Book Review: Dreadnoughts Book 1: Breaking Ground

 Michael Carroll, John Higgins, and Sally Jane Hurst, Dreadnoughts Book 1: Breaking Ground. Oxford, UK: Rebellion Publishing and 2000AD, 2021.

 

Genre: comics and graphic novels

Subgenre: dystopian, police procedural, Judge Dredd series

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley

 

In the year 2035, U.S. society is in serious crisis and falling apart. The U.S. Constitution is radically changed and a new law enforcer is created: the Judges. Judges are now judge, jury, and executioner on the streets of the United States. This is a transition time where local police forces start learning what the judges really are and realizing that in time, once there are enough judges, they will be replaced. This is the beginning that will lead to the world of Judge Dredd. 

If you ever wondered how the future of an authoritarian United States and its Judges came about, this comic series explores that. We do not get everything step by step. We get dropped in on the story of Judge Veranda Glover. She is a new Judge assigned to Boulder, Colorado; she is the best the Academy of Law has graduated so far. As we read the story we get hints, clues, a snippet here or there to explain how things got to this point. The main interest are the stories of the early judges. 

The volume includes Glover's story and another Judge Dredd story that includes flashbacks to 2035 and the early days. These two stories are comics. The third story in the volume is an excerpt from a prose novella.

The two comics are pretty good overall blending drama and action. They are a bit of police procedural and a bit of dystopian futuristic fiction, though keep in mind that, as of this writing, 2035 is not that far away (there is some food for thought). Along the way we see protests against the Judges' system and some opposition, but we know they are bound to fail and be suppressed. Yet to many such a future has appeal, 

 

". . . to the downtrodden trying to survive in a corrupt world the Judge system might be an attractive idea, but even the prettiest rose will welt long before it loses its thorns. . .Dreadnoughts has shape and flavor of a science fiction adventure, but on the inside it's not one of these. 

It's a horror story" (5).

The stories are not subtle about the coming authoritarian horror, but it is also presented as appealing, a radical solution for serious societal problems. 

Overall, the stories are a fairly quick read. The comics are fast paced with good art. As I mentioned, we get a blend of police procedural and dystopia. "The Avalanche," the prose piece excerpted, is pretty good too but the excerpt ends as the pace starts to pick up. The works are good, but I would like to see more of the series to see if they get any better. For now, I do like them. Fans of the Judge Dredd series may be interested in this series. However, this series is accessible enough you can pick it up and enjoy it with minimal or no knowledge of Judge Dredd. 

For libraries with graphic novel collections, I'd consider this as optional. In my situation, I'd acquire it for our library if a patron requested it. 

3 out of 5 stars

* * * * * 

 

Additional reading notes: 

 

Judge Fargo, in "The Avalanche" excerpt shows the appeal of the new system. Fascist or not, it is an appealing solution many could embrace, especially if the system now has let them down: 

 

"Our first duty is to the citizens,' Fargo had told them. 'Their current system is strangling them in red tape. The simplest cases are taking years to come to trial. Everywhere we turn, we see lawyers becoming rich on the sweat of the ordinary people. Cities setting arrest quotas, which leads to cops targeting minorities and the poor because they believe that's the quickest way to get their numbers up. We see major corporations crushing their opponents by bribing officials to twist the laws in their favour. 

 

But no more. That all ends with the current generation. We will be the sword that frees the people from the Gordian knot of ineptitude, bureaucracy and corruption. Yes, we will be ruthless, and uncompromising, and at times merciless, because that is what's necessary. The gentle touch does not work'" (105).

* * * * * 

Book qualifies for the following 2021 Reading Challenge: