Review by Frank Plowright

For several years now 2000AD has published occasional issues under the 2000A.D. Regened banner, tailoring the content of those issues specifically toward younger readers. So, instead of the ongoing and sometimes complicated Judge Dredd continuity, those issues dip back to the past to feature Dredd in training to become a Judge. It initially imitates the parent series with no definitive creative team, before settling into Liam Johnson or James Peary writing most stories.

Around two-thirds of Tooth and Claw has previously been serialised across four 2000A.D. Regened collections, and it’s a bumpy ride. The intentions are good, and the creators are rarely novices, but while the stories are largely acceptable, something just doesn’t gel. Artistically Chris Weston is the star turn, very obviously enjoying himself with a homage to movie monsters, but Luke Horsman’s efforts are worth noting. He’s very raw on his first strip, where detail and enthusiasm can’t disguise the shakier aspects of his drawing, but by his third strip, featuring Dredd’s first trip to the Cursed Earth, there’s imagination to the designs and the layouts (sample art left). The rapid progress marks him a talent to watch out for.

Of the other artists, Ben Willsher sometimes looks better here than he does on the main series, it’s a pleasant surprise to see Neill Cameron illustrating a story and Joe Currie (sample art right) is another name to note for the future. His page designs are imaginative and his form of stylised and detailed action eye-catching.

Mike Carroll’s two scripts hit the mark, but he’s also good on the older Dredd, so it’s Johnson who’s the surprise here. He varies his contributions to ensure it’s not just Dredd up against monster of the week, pays greater attention to Dredd being a cadet in training, and throws up some interesting ethical issues. It all adds up to a tension in his stories often absent from the more straightforward material supplied by other writers.

During his training Dredd is known as Joe, as his clone brother Rico is training alongside him. The better writers play up their differences and Rico’s competitive nature, aware that Rico’s tendencies led him to the dark side early after qualification. Their slightly abrasive relationship is a method of showing a different side to the developing Dredd, who’s very much the solo act in his future. It’s also unusual seeing Dredd having to follow the orders of others.

The violence is definitely toned down for younger readers, but otherwise not a great deal differentiates Cadet Dredd from the adult article. It’s set in Mega City One with all the downsides that brings, but also with all the opportunities for stories, and while not the best of Dredd, it’s very readable on the whole.