Where in the world is Judge Dredd?
Outside of the Marvel, DC and Donald Duck universes, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a comic book hero who’s been around the block more times than Judge Dredd. The challenge as IDW launches an ongoing Dredd series is finding a new angle on Mega City One’s seasoned law-keeper. What new status quo can set this series apart from the many Dredd tales that have come before? Writers Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas seem to have found the solution. This new series takes Dredd well out of his comfort zone, and the result is an engaging first issue.
Not that the Judge Dredd franchise is especially complex or convoluted to begin with, but this first issue is immediately welcoming to newcomers because both the reader and Dredd himself are caught equally off guard in the opening pages. Dredd awakens in a strange land with no clue as to where he is or how he got there. As he works to make sense of his predicament and still uphold his duty, Dredd slowly uncovers more about the nature of this strange land and its inhabitants. The writers are quick to inject a sense of desperate uncertainty into the story. The scene with Dredd taking stock of his limited ammunition is especially effective in that regard.
Despite that urgency, the hero never loses his stoic charm. For all that’s changed with the setting, this is still a classic Dredd adventure in many ways. It’s violent and fairly dark, but also humorous in a bleak sort of way. Much of the humor comes from the addition of three troublemaking teens as Dredd’s new sidekicks of sorts. There’s an element of satire to many good Dredd stories, and this one pokes some good fun at online culture and the desire of some people to be heard even when they have nothing of value to say.
Dan McDaid’s art is very well-suited to this particular Dredd tale. The fact that this book is in color is just one element that distinguishes it from the average Dredd tale. The setting is more organic and overtly post-apocalyptic. It’s almost like Judge Dredd’s take on the Mad Max franchise. It’s grimy and rough, but also vibrant in its own weird way. McDaid paints a striking picture of this unusual world and injects the various mob scenes and battle sequences with ample energy.
IDW’s ongoing Judge Dredd comic should have little trouble distinguishing itself from the stories that have come before. It takes a familiar hero and places him in a new setting where his usual methods will only take him so far. It’s a strong premise that’s executed by an equally strong creative team.
