Comic Review: Judge Dredd -Lawman of the Future Issue 14
Time waits for no man, especially one reading Judge Dredd Lawman of the Future. Here we are on issue 14 (only ten left); what a cover! Looks like Judge Dredd will be going up against a Dinosaur. Let’s waste no time and dive in.
Three tales always grace the pages of these issues. First is the second part of Survival, then Sponts-a-go-go, before finishing up with Dragon's Lair, the return of the Dragon.
Survival - While towing an iceberg filled with oil, the Judges accidentally release a parasitic virus that can change shape to any of the hosts it has infected. With the crew entirely under control, Judge Dredd is forced to confront the virus on the oil-filled iceberg to burn it away and save Mega-City 1 from a horrible fate. It's a bit too far-fetched of a story for me. Honestly, even for the world of Judge Dredd, it lost me when the alien morphed into a Dinosaur. This story ended up being less the “Thing” and more a B-Movie creature feature.
Character Fact File: Dragon. I will let the image speak for itself, but I seriously need to create this character in miniature form—such a badass.
Sponts-a-go-go - Gilbert invented the Sponts gun, which causes the victim to admit their previous crimes spontaneously. Soon, the Judges are overwhelmed with truthful citizens, and while they are distracted, real criminals are looting the sector. It is up to Judge Dredd to find the cause and bring it to an end. This is a comical tale worthy of being a 2000 AD tale, even if the artwork lacks.
Dragon's Lair (Part One) - The headline story sees the return of Dragon! Trapped in a shielded vault, Dragon is caged like an animal, unable to use his powers without being fried. But he slowly waits for his chance to escape and seek out the man who put him there, Judge Dredd. While nearby, Judge Dredd and Judge Hershey are fighting off a group of Plugheads (Perps who like to get juiced off a live power feed) in the local power plant. The power plant was damaged during the firefight, causing a sector-wide blackout. Dragon needed This very opportunity, and now the assassin is loose.
Barring Survival, this was a great issue. The Plugsheads are an exciting twist, and I am now trying to figure out how to make them in miniature form and find a model suitable for Dragon. As always, could you drop me a comment?
