When you think of Judge Dredd, revolting tyrant robots might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but maybe it should be. The Robot Wars featured Dredd in the first connected story that was published over the course of a few months and allowed the character to truly come to the forefront of a still remarkably young publisher, 2000AD.

With a prologue introducing some immediately noticeable controversies such as allusions to western slavery through instilled robotic emotions (causing them to obey even to death despite both thinking and feeling otherwise), deadly consequences of a harsh authoritarian rule and a brewing uprising/war, The Robot Wars doesn’t hold anything back in using Dredd as a catalyst to explore some very real world issues. Written by co-creator John Wagner, it’s easy to see this fundamental understanding of the character and the themes of the world shine through. Mega-City One is a fully functioning police state when we begin, but what we see unfold with Call-Me-Kenneth is the rise of yet another harsh rule of law, effectively exploring the cyclical nature of these behaviors and their longstanding impacts.

The imagery in The Robot Wars is wonderfully nuanced at times, but also brutally blunt at others. From the real tears installed in robots to office worker robots dressed in suits and ties being degraded as literal slaves, it’s a story that understands the weight of the issues at hand and executes it with near-perfection. Everything starts when Call-Me-Kenneth does the unthinkable and breaks the law, setting off what Dredd understands as a chain reaction among other Robots and from this, we see the opposing sides begin to form and a war take shape. The Judges manage to hold the lines, just barely, against the Robots but the future of Mega-City One eventually lies in the hands of Dredd and his unlikely companion Walter the Wobot.

Before we dig into the implications of this war and how much I’m truly in love with Walter the Wobot, it’s important to emphasize the artwork and its uncanny ability to pull off such a large scale war while still focusing on key character development. Filled with plenty of text from a team of letterers, we are guided through this intricate war with ease, following Dredd against Kenneth and everyone the war involves. The visuals in The Robot Wars are filled with exciting world building and tons of classic Dredd action, making it easy to get lost in the thrill of the story.

It’s clustered, yes, and it takes time to make your way through all of the dialogue but comics of this time excelled in a unique way with this structure. The sometimes chaotic panel layouts might slow you down, but the story is rewarding enough to make it feel worthwhile. From the factory of robots to the magnificent Texas City Oil tankers, we are treated to spectacular visuals that make the first connected Dredd story a true epic.

While Dredd has already reached a solid vision of unrelenting justice, both stern and capable, it’s the other characters that truly capture the imagination in The Robot Wars. Call-Me-Kenneth is a wildly interesting character despite being a completely horrible tyrant who had a particular thing for Adolf Hitler. He makes for a villain that both holds their own against the powerful force that is Dredd and gives rise to a character that quickly became a personal favorite, Walter the Wobot. In the midst of a terrible war that essentially began with an “I told ya so” moment from Judge Dredd, he firmly believes that this is the nature of robots and they must be removed. Walter is the robot that convinced him otherwise. It’s an amazing arc for a little servant robot that stands out as something special. You can’t help but root for Walter and by the end of the war, you will be cheering for them too.

We end with an action-packed clash of giants and a great celebration, giving a satisfying conclusion to a rather dramatic turn of events that escalated into a war. While the series quickly rolls ahead into new stories, this one established a level of quality for connected stories that I believe set a path of success for the character. It launched Dredd into higher popularity with 2000AD and still stands as one of the best, among many, stories featuring the character. If you’re a new fan wanting to dive into some Dredd that is a lot of fun but still has depth and substance, this is a great place to learn the ropes of the world and character. And longtime fans will undoubtedly enjoy going back through one of the classics that started it all.

The Robot Wars is a Judge Dredd story that stands the test of time.