For “Judge Dredd” fans, the 2012 film Dredd was exactly what they had been hoping for for many years. Unfortunately, the movie was a huge box office bomb, making back only a tiny fraction of its budget and the two planned sequels were never made. Since then, 2000 A.D. has graced us with a couple in-canon mini-sequels. This week, we get the first half of the final story. Mild Spoilers Ahead.
Illustrated by Henry Flint
Colored by Chris Blythe
Lettered by Annie Parkhouse
“Final Judgement” #1 kicks off the two issue miniseries that will bring an end to the Dredd continuity. Delivering on a promise that we would see the Dark Judges, or at least Judge Death in a movie sequel, this book contains a story fans have been waiting six long years for.
The one tonal choice that truly keeps the Dredd continuity apart from its “Judge Dredd” counterpart is its basis in a more grounded, realistic world. It is very much a future that feels more conceivable than the more bizarre version that debuted in 1977. It is the same gritty, over-populated police state first created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, but it does not delve as to far into the more far-fetched aspects of the books series. There are no robot overlords, no dimension hopping and only touching on the existence of mutants, like his psychic partner Anderson. This version of the character and Mega City One translates perfectly back onto the page for the handful of sequels that have attempted to appease fans who wish they could get those additional films. Keeping with the vibe of the movie, the previous comic sequels kept the plots more simplistic with drug lords and poverty stricken families. “Final Judgement” reaches into the creepy supernatural side of things while still keeping its feet planted firmly in plausible and vaguely logical science fiction.
Picking up during a morning like any other, the science and tech division of Mega City One’s Justice Department discovers an alternate universe during a physics experiment and things start to go horribly wrong. They realize that this other reality does not sit cozily next to our, but actually overlaps us, existing in the space between the atoms that make up ours. After the experiment is conducted, things go horribly wrong and Judge Dredd is called in to investigate. Of the seven scientists working on the project, three are found dead in the lab with no sign of violence or trauma, and the remaining four missing. At the same moment the experiment occurs an odd group suicide happens on the other side of the city. Afterwards, the Justice Department realizes that multiple odd crimes and incidents happened around the experiment’s epicenter. All hell starts to break loose as these unexplained events happen and random citizens begin to go through some odd and gruesome changes. This portion of the story is the book’s main strength. It allows fans to follow some classic Dredd moments like busting lunatic criminals in tandem with a surprisingly well thought out, but concise science fiction mystery.
Veteran artist Henry Flint gives us a perfect combination of the style he’s brought to this world since the mid-90s and the excellent art design brought to Dredd by artist Jock, who also provided cover art for this miniseries. The mixed aesthetics makes for yet another fine modern “Judge Dredd” issue. Fans of the IDW reboot will find a similar look here, especially in Chris Blythe’s color work. The look here has a more energetic movement it. The bulk of the settings and side characters are not as clean cut and welcoming as the IDW series, but the titular character really pops. He stands out in every panel he is in and the blues, greens, golds and reds that make up his uniform are bright and gorgeous, taking a hard turn from the film version.
For an issue that seemingly promises fan favorite villain Judge Death, we get next to nothing that even hints at him, but anyone that knows the world of “Judge Dredd” and the Dark Judges will see the clues as they come. What we do get is an easy to follow, slow burn mystery that sets up the endgame to come in the concluding issue. It is a testament to Wyatt and De Campi’s script that they can take this variation of a beloved character and give us something that really feels new for them. Dredd’s dialogue takes a cue from the classic comic version as opposed to Karl Urban’s less vocal take on him and the in depth explanatory science fiction feels like a blend of 1970’s bitter dystopian future with today’s equally cynical sensibilities. While it is easy to focus on the lack of Dark Judge action, the quality of the book we do get overpowers that nagging voice and gives the reader a solid set-up plot and something to look forward to with the upcoming issue.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – A very good sci-fi mystery that teases the fantastical side of “Dredd” just as the series is wrapping up.
