Sunday, April 13, 2014

Exorcist Judges

Yesterday, in case you didn't know, was the birthday of Father Damien Karras. You did know that, of course, but I'm just saying.

I toyed with the idea of putting this up around the time of Harold Ramis' unfortunate passing, but thankfully my good taste circuits kicked in, and so here we are, now, with the Exorcist Judges of Mega City One.

 
In fact, outside of Psi Judges (of which the Exorcists are a division) who are an almost global phenomenon, the Exorcists are one of the few types of judge which have an overseas equivalent, as there is a form of Exorcist specialist in the East Meg judge system. But here we are in Dredd's home, and his compatriots are a scattered and odd lot. Adopters of religious symbolism and ritual, they're nevertheless not that religious by behaviour. The Exorcists made their debut in a Judge Anderson story, Alan Grant and Brett Ewins' The Possessed. Unfortunately, the two enlisted in The Possessed do an early bunk to set our heroine up for the big task, and that pretty much sets the Exorcists up for future appearances as second fiddle to the main Psi Judge of the day, whether it's Anderson or more recently her pretender Karyn (art duties imaginatively handled by Adrian Salmon), but as the years have passed things have got a little more interesting for this division. Firstly, the Megazine has featured the Exorcists more than the parent comic, and in its pages they have proved to be a small but fanatical unit, rubbing shoulders grudgingly with their Psi Division masters, and secondly, we finally have a female Exorcist to look upon and admire in the spectral form of Judge Lamia, so that's pretty cool.
 
My Exorcists, above aren't based on anyone in particular - although you might recognise a nod or two to one of my all-time favourites. And if you think that's all there is to see about living judges facing off againt the unquiet dead this week, then you ain't seen nothin' yet...

No comments:

Post a Comment