Gotham City and Mega-City One are two of the most dangerous and ruthless cities on the planet, and they're also the homes to two of the greatest heroes of all time: Batman and Judge Dredd. While living in different dimensions the two super crime fighters have crossed paths more than once over the years.
Together, Batman and Judge Dredd have defeated some of the worst threats their respective worlds have ever produced, but that doesn't mean these two crimefighters have always seen eye-to-eye.
Judgment on Gotham
In 1991, Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgement on Gotham by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Simon Bisley chronicles any world's worst nightmare come to life: the arrival of Judge Death. An unkillable spirit capable of possessing humans to use as his vessels, Judge Death believes that as only the living can commit crimes then all life must be punished. When Judge Death uses a teleportation device to leave the dimension of Mega-City One and arrives in Gotham City, Batman travels to the mega-metropolis to enlist the aid of Judge Dredd. An uneasy truce is formed between the two and Dredd follows Batman back to Gotham to apprehend the lethal spirit.
Vendetta in Gotham
In 1993's Batman/Judge Dredd: Vendetta in Gotham by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy Judge Dredd makes an unexpected appearance in Gotham with violent results. While on a nightly patrol, Batman is attacked suddenly by Dredd. After a brutal battle, Dredd hands Batman a newspaper from the future. The headline on the front page states that that very evening was when Batman died; Dredd explains that after finding the paper in the future he knew he needed to travel to the past to keep Batman busy so he wouldn't fulfill the conditions for his demise. The gangster known as Scarface sets off a bomb at a local theatre and Batman dies in the blast attempting to save two children. But as Batman rushes off to stop the explosion anyway, Dredd manages to help alter the events so that both Batman and a great number of innocent people survive the evening.
The Ultimate Riddle
In 1995, Batman/Judge Dredd: The Ultimate Riddle by Alan Grant and Carl Critchlow takes the two crimefighters into a parallel dimension battle arena. An evening like any other takes a turn for the absolutely bizarre when Batman finds himself captured alongside the Riddler, Judge Dredd, and a number of other parallel dimension entities by the mysterious Xero. As the two heroes battle through a gauntlet of challenges, Batman solves the riddle he found back in Gotham: the Riddler was in fact Xero all along, using a powerful scepter imbued with power from the "Zero Hour" event to conjure up the entire arena and its occupants. With help from Dredd, Batman defeats the Riddler and sends the Judge back to his home city.
Die Laughing
The pair's final crossover, 1998's Batman/Judge Dredd: Die Laughing by Alan Grant, John Wagner, and Glenn Fabry, is the ultimate excursion into chaotic madness. Mega-City One is unfortunate enough to be visited by the deadliest foe in Gotham City: the Joker. After getting his hands on Judge Death's teleportation device from the Vendetta in Gotham event, Joker travels to Mega-City One to find Judge Death. Instead, he finds all four of the Dark Judges and is seen as a prime candidate to become a Dark Judge himself. Psi-Judge Anderson travels to Gotham to ask Batman for help. With Batman by his side, Dredd rushes to stop the Dark Judges and their newly minted addition. Despite a cataclysmic amount of violence and pandemonium, Batman and Judge Dredd successfully defeat both the Dark Judges and the Joker, sending him back to Gotham.
While the two heroes may never see eye to eye when it comes to the law, Batman and Judge Dredd have become valued allies for one another. In the face of unfathomable horror, the vigilante and the law incarnate have put aside their differences and saved countless lives. It's unknown when the two heroes will see each other again but hopefully, it's under less traumatic circumstances.