2000AD - Featuring Judge Dredd

12 cert, iPad, Rebellion Publishing ****

It’s ironic that a comic set in the future was so slow to adapt to modern publishing. 2000AD pre-dates the iPad by some margin, but readers’ patience has been rewarded with a user-friendly, handsome tablet version.

€2.39 per issue is a stark reminder of inflation, and a future shock of my own, but thankfully the first 69-page issue is free. Frankly, an iPad screen is much sharper than comic-standard paper, and the artwork is exquisite as ever. The content remains a treat too – eccentric, witty and fiercely imaginative.

The title really means “2000AD and beyond”, and its writers are also free to work within other genres, such as the western Ichabod Azrael, which reads like a Johnny Cash ballad (“[He] killed more men than marriage”). Old favourites Judge Dredd remain, alongside newcomers such as Russell Brand lookalike Lord Lust.

This is a well-presented recreation of the comic, and a fine re-introduction to the anarchy and creativity within its covers. Video or animation content would be nice for iPad subscribers. Maybe they’ll appear down the line? The future will tell . . .