Episode 79: Reviews of Rio: The Complete Saga, Judge Dredd: Mega City Two, and Rogue Trooper

This week on The Comics Alternative, Andy and Derek review three recent titles, all from IDW (they didn’t plan this…it just turned out that the comics they really wanted to discuss were all published by IDW). First, they focus on the late Doug Wildey’s collection Rio: The Complete Saga. This is a very nice paperback edition that is composed mostly of high-quality scans from Wildey’s original art — a lot like IDW’s Artist Editions, but they’re just much less expensive. The Two Guys praise Wildey’s storytelling, his mastery of the Western genre, his careful and detailed art, and his complex rendering of the title character. The only “downside” to this collection is the fact that Wildey didn’t create more Rio stories. Reading this edition leaves you not only thoroughly impressed, but also longing for more. Next, the guys look at two recent IDW serials: Judge Dredd: Mega City Two and Rogue Trooper. They point out that both titles have their genesis in the classic UK anthology, 2000 AD, and that these comics are the latest American handling of the properties. Andy helps to educate Derek on both titles, since Derek doesn’t have much experience with either. But what both of the guys emphasize is the fact that the two new series more or less stand on their own, and that readers don’t need extensive history with either Judge Dredd or Rogue Trooper comics to enjoy these comics.