*WARNING: Review may contain spoilers!
With a comic book title like Predator Vs. Judge Dredd Vs. Aliens, you’re bound to grab the attention of fans from these three monumental franchises. As a co-publication with IDW and 2000 AD, writer John Layman is tasked with bringing together three of the most beloved characters in science fiction – all within a single comic book series.
Who will stand victorious?
But before a victor can be decided, it is important to note that Predator Vs. Judge Dredd Vs. Aliens #1 does not immediately dive into this anticipated battle. In fact, they’ve yet to encounter each other and one of the parties isn’t even introduced in this issue. When dealing with one-shot crossovers and based on the title of the comic book alone, many readers will expect an all-out brawl between these franchises from the get-go. However, John Layman, a veteran comic book writer whose extensive work varies between many different comic book publishers, knows better than to simply write exactly what the title suggests. Instead, Layman uses his storytelling ability to set up a plot to tie these prominent characters together and builds anticipation for those who want to continue reading the next issue.
With that said, Layman does an exceptional job in recreating these iconic characters into a comic book – specifically, Judge Dredd. He is able to accurately depict the dialogue, attitude, code and strategy of the Judge Dredd that fans are familiar with. As the only character out of the three that can speak English, it’s fitting that the story begins with Judge Dredd. His duty, as a judge, is to uphold the law and serve justice, bringing him and his colleagues in a vast atomic wasteland known as the Cursed Earth. From there, he follows a lead to track down the psychotic-robo messiah, Archbishop Emoji, who ends up disappearing into the wildland jungles, Alabama Morass. And, of course, the relentless Judge Dredd makes the decision to go into the unnatural forest and hunt down Archbishop Emoji.
Within these forests is the Predator – only this time he is the prey of a new enemy. There’s not much screen time for the Predator as there is for these newfound enemies: an anthropomorphic militia of animals who are armed with spears. They proceed to capture the Predator for trespassing and decide to bring him, his weaponry and his ship to their creator, Doctor Reinstot.
The downfall of this issue is the unconvincing and gimmicky antagonists that Layman introduces:
- Archbishop Emoji: a robotic messiah who, based on his name, leads a group of cultists that have “Internet emoticons” imprinted on their forehead. Not to mention the “LOL” and “ROFL” lettering that Archbishop Emoji is emoting as he’s riding on a futuristic motorcycle.
- Doctor Neils Reinstot: a genius geneticist who created his anthropomorphic militia of animals and is obsessed with experimenting with new undiscovered species. This antagonist is the typical mad scientist archetype who dwells in his laboratory while his creations do his dirty work.
Though these characters are quite unimaginative, it is clear that they’re only being used to string together a grand plot of preparing exactly what the comic book title suggests: Predator Vs. Judge Dredd Vs. Aliens. We’re not supposed to care and cheer for these new characters since their only purpose is to further the plot of the characters we actually want to see. However, they could have at least been more original and interesting. Surprisingly, this issue does not introduce the Aliens yet and how they fit into this story. Their absence implies that Layman does not want to rush the story and will take his time to set it up before the big showdown.
Overall, Predator Vs. Judge Dredd Vs. Aliens #1 is an adequate set up for the anticipated interaction of all three franchises. So far, the grand plot that is supposed to tie all of their stories together is subpar in the sense that it lacks creativity. It also does not help the fact that the antagonists for both Judge Dredd and the Predator’s story arc are unimpressive and lack originality.
The redeeming factors of the issue are the accurate adaptation of Judge Dredd and the interior artwork of the comic. It’s always a relief for fans to know that the current writer is doing justice to their beloved characters. Layman proves that he is able to capture the character exceptionally well. His Judge Dredd exudes confidence, bravado, and dialogue that consist of classic action hero one-liners. Lastly, the superb interior artwork provided by artist Chris Mooneyham appropriately gives the issue a rugged and gloomy look with detailed penciling and excellent use of shadows.
