Comic Review: Judge Dredd - Lawman of the Future Issue 19

As I start flicking through issue 19, I am left feeling a little sad. So many questions within this world of Judge Dredd remain unanswered, and with the issue count in decline, I fear some questions will remain unanswered. The cover of this issue is a somewhat cartoonish example of how bad the artwork can be with this series. It has Judge Dredd fighting off a trio of snakes, and that’s it. The text grab is lazy, stating Medusa - New Story...wow has the design team already left? I hope the inside stories improve on this poor intro to the issue.

Cold War! - It’s finally happening! Coldblood is back, and he is taking on Bludd the Grudfather. Judge Dredd knowing who the target of Coldblood rage is, travels to Bludd's space station—unknowingly taking Coldblood with him. In true Judge Dredd fashion, our lawman of the future steps in to stop the killing blow and blasts Coldblood into deep space. Ensuring Bludd's survival. What a wasted ending! This story suffered from the speed of the storytelling. There was no build-up, no tension, no payoff. What the hell! I am disappointed by this outcome. The two most reoccurring characters in the series are treated like throwaway plot fillers.

First Strike! (Part Two) - A shapeshifting alien has managed to destroy a Mega-City 1 Space Station and has fled to Earth. It is now down to Judge Dredd to track down the infiltrator. First, stop Alientown! But while Judge Dredd is distracted by the task, the shapeshifter dons Judge Dredd's form and storms into the Halls of Justice, gunning down multiple Judges before overrunning Tec-Division. It is a better tale than Cold War, and I am intrigued about where it is going. I guess I have to wait for part three.

Medusa - A weird tale, Judge Dredd saves a woman from being killed by a cutlass-wielding madman during a routine night patrol. Judge Dredd then allows the woman to leave, holding the attacker in custody, but for safety, Judge Dredd places a spy camera on her as he is always suspicious. Following interrogation, the truth is relieved, and Judge Dredd realizes he has allowed a Medusa to walk free into Mega-City 1! It's a weird tale, but I like it. I love that they mention Indo-cit (the Mega-City of India), and I am excited to see how this goes. I must say that I am not a fan of the artwork; which is just too cartoony for me.

Overall, it's a meh issue. It had some high points, like Coldblood was back, but it all feels incredibly rushed, and I feel a little cheated out of the boss fight. I hope Coldblood survives and returns, but I don't have hope with only four issues left in the series.