Dear Johnny Fanboy,

While reading Titan Books' recent Judge Dredd graphic novel The Day The Law Died, I spotted a possible nit-pick.

Upon Dredd's return from a mission across the Cursed Earth, Chief Judge Goodman offers Joe the rest of the day off, as he has done such a remarkable job. Dredd thanks the Chief Judge and states: "Thank you, sir. I am a bit drained."

Can you explain why Dredd is such a lightweight here? Surely he could have used one of the Justice Department's sleep chambers to get a good night's rest in just ten minutes. This is what Judges usually do. Come to think of it, he probably got some natural sleep while he was out in the Cursed Earth, since there are no sleep machines out there.

Angus Metcalf

Johnny Fanboy replies:

Hey, cut the guy some slack! He's just had an arduous experience crossing a radiation desert!

In any case, it has frequently been implied that sleep machines are not used every single time a Judge needs a break. Occasionally, several hours of natural rest are the order of the day (or night).

For example, in the strip After Hours in 2000AD Prog 1319, Dredd is placed on mandatory 24-hour leave, having put in too many double shifts and used the sleep machines too frequently. Similarly, Prog 626's In the Bath, in which Joe takes a luxurious long soak (and manages to apprehend two intruders without even getting out of the tub), suggests that Judges get more time off than the mere ten minutes it takes to visit a sleep chamber.

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