Main Menu

Meg 375: Crazy Train

Started by IndigoPrime, 13 August, 2016, 11:41:36 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Colin YNWA

Yeah isn't there a danger of calling any 'big story a mega-epic? I wouldn't really count Trifecta and Enceladus Mega-Epics (not of course that there is any pre-described defination, its jut how fans call it). They are just call, longer tales.

Much like as was discussed elsewhere there are a couple of things wearing a bit thin. Firstly Dredd getting the snot beaten out of him every couple of stories just to emphasize the danger of the threat and challenge he's facing. Secondly the city getting the snot beaten out of it just to emphasize the scale of threat and challenge being faced.

We need a nice The Pitesque palette clenser before our next THE WHOLE CITY WILL DIE tale if you ask me.

Frank

Quote from: Tordelback on 11 September, 2016, 08:49:49 AM
Day of Chaos (2011-12), Trifecta (2012, which was the very welcome dessert course for DoC in many ways), then Enceladus (2015, more of a brief existential threat than a Megaepic) and then Every Empire Falls (2016).  That's the same time span that contained Cursed Earth/DtLD, Judge Child and Apocalypse War, at the very least ... I fully agree about the corrupt/rogue faction/foreign judge thing: enough for now

Carroll and Marshall's Cascade (1894-1899) wasn't billed as an event story, but it was a 5 part story about judges from somewhere else (and a rogue faction of Justice Department) trying to take over MC1.

There's an argument to be made that all these fine writers are just delivering on the follow-up to Chaos Day that we all demanded, with a weakened Department vulnerable to threats external and internal.

I think the focus on Justice Department's troubles is probably at the point the repetition of the HUGE EPIC THAT DESTROYS THE CITY trope was after Judgement Day. It's ironic that Wagner's solution to that was to take the focus away from the city/citizens and onto internal Justice Department problems*, which is why we are where we are now (22 years later).

There's a big Cursed Earth out there to play in, and different kinds of stories to tell.


* First with Conspiracy Of Silence/Wilderlands/Voting Day (1994), and then with The Cal Files (1995) and The Pit (1995/6)

I, Cosh

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 11 September, 2016, 09:29:16 AM
We need a nice The Pitesque palette clenser before our next THE WHOLE CITY WILL DIE tale if you ask me.
I would say we had exactly that in Block Judge. By removing itself to a remote manor house, Dark Justice also fits the bill for a longer form story which avoids the "whole city in peril" badge.
We never really die.

sheridan

Quote from: The Cosh on 11 September, 2016, 11:14:00 AM
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 11 September, 2016, 09:29:16 AM
We need a nice The Pitesque palette clenser before our next THE WHOLE CITY WILL DIE tale if you ask me.
I would say we had exactly that in Block Judge. By removing itself to a remote manor house, Dark Justice also fits the bill for a longer form story which avoids the "whole city in peril" badge.
...and Ladykiller should clock in at nine parts - only one episode shorter than Dark Justice or Block Mania but (seemingly) about to involve the [spoiler]death of a long-term character[/spoiler] I think can count as epic.

sheridan

Quote from: Tordelback on 11 September, 2016, 08:53:07 AM
Bah, no edit function: I meant 'events' not 'epics'. But I fully agree about the corrupt/rogue faction/foreign judge thing: enough for now.
I sort of agree with that, except with the caveat of resolving or continuing some of the themes which have been raised - Brit-Cit, Emerald Isle and Texas City.  Wouldn't want them to be dropped like certain other Mega-City intrigues were dropped in the nineties!

Jacqusie

Quote from: Tordelback on 11 September, 2016, 08:49:49 AM

...then Enceladus (2015, more of a brief existential threat than a Megaepic) and then Every Empire Falls (2016). 

I know we've slowed the pace since the early days, but is this not more an artifact if our old-man perception of the passage of time?


I liked Titan/Enceladus as it felt like a slow burning plot that had woven it's way round many characters, themes and settings. The whole return to MC1 bit - was a huge event I thought - when it got frozen & all that. Maybe a missed opportunity to tell some more stories on the back of that as it must have had wide implications?

I rate Rob Williams very highly, his Dredd for me is gritty and has that nod of respect to Wagners style of storytelling, which I enjoy more than some of Carolls (especially Cascade) and that's just personal taste (and yes maybe old age!) I guess.

I don't know why, but I have 'Tomb of the Judges', 'Fast Food' (always a good fattie tale) and 'The Satanist' as some examples that filled the gaps nicely without too many drama's to put Dredd & MC1 at deaths door...

Sssspeaking of Death... I'm looking forward to 'Dark Judges in Space' when we get round to it!

:)

TordelBack

Quote from: Frank on 11 September, 2016, 09:59:21 AM
Quote from: Tordelback on 11 September, 2016, 08:49:49 AM
Carroll and Marshall's Cascade (1894-1899) wasn't billed as an event story, but it was a 5 part story about judges from somewhere else (and a rogue faction of Justice Department) trying to take over MC1.

Ah, good one, slipped my mind completely, even though I enjoyed it at the time. Could probably add Traumatown to that list too?

But as noted, these are interspersed with some very low-key Wagner procedurals whose biggest set pieces seem to echo the scale of the 2012 movie, a lot of 'monster in the ruins' stories from various authors, and some downright light-hearted pieces. So I really do wonder if the 'threat to the entire city' are really any more frequent than they alwaspys have been. The one thing that really has been on the rise is the Dredd-severely-injured-as-cliffhanger and the endless corrupt/treacherous judge stories.  Both of those could use a rest for a while.

Frank

Quote from: Tordelback on 11 September, 2016, 08:49:49 AM
Carroll and Marshall's Cascade (1894-1899) wasn't billed as an event story, but it was a 5 part story about judges from somewhere else (and a rogue faction of Justice Department) trying to take over MC1.

Couldn't have said it better myself.



TordelBack

Quote from: Frank on 12 September, 2016, 12:15:15 AM
Quote from: Tordelback on 11 September, 2016, 08:49:49 AM
Carroll and Marshall's Cascade (1894-1899) wasn't billed as an event story, but it was a 5 part story about judges from somewhere else (and a rogue faction of Justice Department) trying to take over MC1.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Heh, don't know what went wrong with my quote tags there. Sincerest form of flattery donchano.

dweezil2

It's taken nearly a whole month of willpower to resist making a reference to The Meg strap line, but I can resist no longer!!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U8SCm7kNhOk
Savalas Seed Bandcamp: https://savalasseed1.bandcamp.com/releases

"He's The Law 45th anniversary music video"
https://youtu.be/qllbagBOIAo

dweezil2

And I still didn't find the right link first time!!!!!!  :o


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bwDpAfFzcRQ
Savalas Seed Bandcamp: https://savalasseed1.bandcamp.com/releases

"He's The Law 45th anniversary music video"
https://youtu.be/qllbagBOIAo

Jacqusie

How did I know that was going to be a link with Ozzy with his top off, bad pants and off his head?


...great stuff!  :)

dweezil2

Quote from: Jacqusie on 14 September, 2016, 01:07:26 AM
How did I know that was going to be a link with Ozzy with his top off, bad pants and off his head?


...great stuff!  :)

:lol:
Savalas Seed Bandcamp: https://savalasseed1.bandcamp.com/releases

"He's The Law 45th anniversary music video"
https://youtu.be/qllbagBOIAo

Judge Brian

Any Dark Judges in space story needs to be a Strontium Dog story.

The Monarch

Death: the crime isssss life the sssssentence is death

Alpha: time grenade

-tosses grenade-

Sssshit

-the dark judges are forever caught in a time loop the only word forever heard is sssshit

The end