What are these editions and how to catch up?

[Bojanglez]

hey all,

So, I grew up reading Dredd in the 70's/80's and then left the UK in the mid-90's and my relationship with Dredd sort of got put on hold until I stumbled on the Complete Case Files via Amazon and have been catching up (I'm waiting for #8 to arrive) but have also bought a few other editions - the below:

Day of Chaos: The Fourth Faction
Day of Chaos: Endgame
America
Origins

I thought were part of the Mega Collection (billed as such on Amazon) but after looking around they evidently aren't, and so I'm wondering:

1. Anyone know what other issues were in this run (all the logos are the same, that's the only reason I think they are really related)?
2. Anyone know where I could get more from this series?
3. Anyone know if these are the same as the true Mega Collection volumes, in terms of content? (i.e., should I just quit with these four and start over with the true Mega Collection)
4. Can anyone tell me when the CCF's switch to colour?

Thanks in advance!

[IndigoPrime]

Right, hang on, because there's a lot to unpick here. Essentially, there are three 'lines' of Dredd books:

- Rebellion has had a somewhat ad-hoc Dredd line of reprints that started back in 2005. These include the four items you linked to, and titles still in print are listed on the 2000 AD shop.

- The Judge Dredd Complete Case Files is a Rebellion series that started reprinting all of the Dredd tales in 2000 AD – and then also the Magazine – in broadly chronological order. The US series is some way behind the UK one, but the contents are identical, bar covers. The first America tale was omitted from the CCFs for reasons that, frankly, don't make a great deal of sense. The line switches to (part) colour with volume 13. Note that to also get strips that appeared in annuals and specials, you'll also need the Restricted Files (four books).

- The Judge Dredd Mega Collection is a hardback partwork by Hachette, which reprints selected tales from Dredd and the wider world (so Judge Anderson, Devlin Waugh), etc. It's done in collaboration with Rebellion (2000 AD editor Matt Smith collated the collection and provides intros to each issue; PR guru Michael Molcher adds interviews and essays), but is not Rebellion product.

Naturally, there is a ton of crossover between these series.

If you want everything Dredd, your best bet is to continue with the CCFs. Note that the series (assuming sales allow it to continue) will eventually catch up with and include the likes of Origins and Chaos. If you only want selected items and/or don't have the patience to wait for the CCFs to catch up, grab the Rebellion modern Dredd collections that appeal to you. The JDMC is more for hardback themed collections that sit somewhere between the two.

Also, Barney should be able to assist with what's covered where.

[JOE SOAP]

Day of Chaos: The Fourth Faction
Day of Chaos: Endgame
America
Origins

I thought were part of the Mega Collection (billed as such on Amazon) but after looking around they evidently aren't, and so I'm wondering:

They are included in Hachette's Mega Collection but the links you posted are not the Mega Collection but Rebellion's own reprints.

https://www.hachettepartworks.com/judge-dredd-the-mega-collection?sortOrder=&size=200

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Dredd:_The_Mega_Collection

[Frank]

1. Anyone know what other issues were in this run (all the logos are the same, that's the only reason I think they are really related)?

2. Anyone know where I could get more from this series?

3. Anyone know if these are the same as the true Mega Collection volumes, in terms of content? (i.e., should I just quit with these four and start over with the true Mega Collection)

4. Can anyone tell me when the CCF's switch to colour?

4. Case Files 12 is the first colour volume.

3. The Mega-collection isn't available outside the UK*.

2. http://shop.2000adonline.com/categories/judge_dredd

1. The Case Files reprint every story, but won't reprint Origins or Chaos for ages.


Keep the books you own and keep buying the Case Files**.



* It's subscription only, it doesn't reprint every Dredd story, and some of the stories it reprints don't feature Dredd at all

** If you want to start cherry picking books the Case Files won't get to for ages, I'd recommend Tour Of Duty (reprinted as two books, subtitled The Backlash and Megacity Justice) and Brothers Of The Blood. Total War and Mandroid are good too.

[Mardroid]

* It's subscription only, it doesn't reprint every Dredd story, and some of the stories it reprints don't feature Dredd at all

Actually UK buyers can order the back issues separately without a subscription, or buy them from shops that stock them. (There aren't that many. Far less in the States if any at all I'd imagine.)

UK buyers:  If you go the order back-issues route, you're best buying three at a time if you can afford it/want them as you'll get free  postage over £25.

That doesn't help those buying overseas I guess, but I thought it worth mentioning if any UK readers of this thread want to order these volumes.  I just found out the free postage for orders over £25 when hunting down that link above. I'm way behind on these volumes, but intend to get the rest eventually.

[Frank]

.
True.

Just to clear up the apparently contradictory information about the colour Case Files: 13 is the first volume to feature only full colour strips.

The first few strips in Vol 12 feature full colour centrespreads, as originally published. The later strips in 12 are reproduced in full colour.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

3. The Mega-collection isn't available outside the UK, Australia & New Zealand*.

FTFY Frank

[Frank]

.
I have greatly misrepresented the availability of the partwork. My thoughts are with its family.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

You have ruined Christmas, Frank.

[Bojanglez]

Thank you all, I truly appreciate the responses.

[Rogue Judge]

1. The Case Files reprint every story, but won't reprint Origins or Chaos for ages.


** If you want to start cherry picking books the Case Files won't get to for ages, I'd recommend Tour Of Duty (reprinted as two books, subtitled The Backlash and Megacity Justice) and Brothers Of The Blood. Total War and Mandroid are good too.[/i][/size]

This info is useful. When saying Chaos and Origins wont be reprinted for ages, how long are we talking? I see that CF #28 is up to prog 1100 approx, and Origins is around prog 1500...so are we talking three or more years to catch up? Not sure the prog numbers for Chaos, however.

[Frank]

This info is useful. When saying Chaos and Origins wont be reprinted for ages, how long are we talking? I see that CF #28 is up to prog 1100 approx, and Origins is around prog 1500...so are we talking three or more years to catch up?

Difficult to say; the Case Files doesn't have a set schedule. Last year, three volumes were released. The previous few years, two was your lot*.

At the rate of three volumes per year, Origins would take 6 years to be collected between Case Files covers. At two per year, you'd have to wait 9 years. Day of Chaos would be either 9 or 13 years away.


* I'm sure the last time Keith Richardson was on the Thrillcast he told Molcher he'd like to stick to 3 volumes of Case Files per year, but he also says that's likely to vary depending on how much other product Rebellion are putting out in any one year - to avoid flooding the market

[Mike Carroll]

3. The Mega-collection isn't available outside the UK, Australia & New Zealand and Ireland*.

FTFY Frank

FTFY, Stevie

[Rogue Judge]

Thanks for the time frame Frank. That is a waay longer wait than I was expecting. I think i ought to pick up Chaos and others, considering I don't want to wait 13 years! At that point, I guess my collection will have some redundancies. Im guessing not every story is collected right now, so the case files will still have value a decade from now.