Written by Robbie Morrison
Art by Frank Quitely, Colin MacNeil, Robert McCallum, Simon Fraser, Dylan Teague, Duke Mighten and Cyril Julien
Cover by Frank Quitely
DC Solicitation: Get ready for a tale set in 2117 A.D. Hondo City - the Tokyo of Judge Dredd's world - created by Robbie Morrison (THE AUTHORITY) and Frank Quitely (THE AUTHORITY, WE3), based on designs by Colin MacNeil, and featuring additional art by Robert McCallum, Simon Fraser, Dylan Teague, Duke Mighten and Cyril Julien!
Hondo City straddles the border between ancient Samurai values and bleeding-edge technology. Law is enforced by the Judge-Inspectors, merging ancient and modern into a justice system ready for this new world. But the past is hard to forget - especially for Judge-Inspector Shimura. Determined to stop the organized "Yakuza" crime syndicates, he fights corruption and crime wherever he can find it, with the help of Aiko Inaba, a rare female Judge trainee in a world that ignores women.
On sale Dec 8 [2004]* o 7.375" x 10.1875" o 224 pg, FC/B&W, $19.95 US MATURE READERS
postponed to Dec 29 2004
This volume reprints:
Shimura, 3 episodes, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 #37-39 (Sep. to Oct. 1993). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Frank Quitely.
Outcast, 6 episodes, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 #50-55 (Mar. to June 1994). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Colin MacNeil.
Fearful Symmetry, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 #72 (Feb. 1995). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Duke Mighten & Simon Fraser.
Chambara, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 #73 (Feb. 1995). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Robert McCallum & Simon Fraser.
The Transcendental Assassin, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 #74 (Mar. 1995). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Simon Fraser.
Assassins, 2 episodes, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 #76-77 (Mar. to Apr. 1995). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Robert McCallum & Simon Fraser.
Dragon Fire, 5 episodes, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.3 #14-17 (Feb. to May 1996). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Simon Fraser (two episodes in 3.16).
Judge Dredd: Web, 2 episodes in Judge Dredd Megazine vol.3 #19 (July 1996). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Cyril Julien & Sean Barnes-Murphy.
Inaba: Babes with Big Bazookas, Judge Dredd Megazine vol. 3 #21 (Sep. 1996). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Frank Quitely.
Ronin Breed, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.3 #34 (Oct. 1997). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Simon Fraser.
Inaba: Big Lix and Flying Kicks, 2 episodes, Judge Dredd Megazine vol.3 #37-38 (Jan. to Feb. 1998). Story by Robbie Morrison, art by Teague/Dini/Roach.
Commentary: Ever since the introduction of the East-Meg blocks in the early 1980s, it has been the tradition in Judge Dredd that all the other future cities are broadly-painted caricatures of their modern stereotype. Hondo City, the setting for Shimura, is the Japan of the future, and it's a fun mix of techno-obsessed anime films like Akira and honor/tradition-obsessed samurai films like those made by Kurosawa. In any other setting, a policeman who uncovers incredible corruption in his department and strikes out on his own to ferret it out would not be called a "ronin," but in this Goseki Kojima by-way-of Frank Miller caricature, that's of course what Shimura's called. You name the stereotype - seppuku, samurai swords, dragons, motorcycles, daughters avenging fathers in mortal combat, women proving themselves in a field dominated by men - it's here somewhere.
The material is enlivened a great deal by the excellent art, including some of the earliest professional work by current superstar Frank Quitely and Lux & Alby's Simon Fraser. Fraser would reteam with writer Robbie Morrison on 2000 AD's Nikolai Dante, which began in March 1997.
This is not a complete collection. It lacks "Heavy Metal" (3/95) and "Scary Monsters" (11/97) along with a one-off "alternaty" story. Shimura returned in a three-part story for the Meg in Oct. 2004, after this collection was prepared. On the other hand, it includes the two-part "Web," which teams Shimura with Judge Dredd, and all three episodes of Inaba's solo series.