Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection discussion thread

[Colin YNWA]

.. Alan Davis only drew one Dredd, a warm-up for the aborted Alan Moore-penned Dredd/Batman crossover, Bat-Mugger. I thought Alan D's sole effort promised Cam Kennedy-level greatness, with a real sense of a solid, functioning city and believable (if mental) citizenry. Of all my wistful 2000AD 'what-ifs', a semi-regular stint of Alan Davis on Dredd is pretty near the top.

That's interesting. While I'm a big fan of Mr Davis (A) and would like to see him take on any number of 2000ad characters I always felt he wouldn't be a fit for Dredd and the one we have is a nice thing but didn't leave me hackering for more. For me his art is too smooth, polished and refined to give Dredd the edge I enjoy in the art that works best for the series. I get a similar thing when Rich Elson does the strip. Both are great artists but don't quite pull of Dredd or his world.

That's the joy of art I guess so subjective!

[Trent]

I think you may be onto so ething Colin although Bolland is the obvious exception to the rule.
I would add Dave Gibbons to the list, stunning artist but just didn't feel right on Dredd (except maybe when codrawing with Bolland).

[Colin YNWA]

...I would add Dave Gibbons to the list, stunning artist but just didn't feel right on Dredd...

Actually yeah that's another great example come to think of it. Don't get me wrong like what we have and glad we have it but never left me hackering for more.

[Magnetica]

I'll add Simon Fraser to the list of artists you would think would be wrong for Dredd, but actually did a really good job.

His "Wot I did for Chrissmas" from Meg 266 is cracking. But then again it hardly features Dredd at all and is a great PJ Maybe story.

[Jim_Campbell]

Actually yeah that's another great example come to think of it. Don't get me wrong like what we have and glad we have it but never left me hackering for more.

Interestingly, Dave G said he didn't want to do more Dredd (I think he only did 'Mob Blitzers' and the illos for the 'Joe Egg' text story in an annual?) because he never felt like he got a handle on the character and always felt like he was only ever drawing Bolland's version. Perhaps those inking jobs he did over Bolland imprinted Brian's version of the character in his mind...?

[abelardsnazz]

I thought it was always interesting to see when artists better known for other stories gave their take on Dredd. Kevin O'Neill, Bryan Talbot and Glenn Fabry spring to mind immediately. I loved O'Neill's take on Death in a one-page ad spoof - "Tombs - Fleshy menthol flavour".

[TordelBack]

Gibbons is a funny one for 'established properties'.  The Star Wars miniseries he did for Dark Horse, Vader's Quest, is his usual gorgeous work with great aliens and believable worlds, and a real stand-out in quality for the SW comics of that era, but the movie characters and much of the usual tech are just... wrong. Or rather, they look like Gibbons characters, rather than Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader, despite being faithful representations.  Contrast this with the way that Cam Kennedy's characters in Dark Empire, while far looser in terms of resemblance to the screen actors, are still very much the characters themselves, they just happen to be drawn by Cam.  I suspect Gibbons imposes too much of his own vision on to the execution of established settings for me to ever really be comfortable with something he hasn't been with since the start.

[Trent]

Understand exactly what you mean re Gibbons but having never really liked comic versions of TV/films the early work he did on Doctor Who such as The Iron Legion raised those comics to something truly special that stands the test of time. Classic stuff.
Re established properties his run on Green Lantern was damned good.

[Colin YNWA]

Gibbons is a funny one for 'established properties'.  The Star Wars miniseries he did for Dark Horse, Vader's Quest, is his usual gorgeous work with great aliens and believable worlds, and a real stand-out in quality for the SW comics of that era, but the movie characters and much of the usual tech are just... wrong.

Absolutely this. There is something just so definitively Gibbons about his work I think, as you say. So with Dredd its not Dave Gibbons take on Dredd its Dredd Gibbons style... err if you see the distinction. Dave Gibbons is just so Dave Gibbons that he leaves his style stamped firmly and as you say on established characters it can be distracting. I think I prefer this work on properties he's created

Understand exactly what you mean re Gibbons but having never really liked comic versions of TV/films the early work he did on Doctor Who such as The Iron Legion raised those comics to something truly special that stands the test of time. Classic stuff.

And this is the exception that proves the rule. So of the best art I've ever seen in comics. Just so perfect. Possibly it works because of the glorious flexibility of Doctor Who as a format. Its able to absorb the Gibbonness of Gibbons and still feel right.

[Michael Knight]

Called up Hachette today to get my 'the day the law dies' replaced with correct back cover.
Gor blimey where they based the 'Cursed Earth'. Phone line was ridiculous. I've had to call them to get 2 other issues replaced and same thing you can hardly hear word they say.
Chap i spoke to was very helpful and polite in spite of crazy connection. 

[robert_ellis]

Stick to messenger - calling the phone line really is a pest!

[IndigoPrime]

Called up Hachette today to get my 'the day the law dies' replaced with correct back cover.

They have replacements for that issue?

[robert_ellis]

Not yet! I keep asking!

[Michael Knight]

I was told today that they did and it take up to 14 days to get it in post. Now im presuming it gonna be same bleedin misprint???

[IndigoPrime]

I'll be amazed if they've done a second print run. I just hope they're more careful in future at checking the synopsis. (Top tip: ALWAYS work from templates with blindingly obvious default content to replace, not a previous completed document that looks finished at any given point.)