Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection discussion thread

[The Monarch]

thank god they included top dogs in the judgement day collection

[IndigoPrime]

In terms of curation, this is one of the best books there's been. Good to see Top Dogs get another airing, too. I've always been fond of that. (I recall arguing hard with the then-trades editor to get that in Final Solution, to bulk it out a bit. It always felt like a pity it was lurking away in some half-forgotten annual rather than getting out there.)

[Hawkmumbler]

To my knowledge (and a quick look at the book shelf confirms this) this is Top Dogs third reprint in recent years after Search and Destroy Files 5 and Restricted Files 3. It is a good little tale as well, better than the average time travel Dredd story.

[IndigoPrime]

It had a duple of others, nearer to its original airing: 1993's slightly odd Hamlyn collection (Top Dog/Garbage Disposal/Art of Geomancy), and the 1999 best of 2k special. But then it was 2008 before it showed up again (and, I think, fleshed out The Final Solution nicely).

Regardless, it was good to see it in the Mega Collection, and it adds some useful context for the meeting in Judgement Day.

[glassstanley]

I agree, this is nice little volume. One day, though, it would be nice to see Top Dogs with its original first page. It was originally presented as a double spread, with the left hand side hosting the contents page. Nice tiny piece of lost MacNeil there.

[robert_ellis]

Just finished reading Trifecta - the new opening story was a great tie-in. I think this is the high point of recent Dredd - even in comparison to the awesome Day of Chaos. I'm assuming the elusive Judge Smiley hasn't been seen since?

[Hawkmumbler]

Popped up a few time's but otherwise no. Hope he does make an extended return at some point though...

[Dark Jimbo]

Just finished reading Trifecta - the new opening story was a great tie-in. I think this is the high point of recent Dredd - even in comparison to the awesome Day of Chaos. I'm assuming the elusive Judge Smiley hasn't been seen since?

The next Low Life story is going to be about Smiley.

[Spikes]

Just picked this up this today, and glad it's the Trifecta. This had been overdue a re-read.

Nice to have The Family Man story (Bachmann's first appearance, I believe?) as I'd not read this before, so a very welcome addition.
And a veritable feast of glorious art on show by everyone involved. Not wishing to single anyone out, but Henry Flint is on particular fine form indeed, for this tale.

A lovely book, and a great example of the Mega Collection delivering the goods.

[abelardsnazz]

Trifecta is a triumph, I don't think John Wagner could have handed the baton for the next (unannounced) mega-epic to a better bunch. Highlights for me were the Dredd/Hershey interplay, Judge Smiley's machinations, and the magnificent creation that is Dirty Frank. Bravo to all involved.

Looking forward to reading Judgement Day again, which will have a completely different feel to it, but I think part of the beauty of this collection is its sheer variety.

All we need now are some clues as to what's coming up after issue 26....

[Swerty]

All we need now are some clues as to what's coming up after issue 26....

Another bulk announcement would be nice...

[bedlamvr]

I think Trifecta is the most film like mega epic I have ever read.

As a book it is a little difficult to follow as a collection as the deliberate native styles to the story don't flow easily and the characters are all very strong and have clear back stories and traits it felt a little like each character was diluted in the process (e.g Jack Point and Dirty Frank seem like support characters in a Dredd story that never really gets going) . I think it is a shame i never read it in the form it was originally intended and I think I will try and go back and re-read it at some point because it wasn't terrible, but like a cake where you add all off your favourite ingredients and the result is a nice cake that is somehow a little less than the sum of its parts..

I think it is interesting however the other book this month ALSO involved a cross over with a 2000AD favourite into Dredds world and for the time was some what risky and ground breaking in the fact it crossed from 2000AD to the Megazine with its story telling. I did  read this but I was a poor teenager at the time and I kind of missed the Megazine bits. The core story still remained but reading the story as a collection it is hard to see how anyone thought the Megazine bits were superfluous. It added some grit to what was quite a  light and fluffy mass extinction storyline.

Good books but I do wonder what is coming next month...

[Jade Falcon]

Personally I found the non Dredd centred parts of Trifecta a bit of a slog at times.  The stories were interesting enough, but to me a bit awkward in places.  Bear in mind 'my' era of Dredd was the Judge Child quest, Apocalypse War, City of the Damned era, later getting some stories like Krakens assesment from a bargain book shop.  Bachmann really seemed like an interesting character and a total bitch.

It's interesting to see Hershey, as I remember her as a newcomer in Judge Child, now she's Dredd's superior if not his senior.  Personally I think he thinks he can influence her partially because she's one of the closest he has to a friend and their history, but at the same time he knows when not to cross the line.

[James Stacey]

It's interesting to see Hershey, as I remember her as a newcomer in Judge Child, now she's Dredd's superior if not his senior.  Personally I think he thinks he can influence her partially because she's one of the closest he has to a friend and their history, but at the same time he knows when not to cross the line.

Hershey and Dredds relationship is a great one and always makes for good drama when conflict arises. Hershey has grown up as a judge in the world where Dredd is the law and clearly has a huge amount of respect for him and really struggles on occasion, now she is his superior to separate his opinions from what she sees as for the good of the city or what the city demands. Great stuff.

[Jade Falcon]

Also Hershey and Dredd must be some of the increasingly smaller pool of Judges who remember the city before seeming wave after wave of disasters has hit it.