Before teaming up on Preacher, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon worked together on Judge Dredd. Their early collaboration showcased Ennis's ability to seamlessly blend extreme violence and absurd comedy, as seen in a story featuring a mutated Teddy Bear villain. Ennis's work on Judge Dredd brought a brutal and satisfying storytelling style with sinister villains and explosive action.
Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, who later worked on Preacher together, also collaborated on Judge Dredd stories.
In the Judge Dredd story "Emerald Isle" by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, and Wendy Simpson, Dredd teams up with judges from the Emerald Isle after their ambassador is assassinated in Mega-City One. Together, they hunt down international terrorists, giving readers a glimpse of a new corner of the world. This collaboration between Ennis and Dillon is notable for being one of their first, setting the stage for their future work together.
In "Teddy Bear's Firefight" by Garth Ennis and Brian Williamson, Dredd faces off against a mutated human who disguises himself as a Teddy Bear to cause chaos in Mega-City One. This story showcases Ennis' ability to blend extreme violence with absurd comedy, and it will change the way readers view Teddy Bears forever. Additionally, in another story, Ennis depicts Dredd slaughtering a small army of mutants in just 3 minutes, emphasizing Dredd's badassery in facing overwhelming odds.
Garth Ennis and Colin MacNeil's "Firepower" features Judge Dredd as he arrives at the scene of a mutant attack at Mega-City One and quickly eliminates the threat in just three minutes. Ennis's masterful action scenes showcase Dredd's deadly abilities. In "Garbage Disposal" by Garth Ennis and John Burns, a roadshow featuring valuable garbage from the 20th century leads to shocking murders and robberies, creating a gripping mystery that is eventually solved in the last few panels. This short story proves that Judge Dredd is perfect for short-form mysteries. "School Bully" by Garth Ennis, Simon Coleby, and Gina Hart is hailed as Judge Dredd's cruelest story despite being his least violent, showcasing the character's versatility.
Judge Dredd’s duties as a law enforcement officer go beyond just apprehending and sentencing individuals on the spot. He also has the responsibility of educating the youth of Mega-City One on the laws and justice system. Dredd spends an entire day teaching children about the history of the Justice Department and what actions could lead them to appear in front of a judge like himself. While this storyline does not involve violence, it does show a level of harshness displayed by Judge Dredd that is rarely seen.
Dredd comes across as a domineering figure to the kids in his class, as he publicly arrests a child’s father and forces him to stand in a corner until he is taken to prison. He also has the parents of a little girl arrested for illegal farming after she offers him an apple. This portrayal of Dredd's duty as a judge is presented as cruel, rather than in a heroic light.
Moreover, in the story "A Clockwork Pineapple" by Garth Ennis and Simon Coleby, Judge Dredd pays homage to the iconic futuristic dystopia of A Clockwork Orange. When Soviet officials visit Mega-City One, they bring a clockwork pineapple, a music player, as a gift. The Chief Judge orders it to be placed in the Anthony Burgess museum. The story includes references to A Clockwork Orange, such as the mention of Anthony Burgess, the author of A Clockwork Orange, and the connection between the title of the novel and the ‘clockwork pineapple’.
Garth Ennis introduces an intriguing villain in the Judge Dredd series with the eccentric Muzak Killer, Marty Zpok. Zpok's mission to rid Mega-City One and Two of generic muzak by murdering musicians is driven by his belief that it is keeping the citizens complacent in their authoritarian future. While Zpok's actions are clearly deranged, his concerns about the state of the world are justified. Ennis effectively portrays Zpok as a product of the madness surrounding him, with his obsession with the music of the past and disdain for the mass-produced muzak of the future. This makes him a compelling antagonist for the unyielding Judge Dredd.
This storyline delves deeper into Judge Dredd's character, showing a rare glimpse into his psyche as he investigates a series of bizarre suicides at a facility. The facility had a gas leak that caused hallucinogenic effects, leading Dredd to experience dark distortions of the animatronic characters before he burns the building down in a violent reaction. Garth Ennis helped bring back Johnny Alpha, a pre-Judge Dredd character, in this epic storyline that also involved necromancy, zombie hordes, and time-jumping escapades. Ennis worked with creator John Wagner to create one of the coolest and most groundbreaking Judge Dredd stories to date.