Of the three stories in this issue–this Judge Dredd series being a reprint series, the first one is the best, but the third one has the best writing from John Wagner.

The first story introduces Judge Death. With Brian Bolland on the art–for all the stories–Judge Death is extremely detailed, extremely realistic, extremely creepy. The story takes an interesting turn at the end, with Wagner deftly letting Judges Dredd and Anderson in on something the reader (and everyone else) finds out later. Wagner just doesn’t do the “Dredd coda” well.

The second story is a futuristic murder mystery/conspiracy thing. It’s perfectly fine, with some nice art from Bolland. It just isn’t memorable past some of the future details.

The final story–Dredd versus a street gang–has Wagner presenting the series’s mindset beautifully. And he scores with the “Dredd coda,” the stories’ capstone on the law.

B+ 

CREDITS

Writer, John Wagner; artist, Brian Bolland; colorist, John Burns; letterer, Tom Frame; editor, Nick Landau; publisher, Eagle Comics.