JUDGE DREDD: IDW #19 "The American Way of Death - Part 3"

[COMMANDO FORCES]

This rip roaring story continues with thrills galore...

Cover A - Shane Pierce
Subscription Variant - Michael Avon Oeming

The American Way of Death - Part 3
ART - Nelson Daniel
SCRIPT - Swierczynski

Starts exactly where it finished, pity as I was hoping for the Bobby dream sequence from Dallas. Anyway we watch Dredd and Harvies (Pachoda remember) take on Judge Choke, Judge Sludge and Judge Metastasis with various results. Harvies goes on a clobbering spree against Judge Metastasis while Dredd is under attack from Judge Sludge but he still manages to tell Harvies that he's attacking innocent civilians and he'll arrest him for murder, if he keeps at it.

As Harvies climbs up the bodies to confront Pachoda (Harvies remember) the bodies start chanting 'Unclean, Impure' and a massive hand swats him away. Dredd meanwhile is firing 'rounds' (yes he actually says rounds ) at Judge Sludge but to no effect. Just as he commands the Lawgiver to change to incendiary, Judge Smoke attacks. Hilarity ensues, as Joe pulls out an oxygen mask from a pouch with it's tube still leading into the pouch. Obviously the Lawgiver can't understand him now 'HA HA' and so he deals with Judge Smoke with a strangle and punch. He then deals with Judge Sludge and somehow Judge Metasasis falls apart and Pachoda lands right in front of him. He then tells her to suit up!

Meanwhile we see the Chief taking command of the overall situation. Reports are flooding in as Judges try to take the Grand Hall back. Karyn reports in that she can pick up the brainwaves of Dredd and she is ordered to get inside the Grand Hall and find out what the Dark Judges are up to. At the same time Cal hears that Dredd is alive and so orders all his Judges to hunt down and detain him above everything else.

The Dark Judges that we all know have a wee chat about Judge Blank and how they need to destroy it due to it not being under their control. Karyn reads all this and finds out that the other 752 Dark Judges all have a purpose, crowd control, infastructure, population control, etc... All of a sudden Death points up and says that they need to deal with this one, as Karyn has been rumbled!

Meanwhile Joe fights alongside (back in a uniform) Pachoda/Harvies. Luckily during all this shit that's happening, she managed to get kitted up and palm printed for her new Lawgiver! They are taking on one of the Judges but I can't even remember the name of this one.

During all this Harvies/Pachoda is searching for Pachoda/Harvies through all the citizens that have fell out of Judge Metastasis and ends up being taken over by Judge Stigmata. Meanwhile Dredd and Harvies/Pachoda take down Judge Fistula (I've remembered) and it seemingly explodes and then they burn it as it runs away!

The SJS turn up and arrest Dredd while Harvies/Pachoda is left alone, as they obey Cal's order to the letter. Dredd is taken to Cal and the Chief and he then takes the Chief hostage
____________________________________________________________________

All in all another superb lesson in how not to write a story and some of the art mistakes are shocking but I'll let you all find those out once you've rushed out and bought your copies!

Sadly having read Previews I know who Judge Blank is

[Eamonn Clarke]

It's like they have looked back to the early days of 2000AD and chosen to replicate the tone of broad comedy instead of the elements of action, detection and political intrigue that characterise modern Dredd tales.

Just when I think it can't get worse it does.

[Steve Green]

Maybe that sells better in the states?

Although if it hadn't cracked the market before with reprints of the earlier 2000AD material, I'm not sure why they've gone that route.

Matt had been asked to lighten the tone of the Anderson mini-series compared to 'Year One'.

I've only read a couple of issues and it wasn't my cup of tea.

[Fragminion]

Meh. I dropped this series and started to concentrate on buying the Case Files instead. That and now the Restricted Files.   I suggest all the state side cubers do the same.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

And where will I get my laughs every month, if everyone does that :'(

[Fragminion]

In the Psycho Cubes if you keep reading those slugs.

[Fungus]

Maybe that sells better in the states?

Are the Yanks buying this series...? A discerning reader has a mountain of stuff to pick up these days before you'd buy this.

I speak as a discerning reader... who picks it up anyway