I was wondering on what case volume should I start reading Judge Dredd. I want to read typical Dredd but do not want to miss anything important. By around what case volume have they fully developed the character by? I asked on twitter and they told me to start start with case volume #4. What do you guys think?
Mmm. The first Dredd "epic" was The Robot Wars in Prog 10.
Then, around about the 70s, there is The Cursed Earth.
Then, after that, there is The Day the Law Died which features Judge Cal - and which has repercussions in Dredd's world even today.
Not sure if Volume 4 includes Judge Death, but he was around about Prog 180 (hey, this is from memory).
So, in short, start at the beginning. Work your way through the middle. And stop when you get to the end.
Case File 1
There's nothing wrong with Case Files 1, I'm not a Dredd hardcore so there's no rose tinted glasses nostaglia here, it's a good read! There's some Brian Bolland in there too so even when you might think the stories aren't brilliant (there's a few disaposable "one-shots" in there) it looks lovely.
Start with books 4 or 5. Trust me. :)
Start anywhere you want to, but bear in mind that the early stuff is very much of its time (very 1970s pulp boys comics) and the character and the city only really starts to become fully fledged around case files 3-5.
Personally I'd recommend starting with Case Files 09 as its where the tone really becomes consistent, the humour really comes to the fore and there are a lot of shorter stories that really flesh out the day to day of Dredd's world, and maybe get one or two modern Dredd collections like America and Mandroid, and working your way back.
Quote from: Binsk on 15 February, 2013, 01:34:39 AM
I was wondering on what case volume should I start reading Judge Dredd. I want to read typical Dredd but do not want to miss anything important. By around what case volume have they fully developed the character by?
You're really asking for two different things there. You can start reading from the point the character and city is fully developed (3 onwards)
or catch up without missing anything important (er, 1!) In terms of supporting cast, callbacks, continuity, repeat villians, notable events - well, that all starts right away, so you can't really do both.
I see what everyone is saying. The thing is that I started reading case volume #1 and it just didn't seem like Dredd to me. For example they still have a police force working alongside the judges. Also, out if curiosity, when did they add the death sentence; ie Dredd killing certain perps for attempting to kill a judge or killing a judge which normally is the death sentence.
Yeah, #1 isn't great but it's the only book I'd hesitate to recommend until you get to 16 onwards - and even then it's got Return of Rico, the Robot War and introduction of Giant. #2 is a funny proposition because it's a book made up of back-to-back twin epics, so is particularly important from a continuity point of view. And then #3 is the point by which I think everything's sorted itself out and settled down anyway.
QuoteDredd killing certain perps for attempting to kill a judge or killing a judge which normally is the death sentence.
I think that's more of a thing from the films. I don't remember it being as cut and dried as in the comics, where Dredd rarely executes someone in cold blood (he usually kills in self defence).
If you're after grittier, harder-edged stories closer tonally to what is portrayed in the Dredd film, I'd go for more recent material which has a more mature sensibility - such as;
Mandroid, The Pit, America, The Chief Judge's Man, Total War, Tour of Duty, Day of Chaos, Brothers of the Blood.
QuoteFor example they still have a police force working alongside the judges.
This is only in the very early stories. I don't think Mega City One is named initially, isn't the first story just set in future New York?
Out of Case Files 01, the only essential story is
The Return of Rico - and at a push (because it is referenced later)
The Robot War.
After that, Case Files 02 is pretty essential as it includes to epics which really defined Dredd -
The Cursed Earth and
The Day the Law Died. Both are pretty important continuity-wise and have great artwork, and both are a worthwhile read, if very dated and pretty goofy by today's standards.
4 and 5 will give you two of the greatest long-epic storylines - The Judge Child Quest and the Apocalypse War
Quote from: Binsk on 15 February, 2013, 01:34:39 AM
I was wondering on what case volume should I start reading Judge Dredd. I want to read typical Dredd but do not want to miss anything important. By around what case volume have they fully developed the character by? I asked on twitter and they told me to start start with case volume #4. What do you guys think?
If you ignore a few pish stories at the start, Case Files volume three depicts the character and the city the way they are portrayed for the next ten-fifteen years. I'd suggest alternating Case Files purchases with the more hard edged material listed by
radiator, with
America,
The Pit,
Total War and
Tour of Duty being particular highlights.
With me I started at good old book one. Bought books two and three. Asked for four, five, six, seven and eight for my birthday - and every pay day buy a couple more until the collection is complete!
Quote from: Dandontdare on 16 February, 2013, 10:17:14 AM
4 and 5 will give you two of the greatest long-epic storylines - The Judge Child Quest and the Apocalypse War
I agree; 4 and 5 are a great jumping on point. Having said that, the preceding case files are also great fun especially where the Cursed Earth and Caligula storyline is concerned! But 4 and 5 is when Dredd really kicks into gear.