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Dredd: The Complete Case Files

Started by Arkady, 24 August, 2015, 01:27:31 PM

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Richard

(My mistake, obviously that wasn't in the Case Files but in another graphic novel.)

BadlyDrawnKano

Judge Dredd Case Files 04 - I'm a big fan of a big Dredd epic, but this uses the search for the missing Judge Child as a framing device to tell short, mad stories. I like the set up in the Cursed Earth and the trip to Texas, but once they're in space it was a bit of a mixed bag, and even felt like some stories were just filler. Thankfully once Dredd's on Xanadu it becomes great again, and when back on Earth it features some of my favourite ever one or two parters, so I did enjoy those a great deal, but due to the patchy nature of Judge Child I can only rate this 4/5

JohnW

Quote from: BadlyDrawnKano on 31 July, 2023, 09:49:42 AMonce they're in space it was a bit of a mixed bag, and even felt like some stories were just filler.

Filler it may have been, but it was filler drawn by McMahon and Smith (and occasionally Bolland) at the height of their powers, and even when the episodes served no purpose, they were fun and/or thrilling.
The Judge Child was the golden age that I narrowly missed, so its reputation remains pretty much unassailable as far as I'm concerned. (I've always believed that the really good times end about two minutes after I arrive. I try not to take it personally.)

I have recently burbled expounded on this not-quite epic here.
Why can't everybody just, y'know, be friends and everything? ... and uh ... And love each other!

BadlyDrawnKano

Quote from: JohnW on 31 July, 2023, 07:17:31 PM
Quote from: BadlyDrawnKano on 31 July, 2023, 09:49:42 AMonce they're in space it was a bit of a mixed bag, and even felt like some stories were just filler.

Filler it may have been, but it was filler drawn by McMahon and Smith (and occasionally Bolland) at the height of their powers, and even when the episodes served no purpose, they were fun and/or thrilling.
The Judge Child was the golden age that I narrowly missed, so its reputation remains pretty much unassailable as far as I'm concerned. (I've always believed that the really good times end about two minutes after I arrive. I try not to take it personally.)

I have recently burbled expounded on this not-quite epic here.


I may have been too harsh on it because it wasn't what I was expecting from a Dredd epic, and I agree with pretty much you say there.

I'm on the fifth Case File now and had a slightly similar reaction to the Crime Rackets storyline, some of them I really enjoyed but it felt like they lacked the light touch that some of the best Dredd stories of the period have. But then it launches in to the second Death story which is a stone cold classic, the diary of the mad citizen, and I'm loving it to pieces again!

Tjm86

That's the thing with Cursed Earth and Judge Child Quest.  They have more in common with Dredd's stint as Lunar Marshall; a setting for a series of stories rather than an over-arching narrative.  It's a bit like Chaos Day in that respect.

The First Robot War, Origins and Apocalypse War are more singular stories.  The same can be said for City of the Damned (the main sequel to Judge Child Quest). 

So arguably we have two different 'types' of epic.  Both work well and benefit from outstanding artwork quite often. 

Personally I'm with BDK on this one.  As sumptuous as Bolland and McMahon's artwork is (sorry, never been a massive Smith fan.  Don't hate it, just never really been bowled over by it ...), the stories themselves can sometimes feel a little pointless.  Of those early epics it has always felt quite weak.

Richard

I always thought of The Judge Child as one of the weaker epics, but when I re-read it last year it was much better than I had remembered.

Let's have a poll: do people prefer epics that consist of several related stories, such as The Judge Child and The Pit, or epics which consist of a single ongoing narrative, like Necropolis and The Apocalypse War?

JohnW

Quote from: Tjm86 on 05 August, 2023, 08:27:18 PMSo arguably we have two different 'types' of epic. 

I don't believe this works as a hard and fast rule, but I always saw the two types as 'City In Peril' and 'Journey Into Weird Shit'.

Robot War; The Day the Law Died; The Apocalypse War; NecropolisCity In Peril
The Cursed Earth; The Judge ChildJourney Into Weird Shit

City of the Damned — both

Oz Journey Into Weird Shit (if I have to pick one)

Inferno — we just don't acknowledge. Fuck that noise.

Origins  — The Cursed Earth redux, and therefore a Journey Into Weird Shit

Tour of Duty  — a reprise of The Day the Law Died, and thus City In Peril

Day of Chaos  — The Apocalypse War, the sequel, so City In Peril obvs.

There must be a few that have slipped my mind, and The Pit certainly doesn't fit the template, but then I never saw The Pit as an epic – more of a Dredd soap opera really.
Why can't everybody just, y'know, be friends and everything? ... and uh ... And love each other!

JohnW

Quote from: Richard on 05 August, 2023, 09:04:22 PMLet's have a poll: do people prefer epics that consist of several related stories, such as The Judge Child and The Pit, or epics which consist of a single ongoing narrative, like Necropolis and The Apocalypse War?

Good idea, and I'm going to start by coming down strongly on the side of 'it depends'.
Why can't everybody just, y'know, be friends and everything? ... and uh ... And love each other!

Tjm86

That's a fair point and I wouldn't suggest it as a hard and fast rule.  It is possible to have multiple, overlapping categories.  City in Peril and Weird Shit are definitely valid ones.  We could also add in MC1 based and Wider Dredd-World, or Cursed Earth stories and Non-North American.

Personally I've always been curious about what leads to a story being classified as an 'epic'.  Some of them have profound impacts on the city itself.  Apocalypse War and Day of Chaos have seen the city massively changed in size and shape.  Day the Law Died saw the city enclosed and effectively turned into a giant prison.  Others have focused more on the development of Dredd as a character.  Judge Child, City of the Damned and the Pit have focused more on how Dredd deals with almost existential challenges.  As much as I too despise Inferno, it has produced significant changes to Dredd and his world. 

I suppose to me the word 'epic' denotes a quality that places it above others.  So I would agree with AW being called an epic but would struggle when it comes to City of the Damned.  I would consider Robot Wars an epic with its high quality artwork and early attempts to produce a long-take story.  Not to mention its early exploration of the issue of robots in a city of so many unemployed.

Not a simple question really ...


Richard

To me the word "epic" means longer than a typical story, i.e. 20+ episodes.

IndigoPrime

I'd say The Pit had a profound impact on the strip itself. It was with that run that Wagner cemented Dredd's shift in tone, becoming a more mature procedural, even if it still occasionally dipped into the bonkers nature of the city.

Anthony Garnon

Quote from: Richard on 06 August, 2023, 11:09:05 AMTo me the word "epic" means longer than a typical story, i.e. 20+ episodes.

I wish could have another of that length. What was the last?

NapalmKev

Quote from: Anthony Garnon on 06 August, 2023, 12:49:08 PM
Quote from: Richard on 06 August, 2023, 11:09:05 AMTo me the word "epic" means longer than a typical story, i.e. 20+ episodes.

I wish could have another of that length. What was the last?

The last 20+ Episode Dredd epic was 'Day of Chaos' as I recall.

Cheers
"Where once you fought to stop the trap from closing...Now you lay the bait!"

Richard


broodblik

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.