Judge Dredd: Mega City 2 – City of Courts #1, Director’s Cut
Written by Douglas Wolk
Art by Ulises Farinas and Colours by Ryan Hill.
Published by IDW Publishing
This 52-page issue is the first in a five part series that sees Judge Dredd working in Mega City 2. Very much a fish out of water and frustrated by MC2’s relaxed laws and safety-conscious bullets, Dredd is hunting down creeps while being shadowed by a television crew who just add to his problems. This miniseries is set in 2094, twenty years before the horrors of Judgement Day and having the opportunity to see this less oppressive, more colourful mega city before the tragedy is great, especially for those versed in Judge Dredd lore.
This is critic Douglas Wolk’s first entry into comics and his writing moves the story forward quickly but yet never feels rushed. Ulises Farinas’ incredibly detailed panels when combined with Ryan Hill’s striking colours really makes the art pop although the palette used may be brighter than usual for a Judge Dredd serial. However, this does help to contrast the two Mega Cities in tone and appearance.
The remainder of the issue is given over to a brief look at previous occasions other Mega Cities have graced the pages of 2000AD as well as a page-by-page commentary on the issue by Wolk. His original script is also reproduced allowing readers to get an idea of how a prog takes shape.
Christopher Smith