The Good
"We've Got You Now"
Judge Dredd and Judge Tarjay must deliver a literal truck full of cash to a mad doctor who is holding a rich woman's husband hostage. This man may or may not a clone, but the family doesn't want to take that chance. Word gets around quit in Mega-City One, and hijackers attempt to take over the truck.
Writer Duane Swierczynski does a great job with this story, as well as "Naked City." Both are incredibly interesting and compliment each other very well. He has a great grasp for this world and its characters, and this is a book old and new Dredd fans will love.
Nelson Daniel does a fine job with the art here. The book has extremely solid line and color work, and I loved each pages' layout and flow. The action sequences are pretty thrilling, and each panel is kept fresh by using different angles and perspectives.
"Naked City"
This story revolves around Judge Tarjay, who is naked and running around Mega-City One without a clue how he got like that. I really loved this story and the fact it revolves around another Judge, especially one who is featured in the main story. It gives a lot more depth to this whole world. I like seeing the reaction a Judge has to being a wanted man and what steps he will take in order to not be recognized.
Arist Langdon Foss jumps on board this issue, and I was a huge fan of the art on GET JIRO!, which he recently drew. I love the way he draws characters, even though the heads are a tad big. It's a cool style, and the colors by Ronda Pattison really make this book pop out. There's a great scene of Judge Tarjay suiting up that really pops off the page because of the great art and colors. Foss and Pattinson are two talents I desperately want to see continue on with this series.
The Bad
"I can has anezthesia." This is a caption line from the book. Maybe it's because I'm getting old and grumpy, but I hate cat memes. Yeah, I know. I'm no fun.
Both stories feature Judge Tarjay, but in one, he's working with Dredd, and in the other, he's running around the streets naked and wanted for corruption (among other things). This story either takes place after the first one or it's on its own. I'm a bit confused about this and whether or not these stories actually have anything to do with each other. Sure, he could be a clone, in the first story, which is very plausible, but I wish the time line was a bit clearer.
I wasn't too keen on the dot shading in the first story. I thought it was intriguing at first, but the end of that first story, I wish more had been done with coloring to achieve the shadowing effect.
The Verdict
I'm a big fan of this new JUDGE DREDD series, but this issue is by far the best yet. Both stories were incredibly enjoyable and both had some fantastic art. I was a little confused by the time line for both stories and I wasn't a fan of the cat meme reference. However, I thought the look through Judge Tarjay's eyes was a compelling story, and I cannot wait to see next month's issue.
Overall, I highly recommend this issue and series.
