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Mega(zin) marathon

Started by Smith, 09 January, 2017, 06:04:55 PM

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Smith

Up to V2 #13 now.And its a bit of an improvement.Armitage is back,And Calhab Justice started.There is an odd story focusing on Hershey or Anderson here and there.They vary in quality.
And Mechanismo is starting.

Smith

V2 #21 Mechanismo was okay.Its mostly just one big action sequence,but that's not really a bad thing.
Al's Baby is back.Like I said,the second story is a bit weaker.And we have Heavy Metal Dredd (still) and Sleeze 'n' Ryder. Hard to miss that reference.  :o

Frank

.
No mention of Wagner and Shimony's Texas City Sting (v2.01-2.03)? It's pretty topical, given that both it and Mike Carroll's current story are about Dredd going to Texas City on the trail of perps and receiving varying degrees of cooperation/resistance from local law enforcement.

It's really more of a Strontium Dog story, with Dredd collecting bounties; if it had been drawn by Ezquerra or MacNeil, it would be considered a classic. The shameless exploitation of Hershey's bare arse predates Ezquerra's blackmail pics by 2 years and MacNeil's taps aff by 18 months.



Smith

I thought I did mention that,but it got kinda lost in everything else.Yes,it was an okay story.
We had a longer Hershey story in Death Squad.Which is a pretty familiar Judges are running hit squads story,those show up surprisingly(or not) often.But it was okay.

Rogue Judge

Quote from: Frank on 15 January, 2017, 02:09:43 PM
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No mention of Wagner and Shimony's Texas City Sting (v2.01-2.03)? It's pretty topical, given that both it and Mike Carroll's current story are about Dredd going to Texas City on the trail of perps and receiving varying degrees of cooperation/resistance from local law enforcement.

It's really more of a Strontium Dog story, with Dredd collecting bounties; if it had been drawn by Ezquerra or MacNeil, it would be considered a classic. The shameless exploitation of Hershey's bare arse predates Ezquerra's blackmail pics by 2 years and MacNeil's taps aff by 18 months.

I just read Texas city sting a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Dredd's approach to use money collection was a unique wayto solve the problem. The art was okay,  and the story quite fun and Hershey's bottom a supprise.

I haven't come across your other examples yet but should be there soon as I am reading CF #18 currently. Also, that McNeil piece is quite humorous, the placement of her badge is class.

Smith

CF17-18-19 roughly cover this time.But for some reason,a few things like America and Kenny Who story were not collected in the Case Files.
Things to look forward in the near future: Calhab justice returning and Missionary Man starting.
Shimura is also pretty close,I think.So is Judge Andersons galactic tour story,which Im not looking forward to at all TBH.

Rogue Judge

Quote from: Smith on 15 January, 2017, 05:54:51 PM
CF17-18-19 roughly cover this time.But for some reason,a few things like America and Kenny Who story were not collected in the Case Files.
Things to look forward in the near future: Calhab justice returning and Missionary Man starting.
Shimura is also pretty close,I think.So is Judge Andersons galactic tour story,which Im not looking forward to at all TBH.

I'm reading case files #18 right now (1/4 way through) and mostly like it - there are a lot of one off stories that are good (mostly) and I'm looking forward to Mechanismo, your description as "one big action scene" sounds good to me!

I'm thinking that America was not reprinted in the CF so that they could sell it on its own (more money!).

I look forward to your thoughts on Missionary Man, this is a book I have on my personal want list, but know nothing of it other than the concept of a Preacher traveling the cursed earth...

Smith

A lot of things to go through this time...
-On the CF#18,I found it a bit of chore to read honestly,Ennis was really running out of ideas and was just churning out shallow parodies of things he hated.But Mechanismo is the saving grace.And Mechanismo returns.And there is the only PJ Maybe story written by somebody other then Wagner,so I guess that's important too.
-Kenny Who? stories were collected in the Cam Kennedy collection according to Dredd Reckoning.
-About America,that probably played a part.My theory was that they are waiting to collect the whole trilogy in some future Case File,but Im not so sure in that any more.
V2 #31
-Were Hershey's stories ever collected?They were actually pretty good.
-Army of Darkness was in theaters,Batman TAS was on tv,and John Smith parodied the Madonna craze.Bit late for that in 1993?
-In the letters section there is an interesting discussion about violence in the Meg.A few readers accuse the of following "the Bisley school" of painted hyper-violence.That's not really far from truth,they really went out of their way to imitate Bisley.
Harke & Burr show up for the first time.That is important,right?Anderson,Psi Division Childhood End is here,and I still don't like it,honestly.After Mechanismo Returns,JD's stories are mostly one shots.At least Sleeze 'n' Ryder and Heavy Metal Dredd seem to over.
@Rogue Judge,buy Missionary Man,easiest decision ever.  :)
Its a great series.It debuts in style,with Cain nuking a whole town.Later on,I think the series decayed a bit during and after Big Sleazy,but that's still years ahead.
Good news is that Calhab Justice is back.Not-so-good news is that we are getting Brit-Cit Brute,another representative of Bisley school.And Anderson,Psi Divison isn't ending any time soon.Yey...

I, Cosh

Quote from: Rogue Judge on 17 January, 2017, 02:06:11 AM
I'm thinking that America was not reprinted in the CF so that they could sell it on its own (more money!).
While I'm sure making more money from other books was an unlooked for benefit, the official line is that stuff like America and Kenny Who were originally published as standalone strips rather than Judge Dredd stories. Where do you draw the line once you start including every story which Dredd appears in?

Somebody will be along shortly to point out that Dying of the Light was published as a Dredd strip but hey-ho!

Quote from: Smith on 17 January, 2017, 06:53:10 AM
Anderson,Psi Division Childhood End is here,and I still don't like it,honestly.
Pretty soon you'll get to the point where the Meg starts to include an annual readers' poll. Publishing the results and some commentary was, presumably, a cheap way to fill a few pages and push some interaction. Anyway, for about four or five years running, Childhood's End gets voted the best story ever to appear in the Meg.  Interesting how times change.
We never really die.

Smith

Well,its not terrible,its just not really my thing.I liked the earlier horror stories better.Looking at the whole Anderson,Psi Divison run in the Meg,its a bit of a mixed bag.However,Ransons artwork is amazing,and that alone makes it worth reading.Other artists however widly vary in quality.
Yes,there was a poll.Devlin Waughn is the best new character in readers opinion(Kinda expected),and hes even the third most popular character in the Meg,after Judge Dredd and Judge Death.And EVERYONE hated Soul Sisters,
Another thing I forgot to mention,Devlin meet Judge Dredd.Strip search happens. :)

I, Cosh

Quote from: Smith on 17 January, 2017, 08:19:57 AM
Well,its not terrible,its just not really my thing.I liked the earlier horror stories better.Looking at the whole Anderson,Psi Divison run in the Meg,its a bit of a mixed bag.However,Ransons artwork is amazing,and that alone makes it worth reading.Other artists however widly vary in quality.
Sorry, I wasn't making any comment about your opinion. That's fine by me! I much prefer the Shamballa and Engram era of Anderson myself.

I just think it's an interesting shift in perception given the modern orthodoxy which has it that America is The Best Story Ever Written (at least with a Judge in it.)
We never really die.

Rogue Judge

Quote from: Smith on 17 January, 2017, 06:53:10 AM
A lot of things to go through this time...
-On the CF#18,I found it a bit of chore to read honestly,Ennis was really running out of ideas and was just churning out shallow parodies of things he hated.But Mechanismo is the saving grace.And Mechanismo returns.And there is the only PJ Maybe story written by somebody other then Wagner,so I guess that's important too.
-Kenny Who? stories were collected in the Cam Kennedy collection according to Dredd Reckoning.
-About America,that probably played a part.My theory was that they are waiting to collect the whole trilogy in some future Case File,but Im not so sure in that any more.
V2 #31
-Were Hershey's stories ever collected?They were actually pretty good.
-Army of Darkness was in theaters,Batman TAS was on tv,and John Smith parodied the Madonna craze.Bit late for that in 1993?
-In the letters section there is an interesting discussion about violence in the Meg.A few readers accuse the of following "the Bisley school" of painted hyper-violence.That's not really far from truth,they really went out of their way to imitate Bisley.
Harke & Burr show up for the first time.That is important,right?Anderson,Psi Division Childhood End is here,and I still don't like it,honestly.After Mechanismo Returns,JD's stories are mostly one shots.At least Sleeze 'n' Ryder and Heavy Metal Dredd seem to over.
@Rogue Judge,buy Missionary Man,easiest decision ever.  :)
Its a great series.It debuts in style,with Cain nuking a whole town.Later on,I think the series decayed a bit during and after Big Sleazy,but that's still years ahead.
Good news is that Calhab Justice is back.Not-so-good news is that we are getting Brit-Cit Brute,another representative of Bisley school.And Anderson,Psi Divison isn't ending any time soon.Yey...

Now that Im over half done reading CF 18 I have to agree - while I have enjoyed much of Ennis' Dredd so far, you can see he was definitely burning out at this point. Honestly, The Magic Mellow Out is probably the worst Dredd story I have read (not sure if that was in the progs or Meg).

I didn't realize Hershey had her own solo stories. I would really like to read these, especially since you say they are good! A quick google search revealed that she had her own series periodically from 1992-97 and, as far as I can find, her stories have not been collected.

And thanks for the recommendation for Missionary Man - it sounds great. I found it online for $16 CAD so I think Ill snap it up soon!


Trent

Not been said whether the Mega Collection is including a Hershey volume. At 181 pages her solo strip would neatly make a whole book.
That said, the quality of her strips were .... variable.

Cannot recommend Missionary Man highly enough and 2 more volumes still to come!

Smith

I admited they vary in quality a bit,but worst things have been collected.
@RJ if your reading the files in order,I have to say,it gets worst before it gets better.Mark Millar takes over.We get two undead super-judges,Inferno and The Crusade.And there are also Exterminator and Wilderlands(which was so bad,but it had its problems,I will get to it somewhat soon)But its all uphill after #22,I think,so stick with it.:)
Unrelated,going through some floppies that came with the Meg,Pulp Sci-Fi was really,really good.

Smith

v2 #37
Its been a mediocre few issues;ads for Manga Video are back,and Stallone signed on to play Judge Dredd.
We had Armitage Flasback(that ran longer then I remember it) and Hersey and Steel.
Shimura is starting,cant say I have any strong feelings for it.Later on,I liked Inaba.And there is Taxidermist,which is just weird.Of all the characters to get their spinoffs,why Taxidermist?   :-\
In the letters section,we have the first letter from a female fan(that I noticed). She likes the strong female protagonists like Anderson and Hershey.And yeah,I give the Meg credit there.
The debate about violence is still going on.John Hickelstone's(the artist of Heavy Metal Dredd) response is pretty much You see a lot worst on the news.Suppose that's true,but its not really a justification.
Personally,I don't really mind the violence,but Meg really takes things over the top.HMD is like Looney Toons with blood.
Reactions to Missionary Man have been really positive,and all things considered my opinions are pretty similar to those the original readers had about a lot of stuff in here.