Dark Justice: The Torture Garden TPB Review
Summary: Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis have reduced the population of Dominion to only a handful all whilst creating an army of zombies. Those who remain are running out of hope of surviving.
4.5
Horror Horticulture
I haven’t read a lot of the dark Judges stories before (I guess my old library didn’t have any in their collection, not that I found anyway). I have been intrigued by them… then I read this comic and learnt just how horrific they are. Dark Judges Death, Fire and Mortis, have transformed Mega-City colony world Dominion into their own ideal landscape. The population has been slashed to a handful of survivors and the Dark Judges have created a zombie army to do their bidding. Things don’t look good for the few survivors.
Writing
There’s some very Dante-esque writing here. What sort of a landscape would creatures whose entire existence seems to be pain and torment create? David Hine certainly seems to have created a believable Dark Judge created world and it is very clear that no one would want to be anywhere near it. Layering on top of that (or below it) the story of someone who is doing their best to survive such horrible conditions and having to go through horrors just to survive adds another layer of oppressive feeling to this story. How do you plead your life to a Dark Judge? What can you use to appeal to a being so bent on death and destruction?
Artwork
If the words didn’t put you in a nightmarish world the imagery is sure to. There are some elements of Giger, Beksinski and a touch of Bosch all melded into one horrific vision. The airbrushed style simply amplifies that ethereal world of fear, almost as if every image is somehow melting into the next, every image permeated with death and evil incarnate. I would certainly say don’t read this story if you are prone to nightmares as even just flicking through and looking at the art work is certainly going to fuel your imagination in a way you really probably don’t want it fueled.
Final Thoughts?
If you like horror then this is going to be right up your alley. Think Aliens but if the Aliens could tell you exactly the horrific things they plan to do to you and torment you from the moment they find you to the moment they take your last ounce of life. On the flip side, if you are sensitive to horror then give this a miss.
One for those who like their sci-fi dark and like the darkest of dark sides of the Dredd universe!
Comic Details
Publisher: 2000AD
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Nick Percival
Cover Artist: Nick Percival
Genre: Horror
Format: 112pgs, FC, TPB
Release Date: 6th October 2021
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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