COMIC REVIEW: Judge Dredd - Cry of the Werewolf

[JeffSaylor]

A Howling Good Time...

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With the action-packed Dredd ripping up theaters, the time has never been better to catch up on some classic Judge Dredd from 2000 AD. In stores now is Judge Dredd - Cry of the Werewolf, a tale that introduces the legendary future lawman to lycanthropy. Has Judge Dredd "jumped the shark"? Even in a world filled with mutants, killer robots and other sci-fi oddities, the introduction of werewolves to Mega-City One may sound pretty far-fetched. However, Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner and regular 2000 AD contributor Alan Grant waste no time grounding the story with a plausible explanation - a radioactive chemical found beneath the sprawling metropolis, in the ruins of "Undercity". With a crack in the streets of Mega-City One releasing the howling horde, it's left to one man to go down and stomp out the cause... and take down every last werewolf in the process!

A 7-part story, "Cry of the Werewolf" is an entertaining Judge Dredd adventure. You can tell that the writers were having some fun. The crisp art of Steve Dillion is top notch and I really like the way 2000 AD used vibrant full color for the story part intros before flipping over to stark black and white. Read an excerpt from "Cry of the Werewolf" in our photo gallery below.

While "Cry of the Werewolf" takes up the majority of this 128-page book, the stories "Out of the Undercity," "Dog Soldiers" and "Asylum" keep the werewolf theme alive in their own exciting ways. In "Out of the Undercity," the art of Carl Critchlow instantly amazes. It's some of the coolest comic art I've seen in some time, full of intricate line detail, captivating patterns and shapes. The use of full color throughout this tale really brings it to life. As for John Wagner's story, two words: Werewolf Judge. Ah yeah.

"Dog Soldiers," written by Robbie Morrison with dazzling full color art by Leigh Gallagher, takes Dredd outside of Mega-City One and into the barren wastelands of "Cursed Earth". The law runs rampant in this Wild Wild West of the future and it's up to Judge Dredd to go in and deliver justice. But when a posse of lethal dog soldiers are dispatched to take Dredd out, things get a little bit hairy...

"Asylum" concludes this thrilling read with a supernatural story by Gordon Rennie and gorgeous full color art by Frazer Irving. Slightly more serious in tone, "Asylum" teams Dredd with Psi-Judge Karyn - an agent from the Psi Division that possesses psychic abilities. A murder investigation sets the pair after a killer... one that is centuries old. Or as Dredd would say, a "superspook creep".

Judge Dredd - Cry of the Werewolf has a list price of $17.99, but you can grab a copy right now at Amazon for only $11.85. It's a small price to pay to read Dredd utter such fantastic lines as "Roll over, Rover!" and "Chew a high explosive, Fido!" Good stuff.


Review By Jeff Saylor

Art and Review Sample Courtesy of 2000 AD

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