So, Dark Justice is coming. And I'm jolly well looking forward to it. Christmas is going to have a body out.
So, how about some fannish speculation? (Or Finnish speculation as my ipad autocorrect would have it).
The thing about big Dredd tales to date is that they have done their thing, Wagner inspired, and then other writers seem to have been given a brief to pick up the pieces while Wagner does what he does. That's what happened with the Apocalypse War, Necropolis and so on right up to Day of Chaos.
But.
What if there was a hidden preamble to Dark Justice? What if, particularly given its delay, we are being teased about it and don't know? Wouldn't it be kinda cool, in a Trifecta kind of way, if seemingly filler stories were more substantial? Given the way that Dredd is written and plotted months - or years ? - in advance, could this be done?
I'm just thinking it odd that there are stories focussing particularly on the mental frailties of Dredd and Anderson. Sure, I could be adding 2+2 and getting 5, but I wonder if there is something being trailed just now, or over the next month or so, from a non Wagner writer that links into Dark Justice. What if their age and weakness now are pivotal to that story, or even linked to its events.
Could the insidious influence if the Dark Judges be felt now?
Could it, should it be done? Would it spoil the story if plot elements were put in place now, under your nose?
Although Rad to the Bone might not have anything to do with it.
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 02 June, 2014, 08:50:59 PM
What if there was a hidden preamble to Dark Justice? What if, particularly given its delay, we are being teased about it and don't know? Wouldn't it be kinda cool, in a Trifecta kind of way, if seemingly filler stories were more substantial? Given the way that Dredd is written and plotted months - or years ? - in advance, could this be done?
I'm in two minds with this approach. If the writers spoke to each other, and by that I mean John Wagner telling Ewing, Carroll, Williams et al in clear detail what he has planned rather than Tharg acting as interlocutor and vaguely saying "You can't do Y with character X because John has plans." Then you could have a road map and little clues and nods could be layered into seemingly stand alone stories.
That being said, you could go mad looking for clues that aren't there or just get pissed off when strands that you were convinced would mean something didn't come to anything substantial further down the road.
I have gone over older threads from before I joined the forum and one line of criticism was how many of the Dredd writers were caught on the hop by Day of Chaos (that is they wern't party to what JW had planned to any great detail). This left a situation post DOC where writers struggled to adapt to the severity of the changes wrought on MC1 evidenced by the immediate stories after the event. It took some time for the impact of DOC to become evident in the prog. Personally I think the latest Carroll/Percival strip is the first one where I see a cityscape which resembles a place where 350,000,000 citizens brutally slaughtered oneanother (with lashings of help from Justice Department).
I hope Doc is right in the sense that there will be more coherency in the approach thus time around. Z
Quote from: ZenArcade on 02 June, 2014, 09:51:46 PM
I have gone over older threads from before I joined the forum and one line of criticism was how many of the Dredd writers were caught on the hop by Day of Chaos (that is they wern't party to what JW had planned to any great detail). This left a situation post DOC where writers struggled to adapt to the severity of the changes wrought on MC1 evidenced by the immediate stories after the event. It took some time for the impact of DOC to become evident in the prog. Personally I think the latest Carroll/Percival strip is the first one where I see a cityscape which resembles a place where 350,000,000 citizens brutally slaughtered oneanother (with lashings of help from Justice Department).
I hope Doc is right in the sense that there will be more coherency in the approach thus time around. Z
Well for a story that has been in the works since 2012 it shouldn't be too hard for the other writers to be brought into the loop. It should be pretty much, "Here are the scripts. This is what John will be doing to lead into it and this is what John plans to do in the immediate aftermath. If you think that you can add anything to the build up in your own stories then knock yourselves out."
The incredible build up to Necropolis (which includes more than a year's worth of stories planting the seeds of Dredd's aging as well as the more obvious story elements) only really worked because there was a single hand guiding it all. I'm sure it would be possible to pull off something almost as good with various writers, but the strength of the current set-up seems to be in everyone doing their own thing and telling the stories that seem interesting to them.
Anything else seems a bit corporate, and reminiscent of the editorial-led Sino-Cit War that never was.
Quote from: lord sauchie on 02 June, 2014, 10:56:11 PM...and reminiscent of the editorial-led Sino-Cit War that never was.
That Smiley, eh?
[spoiler]I think that 'Dark Justice' will be the end of Mega-city One. Justice dept will be wiped out, and Dread will travel back to when he's a youngster and explain all the important future events. The original Dread timeline can then spin-off into 'Strontium Dog' territory.[/spoiler]
Or I could be talking bollocks.
Cheers
Or?
Had forgotten about Dark Justice :)
It would indeed be quite satisfying to think that plot elements have already been planted, Dredd's septuagenarian-ness and state of mind feeding into it somehow...
Mostly, I'm wondering if Percival's sumptuous art served as a reminder of Staples' style, and the story to come.
Quote from: TordelBack on 03 June, 2014, 07:34:11 AM
Quote from: lord sauchie on 02 June, 2014, 10:56:11 PM...and reminiscent of the editorial-led Sino-Cit War that never was.
That Smiley, eh?
Averting said calamity constitutes proof for the Doubting Thomas's that the man who lives between the walls was doing his job all along. It's unfortunate that Smiley's own working practices mean readers and Dredd writers alike are doomed to forget the man and his Herculean efforts five minutes after they happen - never to mention him again - leaving an unconvincing and annoying aporia in the narrative.
Maybe he'll be a Dark Judge.
3 ducks on his shoulder and some biscuit related power.
Haven't IDW already included that one?
Judge Hobnob.
I have my suspicions - all fanboy speculation of course:
I think that Judge Dredd now has family ties - the care he expresses for Vienna is a weakness. When Dredd [spoiler]once again looks into the face of Fear will he still see nothing[/spoiler]?
I think that Judge Anderson [spoiler]will die.[/spoiler] I cannot remember why I think this but her stories have been leading up to it recently.
I think that rather than it being a [spoiler]city destroying tale - it will be a systematic attack on what Dredd holds dear [/spoiler]- and that[spoiler] PJ Maybe[/spoiler] will have a part to play in it.
If the case you make for Dark Justice being an attack on all Joe holds dear then God help us; was DOC not a big enough attack on old Joe's psyche?
I don't see this story as being huge in scope. It's only what - 10 parts or something?
Quote from: Skullmo on 04 June, 2014, 12:13:45 AM
I think that Judge Anderson [spoiler]will die.[/spoiler] I cannot remember why I think this but her stories have been leading up to it recently.
I have to admit, I'm kind of hoping this happens. With a couple of exceptions, I haven't really enjoyed Anderson solo stories for years - perhaps even decades. I do enjoy when John Wagner puts her into Dredd or Death stories though.
Quote from: Skullmo on 04 June, 2014, 12:13:45 AM
I think that Judge Anderson [spoiler]will die.[/spoiler] I cannot remember why I think this but her stories have been leading up to it recently.
Yes. They led up to her dying. Kind of. It would be a bit pointless having her go through her current ordeal and regaining of her faith in justice, only to have her bumped off in Dark Justice.
It's a given that PJ Maybe is going to play a role in the story, given that he is currently in possession (no pun intended) of three of the Dark Judges. I wonder if he'll join forces with Death and co.?
Quote from: Spaceghost on 06 June, 2014, 12:39:12 PM
It's a given that PJ Maybe is going to play a role in the story, given that he is currently in possession (no pun intended) of three of the Dark Judges. I wonder if he'll join forces with Death and co.?
I think we'll either see PJ as the host for Death or possible as a 5th Dark Judge. One way or another I think it'll be the end of PJ's story (or at least his alive story)
Hmmm PJ - I am not sure he would be a Dark Judge. I think he is more likely to try to save the city.
I think Anderson may become a Dark Judge.
Quote from: Skullmo on 06 June, 2014, 12:59:28 PM
Hmmm PJ - I am not sure he would be a Dark Judge. I think he is more likely to try to save the city.
I think Anderson may become a Dark Judge.
If that happens, hope she stays a Dark Judge rather than having some Marvel/DC turnaround.
Ye've seen the promo image of Dark Judge Maybe on page 3 of this thread I assume...?
http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,38564.30.html
Quote from: Link Prime on 06 June, 2014, 01:33:42 PM
Ye've seen the promo image of Dark Judge Maybe on page 3 of this thread I assume...?
http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,38564.30.html
No, must have missed that. What a lovely and intriguing image.
Seems it's going to be Judge Maybe then?
Hopefully the Dark Judges will be judged and sent orf for ever never to darken our door again, of course the cost of this will be Dredd's sanity, Anderson's life and Hershey's bob.
Quote from: Proudhuff on 06 June, 2014, 02:06:04 PM
Hopefully the Dark Judges will be judged and sent orf for ever never to darken our door again, of course the cost of this will be Dredd's sanity, Anderson's life and Hershey's bob.
Not the bob!! :'(
Quote from: Skullmo on 06 June, 2014, 02:31:10 PM
Quote from: Proudhuff on 06 June, 2014, 02:06:04 PM
Hopefully the Dark Judges will be judged and sent orf for ever never to darken our door again, of course the cost of this will be Dredd's sanity, Anderson's life and Hershey's bob.
Not the bob!! :'(
I'm pretty sure it's a wig.
They're going to have to pack a lot into 10 episodes by the sound of you guys? Z
100 panels a page
Quote from: Spaceghost on 06 June, 2014, 01:49:52 PM
Quote from: Link Prime on 06 June, 2014, 01:33:42 PM
Ye've seen the promo image of Dark Judge Maybe on page 3 of this thread I assume...?
http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,38564.30.html
No, must have missed that. What a lovely and intriguing image. Seems it's going to be Judge Maybe then?
I think Burdis, who has had a sneaky peek at Staples's work when he was posing for a few panels to be included in
Dark Justice, ruled that one out. He said Wagner had taken it in a completely different direction to all the fan speculation so far, and emphasised the Hammer Horror/Gothic fantasy elements of the story.
I think that was more about the general look of the art rather than a particular theme for the plot.
Greg's a big fan of Universal Studios Horror films, so it has a rich Hammer/Universal vibe for the artwork, where it feels like it's been lit by a cinematographer and there's a massive fog and wind machine whirring away in the background.