Library Classics... 'Judge Dredd: Incubus' – John Wagner, Andy Diggle, Henry Flint (Rebellion)


It's been a while since I've done a 'Library Classics' post but after the way yesterday went, well.. you're lucky you're getting one of these to be honest ;o) My downstairs neighbours pretty much went nuclear on Sunday night and carried it on well past 2am on Monday morning. While they slept it off, I had a proper nightmare trying to stay awake long enough to get anything done at work (I didn't fall asleep but it was a close thing at times...) and by the time yesterday evening came round, I was good for absolutely nothing apart from some Chinese food and a bit of easy reading. Comfort reading, if you like ;o)

I've bought a whole load of the 'Judge Dredd: Complete Case Files', just recently, and that reminded me that I had another 'Complete Case Files', knocking about somewhere, with the classic (in my head anyway) 'Incubus' story in it. Turns out that it wasn't too hard to find and that was yesterday evening's reading sorted. If you fancy reading it yourself, you can find 'Incubus' in 'The Complete Case Files 36', in it's own collection or bundled up with the 'Dredd vs. Predator' story (your best shot at finding it though would be the 'Complete Case Files 36', you're welcome)...

A small time criminal with something growing inside him attempts to reach a hospital before it hatches, he is too late. While Pest Control find something monstrous lurking in a lift shaft, Judges follow the trail back to a pit fighting operation where the only survivor is something that no-one has ever seen before; something with acid for blood and out to kill anything it comes across.

But even that isn't the real danger. The real menace lurks under Justice Department itself and it's ready to be let loose...

I've read 'Incubus' a few times over the years, but even now, I still get the chills when the Verminators encounter the Xenomorph in the lift shaft or when Dredd has to face it down in the children's ward. And when the Aliens just pour out of the under city and into Justice Department... Damn. For me, 'Incubus' continues to be a story that hits all the targets that it's aiming for. Most of this is down to Wagner and Diggle just keeping it simple and letting the Alien just do what it does best, hide in the shadows and attack when some poor sap isn't expecting it. And I think that's the key here, no compromises to the Alien, and it's approach, make it stand out even more just because Dredd etc have never seen anything like it. That's what keeps the story fresh when perhaps we had reasonable cause to suspect that it wouldn't be. This isn't just another bug hunt. There are bits that are lifted straight from 'Aliens' but with enough of a 'Mega-City One' spin to make it work in this setting. Add some neat detective work, from the Judges, and a finale that literally explodes and you have a story that never fails to entertain and creep you out all at the same time. Henry Flint does an amazing of capturing all this in his art; vicious criminals, lethal Xenomorphs and beleaguered Judges, all against the magnificently seedy underbelly of Mega-City One'

Dredd is, of course, Dredd and while we do get to see him pushed a little bit outside his comfort zone, we don't learn anything that we didn't know already. You throw something at him and he will fight it until he wins. You've got to admire his tenacity if nothing else. Dredd does well to do what he does but this story is all about the Alien and it deservedly takes top billing in a story that is set up to play to its strengths. And it would have gotten away from it too if it wasn't for that pesky Lawman... ;o)

I know I say this a lot but I generally tend to post about older books so it's likely that fans of 'Aliens' and/or Judge Dredd will have read and enjoyed 'Incubus' already. If you haven't though and you come across 'Incubus' somewhere, definitely give it a go. You'll love it ;o)

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