Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Artist: Nelson Daniel
Release Date: 12th March 2014

Back in 2000ad Prog 224, a beautifully simple idea was expanded on and improved. Judge Death, the alien superfiend and dark reflection of Judge Dredd wasn’t alone. This time he was backed up by his “killing cousins”, the Dark Judges Fear, Fire and Mortis.

The story “Judge Death Lives” was an instant classic and further appearances of the four have delivered mixed results, but their mystique and popularity is as strong as ever.

Now, with their version of Mega City One’s finest firmly established, IDW are pulling out the big guns with The American Way Of Death. The twist though, is that there isn’t just four of them, there’s 13. That’s right. 13 Dark Judges. And Dredd is nowhere to be seen…

I must admit, I’m not sure how good an idea this is, but I’m prepared to be convinced. The very nature of introducing so many new characters in one go means that this issue is mainly a series of set-pieces, showing each new Dark Judge in the midst of dispensing justice, allowing us a glimpse of their powers.

Some feel like a natural fit, such as Judge Choke and Judge Sleep, while Burroughs and Skinner are more like one-note gags in shoulder pads. Stigmata looks far too human (and alive) for my liking, while Metastasis and Sludge are just flat out weird.

Taking aside the designs themselves, the problem with all these new Dark Judges is one of over-familiarity. In creating so many has writer Duane Swierczynski diluted what made them so special in the first place? Maybe.

There’s so much going on in this issue it’s hard to get a good feel for the new guys, but there’s still room for some decent character moments, especially for Judge Cal. In this universe, he seems to be still pulling strings from behind the scenes, as well as instigating the “Judge Cal sector relocation program”, a spot of useless bureaucracy that almost guarantees heavy civilian casualties and a gag worthy of John Wagner himself.

Meanwhile, Dredd is heading to the Judge’s prison planet of Titan, convicted of a crime he did not commit, a story told in the back-up tale of Slammer.

It’s early doors with this storyline, with Swierczynski merely getting all his ducks in a row with this issue. It’s the next episodes that will determine whether the Dark Judge army has been a good idea or not, but it’s off to a decent start.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Jules Boyle