Judge Death: After Necropolis

Robin Low · 24 October, 2009, 10:51:01 AM

I've just re-read Necropolis in Case Files 14 (a much more rewarding re-read than
Mechanismo was, incidentally). It occurred to me that we don't really have a proper resolution regarding Judge Death and his eventual capture - what we have is a Batman/Judge Dredd crossover (of dubious merit) that can't be properly collected as part the Dredd storyline because of the DC connection.

Would people be interested in seeing John Wagner write a story to explain how Judge Death was really captured after Necropolis? If nothing else, it would be great to see a Dredd/Anderson story written by Wagner again.

Regards

Robin

locustsofdeath! · 24 October, 2009, 10:56:17 AM

As I'm not much of a fan of the Young Death storyline (I like these types of characters to remain mysterious), I would indeed like to see another proper Judge Death strip! That was the one loose end of Necropolis I expected/wanted a more concrete resolution...but maybe it will yet happen.

TordelBack · 24 October, 2009, 11:11:58 AM

Doesn't he just get out of the City by "playing" dead? We see his body being bulldozed into one of the Cursed Earth burial pits (wishing I'd bought Casefiles 14 when I saw it).

Other than Incubus I'm not very happy allowing Dredd crossovers into my brain.

Robin Low · 24 October, 2009, 11:49:28 AM

Quote from: TordelBack on 24 October, 2009, 11:11:58 AM
Doesn't he just get out of the City by "playing" dead? We see his body being bulldozed into one of the Cursed Earth burial pits (wishing I'd bought Casefiles 14 when I saw it).

Yes, that's right. My interest is in seeing a new story explaining how Dredd, Anderson and others managed to locate and capture him afterwards that doesn't involve Batman and the over-the-top nonsense of Judgement on Gotham.

(Vendetta in Gotham remains a favourite story of mine, and Die Laughing has the genuine thrill of seeing Dredd in hand-to-hand combat with Death, but do I prefer my continuity cross-overs to involve other 2000AD stories.)

Regards

Robin

Proudhuff · 24 October, 2009, 12:02:52 PM

Judge D'eath and Anderson are my two least liked support acts for JD (along with Batman and any crossover), and personally I'd say let sleeping dogs lie on this one, same goes for the over played Angel gang.

locustsofdeath! · 24 October, 2009, 12:43:44 PM

Quote from: Proudhuff on 24 October, 2009, 12:02:52 PM
Judge D'eath and Anderson are my two least liked support acts for JD (along with Batman and any crossover), and personally I'd say let sleeping dogs lie on this one, same goes for the over played Angel gang.

I agree completely Proudhuff - Judge Anderson is boring, and D'eath was...no comment.

As for crossovers, I like Judgement on Gotham but could care less about any of the other Batman crossovers. I like Incubus, but found the Predator crossover fairly boring. The Dredd/Lobo story was okay...

Mike Gloady · 24 October, 2009, 01:27:05 PM

Quote from: Robin Low on 24 October, 2009, 10:51:01 AM
Would people be interested in seeing John Wagner write a story to explain how Judge Death was really captured after Necropolis?

I can't see any point in that, we already HAVE Young Death & Judgement on Gotham.

No, it's true, the Batman stuff can't be lumped into the Case Files for the copyright reasons you and others suggest, but seeing as the whole thing has been referred to since in the strip itself (only occasionally I'll admit) there's no point retconning this.

What you mean is that you don't like non-Twoth crossovers, a position I can respect if not agree with (the first and last Batman ones and the Aliens one were great, the others less so) but that doesn't mean it's somehow an "imaginary" story (don't point out the stupidity of that, folks. I'm talking in the "NOT A HOAX, NOT AN IMAGINARY STORY" sense).

Anyway, it's just a great excuse to get the kids to run out and get Young Death & the Batman/Dredd files. Good thing too.

JOE SOAP · 24 October, 2009, 02:28:12 PM

Quote from: TordelBack on 24 October, 2009, 11:11:58 AM
Doesn't he just get out of the City by "playing" dead? We see his body being bulldozed into one of the Cursed Earth burial pits (wishing I'd bought Casefiles 14 when I saw it).

Sneaky Death Head is being bulldozed in the left middle of the first frame and in the last frame in Necropolis part 26, prog 699.

radiator · 24 October, 2009, 02:36:30 PM

I wonder if Rebellion will get around to putting out a new edition of The Batman/Judge Dredd Files with Vendetta in Gotham included (it's not in the DC version). I'd definitely buy that.

As for crossovers in general, I tend to not take them too seriously and just treat them as a bit of fun really.

Robin Low · 24 October, 2009, 03:40:25 PM

Quote from: Mike Gloady on 24 October, 2009, 01:27:05 PM
Quote from: Robin Low on 24 October, 2009, 10:51:01 AM
Would people be interested in seeing John Wagner write a story to explain how Judge Death was really captured after Necropolis?

I can't see any point in that, we already HAVE Young Death & Judgement on Gotham.

Well, Judgement on Gotham is what I'm taking issue with, and Young Death doesn't address my concerns, so saying "we already HAVE..." doesn't actually resolve anything for me.

QuoteNo, it's true, the Batman stuff can't be lumped into the Case Files for the copyright reasons you and others suggest, but seeing as the whole thing has been referred to since in the strip itself (only occasionally I'll admit) there's no point retconning this.

When has Batman or Gotham been referred to in the strip itself? I'm not saying they haven't been, but I don't remember.

QuoteWhat you mean is that you don't like non-Twoth crossovers

Nope, that's not what I mean at all. I can cheerfully live with non-2000AD crossovers (I just prefer 2000AD crossovers), but I'd prefer them to be good and essentially disposable.

As it stands, Judgement on Gotham is pretty weak, and the fact that it can't properly be incorporated into the storyline leaves a mysterious gap. I'm not saying that gap has to be filled, just that reading a story written by Wagner to fill it would be fun.

Regards

Robin

locustsofdeath! · 24 October, 2009, 03:55:44 PM

I like Judgement on Gotham; however I don't include it as canon. In fact, I don't include any crossovers as canon, but as radiator said, fun little jaunts for the fans. As far as Judgment goes, when I lived in the States, Dredd was hard to come by, so I got it where I could!

Proudhuff · 24 October, 2009, 04:23:38 PM

The problem for me with crossovers is you know how it/they will end, grudging respect mostly, due to repective fans needs and Companies balance sheets

radiator · 24 October, 2009, 04:31:32 PM

I really don't understand the need some people have for all comics characters ever created to exist in the same shared 'universe'. That sort of thing totally kills creativity and puts me off most American comics - for instance I find Swamp Thing and Sandman very hard to get into because the stories make refrence to other 'DC' characters.

In this respect, crossovers annoy me so I tend to regard them as a throwaway bit of fluff - even stuff like Strontium Dog/Dredd.

locustsofdeath! · 24 October, 2009, 05:11:10 PM

Quote from: Proudhuff on 24 October, 2009, 04:23:38 PM
The problem for me with crossovers is you know how it/they will end, grudging respect mostly, due to repective fans needs and Companies balance sheets

Totally agree. Each hero gets beat up by the other, they become friends, defeat a tandem of baddies. Incubus did a great job of going against the grain, however. You know the aliens are going to get done in somehow, but Wagner made them as deadly as ever and put Dredd in heaps of peril. The key to crossovers is to somehow keep the readers guessing how we get to the inevitable ending.

Jared Katooie · 24 October, 2009, 10:14:48 PM

QuoteWhen has Batman or Gotham been referred to in the strip itself? I'm not saying they haven't been, but I don't remember.

In My name is Death, the crystals cntaining the spirits of the Dark Judges have been transferred to a new underground prison. Dredd remarks that he was taking them there when they were hijacked by "that Gotham clown".