The Good
IDW now takes on JUDGE DREDD in this new volume. Readers will be treated to two Dredd stories and introduce a whole new generation of readers to this classic character. Both stories are written by Duane Swierczynski and features the artist Nelson Daniel on "Ripe" and Paul Gulacy and Leonard O'Grady on the story "Protection Racket."
Issue one of JUDGE DREDD is the perfect place to start for new readers. If you've ever been interested in this character, this is a great place to start. It's an easy dip into the Dredd mythos. The character has been around since the late 70s, so getting into Judge Dredd can be a bit overwhelming, but it doesn't feel like this with this new series.
"Ripe"
This story does everything right. This is the perfect introduction of Judge Dredd and Mega City One for new readers. Five pages into the story, we know everything we need to know about this world. It's a futuristic world with people stacked on each other and there's a clear division between classes. This causes a few problems, and that's when the Judges come in.
I'm no Dredd expert, but this feels like a solid Dredd story. It has the same look and feel as some of the other Dredd stories I've read from 2000 A.D. This is really a story that will leave you wanting more.
Nelson Daniel's art on this story is great. I love his art style on this story and his mixture of his mild cartoony elements with some very gritty looking scenes. While I loved the story, the art was tops for me. Daniel really captures the dark side of Mega City One and the clean, upper-class side of the city as well.
"Protection Racket"
The story is a bit shorter and moves a bit quicker, but again, it's another good introduction to the world of Judge Dredd and Mega City One. On it's own, it's a solid read and a lot of fun. I really liked the color work on this story as well. It reminded me a lot of the color on Frank Quitely's books.
The Bad
On the inside cover, they show six covers. What they don't show you is that there are tons of comic shop exclusive covers. I counted about 25 is total. It's a bit much.
There were numerous Judge's, in one scene, during "Ripe," and it was very hard to tell them all apart. They all had the same build. I know they're all Judges and wear the same uniform, but it would be nice to see a little bit of difference between them just so the dialogue doesn't get confusing.
"Protection Racket" was an ok story. I feel like "Ripe" really over shadowed it, and because of that, it made the secondary story feel a bit weaker.
The Drokkin Verdict
JUDGE DREDD 1 is a fantastic start to a new series that embraces the old and adds a dash new to the series. If you've ever been interested in getting started in the world of Judge Dredd, this is a good place to jump on. It's extremely new reader friendly. The writing is very solid on both stories and so is the art.
Overall, I highly recommend this issue. It makes me want to say "Drokk" a lot.
"Ripe" - 5/5
"Protection Racket" - 4/5
Overall - 4/5
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