Audio Review: Judge Dredd: Get Karter

Time for another dive into Big Finish’s Judge Dredd range. Sadly, with the licence long gone, these releases are becoming harder (and pricier) to track down. If by some miracle anyone out there has copies they’re willing to trade or discuss, drop me a message. I’m always happy to chat Dredd.

This time around we’re listening to Get Karter, a direct follow-up to The Big Shot! and the closing chapter in Judge Amy Steel’s story arc.

Details

Title: Judge Dredd: Get Karter
Author: David Bishop
Cover Artist: Henry Flint

Cast:
Toby Longworth – Judge Dredd / Driver / Adam Steel
Clare Buckfield – Judge Amy Steel
Jeremy James – Blake / Dispatch / Tannoy
Trevor Littledale – Detective Judge Armitage
Hannah Smith – Eve Karter / Judge Dalton / Computer / Ms Wynters
George Telfer – Payne / Chief Justice Willink / Intercom
Steven Wickham – Harry Karter

Director: John Ainsworth
Duration: 66 minutes

Timeline: October 2124

Official fluff:
Judge Dredd heads to Brit-Cit on a revenge mission after crime boss Harry Karter sends the assassin Erebus to murder Mega-City One’s toughest lawman. A precog predicted Dredd would be trouble for Karter, now Dredd intends to make that prophecy come true.

Judge Amy Steel has her own reasons for returning home. She believes Karter murdered her father thirteen years ago, a crime she could never prove. Now, as a fully-fledged Judge, Steel is determined to uncover the truth — whatever the cost.

The Review

Get Karter follows directly on from The Big Shot! and places Judge Amy Steel firmly in the spotlight. For a quick recap: during The Big Shot!, Judge Dredd is assigned to protect a Brit-Cit celebrity, only for an assassin to make an attempt on his life. What initially looks like a hit on the client turns out to be aimed squarely at Dredd himself. With the help of the newly full-eagle Judge Steel, the plot is foiled, and all roads lead back to infamous Brit-Cit crime boss Harry Karter.

At the opening of this drama, a precog vision reveals that Karter will become a serious future threat to Mega-City One. Naturally, Dredd is dispatched to Brit-Cit on a “covert” exchange assignment (covert in the loosest Dredd sense of the word) to investigate — assisted by my personal favourite grump, Detective Judge Armitage.

At the same time, a deeply personal truth comes to light: Judge Steel is Karter’s stepdaughter, and there’s a strong possibility he murdered her real father thirteen years earlier. What follows is a tense, emotional confrontation between duty, justice, and unfinished family business. This story is very much Steel’s moment, and as a conclusion to her arc, it works extremely well. That said, I wouldn’t have complained about more Armitage or additional time soaking in the uniquely strange atmosphere of Brit-Cit. Still, the narrative delivers plenty of twists and momentum, keeping things engaging right through to the end.

As always, Big Finish’s production quality is faultless — sharp performances, clean sound design, and Toby Longworth continuing to be Judge Dredd. A strong follow-up, a satisfying character send-off, and another reminder of just how good this range was.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be trawling eBay again in the hope of finding the next one.

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