Comic Review - Judge Dredd Lawman of the Future 04

Welcome to issue 4 of Judge Dredd Lawman of the Future. The cover shows Judge Dredd crawling on the ground or a board whilst a purple alien/monster roars overhead. There are no real clues on the cover of what is inside, and it mentions the beast, some photographs and the ability to buy a t-shirt. Pretty lame, to be honest.

The stories included in this issue are Monster, Illustrated Assassin and Homunculus. Having read the overviews, I'm excited to start Homunculus. So without further ado, let's get going.

The first page is about Judge Hershey, her role in the movie and the comic. It's not very informative, sadly, and could really have been a much better article. Let's ignore it and move on.

Monster: Judge Dredd stumbles upon what looks like a murder but soon discovers it is an alien attack. After a quick one-sided fight, Judge Dredd barely walks away. Only after a tipoff is Judge Dredd able to get a rematch, and this time, he is packing Hi-ex. There's nothing terrible about this story, and I love a galactic threat. It was just too straightforward for me.

We are then treated to more pictures from Dredd the movie. There is so much to dislike but also so much to love. The city looked amazing, and the ABC Warrior was stunning, but Dredd taking the helmet off is unforgivable. I enjoy watching it on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a beer. Just don't tell anyone.

Illustrated Assassin Part Two: Judge Dredd is chasing the Pacific Rim mutant assassin. All he has to do is survive the chase long enough to reach the perp. After faking a fatal crash, Judge Dredd traces the camera back to the local sewer systems and discovers the kidnapped Judge Hershey. Finally, we had a good fight! Even after taking an early lead, Judge Dredd is overpowered by the mutant assassin. Luckily for Judge Dredd, Judge Hershey isn’t anyone hostage and has devised a way to stop the killer and swing the battle in Judge Dredd's favour.

We are then treated to a fascinating two-page spread on how the BBC created an audio Drama based on the famous story The Day the Law Died. It was interesting to read how they made some sound effects, especially Judge Fish's effects. This is how all the bonus articles should be written!

Homunculus Part 1: Now, the story I've been waiting on. While on routine patrol, Judge Dredd stops a group of Troggs (undercity dwellers) attempting to enter MC-1 illegally from the Undercity (a home to criminals, mutants and the forgotten). After rounding them up, the troggies explain to Judge Dredd they are fleeing a monster and seek the Judges' help to end the creature’s life. Here begins the monster hunt! Absolutely love the sewer droid and the final reveal of the monster! Who doesn’t love a good monster hunt? The next part should be epic.

And with that, another issue is finished. I have to say this is an above-average issue. Two of the three stories were solid (alien wasn't great). The filler articles on the actual movie were okay, while the audiobook article was in-depth and enjoyable. But I'm excited for the follow-up to Homunculus, and my next mini project is to design a Troggie gang for Judge Dredd gaming. So, it has inspired me!

As always, leave me a comment below.