INSURRECTION (2000 AD, 2011; Softcover)
Collects
selections from Judge
Dredd Megazine
Nos. 279-284, 305-310 (cover dates January 6, 2009- May 24, 2011)
Writer:
Dan Abnett
Artist:
Colin Macneil
Curse
you, 2000 AD Free Comic Book Day issue! That issue featured a
snippet of this feature, and I was so intrigued that I had to seek
out the trade paperback which collected it. Insurrection is set in
the Judge Dredd universe but, aside from some lingo and the
antagonists being the Special Judicial Squad, this could just have
easily been it's own thing. Whereas you root for the Judges in Judge
Dredd, here the entire thing is a gray area.
Mega
City One Colony K Alpha 61 was invaded by the Zhind, an alien race
claiming ownership to the minerals of this space settlement. Despite
numerous pleas to Mega City One, no help was sent. So the Judges
granted the mutants, uplifts, and droids citizenship and enlisted
them in a war, which they won, renaming the colony Liberty. This is
where our story begins.
Liberty
has declared independence from Earth, something that does not go over
well. Mega City One sends the Special Judicial Squad (which will be
referred to as the SJS from here on out) to reclaim it's
territory...something that also does not go over well. What you have
is basically a wafer thin metaphor for the United States, who
revolted from England (where this story was originally published).
The sequel, Insurrection II (from issues 305-310), sees our “heroes” (depending on your point of view) flee Liberty and spread their message, causing an uprising an a droid-only factory which manufactures the Trilinear Chip. This then poses the question of equality. Are sacrifices okay if they are not human? Are robots the equal to humans since they have fought shoulder to shoulder with humans for the very same thing? This is an allegory for the Civil War. The droids have developed a pulse virus which can short out every Trilinear Chip on Earth, essentially setting Earth back hundreds of years. What is one to do? I won't tell you. You may highlight the following line below for the answer:
There
is no answer. We are left with a question, which I LOVE.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- The only covers that are included are the ones which
feature characters from this story, which would be Judge
Dredd Megazine
Nos. 305 and 310.
DVD-style
Extras included in this book: Eight pages of
character sketches. Original Pitch (2 typed pages).
Paper
rating: 4.25 out of 5. Glossy coated stock, but it has that
“dusty” Chinese ink feeling to it. Probably flakes from the
asbestos tiles that the Chinese mix in a vat with the mercury from
recalled thermometers and lead paint chips.
Binding
rating: 4.25 out of 5. Sewn binding. Nice.
Cardstock
cover coating rating: 4 out of 5. Dull matte finish coating which
scuffs fairly easy. Not a fan of this “fancy” coating used on so
many books these days. It makes the colors look dull and muted in a
bad way.
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