RECOMMENDED: "Judge Dredd" by Farinas, Freitas & McDaid

- by Ninja Ross, 20 January 2016

Judge Dredd has been enjoying a lot of success in the American market lately, thanks to IDW and their range of new Dredd series over the last few years. They're even reprinting the 2000AD classic stories in full colour. And last month, IDW launched a brand new Judge Dredd ongoing series, written by Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas, with art by Dan McDaid.

Cover to #1. Click to enlarge.

The first issue kicks off with Dredd waking up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by overgrown vegetation, despite his equipment telling him he's in Mega City One. The only clue he has is part of an entry in his case log, which reveals the last thing he did was investigating a mass disappearance in the Angela Davis block. An estimated 13,450 citizen's had vanished without a trace.
 
Before Dredd can finish listening to his log, he is distracted by three young girls, as they try to kill a man they accuse of kicking puppies.
 
As one of them tries to take the man's eyeball, Dredd's first natural reaction is to arrest the girls for assault, before the “victim” tries to grab Dredd's gun, forcing him to blow a hole in his face.

When questioned, none of the girls seem to have even heard of Mega City One, the Angela Davis Block or even the Judges. Nothing is adding up for poor old Dredd as he drags them with him, looking for the nearest prison. It's good to see Dredd's commitment to the law can't be stopped.

Don't be kicking no dogs around.

While Dredd is focused on his duties as a judge, they get swamped by a herd of people trying to gain entry to “Ang Avi,” a block that looks like it's been left to ruin; overgrown and guarded by robot judges.
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It's all a bit mysterious! And things get wilder from there, when they gain access to Ang Avi. There is no law and order, just people doing as they please, trying new things. It's Dredd's own personal hell!
 
As of today, the series is only two issues in, but there's so much action and information packed in. While first issues can generally drag or feel overloaded, the first issue of this series doesn't have that worry. Any recapping in regards to Dredd or his history is done quickly and effectively, so the focus is on what's happening to the character now, and on where he's going. The second issue gets even better, with more action and mystery and plenty of over the top violence.
 
The addition of three little sidekicks seems to be a good decision, too! It's good to see Dredd forced into the role of baby sitter while trying to figure out what's going on and trying his best to bring law to a lawless land. The three girls, Lolo, Quill and Iggy are fun and useful, without getting in the way or seeming obnoxious. They're far from out of place and are actually a welcome addition to Dredd's world.

That's Dredd alright!

Farinas and Freitas worked together on the fun packed "Gamma", which we reviewed here at Trash Mutant not so long ago. Gamma was full of creativity and it's good to see they can bring that to a Dredd series so easily. While their writing style is very different from what you might be used to with 2000AD, it's still very fitting. They have the right sense of humour, as well as a love for violent action, which is what makes Dredd books so fun to read.
 
Dredd is as tough and committed to the law as he's ever been, but this new setting pushes that commitment to the test. What good is a law man in a world with no notion of law? His violent, no nonsense methods do him no favours in Ang Avi and its surrounding grassland, which makes it even more fulfilling when punching somebody in the face and kicking them in the nuts gets him what he wants. It's nice to see Dredd out of his comfort zone and hitting it so hard that is becomes his new comfort zone.
 
Dan McDaid's art is exactly the kind you'd expect to see in a 2000AD book, with plenty of details and mess that make each panel exciting and full of life. While the main characters are really detailed and look great in every way, McDaid also inserts charm into the background characters and setting, giving you another reason to stop and stare at each page.
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Plenty to look at.

Adding to McDaid's art are Ryan Hill's colours. His work is both bleak and bright, which is incredibly fitting for a Dredd book. It helps bring out the dark humour in the writing, but also makes sure to keep the darker elements from seeming out of place, preventing the book from seeming cheesy or too over the top.
 
These two help make the post-apocalyptic setting feel vibrant, full of movement. Or still and dead when it needs to be. Everything looks good in this book!
 
IDW's new Dredd series has made a strong start, with a story full of intrigue and violence. It's not a typical Dredd story, but it definitely feels like it belongs among of 2000AD's finest. IDW have found a great creative team to launch this book and it'll be good to see where they take the character.

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There you go! If you have yet to start reading Dredd books, this is as good a place as it gets. Pick it up!

Tagged: comics, Reviews, RECOMMENDED.

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