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The Incomplete Case Files

Started by Richard, 03 June, 2019, 07:45:35 PM

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Max Headroom

Robin - Was the missing speech bubble apparent in all the America 2 reprints or was it just in certain editions?

Robin Low

Quote from: Max Headroom on 26 October, 2019, 07:41:22 PM
Robin - Was the missing speech bubble apparent in all the America 2 reprints or was it just in certain editions?

Good question. It's certainly missing in the Rebellion collection of the three stories (first printing March 2008). I'm pretty certain it's also missing in the Hachette collection, but my copy is currently out of the house.

The missing bubble occurs in the penultimate panel on the page where Dredd is dealing with Boyce after the latter's failure to save Beeny from the assault. There's a bubble that finishes with Boyce saying "She-he-got what he deserved." What's missing is the bubble with Dredd's response:

Nobody deserves that [missing comma? full-stop?] nobody judges like you. As far as I'm concerned you're as guilty as the perpetrators.

For me, this is one of the most important lines in the story. I gave a copy of the first America story to friend who's not a Dredd fan, and he commented that it was very one-sided. Arguably that's the point. However, that missing bubble - along with the revised 'Where do I stand? page - does provide that other side. The Judges have a duty to protect the citizens, and judge their own as harshly (possibly more so) as they do anyone else - or at the very least Dredd does. What's more, it demonstrates the basic decency of the man.

The absence of that bubble is something of a disservice to Wagner's story.

Regards,

Robin

Richard

Does anyone know why this was cut out?

Arkady

The appearance of Bad Mother - with apology - at the back of Case Files 34 amuses me greatly.