By: Rennie Gordon Publisher: Black Flame Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Black Flame Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 256 Publication Date: October 28, 2003 Reading Level: Young Adult
Super Reader Supposedly this is based on a game story, so either that is really good, or Rennie, being a Dredd expert, has just done a fine job.
Dredd, Anderson and Giant are all here.
So is EverPet, a pet revivification company. This is very nasty. Not quite as nasty as the Dark Judges, though.
Death has found a weakness in one of the Psi-Judges on guard rotation, and is exploiting it.
This leads to a rise in the Church of Death, and an outbreak of vampirism via retrovirus. As such, Chief Judge Hershey is inclined to believe Anderson's precog warning.
Now, the senior Judges have to try and stop this before the bodycount gets to sixty million like in a previous encounter.
Clooney Memorial is struggling enough as it is.
A very well done Dredd book.
THE DARK JUDGES RETURN! Back in the mid-1980's when I was a regular reader of the Fleetway/Quality Judge Dredd comics, my favorite stories were always those that involved Dredd and Psi-Judge Anderson's arch-nemesis the ghoulish Judge Death. Death and his four Dark Judged brethren Fear, Fire, and Mortis take the center stage in this Judge Dredd adventure which is based on the video game of the same name and available for multiple video gaming platforms. I admit that I never played the game but I don't think it makes a difference.
A one chapter prolog introduces readers to a literal hell on earth as the Dark Judges have brought their version of Necropolis to Megacity One, killing millions. The Dark Judges conclude that life itself is the crime so the sentence is death. Cut ahead ten years later and although it's not really explained, the Dark Judges were eventually defeated, due in part to the usual heroics of Dredd and Anderson and the four malevolent entities are now imprisoned within the Tomb, the ultra maximum security prison with the most high tech security systems as well as psi-judges on duty to constantly monitor for any psychic activity coming from the cells of the dark judges.
Trouble is looming in the city, however. A new gang is making their name known, the Death Cult, dedicated to Judge Death. At first they are merely dismissed as the new flavor of the month gang, but their activities grow more and more troubling as they recruit and seemingly brainwash young people into the cult. Then, Dredd and another judge have a near fatal encounter with what seems to be vampires who were trying to rob a blood supply warehouse. An examination by tek-judges confirms that the creatures are bio-engineered vampires. Super strength, resistance to injury and infected with a retrovirus that causes them to hunger for blood.
Meanwhile Judge Death is slowly and meticulously using his influence ever so subtly on a weak psi-judge until he can completely control him to free the Dark Judges. As this is going on, Anderson is returning to the Grand Hall of Justice to warn them but comes under attack by a group of the vampires, nearly killing her. Dredd and Anderson again find themselves having to thwart the dark judges.
Rennie's story is a bit slow in getting started. The action doesn't start in earnest until well over a third of the way through the 256 page book and Dredd himself is barely seen through the first 80 pages or so. But once it does take off it's a fun ride. The prologue is amongst the most stark and terrifying that I've ever read in a sci-fi story. The Dark Judges are the epitome of evil, hating all life and making for the ultimate in foes for Dredd and Anderson. The vampires add an additional element of danger and horror.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Brilliant telling of the game story! A wonderful action-packed reworking of the story from the game Judge Dredd:Dredd vs. Death. Mr Rennie captures the crazy atmosphere of Mega City One and Judge Dredd with skill and enthusiasm. A rollercoaster of an action book with enough crazy moments to make it stand out from the crowd. A great tie-in to a great game.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
