Judge Dredd: Year One #2

The second chapter of IDW's Judge Dredd: Year One opens with a cover that puts Mega-City One's youngest Judge front and center — Dredd stands resolute in full uniform, badge gleaming, as a massive explosion erupts behind him and a volley of missiles streaks across a fiery, smoke-choked sky. Greg Staples renders the scene with a grounded intensity that makes the chaos feel immediate without overwhelming the man at its heart. With Smith, Coleby, and O'Grady driving the interior story, this 2013 series is a compelling look at Dredd before the legend fully hardened.