Review: Judge Dredd vs Aliens - Incubus
In the dark tunnels beneath Mega City One, no-one can hear you scream "Drokk!"
Probably the most famous figure in British sci-fi comics, Judge Dredd is the post-apocalyptic policeman in the legendary 2000AD (first published in 1977). Survivors of the nuclear holocaust live in huge, fortified mega-cities, walled against the toxic wastelands outside and their hideous mutations. Within, law and order is maintained by the Judges, each of whom also acts as jury and executioner in order to dispense justice more swiftly and efficiently... and none is more ruthless than the grim, stoical Dredd; impassive and resolute as he carries out the instant death penalty on any perps that have earned it, with the motto "I am The Law!"
Ridley Scott's Alien was the groundbreaking sci-fi horror movie, combining visceral terror with the chilling backdrop of the unforgiving void of outer space. The 'xenomorph' monster is an explosive blend of a wild tiger's ferocity and an insect's repulsiveness. Add to that its horrifying reproductive habits and the nightmare is perfected...
A face-off between two such legends can only mean one thing... tremendous carnage!
In Judge Dredd vs Aliens - Incubus by writers John Wagner and Andy Diggle and artist Henry Flint a new 'power tower' is being built in Mega City One (in what used to be the USA), drilling down to the magma beneath the Earth's crust to extract the energy of the planet itself. A big demonstration is underway by environmentalists, causing a huge traffic jam. Dredd is on the scene as part of the effort to disperse the crowd.
Things get serious when lowlife Jimmy Godber jumps out of his car and runs desperately for Eisenhower General Hospital, pursued by gunmen. Judges save his life and him and get him inside.... at which point his chest bursts open.
Worlds collide as the Judges race against time to hunt down the extraterrestrial monstrosities. It is an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish.
This crossover is a neat juxtaposition, the totalitarian Judges pitted against the alien 'bugs' reminiscent of Heinlein's Starship Troopers. As in the Alien movies we have the inevitable theme of humans being the real monsters, the aliens themselves simply acting according to their natural instincts. The conventional hero/villain distinction is a very blurred line here.
Flint's images are suitably dark and gritty, evoking the claustrophobic atmosphere of Aliens in which troops go hunting for the deadly predators. The style is on the cartoon/expressionist side, lending itself to a darkly humorous vibe, but nevertheless tight and on point. The xenos are rendered with appropriately chilling creepiness, avatars of blind savagery. It's a joyful headlong plunge into heroical mayhem and gore.
Lawman becomes exterminator ... but who will be left standing when it's Game Over???
Zak Webber
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