Welcome, Earthlets, to Multiver-City One, our monthly look at the “Judge Dredd Megazine!” Let’s get right to it.
Judge Dredd: Destiny’s Child
Credits: Kenenth Niemand (script), Simon Coleby (art), Len O’Grady (colours), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Brian Salvatore: The one-shot Dredd stories in the Megazine tend to be far more about Dredd’s impact on the world than his actual place in it. “Destiny’s Child” doesn’t change that at all; in fact, although Dredd appears on every page of this strip, he is an almost totally passive participant in the story. What we know of Dredd in this story we only know through his single mindedness and his inability to give Apocalypta the time of day. And, to be fair, that’s sort of all we need to know about Dredd in any story, as he is rarely the driver behind any of these stories. But his distance here is the point of the story, rather than a point.
Simon Coleby’s art almost never puts Dredd in the spotlight of any panel, allowing instead to frame him in the shadows, on the periphery, and generally moving too fast to be captured in anything resembling a static moment. Apocalypta, on the other hand, is always always front and center, though we don’t learn a ton about her, either. It’s well played how Kenneth Niemand’s script allows Apocalypta to appear both annoying for bugging Dredd constantly and also incredibly relatable in her unflinching desire to get just a moment of Dredd’s time. We’ve all felt ignored, and Coleby and Niemand present a protagonist who is incredibly sad, but seemingly can’t help herself.
Coleby helps that cause by showing her as utterly aflutter when Dredd is around, and then still and calm when he isn’t. There isn’t an ounce of resentment on her face when she’s trying, time and time again, to get through to him. Dredd’s helmet makes him a tough character to get a beat on, emotionally, but it’s not surprising that he is given no hint of empathy or compassion here at all. As with most Dredd stories, the point is never that Dredd is right, but here, in the aftermath of the Defund the Police movement, it is so clear that all Apocalypta needs is a minute of his time, a tacit acknowledgement, and a therapist. By the time Dredd is willing to give her these things, it is too late for everyone involved, and Dredd is so unmoved by the whole experience that, if for some reason you didn’t loathe him before, you do now.
“Destiny’s Child” is a reminder that, above all else, Dredd believes his job trumps all else. He can risk his neck for a baby because that is what a good Judge does. He can’t not cite someone for jaywalking and take a minute of his time to ease her mind, because that’s not in his job description. By being a good Judge, he’s a shitty person. It is sad how familiar that tale is.
Megatropolis, Part Six
Credits Kenneth Niemand (script) Dave Taylor(art) Jim Campbell(letters)
Michael Mazzacane: “Megatropolis” slows down from the doom, gloom, and dredd of it all for a surprisingly quiet but still action-packed strip. That is a strange, somewhat contradictory description of a “slow” strip but one that is still “action-packed.” Kenneth Niemand and Dave Taylor achieve this through a clear rhythm and visual balance to this episode. Using pages to effectively crosscut from two distinct plot threads: Rico and Jara meeting with the reclusive Professor Eustace Fargo (who it is worth noting doesn’t appear to be visually related to Rico) and Judge Dredd ruining yet another one of Calhoun’s hairbrained schemes to capture him. On one end we had a quiet, contemplative, discussion with one of Megatropolis’ founders and on the other we had explosions and gunfire.
This sort of dualist balancing act is reinforced through Dave Taylor’s use of color. Megatropolis is a lot of things, but bright isn’t really one of them. The art deco city has primarily been shown in shades of blue-grey with hints of silver and gold, the lights cast a pale white glow. Fargo’s villa is filled with blindingly white light. His character design is reminiscent of Elijah Snow from “Planetary.” He is helped by shiny and chrome automata that are clearly inspired by Maschinenmensch from Metropolis. All of that white light is contrasted with the redish orange explosions Judge Dredd causes after triggering one of Calhoun’s latest traps. Taylor’s art in that sequence isn’t so much built around creating the feeling of fluid action as much as capturing the utter destruction of everything, anonymous goons burn alive in three consecutive panels, bodies leak fluids. It helps to create the real sense of urgency Hilda tries to get Eustace to pull his shadow warrior back.
Continued belowThe revelation that Fargo is working with-using Dredd, that they are likely one of his automata, is both a real surprise and something that should’ve been plainly obvious given the reflective nature of “Megatroplis.” This revelation provides a twist on the idea of Dredd and Fargo being one and the same, but in a new perhaps more sinister light. If Dredd is an automaton it explains how he gets away with acting like Jason Vorhees. It also feels like the final outcome of the main universe Judges.
“Megatropolis” ends things for the first time in months in a place that has me asking questions and really considering what is going to be coming.
Dreadnaughts: Breaking Ground Part 5
Credits: Mike Carroll (script), John Higgins (art), Sally Hurst (colours), Simon Bowland (letters)
Christopher Egan: Things really take a turn in this week’s chapter of “Dreadnaughts.” It continues to be one of the bleaker strips coming out of the Megazine, and that’s saying something. Carroll’s take on the early days of Judges carving their place in the U.S.’s law enforcement is harrowing and violent. The new Judges are doing their best to follow the ideals of this America of 2035, but while they see their work as heroic, or at the very least upholding the law, they are nothing short of draconian soldiers that have always been at the center of this universe. It more or less drops the black satirical humor found in early “Judge Dredd” stories, but the points it is getting across are all the same. None of the characters are on equal footing and aside from those at the top, most feel incredibly lost in their situation.
The difference between the regular police officers and the new Judges comes strongly across in illustrations, and some of their methods, but the results are all too similar. Higgins’s artwork is gorgeous, but the clear representation of Nazis/Secret Police make the story all the more difficult to connect with. This isn’t a knock; the work is excellent and makes the series a truthfully challenging read under the mask of an action piece. The harsh contrast in every panel only puts the law in a scarier light. It is easy to see the dark war film influence on this series, especially during the hunting and raiding sequences.
The brutality of the shoot out and arrest scenes are a gut punch of both violence and outstanding colour work. Hurst’s pairing with Higgins is one of the best things about this series. This creative team has put together an incredibly engaging series. The writing and the artwork should send a chill down the spine of anyone who is both a fan of “Judge Dredd” or has a life-long fear of conservative rule.
“Dreadnaughts: Breaking Ground” continues to be an intelligent and harsh look at the early days of the Justice Department and Judges.
The Returners: Heartswood Part 6
Credits: Si Spencer (script), Nicolo Assirelli (art), Eva de la Cruz (Simon Bowland (letters)
Matthew Blair: “The Returners: Heartswood Part 6” follows a disparate group of vagabonds from the 2000AD universe who have been brought together through the result of all them becoming immortal. Sadly, it’s the unfortunate kind of immortal where you’re not invulnerable to pain and you can die, so it’s a very careful kind of immortal. Part 6 finds the group inside an enchanted house with a spooky matron that appears to be the source of their mysterious powers, and the unfortunate story behind them.
The script for “The Returners: Heartswood Part 6” comes from Si Spencer. It’s a script that puts the characters first and Spencer does a very good job of using the backgrounds of each character to develop their personalities and chemistry between each of them. However, the main core of the story this time around is centered around a handy bit of exposition, which Spencer uses to tell a gut wrenching tale of loss and anger that has been stewing for several centuries, and culminates in the story’s antagonist who is a classic sorceress with a wonderfully creepy twist.
The art for “The Returners: Heartswood Part 6” is penciled by Nicolo Assirelli with colors by Eva de la Cruz. Assirelli appears to be more comfortable drawing people, which shows because his modern art style with anime influences allows each of the characters to be wonderfully expressive and detailed. Sadly, while Assirelli is great with the characters, his backgrounds are somewhat lacking, allowing for a lot of blank spaces and empty looking panels. Fortunately, this is fixed with de la Cruz’s rich and gorgeous colors, which enhance the story with gorgeous oranges and purples.
Continued below“The Returners: Heartswood Part 6” is an interesting tale of magic and personal tragedy in the midst of a sci-fi universe known for its satire and impersonal loss. It has great characters, gorgeous colors, and an interesting twist on an immortal witch that is both sad and creepy at the same time.
The Dark Judges: Deliverance, Part Six
Credits: David Hine (script), Nick Percival (art), Annie Parkhouse (letters)
Rowan Grover: It’s a bit of a slower burn this time around on “Deliverance”, with some fleshing out of things to come but not a whole lot happening in the now. We find out a little bit more on the nature of the being Um, in a bit of mythic foretelling that prepares Rossco and the Wild Kids for the incoming of Judge Whisper. Although, when Whisper arrives, it turns out he’s effectively useless since the Wild Kids feel no shame, in a moment that feels like it should be witty political commentary but falls short and lands into a more disappointing territory. The biggest reveal here is the resurrection of the other Dark Judges, but even then a lot of the usual narrative/visual comedy is lost in a lot of telling. Having Mother Kalula tell Death that there were a lot of masochistic volunteers that were unable to be vessels for the Judges feels like it should be a funny bit, but without actually seeing examples of these failed vessels, it again falls a bit short.
Percival’s art is as good as always, with lots of beautiful painterly textures and surreal landscapes. I love how Percival renders Whisper moving through and interacting with the world around them. They move so stiff and awkwardly, but their floral crown seems to grow and change with every step which makes for some interesting visual continuity. There are also some visceral and gruesome visuals towards the end as the Judge’s vessels are prepared in this seeping, sticky-looking goop called Dead Fluids. Where Percival falls a bit short in this issue, however, is with Um’s paintings. I do appreciate the comedy of having this otherworldly being use a paintbrush to render a mural, but the painting looks too much like the physical world to distinguish it as a painting. It feels like a missed opportunity to have it resemble a more sketchy or less-defined cave painting style, and also makes it hard to separate between the real and the painted.
“Deliverance” hits a bit of a slow bump this month, lacking the usual razor-sharp wit that makes it so much fun. However, there are a few interesting plot developments to keep the story moving along.
