Comic Review: Judge Dredd: Toxic!
I’ve been stuck in a Horus Heresy hole, but I am working on other fun projects. Today, I will share the inspiration of a big project heading to Judge Dredd: Sector 102 in 2025. The inspiration is 2000 AD - Judge Dredd: Toxic!
Title: Judge Dredd: Toxic!
Publisher: IDW
Page Count: 96
Format: Paperback
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Fluff: Dredd's investigation into the death of a seemingly unremarkable sewage worker spirals into a waste management crisis that could destroy all of Mega-City One!
Mega-City One has long used genetic modification on its waste workers to control the filth that flows under the city daily. When Dredd discovers that some of them have foregone that disfiguring procedure to host protective alien symbiotes, it sparks a groundswell of anti-immigration fervour. Soon, the toxic atmosphere spills into the streets, undermining the very infrastructure that makes the city tolerable. Can Dredd find a solution to save the now indispensable aliens from the angry mobs?
Never have Judge Dredd's satire and social commentary cut so sharply nor repudiated hate so certainly as in Toxic! And never has that statement--or the humour and entertainment with which it is delivered--been more necessary.
Collects the complete four-issue series.
Review
If you’re looking for a comic that combines razor-sharp social commentary with relentless action, 2000 AD Judge Dredd: Toxic! by Paul Jenkins is a must-read. The series starts with the death of a sewage worker. But as Dredd digs deeper, he uncovers a massive waste management crisis that could threaten the entire sector.
At the heart of the story is a brilliant and unsettling exploration of genetic modification, immigration, and societal tolerance. Mega-City One’s genetically altered waste workers, essential to its survival, have started hosting protective symbiotes who’ve found a way to protect the humans working in this harsh environment, as well as correct the modifications the humans have had done to them, allowing these downtrodden the ability to live in the city once more. But once the aliens are discovered, it ignites anti-immigration hatred, leading to a “toxic” uprising that jeopardizes the city’s infrastructure.
Jenkins delivers biting satire, laying bare the absurdities of hate and fear-mongering while never losing sight of the humour and action that make Judge Dredd iconic. The artwork enhances the narrative’s gritty, visceral depiction of Mega-City One’s decaying underbelly and the ensuing chaos.
Judge Dredd: Toxic! has left a lasting impression on me, especially with its potent themes of justice, survival, and societal collapse. It’s greatly inspired my upcoming project in Sector 102. I’ll explore similar themes in 2025, so watch this space for more updates as I bring this vision to life!
Stay tuned—Sector 102 is on the horizon.
