Dredd: Uprise 1 (October 2014)

Dredd: Uprise #1Reading Uprise, it’s hard to see the point. It’s another sequel comic to the Dredd movie, which isn’t clear–if one doesn’t read that information on the cover–until the judges show up in their movie costumes. They take a while show up; writer Arthur Wyatt jumps from regular people to judges to bad people to other people to bad judges. It’s all over the place.

The issue takes place over three days. There are riots brewing in a slum getting a high rise development. It’s unclear why the story of these riots is worth reading about. It’s a Dredd comic where Judge Dredd just barks at the rookie judge instead of listening to her.

It’s unclear why Dredd, the movie, needs a pointless comic book sequel.

Paul Davidson’s art is pretty good. He doesn’t have anything interesting to draw–but his visual pacing is good.

Shame Wyatt’s plotting isn’t.

C 

CREDITS

Writer, Arthur Wyatt; artist, Paul Davidson; colorist, Chris Blythe; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Matt Smith; publisher, 2000 AD.

Dredd: Underbelly (January 2014)

Dredd: UnderbellyDredd: Underbelly is the comic book sequel to Dredd, the movie, which is based on Judge Dredd, the comic book. So why make a big deal out of a comic book, in this case Underbelly? Well, Judge Dredd wears his new movie outfit and the designs are based on the movie, not the comic. Writer Arthur Wyatt tries to tie the issue's story to the movie, but it's thin at best.

Wyatt has a big problem with the narration. Dredd doesn't narrate, some kind of omniscient third narrates and it's often too expository and stilted. Another obvious problem is Dredd. He's not a character so much as an occasional jaw; writing Dredd to match the movie means somehow imbuing the comic with a sense of Karl Urban's performance. Without it… no go.

So Wyatt doesn't deliver much. Artist Henry Flint does better, though he has some shaky sequences as well.

C- 

CREDITS

Writer, Arthur Wyatt; artist, Henry Flint; colorist, Chris Blythe; letterer, Ellie De Ville; editor, Matt Smith; publisher, Rebellion.