Judge Dredd #2 Review


Judge Dredd is by far one of the greatest non-Marvel/DC characters. Sadly prior to this new series from IDW, I had no experience with the character. So it was up to this series to make a a fan out of me. Issue #1 explained things and established the setting well enough, but the actual story was very average. There wasn’t much character to Dredd, he seemed ’empty.’ It was a pretty lacking first issue. But, I still liked the concept and character, so here we are a month later with Issue #2. This installment improves upon everything, from story to characters. If the coming issues can be like this, we’re going to have a real property-winner from IDW.

Here’s the official description from IDW:

In Mega-City one, Judges ARE the law. But what happens when a veteran Judge goes bad? And he’s so skilled at hiding his misdeeds that even Judge Dredd is unable to dig up the evidence he needs? Looks like it’s time to choose psis… from the Psi Division, that is!
IDW’s all-new ongoing series continues here, with the re-introduction of fan-favorite JUDGE ANDERSON! Don’t even think about skipping this issue. Because… well, she’ll *know*.

This one starts out in the blocks where some fights are happening, chaos basically. So the Judges are called in and find out more droids are going haywire. Not only that, but one of the judges is acting rather shady, so it sparks an investigation from Dredd himself. Duane Swierczynski (writer of the GODZILLA Ongoing) didn’t exactly go places with the last issue’s script. It’s a complete 180 here as the title character takes center stage. The problem in the previous issue was that he was just like the other Judges, same words without any kind of defining personality. Here he becomes a very engaging focus, a character I can enjoy reading. He’s like a mix of Batman, Robocop, and just slightly Punisher. So far there’s not too much of an ongoing plot, the thing is that droids are malfunctioning. The whole conspiracy thing with another judge is the primary focus, and it’s handled really well. We see another judge’s home, a nice touch in that we see these guys are not robots on flying motorcycles. However, one of the best things about this issue is the introduction of Judge Anderson, a female judge. She brings a certain likableness lacking from the other Judges other than Dredd. I hope she stays as a main character.

Nelson Daniel’s art is growing on me. While not heavily detailed sometimes, it has its own gritty look, mimicking the rather chaotic environment. It also brings the brutality of the fights alive. Like with the last issue, there are quite a few covers, three to be exact. The main cover showcases Dredd on his motorcycle holding a bloody bat, about as good as you can expect. The RI is more dramatic and retro, showcasing Dredd about to sneak up on something, looks like something done by Alex Ross. (Always a good thing.) The RIA is another dynamic painted one, showcasing Dredd with his grumpy look with Judge Anderson on it, showing her psychic powers. All fine covers to pick up. Like last time, there’s a short bonus story. I usually don’t like those, because for that they can add a few more pages to the main thing. Thankfully, this story was actually interesting. (The one in the last issue was just wasted space.) I still don’t like the idea of these backups, but if they could be interesting like this one, then no big deal.

Overall, I was skeptical going into this issue, but Duane Swierczynski hit it out of the park. The problems from the first issue are corrected, it’s a good story that leaves you wanting more. Dredd has turned into an actual character, a pretty cool protagonist if I say so myself. Judge Anderson is a great character to have in this book, I hope she remains part of it in the coming issues. With Judge Dredd #2, you can count me excited for the coming issues.

4/5

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