Coffee Time with Olivia

Coffee Time with Olivia
Review #1
Judge Dredd #2 – Mega-city Zero “Flame Wars” January 2016
Writers: Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas
Artist: Dan McDaid
Colorist: Ryan Hill
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Editor: Denton J. Tipton
IDW Publishing

 
In a world where Judge Dredd can’t Judge Dredd, everyone is going to have a bad time. Judge Dredd issue #2 is out for the new year and we are still unraveling the mystery of what happened to Mega-city one. The Judge can’t handle the seeming anarchy that has become of the city block as we watch him try to make sense of it all. With the girls still in tow, Dredd instantly shakes things up and is accused of being a trog (AKA “troll”). Then of course, the Judge’s antics inspires everyone to be adorned in law enforcement cosplay almost instantaneously and now everyone thinks they’re a judge. I mean, who doesn’t want to be Judge Dredd?
Surprisingly or not, the mere concept of “law” eludes these people; some not even knowing how to use the word “law” in a sentence. Then, as soon as things start to escalate, Dredd runs into an ally who later turns foe; a self-admitted trog that believes someone must stir the pot once in a while for there to be true freedom. He is the only person so far in the story that believes that Judge Dredd is exactly who he says he is. Dredd becomes separated from the feral kids and employs his trog friend to help him find them. They find that one of the kids is about to be puppy-kicked to death, however trog friend is not amused by Dredd’s shoot first ask questions later tactics.

What is Judge Dredd supposed to do in a world where everyone wants ultimate freedom? Why does no one know what happened to Mega-city one? Yes, this is a zany story, albeit an entertaining one. As a person who has not read any previous Judge Dredd comics, I like the subtle and situational comedy in this story. Perhaps, a more seasoned Judge Dredd reader might prefer a more serious tone. I highly recommend keeping an open mind and going along for the ride with this one. The story is still enticing enough to hold my curiosity for the next issues.