Hello all (Dredd newbie)

[Jim_Campbell]

even if I am a bit biased.

Yeah, you're always recommending stuff by that Wagner guy, you biased bastard!

Cheers

Jim

[sk1]

Welcome! You're spot on with the Clint vibe - early Dredd was very much "Dirty Harry in the future" and as Dredd gets older (He has aged in real time over the last 32 years) I still imagine Clint's voice when he says "twenty years, punks!" or similar.

I read that the strip is in real-time and that in the current issues he is 70 years old, so I guess Clint could actually play him  .

Ok, my new copy of The Pit has just come in; the cover is different to the one on amazon, but a reviewer did mention that. So what do you reckon, shall I start with this one or is there something more chronologically suitable (Mandroid, Total War, The Chief Judge's Man, and The Apocalypse War were all mentioned)?

[Mike Gloady]

The Pit is a perfect starting place. 

Just bear in mind that Dredd is a man who's always shunned any kind of responsibility that's taken him off the streets.  Most readers greeted the idea of him taking an "office job" with shock.

[radiator]

I would just get stuck in - The Pit is a very good place to start, and as I said earlier even if there is some minor stuff which goes over your head the main story is still a great read, and will give you a good introduction to Dredd, the judges, the city and the citizens. You'll pick it up as you go.

[Proudhuff]

Welcome Helltrekker, grab a gun and some ammo and pick a window...

Feel free to ask about JD and his world, this place is a warm and welcomimg one, (except jim)

[Proudhuff]

Sorry SK1 that was mean for the other FNG, but hey your welcome too!

[Jared Katooie]

The Pit is quite a good intro to Dredd. As others have said, it's not perfect, but I don't think it really matters.

If you have a few bob to spare, Case Files 5 is a truly excellent collection of Dredd stories. It contains several short tales which really help flesh out the character and the city he lives in. It also ends with the epic Apocalypse War, one of the greatest Dredd stories ever.

Of course, all the Case Files are good, but I feel that 5 is perhaps the best for a new Dredd reader.

With regard to other Dredd graphic novels, I feel that The Art of Kenny Who and The Henry Flint Collection are the best for a new reader, because they have a mix of long and short stories, and don't require a lot of knowledge about characters or continuity.

[Gavin_Leahy_Block]

Welcome.
I'd say get reading straight away. Tell us if you liked it and feel free to ask any questions. I'd also recommend, Mechanismo, once you have finished reading what you have, if you don't want to get into the Case Files straight away, that is.

[sk1]

Hey guys,

I have to say, every reply has been both informative and welcoming - you seem to have created a great community here and I'm glad a I signed up.

I'm about half way through the book, so I'll post back once I've finished it and let you know what I thought of it.

Cheers,

Simon

[Mike Gloady]

Good for you SK1.  And remember, YOU'RE part of the community now too. 

[sk1]

Good for you SK1.  And remember, YOU'RE part of the community now too.  

Thanks mate - just finished my first Judge Dredd graphic novel, so I guess I am  

Ok, firstly I think I read it too fast to become fully absorbed. I tend to concentrate on the text and only glance at the artwork, so I should probably slow it down. Enjoyed it though, and I think I have a better idea of what I'd enjoy next, which is just getting to know the character doing his regular stuff as opposed to the big story lines with him in it. I think I'd enjoy those more after I 'm more familiar with Dredd and his world.

I was thinking the case files vol.4 should be good; the reviews on amazon for it reflect what you guys have said about the relative quality of the first 3, and that four is a collection of solid good stories. What do you reckon?

Colin, nice work mate; I particularly liked the ultra square-jawed drawing of Dredd with the reflection of Guthrie on his visor. I look forward to checking out your work on America. And if Carlos is on here, major kudos for Demarco in Unjudicial Liaisons Part 1  

[sk1]

Just ordered the Case Files Vol. 4 off Amazon (336 pages for under a tenner seems like pretty good value, considering the megazines are 5 quid) and am looking forward to reading it.

In the meantime, I've started to re-read The Pit following the technique in this article on "How to read comic books": http://www.ehow.com/how_2103558_read-comic-books.html

[radiator]

Good stuff. The Case Files are superb, but you should expect quite a tonal shift in terms of storytelling compared to The Pit. The early Dredd strips are very entertaining and are full of very original ideas and characters, but they also very much of their time, and originally intended for a younger audience than the more modern Dredd stuff. They're nowhere near as dated as the usual superhero stuff from the same era, mind.

[sk1]

originally intended for a younger audience than the more modern Dredd stuff.

Oh, I didn't realise that. As I've never read comics I have no point of reference, so I figure checking out these older strips plus heaving read a modern graphic novel should allow me to pinpoint (with the help of some advice, of course  ) what I'd enjoy reading.

I'm hoping to find the case files enjoyable because I think going through them first would make the graphic novel storylines more entertaining to me. If not, I can just bounce around the graphic novels and appreciate them at face value.

[James Stacey]

Welcome sk1, you have a lot of excellent stories ahead of you.