Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection discussion thread

[Tjm86]

I was looking on the Hachette site & noticed if you go to the back issues & scroll down to the bottom of the list you can pick up the Henry Flint print for free, all you pay for is the postage

It is listed as issue 501PREM POSTER1 REPLY

If that is the case then it kind of shafts anyone who has gone with the premium subscription. Guess there weren't that many took that option up.

[NapalmKev]

I was looking on the Hachette site & noticed if you go to the back issues & scroll down to the bottom of the list you can pick up the Henry Flint print for free, all you pay for is the postage

It is listed as issue 501PREM POSTER1 REPLY

If that is the case then it kind of shafts anyone who has gone with the premium subscription. Guess there weren't that many took that option up.

I subscribed to the premium edition. While I don't begrudge people going for the free poster (you'd be mad not to) I feel 'Hachette' have been a trifle naughty with their promotional blurb; stipulating that without the premium sub you wouldn't be able to get them.

Cheers

[IndigoPrime]

Or that entry could be a database error, which feels more likely to me. It'll be interesting to see whether any of the post orders are fulfilled.

[Tjm86]

Yeah, I don't blame anyone for wanting to take advantage of a special offer. Not impressed with their treatment of their customers though.  As IndigoPrime says, it could be a listing error.

[sjarcher73]

You can have it perfect, or you can have it now.

It's a case of having to have it now (if one wants it at all) for lack of anything else, apart from buying back progs; lack of funds prevents me from that let alone binning the incomplete Vols #4 to #6.  From the last The Last Invader (progs 298 – 299) is also edited in that certain 'sound effects' from the centrespreads have been Tipp-Exed.  You infer this is acceptable; it's not.

[TordelBack]

  You infer this is acceptable; it's not.

Grand, let's leave everything uncollected or vanishingly rare like it was for about 20 years while Keith trawls around eBay for the original art for every page, and then painstakingly restores each panel to the exact state it appeared in the Prog, somehow making the binding and repro work exactly the same as it did on 8 stapled sheets of bogpaper.  Then print the whole thing with full colour (but only the original colour) spreads in hardback. Assuming Rebellion isn't bankrupt by Vol 3, I'd anticipate getting your £100 Deluxe printing of The Last Invader sometime around 2030.

I don't want to sound like a hectoring prick, not least because I share your frustration on occasion, but the word you seem to be missing is COMPROMISE. Take a look at Dave Sim's (a man not known for compromises) work on Cerebus - he got that stuff out in big cheap collections regular as clockwork (essentially inventing the bulk-reprint model in the process), dropped episodes to make the binding work, filled gaps with floppies, cringed as repro swallowed Gerhard's hatching... But he got it out there. Now he's embarked on a project of gathering the original art and re-shooting it all for as-near-perfect archival and digital Editions as he can manage, largely supported by Kickstarters.  But here's the thing: if that material wasn't already out there in good-enough versions, the fanbase that supports this endeavour wouldn't exist.  It has to be the same for Rebellion - get it out there .the best way you you can,, build on the support it generates, use that to go further.

[robert_ellis]

Good Point! These hachette books are extraordinarily good value - at least half the going rate for a 200 page hardback with extra material. I'm pleasantly surprised by the addition of the interviews & intro's. The odd bit of duff repro (even if it was Bolland) is s very small price to pay...

[Skullmo]

Some of the repro is frankly apalling. I have just taken the step to just not buy those volumes. I made the mistake of buying Mek Files volume 1 where the Bisley and SMS pages were dreadful and was utterly disappointed. It would take time and money, but would not be the hardest thing in the world to re-scan the artwork from, for example, a Titan book, but what does it matter if 'fans' will buy it regardless.

[robert_ellis]

I agree that I'd expect a much better quality of reprint in the Mek Files. The Titan volumes do look great - especially the roach/Anderson & hicklenton/nemesis. I understand your dismay when something as important as bisley SMS abc warriors stuff is subpar.

[Proudhuff]

Good Point! These hachette books are extraordinarily good value - at least half the going rate for a 200 page hardback with extra material. I'm pleasantly surprised by the addition of the interviews & intro's. The odd bit of duff repro (even if it was Bolland) is s very small price to pay...

^^^These are great value, think what you get in FP for a tenner? two, possibly three American big two comics crammed with adverts and not much else. Someone else can do the page could on this, but I've yet to have a duff print with hachette so I'm a happy bunny.   

[IndigoPrime]

One duff print so far (Total War), which was replaced without much fuss. Hachette's customer service has, on the whole, been very good so far.

[Tjm86]

Just had an email from Hachette (bloody autocorrect keeps trying to put in Machete!) saying the print listing was a mistake and it's not the premium print.  Interesting to find out what the error was.

[sjarcher73]

Haven't a clue who Sims is and I don't care. You assume I want everything in pristine condition; I don't. The colour situation (Dan Dare, Ro-Busters) is only presently acceptable so far as it goes because of the 'next prog' boxes absurdity.  I think it's not unreasonable to expect completeness (can see I'm going to have to keep repeating that word) because I don't expect to pay money for something that's incomplete.

[TordelBack]

As is your right.

[abelardsnazz]

I think we probably need a separate thread on the reproduction issues. I think there are a few different things being discussed here which are wider than the Mega Collection.

I agree, there are some valid points being made but it covers a wider range of publications than the Mega Collection.