Rob Lake reviews Judge Dredd Megazine Issue #428...
The first Megazine of 2021 is here. It's all systems continue for everything apart from Dredd this month. Megatropolis continues its alt-history take on the Dreddverse, More of the Judges early years are explored in Drednoughts, The Returners continue whatever it is they're doing, Death lives in Deliverance, and kicking things off this month is Dredd hunting a new serial killer in The Night Flyer.
It's been a good few months so far with the Megazine so let's dive in and see if that trend continues with Issue #428...
Judge Dredd: The Night Flyer
Dredd kicks things off this month with a superb done-in-one that's been written by Kenneth Niemand. I felt that The Night Flyer could have done with another part, what we have is still just as good.
A mysterious Peter Pan type killer dubbed the Night Flyer has been kidnapping Meg citizens at random. The Justice Department so far has no leads as we join the Night Flyer as they strike another unsuspecting victim.
Niemand gives us a nice simple kidnapping story, with that Mega City-1 twist. Because nothings are ever simple in the Meg. It almost feels like a comedy as all three parties give some decent one-liners...even Dredd!
A big shout out goes out to both Patrick Goddard and Pippa Bowland. The look of the Night Flyer is great - as is much of the rest of the strip. The whole strip is a nice night-time jaunt across Mega City-1, it's just a shame it's a done-in-one.
Megatropolis - Part 5
Kenneth Niemand is back for his second outing this month as we dive into the mysterious alt-history world of MegaCity-1. Megatropolis has been a great detective noir so far and this part is no different.
It's great to see the various characters from the "prime" Dreddverse in these vastly different roles. Especially with ol' Dredd as the cities mysterious lawgiver. There are some fantastic moments such as the formation of Megatropolis' Special Judicial Squad, and Calhoun's messed up way of dealing with the cities potential problems. Meanwhile, Rico and Jara are off to see none other than Eustace Fargo himself...
Just quite who's pulling the strings is yet to be seen but the threads are coming together - one strand at a time.
I'm not wanting Megatropolis to end. Both Niemand's writing and Dave Taylor's art are fantastic and both have given Megatropolis that "something different"
Will we see a sequel? Who knows but I hope so!
Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground - Part 5
I'm properly caught up with all the history of Dredd at the moment. I've only just finished my first reading of Origins which delves into the history of both the Justice System and the Judges themselves. To see more of this history is just great and Michael Carroll is the right guy to deliver it to us.
We get a lot of Judge Glover's backstory in this one and finally find out just how important Phoenix is to her. Without spoiling too much, the reveal is a pretty good and unexpected one. Whilst there are similarities to these Judges and those from Dredd's timeline, the way they've recruited is.
Carroll also highlights the difference between both Glover and Venn as the two take vastly different stances on how they operate.
Its been great so far and it's nice to see the Justice System's early years all come together. The team of Carroll, Higgins and Hurst have pulled this one out of the bag. Everything from Higgins' art of a "dying America" to Hurst's muted and almost twilight colours just makes Breaking Ground that something spectacular.
The Returners: Heartswood - Part 5
I may have to go back a few issues and read the Returners from the beginning as, to be honest, what's going on?
However, Nicolo Assirelli has some beautiful art on display and along with Eva De La Cruz made the fire soldier thing stand out spectacularly. There just isn't enough story to piece together anything else. Are they even in Brit-Cit anymore? So many questions...hopefully, I'll know more next month!
The Dark Judges: Deliverance - Part 5
Deliverance is another one of those stories that have re-invented its characters. Think of it as a soft reboot if you will. Now let me explain...so for several years the Dark Judges have lost their darkness and are mostly now comic relief. While the magnificent Fall of Deadworld started the reinvention of the Dark Judges, Deliverance has continued the trend.
Sure there's still the odd comedic moment such as Death's disliking of poetry, but the monologues and the over the use of banter have gone. Both David Hine and Nick Percival have hit what Death and his chumps should be - evil shits, who just want to murder everything.
Hine's story now feels like its proper kicking off as Death and the Cult turn their attention to the one's who are hoping to live...their children. Who knows where it's going to go. Alien or not, surely Hine and Percival aren't about to murder innocent children? No, of course not. But regardless of what happens, Nick Percival is going to make it look fantastic.
Rating 8/10
Rob Lake - For more comic book chat follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter @GeekCultureRev
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