Andy Naylor reviews Judge Dredd: Mega-City Two #2…
In the hills of what was once California, Dredd has gone undercover as a Cursed Earth biker! His mission: to infiltrate the Children of a Lesser Grud, a bloodthirsty motorcycle cult of outlaw artists! But the rules—and the laws—are very different in Mega-City Two, where image is everything…
Mega City-Two may have slipped by me upon its initial release, but I have caught up and ploughed straight into the next one. I have to say, I don’t like it. What stands out instantly are the garish colours which constantly offend the eye. I am fully aware that its very deliberate and poking fun and Los Angeles and the culture there, but comics should still have an appeal to the eye – the art is, after all, just as important as the story – and Mega-City Two fails to appeal in any way. I feel like I should be wearing a pair of sunglasses as I’m reading it.
The colour is just the tip of the iceberg when mocking Los Angeles and Hollywood and the entertainment industry based there. There are various plot points that highlight the superficial nature of the area but rather than being satirically amusing is all becomes a bit too O.T.T. and annoying. Too much attention has been focused on taunting Hollywood rather concentrating on a top quality story that grabs the reader’s attention. And being honest, any parody of Hollywood has been done far more successfully elsewhere. It also seems misguided, especially when Dredd fans are campaigning for a sequel to the quite brilliant 2012 Dredd movie. Counter-productive would be the term I’d use.
I’m not overly keen on the story up to this point; it all seemed a bit silly and drowns in a sea of brassy colours and unoriginal satire. It needs to be more focused on Dredd, the law and his fulfilment of it. There are better Dredd comics out there at the moment; I’d suggest checking them out instead.
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