Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens: A Review
Story by: John Layman
Art by: Chris Mooneyham
Color by: Michael Atiyeh
In this IDW and Dark Horse Comics collaboration we get to see what happens when worlds collide. In Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens that’s exactly what they deliver. The comic starts out introducing you the the Yautja. The Yautja are a race of warrior aliens better known as the Predators. We find out that the Yautja are a fierce race and are feared by many across the galaxy. Only this story starts with a Predator being hunted. While being chased the Predator drops some sort of blinking device, right before being captured by some group of Island of Dr. Moreau animal hybrid people.
The next scene cuts to Judge Dredd and a couple other Judges entering a shady dive bar in search of fugitives. Upon a cursory glance the fugitives don’t appear to be in the bar and one of the Judges suggest they move on to check the rest of the town. Dredd being Dredd walks up to a table and states that something doesn’t smell right. Looking down at the patron sitting at the table Dredd tells the man that you can’t wash out the stink of guilty. Dredd then grabs the man by the back of the head and slams his face into the table. This breaks the device the man was wearing that projected a different face onto him. After a brief interrogation Dredd heads off to find the leader of the fugitives who is escaping into the dense forest outside the town.
The scene cuts again to a lab deep in the forest with the Yautja from earlier in the book, in restraints. It’s accompanied by a mad scientist(of course) who has discovered a means of replicating the DNA of any species, and has tested this on Xenomorph DNA(OF COURSE). This scientist boast about his skill with DNA and states that he created the hybrid men that captured the Predator. Holding up a face-hugger and boasting how he managed to grow it in only a few days.
While this stereotypical mad scientist speech is going on a hybrid messenger comes in and informs the scientist that there are intruders in the woods. The doctor looks at a monitor and sees Dredd and the fugitive he’s chasing and tells the messenger that he is aware of the situation. The messenger then says those are not the intruders he was sent to tell him about. There are other intruders that entered from the sky. The comics ends with a trio of Yautja standing over the device the first Yautja dropped.
Overall I would say that this is a good comic but at $3.99 an issue it’s a little short(22 pages). Then again I’ve never read a Judge Dredd crossover that I didn’t enjoy. All of the Dredd crossovers I’ve purchased always ended up being well worth it in the end. With the story being written by John Layman, a writer who has worked for nearly every major comic company, it should turn out to be at the least a compelling read. Back that up with veteran Predator artist Chris Mooneyham and you’ve got a solid team. So if you like AVP or Judge Dredd get your hands on a copy of this comic for your collection.