10 Reasons Why Judge Dredd Book of The Dead is Amazing!

Book of the Dead was a mid 1990s Judge Dredd Story published in 2000ad: written by Grant Morrison and Mark Miller with art by Dermot Power and lettering by Tom Frame it is rightly derided as one of the worst Judge Dredd stories published.

But there are some amazing things about this story (more than 10 even). Here are 10!

This story forms part of the latest Judge Dredd Case Files - you can get it here

Dredd Case Files 20 - Amazon
WARNING SPOILERS FOLLOW.


1. The Egyptian Judges.

Despite Egypt currently being a predominately Muslim country, in the year 2115 the new Egyptian Mega City of Luxor worships the Ancient Egyptian Gods and a religion that died out around the 4th Century AD. This is a great idea because it allows the writers to fill the story with stereotypes, name the Judges with silly names and have Dredd battle a mummy!

2. Interesting Graffiti.

Future Egypt seems to be filled with graffiti relating to the 1990s computer game company 'Acclaim'. I think it is amazing that the memory of this company will still be remembered in 2115!

I am not sure what the promotional deal was around this appearing, but I hope it was worth it!

3. Why the Mummy Wants to Kill Dredd.

Through an implausible plot device Dredd is brought to the city of Luxor, but the real reason why he is there is so that an ancient mummy (Ankhor) can kill him.

But why does this undead foe want Dredd dead? Why has he brought him all the way from Mega City 1 to the city of Luxor?

I expect is is because he has some kind of big grudge against him right (like in every other Mark Miller story) . . .

Oh . . . He wants to eat his peak genetic material. Ok. Well at least this ancient fella has a taste for science, he just does not understand it in any way.


4. Why Judge Dredd has Special Genetic Material.

There is a reason why only Judge Dredd with be right for the Mummy to eat.

How could I forget that Judge Dredd was the stock of an ancient race of Judda? Bad me.



5. Judge Dredd is Revealed to Have the Loudest Voice Ever.

Somebody call the future equivalent of Norris McWhirter because Dredd's voice can be heard from the top of a building in a busy city! That has to be a record of some sort right? No . . . Oh, it's just bad writing you say. . .

6. Dredd is the MASTER of the Cunning Plan.

'SSSSStop sstruggling you cannot prevail against one who cannot die' (hmmm where have I heard that line before). Well Dredd can prevail because he has a cunning plan up his Justice Department sized sleeve. His plan to beat this Mummy  . . .  is to throw himself off their flying bike, potentially to his death. Take that you Mummy dummy!

(unfortunately the plan does not work because the Mummy follows him) - boo.

7. The Mummy's Fiendish Plan.

Dredd is not the only one to have fiendish plans and the evil Mummy's one is almost as good as Dredd's! Firstly he has Dredd chained up in the tomb of the dead Chief Judge. Then he floods the chamber . . . with sand!

Now some might wonder how the Mummy plans to dig through the sand and find Dredd so that he can eat his special genetic material, but that is ok, because he does not need to . . .

 . . . He busts through the wall and pulls Dredd out before he suffocates! Yes this really does happen.


8. The Scene Where the Egyptian Chief Judge Runs Out of Toilet Paper!

I don't need to say anything more on this.

9. Damned Stray Muties!

I prefer the domestic kind.

Judge Rameses must have strayed out of the city as at this point in Dredd they did not allow muties into the city. That or the writers/editors did not know much about the story they were making.



10. Dredd Can Break Chains.

Go super-Dredd!

And now it's time for the News at 10 'RRRAAAA'.