Comic Review: Judge Dredd- False Witness by IDW Brandon Easton
There is something special about finding a Judge Dredd title in a Canadian Library. It makes me so happy to see them over here! Time for the next IDW adventure.
Title: Judge Dredd: False Witness
Author: Brandon Easton
Art: Kei Zama
Fluff:
Justice Academy drop-out Mathias Lincoln always survived by sub-legal means, but after uncovering a vast conspiracy, he finds himself pursued by legendary lawman Judge Dredd!
Get ready for a street-level look at justice in Mega-City One as one person fights to expose the darkest secrets of the rich and powerful in a thrilling mystery set against a backdrop of media manipulation and social unrest.
Format: 96 pages, Paperback
Review
IDW has indeed turned real life into a Judge Dredd piece. It saddens me that I can watch the news and see the same story being played out across the world. This is a classic piece of political/news satire. This has modern-day America written all over, but of course, it is thrown into the world of Dredd. It's a classic story arc of a quest for a better life and the car crash of watching those dreams be crushed in a corrupt big city.
The main character is interesting. Mathias Lincoln is a Justice Department dropout. He only flunked due to being an illegal immigrant. Somehow he has managed to stay in the city and now acts as a fixer for wealthy clients. He will acquire anything you want for a price and not ask questions. Of course, he ultimately asks a question and soon finds out that Cursed Earth children are missing throughout the immigrant sector. And it is somehow connected to his client. As the questions get more confusing (as well as the story itself), we soon see the Justice Department is involved, and Mathias is framed for the murder of a media personality who is anti-immigration. Trying to clear his name, Mathias must evade the city that hates him and the lawman hot on his heels...Judge Dredd.
Overall, it has a pretty standard plot, but I fear the author lost track of where they took us. Midway through, it felt pretty jumbled up, and I re-read sections to clear up what was happening. Art was the saving grace.
Let me know your thoughts and if you have read it.
