The Day the Law Died
Since the cover reveal, we have hinted at delving into the forthcoming The Day the Law Died supplement more deeply in previous blogs. Written by the talented Richard August and long-time Judge Dredd writer, John White, we have been teasing a peek at this supplement for a while. Wait no longer, as that day has arrived! Not the death of the law, that is, but the peek into the contents of the book...
For those who aren't familiar with the story line in the comics, The Day the Law Died epic begins with Dredd's feet barely having touched the ground of his beloved Mega-City One following his epic journey across the Cursed Earth. Welcomed as a hero, Joe is soon thrown in jail for the murder of several journalists at the Mega-Times. All for nothing more than placing his headline return as second fiddle to an actor marrying an alien.
All is not as it seems, however, as we soon begin to learn that the head of the Special Judicial Squad (SJS), Judge Cal, is a megalomaniac with this heart set on assuming the position of Chief Judge. Cal has set in motion a nefarious plan to control the Judges through nypnosis but as Dredd had been crossing the Cursed Earth to deliver the 2T(Fru)T vaccine to Mega-City Two, Cal had been unable to brainwash the hero of the hour. Which led him to arranging a plot that would see Joe being sent to Titan for 20 years.
It isn't long before Cal claims the seat of Chief Judge, although Dredd has fortunately managed to abscond the interstellar vessel that was due to deliver him to Titan. As Cal's tyranny and oppression spiral out of control, Judge Dredd sets about fomenting a rebellion against the insane dictator with the help of some Judge Tutors and the self-proclaimed King of the Big Smelly: Fergee.
This classic story line introduces many elements that feature as part of the overall setting to this day, such as the SJS and the building of the wall that now protects Mega-City One from mutant incursions.
We have introduced the SJS previously in one of our excellent short scenarios, although The Day the Law Died is the very first time they are established within the comic. These sinister Judges who judge the Judges also feature prominently in later stories and even serve to introduce former Chief Judge McGruder among other prominent figures.
This sourcebook, then, seems like the perfect place to take a deeper look at the inner working of the SJS. Check back in next week as we take a look at the first chapter: The Rise of the SJS.
