2000 AD #820

Judge Dredd dominates this January 1993 prog, rendered in brooding reds and greens by cover artist Greg Staples — the armored lawman looms large, eagle-shouldered and baton in hand, with a cluster of wide-eyed figures cowering at his feet. The tagline "Baton Charge! Dredd Gives 'Em Stick" perfectly matches the scene's sense of coiled authority, and Staples's painted style gives the whole image a gritty, cinematic weight. Inside, the creative team of G. Ennis and A. Williams kick off "P.J. & the Mock-Choc Factory," promising that 2000 AD remains — as the cover boldly declares — still the galaxy's toughest comic.