It’s time for another company crossover as Dark Horse once again make great use of the many great properties open to them. This time, two of the most dangerous alien creatures in all of sci-fi have a return round with 2000 AD’s premiere law enforcer Judge Dredd in an all-out war.
Judge Dredd and Judge Anderson have tracked a criminal cult across the Cursed Earth and into the Alabama morass, where a mad genetic scientist with destructive designs has acquired the best genes that evolution has to offer – a xenomorph skull! A Predator, attracted to the warm climate and superior prey, has declared hunting season as he calls for backup.
Accomplished creator John Layman (Chew, Detective Comics, Batman: Eternal) is a great choice on the writing front. He has dabbled previously briefly in the Alien franchise in a 2003 graphic novel, but this is his first time having a go at Judge Dredd. Fortunately, his work previous work on Chew and Batman is a good combination of preparation as he blends action and suspense with a satirical edge perfectly (you can’t go wrong with a robot criminal called Archbishop Emoji that mainly speaks in internet slang). I particularly got a kick out of when Judge McCary is being transformed into a Xenomorph and Dredd is demanding that he still performs his duties as a judge. Dredd’s distrust and dismissal of his temporary Predator allies also rings true to his previous encounters with characters from other companies and you can tell Layman really gets the character. He has a great handle on Anderson as well, who is more willing to disagree with Dredd or go against protocol – even if that means working with the Predators.
Both Predators and Aliens have found themselves in encounters that don’t normally fit their usual remit. These include the heroes of the DC Universe and even the cast of Archie Comics. But this isn’t the first time they’ve crossed paths with Judge Dredd and it has always felt like a natural fit given Dredd’s usual villain clientele. Visually, the characters fit together seamlessly and it never looks weird that Dredd is tangling with Xenomorphs and Predators or vice versa. This is greatly assisted by Chris Mooneyham’s highly capable artwork. Every panel is packed with detail and carries a visceral edge throughout which is further enhanced by Michael Atiyeh’s top notch colouring. Hopefully, both will get further chances to work on these characters in the future as this truly great work. And to top it all off, you get some awesome covers by veteran 2000 AD artist Glenn Fabry to boot.
Crossovers are usually fun, but it’s rare that they come off as naturally as Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens. Fans of all three properties will get a huge kick out of this series and anyone looking for some great satirical sci-fi action will find plenty to enjoy.
Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens is out now from Dark Horse
9781506701523 – P/B – £14.99
Post by Leo