JUDGE DREDD #24
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Art by Nelson Daniel
Published by IDW Publishing
Release Date: October 15, 2014
Live, die, repeat is kind of the name of the game as Swierczynski and Daniel close out Black Light District and put the fate of Mega-City One in Dredd’s hands.
Duane Swierczynski injects a fair amount of humour into this Judge Dredd tale, continuing to give Dredd a ton of personality despite his gruff demeanor. The strongest parts of the issue involve banter between Dredd and Anderson, and while the two are typically a huge distance from each other, the body language Daniel pairs with Swierczynski’s words is brilliant. They are like a crotchety old couple bickering over something completely inane, except that the fate of the world rests in Dredd’s hands. The dynamic between these two characters is a lot of fun and keeps the issue entertaining. Swierczynski has a despicable villain in the acting Chief Justice and has set up a great situation for readers as they salivate for the moment when Dredd unleashes justice upon this creep. This situation alone is enough to keep me reading Judge Dredd and Swierczynski has set himself up for some interesting stories going forward with this issue.
The look and feel of this comic is great, and Nelson Daniel brings a ton of energy and life to the world of Dredd with his work on this comic. The characters leap from the page and, while his cartoon-y style does detract from some of the seriousness of the situation, it also brings a fun dynamic to the comic. His style keeps this comic from going too dark or taking itself too seriously, and gives it a unique tone among the IDW franchise books.
Judge Dredd #24 is an entertaining finish to the Black Light District arc that plants some seeds for some fun storylines down the road. Daniel’s artwork sets a unique visual tone for the book that compliments Swierczynski’s dark humour and I’ll be back for more down the line.
The Verdict: 7.5/10