Judge Dredd #1 from IDW -
In Mega-City One's Angela Davis Block, people are disappearing without a trace. Even the Psi-Division can't get a vibe on where the people are disappearing to, and what perps might be involved. Enter Judge Dredd, a heavy-handed crime-fighting machine of a man, looking to dole out justice, one perp at a time. However, Dredd's case goes south almost immediately, as he himself becomes one of the vanished denizens of Mega-City One. Dredd awakes in a strange new world unlike any he has seen; the grass grows, flowers bloom and the air is clean, and there is no Cursed Earth. Unable to fully grok his surroundings, Dredd soon gets back to dispensing the law, but when he encounters a huge Mega-City block, with no Mega-City surrounding it, guarded by killer robot Judges, Dredd realizes that this case may be his biggest case ever...And his last.
This may be a reboot for our beloved Judge Dredd, or not. It's hard to say just yet. What I can tell you is that this is the Dredd that fans know and love thrust into a world unlike any that we've ever seen before in the 40-year history of Judge Dredd. For me, the familiarity given to an unfamiliar world deepened the mystery of the book, and held my attention page after page. Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas have their fingers on Dredd's pulse - this is your father's Judge Dredd, but this isn't his world. Not to worry - the biting wit and craziness that identifies a Dredd story is still there. The writing coupled with Dan McDaid's busy, clunky artwork makes this feel like classic Judge Dredd in a not-so-classic Dredd tale. I really DIG that.
If you are a hardcore Dredd fan, you will probably love this series a lot. If you're a fly-by-night Dredd fan, or just into the movies, this book might not be your cup of tea.
RATING: 8.5 out 10.
Oh! Yeah...I did not miss that one Tex :)
ReplyDeleteIt is an odd but intriguing read. I have Number 2 on it's way, Great interaction with the stern Dredd & the kids that can't work him out Lol.
Are you a Dreddite too?
ReplyDeleteI have loved Judge Dredd ever since I first read a story in 2000 AD. When the movie came out with Stallone in the 90s, I had no idea that Dredd was a comic book character. My comics knowledge in my teen years was relegated to American superheroes. I had a few western and horror comics in my collection (given to me by a deceased family friend), but at that time the western and horror comics were all but dead. I am so happy I expanded my horizons beyond American superhero comics.
I am really interested in seeing where his relationship with the kids goes. Those kids are no innocents, and they kind of see Dredd as their meal ticket into the Ang Avis (Angela Davis Block). Also, I'd like to know what in the heck happened to Mega-City One. Has Dredd been thrown into the future when the world has healed itself? An alternate universe? What gives? And I wonder Ang Avis has real judges. Maybe somebody Dredd knows is in charge. SO EXCITING!!! It's like the Lost Army series for the DC Green Lanterns. Same great characters in a place where anything new can happen. Now that's how you keep a character fresh.
Hey Gil,
ReplyDeleteHave you read Judge Dredd: Origins? It is AMAZING! The story is an excellent addition to the Dredd mythos.