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Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection discussion thread

Started by Molch-R, 10 December, 2014, 03:30:20 PM

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Big_Dave

Teh build up works better than the pay off so Id wait until you can read it all in 1 go

Could have done with MORE build up - teh epic would be better without the [spoiler]Orlok/trial[/spoiler] stuff stopping teh action and distracting from the main story

Orlok stuff would work better as build up story or as Megzine part of teh story - popular character, would have convinced more people to buy the Megzine than Demarco detective

radiator

Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 21 August, 2015, 07:03:47 PM
Quote from: Skullmo on 21 August, 2015, 08:53:17 AM
Yeah - I think these slow burner Wagner stories work better in the context of the case files - having said that I am sure they are a blast for new readers.

You have to get both!

I've read none of this period before and it's fascinating (knowing that Doomsday looms on the horizon) seeing the pieces slowly begin to come together. It's interesting that as early as Case Files 23 we're getting introduced to the major players!

Yeah, there's a fascinating throughline in all of what I like to call the 'Volt era' - beginning in the aftermath of McGruder and 'Wilderlands' and encompassing everything from 'Statue of Judgement' and 'The Cal Files' (in which we're introduced to Edgar and the PSU), through 'Bad Frendz', 'The Pit', 'The Hunting Party', 'Beyond the Call of Duty', 'The Scorpion Dance', and numerous shorter stories in between (even apparently unrelated shorts like 'Mad City' 'The Decision' and 'Angel of Mercy' adding ingredients to the greater whole), all neatly culminating in the huge 'Doomsday Scenario' epic and the follow-up tale 'The Cal Legacy', where table-setting is begun for what I consider to be the next era of Dredd.

The consensus seems to be that Doomsday is one of the least popular epics - and admittedly (like Necropolis before it) the build-up is way more interesting than the endgame, and it arguably suffers a little from being awkwardly split between prog and Meg - but show me an era where Wagner was as focused and prolific, where it really feels like one continuous serial that is building towards something big - and where the strip has or a stronger, more grounded supporting cast. There's also the added bonus in that it also includes what is  as close as we're ever likely to get to a [spoiler]love interest[/spoiler] for Dredd, which is very well-played I think.

I bloody love it! Favourite era of Dredd hands down. Massively underrated imo.

Could be wrong, but I think I'm right in saying that readership for 2000ad and the Meg was probably at its lowest ebb during this time (the dark, post-Stallone, pre-Rebellion years, and it also ran during what is undoubtedly the Megazine's most controversial period) so there's this whole wonderful era of Dredd that many will be reading for the first time via the Case Files. Large swathes of it has rarely - if ever - been reprinted until now.

robert_ellis

Reading the stories I missed I feel a bit guilty about turning my back on 2000ad. In the era of Vertigo, when all the "cool" writers went on to "adult" stuff, Dredd seemed so unfashionable. Post Crisis (the UK one) 2000ad seemed safe and stuck repeating past glories. I realise now there was so much quality & good work there. It's great now to catch up on The Pit & the Demarco stuff, plus Nikolai Dante - which is easily the equal of any other "classic" thrill. Anyway I'm back & loving the prog, Meg & especially the MegaCollection

Dark Jimbo

Quote from: radiator on 21 August, 2015, 08:57:25 PM
...but show me an era where Wagner was as focused and prolific, where it really feels like one continuous serial that is building towards something big - and where the strip has or a stronger, more grounded supporting cast. There's also the added bonus in that it also includes what is  as close as we're ever likely to get to a [spoiler]love interest[/spoiler] for Dredd, which is very well-played I think.

I bloody love it! Favourite era of Dredd hands down. Massively underrated imo.

I'm loving the intro of the supporting cast - not just among the judges, but a recurring roster of citizen characters who really make the city feel like a living place. Bishop Snodgrass, Mrs Gunderson, Frank and Chuck of the Quite Nice Bar, Rubella Ffish and (on the horizon) Oola and Homer Blint. It's something I really think's lacking from the strip currently - where are their equivalents?
@jamesfeistdraws

Dandontdare

I agree with those guys above. Doomsday is underrated, I certainly remember being utterly gripped at the time, and the prog/meg split worked much better than it did with Wilderlands.

Wilderlands wasn't great at the time because if you didn't buy both titles there were huge jumps and gaps in the story, but it works much better collected. On the other hand, Doomsday juggled the threads very well at the time, but in retrospect, as Big Dave  says, the trial episodes seem to unnaturally drag the pace.

When I bore people about 2000ad, I often bang on about the unique skill of telling a self-contained story in 5 pages every week, whilst still creating a narrative that goes on for years (or decades). For this reason, I hope Tharg will always go for what's best for that weekly dose of thrill power, rather than what's going to work in the trades. I don't like stories that feel like they're graphic novels that have just been sliced into five page sections.

radiator

QuoteI'm loving the intro of the supporting cast - not just among the judges, but a recurring roster of citizen characters who really make the city feel like a living place. Bishop Snodgrass, Mrs Gunderson, Frank and Chuck of the Quite Nice Bar, Rubella Ffish and (on the horizon) Oola and Homer Blint. It's something I really think's lacking from the strip currently - where are their equivalents?

Ha, yeah. There's also the two guys - the fatty and his coach (whose names escape me - Ernie?) from 'Fast Food', who go on to show up in 'The Bazooka' and 'Sin City'.

I also really like that Dredd has a little posse of fellow judges that crop up very frequently in the few years following The Pit (though I wish Wagner had done more with some of them), and I love Edgar - she a great foil for Dredd, and a 'villain' that he isn't equipped to fight - he can't throw her in a cube, or just shoot her! Roffman is another great little supporting judge character, that goes without saying.

That period of the Megazine is really interesting - Wagner had 15 pages to work, so we get the closest thing we've ever had to a monthly US comic book- format Dredd episodes written by Wagner. Lots of gems in that run.

radiator

QuoteWhen I bore people about 2000ad, I often bang on about the unique skill of telling a self-contained story in 5 pages every week, whilst still creating a narrative that goes on for years (or decades). For this reason, I hope Tharg will always go for what's best for that weekly dose of thrill power, rather than what's going to work in the trades. I don't like stories that feel like they're graphic novels that have just been sliced into five page sections.

Yeah, that's a good point. And it's hard to really put your finger on, but there's really nothing quite like following one of these big epics week to week over the course of six months or so. Reading them for the first time all in one go is never quite the same is it?

Big_Dave

Quote from: radiator on 21 August, 2015, 08:57:25 PM
there's a fascinating throughline in all of what I like to call the 'Volt era' - beginning in the aftermath of McGruder and 'Wilderlands' and encompassing everything from 'Statue of Judgement' and 'The Cal Files' (in which we're introduced to Edgar and the PSU), through 'Bad Frendz', 'The Pit', 'The Hunting Party', 'Beyond the Call of Duty', 'The Scorpion Dance', and numerous shorter stories in between (even apparently unrelated shorts like 'Mad City' 'The Decision' and 'Angel of Mercy' adding ingredients to the greater whole), all neatly culminating in the huge 'Doomsday Scenario' epic and the follow-up tale 'The Cal Legacy'

Fun stories - inconstent art. Awkward era - new artists story telling not quite there, older artistd getting used to demand of comp7ter color/painted art
Jumble of different styles & media makes connected stories feel seperete - worst on Doomsday. Lots of artists interrupt flow of story week to weak

People forget how important art is to story tellling

radiator

#1313
QuotePeople forget how important art is to story tellling

Whereas I think people get way too hung up on it.

I grew up reading 2000ad, man. Switching artists mid-story doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's all part of the fun.  :lol: I'll grant that veering between Si Davis, Neil Googe, Mick McMahon, Cam Kennedy et al early on in Doomsday might be a little jarring for some, but the real meat of the story is (IIRC) drawn by guys like Steve Tappin, Andrew Currie, Charlie Adlard, Colin Wilson and Mike Collins - whose styles aren't a million miles apart IMO - certainly not enough to break the flow of the story.

I'd also argue that the really dodgy period for art was the early to mid nineties. Most of the dead weight artists were long gone by '95.

If there's a problem with the art in this particular era I'm talking about, it's that poxy early computer colouring. I can't defend that. By the time Chris Blythe shows up it's pretty much fine. His ealry stuff is a little rough and filter-tastic, but it's infinitely preferable to certain others, whose colouring almost ruins otherwise classic stories.

Big_Dave

Quote from: radiator on 21 August, 2015, 10:53:55 PM
Switching artists mid-story doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's all part of the fun

Yeah - like I say my problem was inexperienced artists iron8ng out kinks in there story telling & technique - as well as experienced atrists struggling with computr color and painting strips on a weakly schedule

Lots of differnet artists not as big problem as different MEDIA. Computer color, paint, flat inks - hodge podge. Lots different artists not problem on City Of The Danmed - b/w format and experienced atrists

radiator

Quote from: Big_Dave on 21 August, 2015, 11:14:32 PM
Quote from: radiator on 21 August, 2015, 10:53:55 PM
Switching artists mid-story doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's all part of the fun

Yeah - like I say my problem was inexperienced artists iron8ng out kinks in there story telling & technique - as well as experienced atrists struggling with computr color and painting strips on a weakly schedule

Lots of differnet artists not as big problem as different MEDIA. Computer color, paint, flat inks - hodge podge. Lots different artists not problem on City Of The Danmed - b/w format and experienced atrists

I just don't agree.

I don't have a problem with the difference in media (Isn't pretty much all of Doomsday computer-coloured linework anyway?) and I would hesitate to call any of the artists involved inexperienced (with a couple of exceptions who only draw a handful of episodes between them). To my mind the only thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is Simon Davis' weird scratchy pen and ink work on 'The Trial', but even that I kind of enjoy on its own merits.

Big_Dave

Quote from: radiator on 21 August, 2015, 11:31:55 PM
I don't have a problem with the difference in media (Isn't pretty much all of Doomsday computer-coloured linework anyway?)

Sorry for confusion - talking about the Volt era (described above). New artists finding what works for them & experienced atrists getting used to new media

radiator

Fair enough.

As I say, for me the super patchy era for art was the early to mid nineties. Not naming any names, but you get a lot of very inexperienced artists cropping up around that time that (imo) wouldn't stand a chance in hell of getting published nowadays. You also have the problem of lots of young artists trying - often disastrously - to emulate Bisley, and also old pros - so good at black and white linework - struggling to produce full-colour work.

DarkDaysBish-OP

Quote from: radiator on 21 August, 2015, 08:57:25 PM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 21 August, 2015, 07:03:47 PM
Quote from: Skullmo on 21 August, 2015, 08:53:17 AM
Yeah - I think these slow burner Wagner stories work better in the context of the case files - having said that I am sure they are a blast for new readers.

You have to get both!

I've read none of this period before and it's fascinating (knowing that Doomsday looms on the horizon) seeing the pieces slowly begin to come together. It's interesting that as early as Case Files 23 we're getting introduced to the major players!

Could be wrong, but I think I'm right in saying that readership for 2000ad and the Meg was probably at its lowest ebb during this time (the dark, post-Stallone, pre-Rebellion years, and it also ran during what is undoubtedly the Megazine's most controversial period) so there's this whole wonderful era of Dredd that many will be reading for the first time via the Case Files. Large swathes of it has rarely - if ever - been reprinted until now.

You are wrong about the readership for 2k and the Meg being at their lowest ebb during this time.

But I totally it's great that some people are rediscovering some cracking Dredds from this era now.

Proudhuff

Quote from: DarkDaysBish-OP on 22 August, 2015, 07:30:44 AM
Quote from: radiator on 21 August, 2015, 08:57:25 PM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 21 August, 2015, 07:03:47 PM
Quote from: Skullmo on 21 August, 2015, 08:53:17 AM
Yeah - I think these slow burner Wagner stories work better in the context of the case files - having said that I am sure they are a blast for new readers.

You have to get both!

I've read none of this period before and it's fascinating (knowing that Doomsday looms on the horizon) seeing the pieces slowly begin to come together. It's interesting that as early as Case Files 23 we're getting introduced to the major players!

Could be wrong, but I think I'm right in saying that readership for 2000ad and the Meg was probably at its lowest ebb during this time (the dark, post-Stallone, pre-Rebellion years, and it also ran during what is undoubtedly the Megazine's most controversial period) so there's this whole wonderful era of Dredd that many will be reading for the first time via the Case Files. Large swathes of it has rarely - if ever - been reprinted until now.

You are wrong about the readership for 2k and the Meg being at their lowest ebb during this time.

But I totally it's great that some people are rediscovering some cracking Dredds from this era now.

Please show workings.
;)
DDT did a job on me