murder is sent for medical treatment, and not given a prison sentence. Staff at the Academy of Law appear to have physical ailments, insinuating they can no longer perform as a street judge and instead become teachers for cadets.
This is an excellent first part, and brings back fond memories of my first ever Judge Dredd Megazine strip Giant, coming from the same creative team eighteen years later. If you know you know, but no spoilers here.
Line of the strip: Dredd: "A Judge can’t afford to be sorry - he can only be right"
Be back next time citizens for : “The Academy of Law - Part 2”
