The Dead Man vs The Day the Law Died - Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! H2H Rd 5

Colin YNWA · 31 March, 2021, 06:35:36 AM

Ok real thinking cap time here folks. In a straight race few would say number 15 seed, The Day the Law Died is a better story than 2nd Seed Dead Man BUT this is about which is the best Dredd EPIC. Is Dead Man really in the right place, is it Epic in a way that the struggle against Cal's rule most certainly is? Heck is it even Dredd, or is it a just a Prologue to another Epic and thus shouldn't stand on its own. Well that's for you to decide...

Seed 2 The Dead Man Progs 650-662

Vs

Seed 15 The Day the Law Died - Judge Cal - Progs 86 - 108

Back to the simple purity of popping the name of the Epic you prefer in a reply to this thread (remember to mark it clearly so I can spot it - bold tags are good) and then say whatever the heck you like to about these two great stories.

We're also back to 3 day votes so this one will close first thing in the morning Saturday 3rd of April - winner advance to the Quarter Finals - loser goes into the 16th - 9th playoff vote.

All links go through to AlexF's simply brilliant Dredd Epics Ranked blog. You may need to scroll to find his write up of a particular story - but I'd suggest just reading the whole thing anyway - it's fantastic stuff.

Baffled by what's going on here - well we have a a thread for that - though that might leave you more confused than anything.

Rules for what they are worth.

Not sure about anything just ask and I'll blag it.

abelardsnazz · 31 March, 2021, 07:51:45 AM

I voted for Necropolis in previous rounds with one of the reasons that The Dead Man was included. Then I went back and read Alex's blog again and saw The Dead Man was listed separately...but Necropolis is still brilliant and I stand by my votes.

Anyway, TDTLD has its moments: Kleggs, the wall, Ron Smith's first work on Dredd - but, as it's one of my all-time favourite Dredd stories, for me it has to be The Dead Man.

broodblik · 31 March, 2021, 07:55:56 AM

I vote for Necropolis once but twice is fine as well so I am going for The Dead Man. I still see The Dead Man as part of the Necropolis arc/epic.

BPP · 31 March, 2021, 07:58:40 AM

Weird given how hard some of the choices are that these two I'm not mad about - judge cal always seemed silly and meh compared to the cursed Earth and The Dead Man was fine and creative plotting but the art wasn't a big fave of young me and I've never liked what they did to mcgruder in her Crazy era. However for plotting and use of a young black protagonist The Dead Man gets my vote tho I might just go back and read Cal tonight to think again.

Magnetica · 31 March, 2021, 08:11:08 AM

A straight forward choice for me.

The Dead Man isn't even Judge Dredd story and it's not really an epic. Plus, whisper it quietly, I found it just a little bit boring. And I didn't really like the art.

The Day the Law Died is an all time classic, gave us one of the best villains in Cal, plus Fish and Slocum and many great moments. Plus the art is great (except that Ron Smith had not yet perfected his depiction of Dredd).

AlexF · 31 March, 2021, 09:04:36 AM

Day the Law Died has an all-time best first-half, but is merely OK in the second half. Dead Man is perfection from start to finish.

The Mind of Wolfie Smith · 31 March, 2021, 09:34:39 AM

dead man. for ridgway, and for the manner in which my floor was ultimately in serious danger from my jaw.

SmallBlueThing(Reborn) · 31 March, 2021, 09:40:29 AM

The Dead Man. Because (whisper it), even when it was running in the progs I never liked The Day The Law Died.

SBT

Tomwe · 31 March, 2021, 09:45:26 AM

The Dead Man

Barrington Boots · 31 March, 2021, 09:45:42 AM

The Dead Man isn't an epic, it's a single mystery story. I'd count it as part of Necropolis as far as epics go.

The Day the Law Died on the other hand is epic: it has Cal, Fish and the Kleggs, plus the Aaaron A Aaardvark gag and some classic artwork. And it also has my vote!

GoGilesGo · 31 March, 2021, 11:11:58 AM

QuoteThe Day the Law Died on the other hand is epic: it has Cal, Fish and the Kleggs, plus the Aaaron A Aaardvark gag and some classic artwork. And it also has my vote!

The Aaaron A Aardvark gag still makes me laugh, as does the whole movie audition : sizing up Conrad Conn's head and 'The midget will do. Have the others put down, Slocum.'

The Day the Law Died

Dog Deever · 31 March, 2021, 11:14:16 AM

The Day the Law Died.

Link Prime · 31 March, 2021, 11:42:12 AM

The Dead Man.

DrJomster · 31 March, 2021, 12:29:58 PM

The Dead Man wins it for me. Very solid indeed with gorgeous art. TDTLD is quite inconsistent, some good bits to be sure and it's an important story too, but it's not up there with the dead man for me.

Bolt-01 · 31 March, 2021, 12:57:11 PM

Oh maan.

The Dead Man.