Comic Review: Judge Dredd Lawman of the Future Issue 17

This is going to be a tricky issue to get through. I believe Issue 16 was the best issue to date. With that being said, we have this new issue and two new stories inside. The cover picks up from how the Cybernetic Jungle finished in the last issue, with Judge Dredd facing off against a deadly drilling machine. A pretty well-drawn piece, but it is a chaotic cover, especially once you add in fonts and titles.

The three stories included in this issue are Cybernetic Jungle (Part 3), The Cursed Earth and Wish You Were Here. I know Cybernetic Jungle should be good; I am also really intrigued by the Cursed Earth story. Fingers crossed.

The Cursed Earth (Part 1) The story begins at Complex Alpha, a Mining Colony located in the radiated wastelands of the Cursed Earth. The colony has disturbed something in the hills they are mining, and now that creature wants revenge! Having managed to get a distress beacon off, colonists huddle together in the most secure building they can find, awaiting help. In Mega-City One, the Judges decide to send a search party to investigate what is going on. Judge Dredd volunteers himself and his one-time partner Judge D'Angelo (who is still on report and recovering from her previous Judge Dredd assignment) for the task. Soon they are at the colony facing off against a Gila-Munja mother (yep, remember them: See issue 13) who has lost her children to the mining equipment, now the real question is how are they going to survive? This is a solid entry, and I am interested to see how it continues.

Cybernetic Jungle (Part 3) I love these three-part stories. It actually gives the writers a chance to make a real story. We start this part with Judge Dredd and Cyber facing down a giant drilling machine controlled by the ruthless Sharpnel. Judge Dredd distracts the colossal machine and Sharpnel long enough to allow Cyber and his droids to escape the Jungle. Outgunned and almost out of ammo, Judge Dredd destroys a local water processing plant, flooding the tunnels, allowing Cyber to electrify the water, destroying the drilling equipment and killing Shrapnel. With the Cybernetic Jungle saved, Judge Dredd returns to Mega-City One to continue his war on crime.

A solid ending to the tale. I find it weird that Cyber went back into the Cybernetic Jungle, though, but I guess that is an easy way to write him out of the series. Now as I look back, this seems very much like a Tarzan rip-off. How I missed this early, I have no idea. It seems so obvious now.

Wish you were here. Breaking news! Judge Dredd has married the famous Swimwear model Pamela Sanders (great work on changing up the name team!). Soon, the news is spreading across Mega-City 1. The only problem is it never happened. With Judge Dredd on the case and tracking down where the footage has come from, it doesn't take long to find a lead. This lead takes Judge Dredd across Mega-City 1, tracking down an illegal wirehead group playing a dangerously addictive game called "Get a Life". Here, people live out a fake life at the expense of their own. Judge Dredd teams up with Tek Judge Davis, and soon they are shutting down the legal operation. It is not a memorial tale. It feels a little flat compared to the other stories in the magazine, but still a good tale. They should have started the issue with this tale, and maybe it would have come across as a stronger piece. This seems like a bad editor’s job.

And with that, we have reached the end of another issue. Not a bad issue, two solid stories and an average third story. The Cursed Earth tale is a great monster hunt story, and will be fun to discover how it finishes. The Cybernetic Jungle ended strong, while Wish You Were Here was an inside scope into the dark corners of Mega-City 1.

As always, thanks for stopping by.