A few questions from the Rhondda wastes...

[Tamping]

It's hard to know the cadence of the Rebellion S/D hardcovers, since we're only up to the second one. However, if you already have the Hachette books, you wouldn't need the Rebellion ones beyond the first, unless your aim is to replace the Hachette volumes.

FWIW, Top Dog lurks in various reprint volumes. Your best bet would be Restricted Files 3, which compiles a bunch of annual/special strips. Other options would duplicate Case Files material, such as Hachette's Dredd Mega Collection Judgement Day volume (issue 25/vol 37), and the 1993 Hamlyn softback.

(If you don't have the Restricted Files, the second and third volumes in particular are great. The fourth one is ropey, since it ends up in Dredd's worst era, and the first is an oddball, because writers were still getting to grips with the character. It looks like #3 is OOP, but it does rock up on eBay every now and again.)

The plan is to replace the hachette ones. I have all of those, except the durham red one.

I'm on the lookout for case files 8 and restricted files 2, they're not easy to come by.

I have the Judgement Day crossover, and a few various Dredd hachette books that aren't in the case files.

I wish I had stuck with case files from the start, I got excited with hachette as it had a larger variety easily available.

Any other Wagner books I should own? I've been a fan of Grant since shadow of the bat, but not read a lot of Wagner's stuff (save for a history of violence) outside of JD and SD.

[IndigoPrime]

It depends how far into the past you want to go, and whether you're keen on 1970s war comics and Star Wars comics. That's not me, and so I'll leave others to make recommendations there.

Otherwise, I personally think his best stuff is: Chopper (notably Song of the Surfer), Button Man (especially the first volume; 1–3, but not 4, are compiled in Get Harry Ex, which appears in almost every major Rebellion sale at half price), The Thirteenth Floor (even if the strip outlays its welcome), The Last American, and The Bogie Man (reportedly being reprinted soon). The Rok books are also on my list, but I've not read those yet.

[Barrington Boots]

If you do fancy any of Wagner's old Battle stuff, HMS Nightshade is brilliant. I'm a big fan of Invasion 1984, I think both are available as collections.

Like IP I'd say Song of the Surfer and Button Man are essential and the early 13th Floor is also fantastic. The Rok books are really good but if you don't like football then I suspect you'll get less out of them than I did.

[Tjm86]

If you do fancy any of Wagner's old Battle stuff, HMS Nightshade is brilliant. I'm a big fan of Invasion 1984, I think both are available as collections.

Aye, Invasion 1984 through Rebellion and Nightshade is one of the two Battle collections put out by Titan books.  The other volume contains the outstanding Fighting Mann with amazing Cam Kennedy artwork.

[Tamping]

Thanks for all the recommendations and comments!

I've just had a baby, so I'm looking to not start anything that's more than a few books, or just a single graphic novel- and you've given me plenty to look out for!

[JohnW]

Heartiest congrats on the baby, Tamping.
The wee thing is only small, so is hardly likely to be any trouble.

[IndigoPrime]

Congrats! Maybe read Al's Baby. Not Wagner's best, but a manual on how to not bring up a nipper!

[Tamping]

Congrats! Maybe read Al's Baby. Not Wagner's best, but a manual on how to not bring up a nipper!

Quite the genius idea. And thank you. Very happy with the small one. Managed to trick the Mrs into naming her a variation of a certain Psi judge... she has no idea 

Hoping to get someone to talk about Johnny Alpha in real life in a few years!

[Jim_Campbell]

Managed to trick the Mrs into naming her a variation of a certain Psi judge... she has no idea

"Shenker is certainly an... unusual name for a girl..."