Dreaded Judge, Batmanconfront maniacal evil

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This chronic feature lets me review what's recently passed my bloodshot pupils. So pull up a chair, break out the sarcasm filter and welcome to:

Mr. Zad's Halloween comic critique

The Batman/Judge Dredd Files, trade paperback (DC Comics/2000 AD, $14.95). During the 1990s, the enforcer known for being the law in Mega City teamed up with Gotham's hero -- who takes the law into his own hands through a trio of macabre masterpieces.

Fueled by writers Alan Grant and John Wagner (and drenched with the horrifyingly realistic illustrations of Simon Bisley, Carl Critchlow and Glen Fabry), Judge Dredd and Batman fought each other. They also battled the Four Dark Judges, the Scarecrow, the Mean Machine and a powerful illusion created by the Riddler.

A new, 208-page book compiles each series. It offers a mature portrayal of misunderstood heroes caught out of their environments to stop especially vicious criminals, along with creatures hoping to completely obliterate humans.

Of the three meetings of the legends, the most impactful is one titled Die Laughing from 1998. It gave the Joker command of a Mega-City dimension belt that enabled him to spread his vile to another universe, with his ultimate goal of becoming immortal.

The plan almost succeeds except for a final gory showdown, as Dredd and Batman capture a quartet of brutal killers -- along with old pasty face, whose laugh causes heads to explode.

Mr. Fabry's artwork is especially nightmare inducing. He paints a world of terror and dirty deeds that involve unholy resurrections, blood-draining maniacs and overmatched saviors.

m What's it worth? Any time I look at a book loaded with sequential art that makes me wonder, "How much would it cost to own an original page of it?" my eyes have, indeed, observed a real treat.

The book may be a bit hard on the stomach, but the merge of prose and art is worth every sleepless night.