2000ad newbie needs advice

[Yoda]

I'm ashamed to admit that despite being 33 and a comic reader for as long as I can remember, last week was the first time I bought 2000AD. Don't ask why I waited so long 'cos I have no excuse. Anyway, I loved it and can't believe what I've been missing. So here's where you experts come in. I have a lot of catching up to do, starting with Dredd. What books should I go get first? All recommendations greatly appreciated.
Oh, and if anyone's interested in a new readers opinions - I thought Dredd was great, Caballistics promising (though not too keen on the art), Slaine was boring (just not my thing), Nikolai Dante was very good and (dare I say this having read other opinions for fear of alienating myself with my first post?) I really liked Sinister Dexter. Obviously these are all first impressions but I'm quite set in my ways when it comes to comics and it's rare for me to be this impressed with a new (to me) comic.

[petemaskreplica]

to the board welcome, master.

hmm.. old Dredds to get? well, there's a ton of 'em, but you can't go far wrong for starters with Cursed Earth, Day the Law Died (soon to come out in deluxe hardback, I believe), the first couple of  Judge Death Stories...
just go for Wagner written stories, avoid any Garth Ennis/ Grant Morrison compilations and you won't go far wrong.

And you like SinDex, eh? well, nobody's perfect. We won't hold it against you... well, not much, anyway ;)

[esoteric ed]

Hi there and welcome to 2000ad in 2003, well that's a tough one to answer, I'd recommend trawling this site and catching up with details of many of the characters who have swollen the mighty organ over the years.

IMHO you can't really go wrong with Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Strontium Dog, but it's all a matter of taste.

It really is a tough call to recommend past stories to others, I'm a moderator on a non related US forum and had someone ask me where to start reading and collecting Dredd, I could only suggest UK COMPLETE JUDGE DREDD publication, there's been many new reader starting blocks but much can be lost on new readers, but don't let me put you off, 2000AD is the dogs, perhaps try ebay and start collecting some reprint material, but watch for that thrill power overload, even after 20 plus years it can be overwhelming.


If I could recommend some Dredd material, try and track down The Apocalypse War saga and America, true classics, the rest is history, as is everything after the last we do, unless it's something we're looking forward to.

Ed
(37, long time fan, infrequent contributer)

[Tommo]

For Dredd I'd advise starting with something like The Apocalypse War, the various Judge Death stories and anything but the movie.
The backstory to Nikolai Dante can be found on simonfraser.net (site of the usual Dante artist).
Caballistics Inc is brand new, so there's nothing to read up there.

[Devons Daddy]

welcome .
its great here. enjoy it with us.

[Capt.Zeep]

Welcome to the ways of thrill power, oh diminutive Jedi master.  

What the flippin heck other comix have you been reading so long then?  (Genuine question?)

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Morrison and Dredd don't go together.

Morrison's Zenith is fab, though. Especially the first series and the third (Phases I and III).

("You didn't just drop him, did you?" Heh! Still gives me a laff).

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Oh, yeah. Avoid Soul Sisters. It's the Wayne Biggins of 2000ad.

[W. R. Logan]

look for any graphic novels written by John Wagner, art by Mike McMahon or Brian Bolland. The recent Titan Hardback collections are a good place to look for classic Dredd.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Link: http://www.2000adonline.com/index.php3?zone=titan&page=graphicnovels" target="_blank">New Titan Releases

http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/graphicnovels/mediumres/cursed02.jpg">

[Tex Hex]

Wow. Loads of new faces recently! (Or am I here too infrequently..?) Hurrah! Good taste has prevailed Yoda!

[Slippery PD]

Welcome Green Master,

Firstly, pick up the Megazne, theres some reprint element to it and is as good, if not better than 2000ad (IMHO better)

Dredd:
The Pit, Aocolypse War, Necropolis and the Cursed Earth are probably essential reading.

Nikolai Dante is being collected from the start this year, so you can start here.

Id also suggest: Strontium Dog, Portrait of a Mutant, Rage, Outlaw and Bitch;  ABC Warriors, Nemesis the Warlock, Bad Company and Zenith.   All are classic thrills.

Yer Padawan Slippo

[Oddboy]

Get "The Ballad of Halo Jones" GN - it's worth it.

Scooping up old "The Complete Judge Dredd-The Law In Order" comics is probably the best way to go, although they were discontinued before Dredd went full-colour.  The problem is, with 26 years of Dredd there's WAY too much material to get a quick answer.

[JimBob]

 Get The Pit,it's excellent. is fairly recent so it'll help identify sopme recurring characters, and is in mny opinion anyway the best of the epics, as theres no world threatening menace for a change.
 Highly reccommended

[Tex Hex]

The problem with the Pit (and Ill be roasted for thinking it..) is the art. Even the mighty Ezquerra let himself down there. And Macniels art was woeful. In fact the only good art was Lee Sullivans. Of course this is merely my opinion....

The Dredd featuring Judge Death has the fantastic Punks Rule in it. Its so Judge Dredd itll knock your socks off. "The law will be obeyed, the law MUST be obayed!" Class.

[The Monarch]

avoid anything by ennis like the plague oh and miller too you reallllllly do not want to read his robohunter