Writer and Artist: John McCrea
Colors: Mike Spicer
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $4.99

After the events of “Judge Dredd – Cry of the Wolf,” Dredd Wolf is held prisoner in an iso-cube, and freed inadvertently by Karl Clayderman. With Dredd Wolf free, is he going to follow the law or turn innocent citizens into werewolves?

I enjoyed this Deviation one-shot, and how it shows Judge Dredd adapting to being a werewolf. With one little change, McCrea crafts an intriguing tale around the newly transformed Dredd Wolf. The reason why Dredd wasn’t cured makes sense within the story. It’s also interesting to see how the people of Mega City-One adjust to his new transformation. Even though Judge Dredd is a werewolf, he still follows the law. His strong will is the only thing that is keeping the beast under control, and saves the lives of citizens in Mega City-One. The writing is solid and manages to get you invested in Dredd’s new life as a werewolf. The pacing was fine, as everything was dealt with pretty quickly, and was dealt with in a reasonable manner. There wasn’t much on character development, but the story was fun and entertaining.

John McCrea’s art works surprisingly well with Judge Dredd becoming a werewolf. Dredd Wolf has a menacing and feral appearance, along with fangs and claws. The art tends to fluctuate throughout the issue. At one point, characters look good and detailed, while other times it looks rushed. The action is amazing, and McCrea doesn’t hold back. A lot of environmental damage and a few firefights happen in this one-shot, and it glorious. Also, when Dredd Wolf cuts loose, McCrea doesn’t hold back with how vicious he can be. He renders both flesh and metal from his enemies, and it’s quite vicious to see. The only downside was there wasn’t enough of it early on in the title. Spicer’s colors make Mega City One look dark and dirty, but still full of life. What’s more interesting is how Spicer makes Dredd Wolf’s fur purple. I’ve never seen a purple werewolf, but this takes the cake.

This was an entertaining one-shot coming from IDW’s Deviations titles, and serves as a satisfying follow-up to the “Cry of the Wolf” story. The price for the title is pretty high, so if you like Judge Dredd and werewolves, pick this up. Also, if you want to read “Judge Dredd – Cry of the Wolf,” IDW has reprinted that storyline, which comes out Wednesday.

4 Dredd Wolfs out of 5