Comic Book Review: Judge Dredd Megazine #427 edited by Matt Smith
It’s time for another issue of this 2000 AD spinoff monthly.
“He Sees You When You’re Sleeping” art by Agustin Padilla, script by Rory McConville, is a mainline Judge Dredd story. It parodies the “toy of the year” frenzy in which a hot new toy is sought out by parents who don’t want to disappoint their faddish children. In this case, “Mega-City Max” is the toy…but why are the Judges making sure that certain parents are, in fact, able to get their hands on one?
“Megatropolis, Part Four” script by Kenneth Niemand, art by Dave Taylor, takes place in an alternate timeline where Joe Rico is one of the few honest cops in the art-deco retro city of the title. He’s trying to track down a vigilante killer that has been nicknamed “Judge Dredd” by a combination of the media and semi-literate street gangs. This one’s interesting for the reinterpretation of familiar characters (Cassandra Anderson as psychic to the rich), and there’s a deep dive to one time Dredd foe Filmore Faro.
“Winter Chills” by Karl Stock is an article that serves as a puff piece for the Misty Winter Special that came out about the same time as this issue. “Misty” was a girls’ comic paper back in the day that specialized in spooky stories. This article talks to the creators of the special, which features modern stories in the same vein.
“Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground Part Four” script by Mike Carroll, art by John Higgins, is set in the early days of the Judge program, when they were still a supplement to the normal police. One of the prototype Judges has an unsavory past which could damage the program if it got out. Meanwhile, a kidnapping in Boulder, Colorado is traced to a local cult, but the raid on them may be a teensy excessive.
“The Art of Play” by Matthew Badham is an artist profile of Wayne Reynolds, who has done work for 2000 AD in the past, but mostly earns his living illustrating role-playing game materials these days.
“The Returners: Heartswood Part Four” script by Si Spencer, art by Nicolo Assirelli, has four people from the South American mega-city of Ciudad Barranquilla who’ve survived near-death experiences now finding themselves experiencing supernatural phenomena. They’re currently investigating a haunted house in Brit-Cit in the hopes that it will have clues to uncurse them. But not everyone is on board with saving the entire group. Content note: transphobia.
“Deliverance, Part Four” script by David Hine, art by Nick Percival, takes place in the Dark Judges timeline. Judge Whisper arrives on Thanatopia to assist with the revival of Judge Death, and maybe keep JD from killing off the entire population before the next stage of the plan. Meanwhile, a survivor from an attacked starship runs into the local teen rebels, who disagree with the death-worshiping cult that runs the planet.
The reprint pamphlet with this issue has two stories of “The Alienist” script by Gordon Rennie and Emma Beeby, art by Eoin Coveney. Dimension traveler Madelyn Vespertine is trying to save Earth from other-dimensional invaders, but due to having used too much of her power up, must partner with actor Reginald Briggs, who plays an alienist that she’s the sidekick of. The first story has Vespertine in a children’s hospital that’s been possessed; the second has a number of alleged psychics exploring “the most haunted house in Britain.” In both cases, the monsters are fleeing an even more deadly entity that will eventually come to Earth itself.
Since there’s some room left, there’s room for three short shockers illustrated by Eoin Coveney. They’re typical of the 2000 AD tradition, and since they are so short, I’m not going to give them away.
As noted before, dipping into a middle chapter of an ongoing story doesn’t give that story a fair chance. That said, I think Megatropolis has the most interesting premise, and Deliverance the least (since all Dark Judge Timeline stories have foregone conclusions.)
Recommended to 2000 AD fans.
