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The Judge Child Quest

Started by JoFox2108, 16 June, 2017, 11:46:34 AM

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Richard

The best thing about The Judge Child is that it marks the beginning of a more mature tone in the stories. Up until then they were squarely aimed at young children, but it gets a bit darker, and Dredd gets noticeably tougher, from the first episode ("I kept my promise. You're out of the quicksand!"). And later on Xanadu, "I'm the one you should be afraid of." Case Files 4 is an excellent place to start reading (if you wanted to skip the more '70s stuff).

JoFox2108

Quote from: Eamonn Clarke on 16 June, 2017, 01:21:35 PM
http://megacitybookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/mega-city-book-club-16-judge-child-quest.html

Just listened to this - great stuff - really interesting!

Quote from: Richard on 17 June, 2017, 06:20:37 PM
The best thing about The Judge Child is that it marks the beginning of a more mature tone in the stories. Up until then they were squarely aimed at young children, but it gets a bit darker, and Dredd gets noticeably tougher, from the first episode ("I kept my promise. You're out of the quicksand!"). And later on Xanadu, "I'm the one you should be afraid of." Case Files 4 is an excellent place to start reading (if you wanted to skip the more '70s stuff).

I hadn't realised that previous to this the stories were different.  I certainly like the more mature style now.  I remember buying 2000ad as a child in the early 80's (I think I was about 12) and not really understanding the whole thing.  I didn't get it.  I was looking for stories similar to those I'd seen on TV like 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century', 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Space 1999' in comic form but what I read seemed really mental.  I suspect that I didn't have the maturity to get it.
I started reading Dredd at case files 12, when it goes colour.  (I find some  black and white strip's difficult to interpret).   I'm also trying to get versions of earlier strip's where they were later coloured.  This is what happened with 'The Judge Child'. I've got a coloured version - thanks to Stu101.
QuoteIt's all a deep end.

Richard


JoFox2108

Quote from: Richard on 20 June, 2017, 10:12:57 PM
Fleet way did four excellent volumes of black and white stories coloured in properly:


https://www.comics.org/issue/49286/


https://www.comics.org/issue/48887/


https://www.comics.org/issue/48645/


https://www.comics.org/issue/49522/

Wow, these look great.  I'm going to get in touch with some comic shops who deal in older comics and see if they can source any.  Thanks!!!
QuoteIt's all a deep end.

Richard

They're on ebay and Amazon.

IndigoPrime

From the days of Rian Hughes doing the design work. Fleetway did some gorgeous collections back then. Chopper and America were also wonderful.

IndigoPrime

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 21 June, 2017, 01:59:14 PM
From the days of Rian Hughes doing the design work. Fleetway did some gorgeous collections back then. Chopper and America were also wonderful.

EDIT: This auction also shows off some of the colouring work. Not too shabby.

JoFox2108

Quote from: Richard on 21 June, 2017, 09:57:10 AM
They're on ebay and Amazon.

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 21 June, 2017, 01:59:59 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 21 June, 2017, 01:59:14 PM
From the days of Rian Hughes doing the design work. Fleetway did some gorgeous collections back then. Chopper and America were also wonderful.

EDIT: This auction also shows off some of the colouring work. Not too shabby.

Thanks guys!  I just ordered all four from Amazon.  I feel like a six year old on Christmas Eve!!!  Can't wait to read them.  The colour does look excellent!
QuoteIt's all a deep end.

Richard

Let us know what you make of the stories. There are some classics and old favourites there.

JoFox2108

Quote from: Richard on 21 June, 2017, 04:12:40 PM
Let us know what you make of the stories. There are some classics and old favourites there.

Will do.   :cool:
QuoteIt's all a deep end.

Rudolph88

Quote from: JoFox2108 on 16 June, 2017, 04:34:11 PM

That's really interesting.  It shows the maturity which the character has developed over the years.  (It makes me feel better about Dredd too - kind of humanises him.)  He is such a paradoxical character sometimes - so fierce and strict so he seems like someone you wouldn't want to meet and yet he's got a good heart and he's no less strict with himself.  It's this depth that really hooks me into the Dredd universe.

I think the writer's tend to echo Hershey's words from Total War with moments like that. Dredd attempted to hand in his badge when he tried to save Vienna from a bombing instead of being impartial as a Judge should be. Hershey refused and told him it did him good to be Human now and again. Moments like Lopez's badge and relationship with Vienna help to keep him grounded from time to time. They show that, rare as they are for him to display, he does feel emotions like shame, regret and familial loyalty.

TordelBack

Quote from: Rudolph88 on 14 August, 2017, 02:19:39 PMThey show that, rare as they are for him to display, he does feel emotions like shame, regret and familial loyalty.

Or 'dereliction of duty and favouritism' as I would call it.  Running off after your niece in the aftermath of a nuclear detonation, riding past other injured citizens as you go; then years later stopping for a cuppa in said niece's flat as your city dies around you. Sounds like the kind of thing that gets other judges who aren't besties with the Chief Cheez and the head of the SJS busted down to the Auxiliaries to me.

Spikes

Quote from: norton canes on 16 June, 2017, 03:46:21 PM
Three words: Rinus Limpopop Quince


Indeed. The moment I finally took notice of, and fell in love with, the Ronster. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

I've said before on here, that the JCQ feels like the forgotten Dredd epic in a lot of ways, but it really is aces. All 3 artists on super top form.

Keep meaning to track down the old Titan reprints for a much needed re-read.

sheridan

As a matter of interest, does the Uncensored edition (or any previous editions) contain the sort-of-epilogue to the Judge Child Quest, drawn by Brian Bolland?

SIP

Quote from: sheridan on 14 August, 2017, 08:27:54 PM
As a matter of interest, does the Uncensored edition (or any previous editions) contain the sort-of-epilogue to the Judge Child Quest, drawn by Brian Bolland?

Yes, I think the original Titan book reprints include the Bolland episode with the council of five discussing and voting on Dredd's decision.