As reported, 2000AD (home of Judge Dredd) is making individual issues available online. This differs — majorly — from the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited offering due to the fact that the issues are available for download. That’s right, on your machine — you buy it, you own it (albeit in PDF format, not paper copy). It differs from DC’s Zuda offering because, well, Zuda is its own beast entirely.

This is well worth checking out — 2000 AD has been around for ages and Judge Dredd is one of the best characters created. Ever. Regardless of what you saw on the silver screen with Sly Stallone.

Newsarama scored an interview with 2000AD’s Matt Smith; Kristien Wendt, Director of Character Communications; and Clickwheel’s Tim Demeter about the upcoming online launch.

There are of course the obvious concerns of developing any online application like this, particularly ensuring the security of our users and protecting our own content, but on a less strictly technical end our prime concern lies with making sure we’re offering content that people want in a way that is intuitive and convenient. We know with the quality of content that 2000AD offers we have no worries in terms of product, but we are constantly innovating to improve the experience and we are already working on things far, far grander than what the public will see in our beta launch on the 19th.

The digital version of 2000AD is there to reach out to potential new audiences who may not be able to readily get the printed edition in their area or to younger readers who are used to getting the better part of their entertainment online. I know retailers lose sleep at the notion of comics online, but we feel the fans currently enjoying 2000AD in print will continue to do so and moreover we expect that the influx of new readers the digital version reaches will result in some of them opting to read the comic in print, actually increasing print sales.

Like I’ve said before, Rebellion (publisher of 2000AD) Gets It.