Dredd: The Complete Case Files

[Judge Brian]

I'm very pleased with the latest case files. I've been waiting since Prog 406 to read "In the Year 2020".

[Arkady]

Is Dredd vs Predator in Case Files #27? I'd like to read it before taking on the new Dredd Vs Aliens Vs Predator series.

[Hawkmumbler]

Yes, it is!

[Arkady]

Ah yes, answered above too I see: sorry.

[davepain]

Hi. I've read from 1 to 16 now and am disappointed to say that I've really not enjoyed the last few. The reviews on Amazon for the next 4 or 5 volumes make it sound like they suck pretty hard too.

To save me further woe, which collection do you think would be a good point to jump back in? Cheers!

[Steve Green]

Hard to say without knowing which aspects of the last few you didn't enjoy.

The next few are a mixed bag, you've got some good stories with good art, some good stories with not-so-good art, and some stories like Inferno with great Carlos art, but people aren't fond of the story.

Could try 23 and see how you get on.

27 contains the Pit, which people seem to consider a bit of a milestone where Dredd became a bit more police procedural.

[Colin YNWA]

27 contains the Pit, which people seem to consider a bit of a milestone where Dredd became a bit more police procedural.

Yeah The Pit makes a return of Wagner on a pretty exclusively superb run and if you don't get on with that maybe latter Dredd isn't for you. It's actually Vol. 24 isn't it? Which also includes The Cal Files one of my all time fav Dredd's. Happy to be corrected though.

[Steve Green]

You're right - I was going off the reviews on Amazon which talk about the Pit being in 27

[davepain]

Groovy. Thanks for the input.

I've read to 15, not 16. I lied. 

I liked the fact that things got a bit political but so far my preferred things about Dredd were the crisp b&w art (Ron Smith is my favourite) and the OTT satire on mc1 life. The last few felt gloomy and I've enjoyed the art much less in colour. I've enjoyed the Dredd I've read in the progs I've picked up over the last couple of years, though.

Ill give 24 a bash. Thanks again!

[CAN1F]

28 just landed I still yet to read 27

New copy going for £8.35 with £2.10 p&p

[radiator]

Groovy. Thanks for the input.

I've read to 15, not 16. I lied. 

I liked the fact that things got a bit political but so far my preferred things about Dredd were the crisp b&w art (Ron Smith is my favourite) and the OTT satire on mc1 life. The last few felt gloomy and I've enjoyed the art much less in colour. I've enjoyed the Dredd I've read in the progs I've picked up over the last couple of years, though.

Ill give 24 a bash. Thanks again!

Yeah, go for 24. For me, the time around the release of the Stallone movie - summer 1995 - marked the beginning of a kind of second golden age of Dredd that continued for the next five or so years. After a few wonky years with some legitimately terrible epics (Book of the Dead, Inferno) and even some patchy Wagner epics (Wilderlands), from 24 on it's pretty much wall to wall Wagner, Dredd becomes more soap opera-like, with a run of truly great interconnected stories, and the supporting cast rapidly expands, but there's also an abundance of trademark wacky Mega City worldbuilding and humorous one-offs. This era also includes dozens of great strips that have never been reprinted anywhere.

[Richard]

What Radiator said. This is a golden age of Dredd stories.

[Smith]

Ok,starting CF28.I see its Wagner all the way.Nice. 

[Rately]

I'm up to volume 14, and absolutely love the format.

It is just an absolute privilege to have them on my bookshelves, and be able to dip in and out whenever i fancy a re-read of Necropolis, The Apocalypse War, Judge Child etc. Just astounds me the quality of so many of the volumes, and the way that Dredd and his cast of characters continue to grow and surprise us.

[Smith]

My personal reading has been kinda all over the place.2-6,14-15,19-27,so I have some catching up to do.Good thing volumes are pretty standalone for most part.