Comic Review - Judge Dredd Lawman of the Future 08

Just like that, we are now a third of the way through these classic comics of the mid-nineties. They are better than I expected, but some issues seem to be of a higher quality than others. I hope the rate stays pretty high and we get some interesting articles in them soon.

With that in mind, we dive into issue 08. I'm excited for this one as we see the entrance of Judge Death! The cover is pretty standard, with Dredd dominating the body and the creepy Judge Death-themed badge looming over his shoulder. It would also seem like a new mobster story, along with 'Hot' artwork, is coming! Let us jump in.

Classic overview pages. The stories for this issue are Organ Legging, which we can assume is a one-part story; part two of Death Hunt, which must end this issue; and finally, Judge Death, which has to be a two-part story. I'm already a little worried, as the image used on this page makes Death look a bit stupid. I hope the artwork is better than that (time will tell). The next page is almost a full spread of Judge Dredd's Casefile, based on info already provided by this comic. The artwork is rehashed from issue one, and the information is lacking. Excellent idea if they had put some real effort into it. Instead, it is BuzzFeed filler crap. Let’s move on to the good stuff.

Judge Death. What on earth! The main tale is up first, and this has taken me by surprise as a freak storm wracks Mega-City 1, a figure looking like a Judge in the middle of a road in front of a prisoner transport rig. After smashing through the window after being hit, we discover the person is none other than Judge Death. His belief is simple: crime can only be committed by the living; thus, life is a crime. Soon, Judge Death has killed all the criminals and is mind-controlling the Drivers. Using the hijacked truck, he smashes into a local ISO (isolation) block, freeing all the inmates. As the inmates dream of freedom, Judge Death is quick to act and wipes out the entire prison population! Finally, Judge Dredd arrives, and the showdown can begin. Judge Death seems to know a lot about Judge Dredd, which is creepy, but when he takes Dredd's lawgiver and fires it, we can only believe Judge Death is Judge Dredd! What the hell!?

It's such a great start. Once I got used to it, the artwork was solid; the character came across as creepy, and the story was mind-boggling. Is he Judge Dredd? If so, this is a nice twist. Ready for part two.

Death Hunt - Part Two. Judge Dredd is running from the Hunt Club. All he has to do is keep them busy long enough for the Tek department to discover where they are filming and broadcasting. It was a weak story in the last issue, and following the first tale, it feels even more lame. The artwork is lacking, and the story is pretty tame. Let's move on.

The following few pages are classic readers’ letters, drawings and photographs. They are funny to readers and remind me of a simpler time, though nothing unique or exciting to report. However, it refreshes me after that last story, allowing me to head into the final tale with a clearer mindset.

Organ Leggers. Judge Dredd is taking on the Mega-Mobs in this tale. Following a raid on a low-level crime crew, Judge Dredd discovers one of them is carrying a pair of arms! After a fingerprint test proves the arms belonged to a legally dead victim, Judge Dredd knows precisely where to continue his search - Resyk. Resyk, for those new to Judge Dredd, is a factory that takes the dead and breaks them down into usable parts like plastics. Here, everything is used apart from the soul! Inside Resyk, Judge Dredd tracks down his next perp and discovers where the bodies are being stored. Following a raid, a large mob racket has been closed down, meaning Judge Dredd is making friends again and only time will tell what this means for Mega City-1.

And with that, we finish issue 08—an improvement over 07. The standout story was, of course, Judge Death, but Organ Leggers was a close second. Hopefully, issue 07 was a blip, but only time will tell.

I hope you are enjoying these as much as I am, and be sure to stop me a comment.