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2000 AD => General => Topic started by: Colin YNWA on 01 March, 2021, 06:18:50 AM

Title: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Colin YNWA on 01 March, 2021, 06:18:50 AM
Look at the list of 8 Dredd stories below and tell me your top three:

1 (your favourite of the 8) will get 3 points
2 (your 2nd fav) will get 2 points
3 (your 3rd fav) will get 1 point

Advanced from the previous rounds:

The Chief Judge's Man (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/08/epics-46-44-actually-these-are-quite.html) - Progs 1244-1247, 1263-1266, 1342-1349

City of the Damned (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/08/epics-50-47-dont-bother.html) - Progs 393-406

Doomsday (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/07/epics-43-41-these-stories-are-real.html) - Progs 1141-1164; Megs 3.52-3.59

The Hunting Party (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/07/epics-43-41-these-stories-are-real.html) - Progs 1033-1049

Next four from Dredd Epics Ranked:

Mechanismo (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/07/epics-43-41-these-stories-are-real.html) - Megs 2.12-2.17; 2.22-2.26; 2.37-2.43

Mandroid 2 - Instrument of War (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/08/epics-40-38-youd-be-forgiven-for.html) - Progs 1555-1566

Darkside (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/08/epics-40-38-youd-be-forgiven-for.html) - Progs 1017-1028

Cold War [The Adventures of Judge Dredd in the Land of the Soviets] (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/08/epics-40-38-youd-be-forgiven-for.html) - Progs 2055-2069

Voting will close on the morning of Wednesday 3rd March and the 4 Epics with the most votes will progress to the next round.

All links go through to AlexF's simply brilliant Dredd Epics Ranked (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/) blog. You may need to scroll to find his write up of a particular story - but I'd suggest just reading the whole thing anyway - it's fantastic stuff.

Baffled by what's going on here - well we have a  a thread for that (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47367.0) - though that might leave you more confused than anything.

Rules (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47367.msg1053448#msg1053448) for what they are worth.

Not sure about anything just ask and I'll blag it.

Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: broodblik on 01 March, 2021, 06:51:25 AM
1. Mechanismo
2. The Chief Judge's Man
3. Mandroid 2 - Instrument of War
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: abelardsnazz on 01 March, 2021, 08:18:29 AM
1.Mechanismo. A huge legacy and some magnificent art.
2. City of the Damned; For reasons stated before.
3. Darkside. Not necessarily John Smith's finest work on Dredd, but it's still Smith and a sequel to 2.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Magnetica on 01 March, 2021, 08:48:36 AM
1 Mechanismo. Not only is it the best story here, it's one of the best Dredd tales ever. I've never thought of it as an epic, but even taking that into account it comes out top in this particular vote.

2 Doomsday. The only actual epic here, but it's not a great one.

3 The Chief Judge's Man. Again a good story, but not an epic.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Huey2 on 01 March, 2021, 08:50:24 AM
1. City of the Damned
2. Raptaur
3. Dead Ringer
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Huey2 on 01 March, 2021, 08:51:19 AM
Sorry.
I meant-
1). City of the Damned
2), Mechanismo
3). The Chief Judge's Man
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 01 March, 2021, 08:57:44 AM
Okay, this is starting to require a bit more thought.

More of a saga than an epic, the Mechanismo programme's written itself right into the warp and weft of Dredd-world history; it begat the Wilderlands epic, its shadow looms over Doomsday's rebellious robots, it makes Dredd uneasy about the short-lived Banzai Battalion programme, and of course it leads to Harvey and the Machine Law shenanigans. But even beyond legacy, I just adore that first story in particular, with Macneil's glorious full colour paints. I love the mini-saga of Number 5's brief reign of terror, too. Minus points for fizzling out a bit in the third act, but it still gets my vote.

Doomsday is, let's face it, less than the sum of its parts. But I really like most of those parts! Edgar, Oola, Orlok; the build-up with Narcos and Vitus Dance; Demarco P.I., Roffman's only Epic outing, etc. So this admittedly flawed epic is still edging a vote from me (but I suspect this won't last much longer)...

And, I guess, The Hunting Party? No, it's probably not as well-crafted as CotD, say, but it gets a vote as I'd much rather sit down and read it. Not all the vignettes work for me, but the ones that do are really good fun, and the art is mainly magnificent.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Tomwe on 01 March, 2021, 09:18:54 AM
1- Mechanismo

2- City of the Damned

3- The Chief Judge's Man
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Barrington Boots on 01 March, 2021, 09:25:30 AM

1. Mechanismo - first real, genuine classic on this list imo. Massive impact, interesting ideas and some lovely artwork especially from Colin Macneill: his work when the robot goes beserk blew me away.
2. Doomsday - as per last round, this is flawed but still good and there's still a lot on this list that I don't think qualifies as an epic.
3. Hunting Party - again not much to add since round 2.

Things are starting to get trickier now. Mandroid sadly goes the way of Mega Rackets in that I don't think it qualifies.
Chief Judges Man is my HM again - I was tempted to put in at 3 but I voted Hunting Party over it in round 2 so  decided to stick with it here.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 01 March, 2021, 09:40:40 AM
1. City of the Damned
2. Mechanismo
3. Chief Judge's Man

Damned was ranked waayyyy too low in the original list.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Bolt-01 on 01 March, 2021, 09:47:02 AM
1. Mechanismo
2. The Chief Judge Man
3. Darkside.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: WhizzBang on 01 March, 2021, 09:55:49 AM
1. Mechanismo
2. The Chief Judge Man
3. Doomsday
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: IndigoPrime on 01 March, 2021, 09:57:31 AM
Mechanismo: solid action but with greater repercussions

I don't really understand why Mechanismo is a combined epic, but Mandroid is not. On that basis, I'll bring through two from the previous round:

2. Doomsday
3. Chief Judge's Man

Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: AlexF on 01 March, 2021, 10:21:35 AM
1. Mechanismo - I adore book 2, love the art and the jokes in Book 1, like the story but struggle with the art in book 3. I find it a little frustrating, storywise, that the robots in the story are a million times less sophgisticated, AI-wise, than the robots all over Mega City 1, from servo dorids like Walter to the Robo-surgeons who surely must have life-or-death programming in them somewhere.

2. City of the Damned - no denying the cool factor of Dillon's art, frankly.

3. Mandroid 2 - I like a bit of pathos, me.

To me, the Mechanismo trilogy feels as if it was conceived as one story, broken up by the passage of time. Mandroid 2 feels much more like 'gosh, that first story turned out really rather well, wonder if I can get another idea out of the same character?' - which is one reasons why I treated one lot as a lump, and the other as two separate things.

But also, by my own ridiculous 'what counts as an epic' rules, Mandroid and Mandroid 2 are both long enough on their own; only Mechanismo Book III is of epic length, so the other two were bundled up as prologues...
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: sintec on 01 March, 2021, 12:30:40 PM
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: DrJomster on 01 March, 2021, 12:53:35 PM
1. Mechanismo - a big hitter
2. City of the Damned - also a big hitter, but slightly weaker in places (not Dillon though, he's awesome)
3. The chief judge's man - hanging on in my top 3... for now....

I can see this is going to get interesting as we progress!
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Rogue Judge on 01 March, 2021, 02:49:53 PM
1. Mechanismo (MacNeil art...story with long lasting repercussions. And although a series of separate stories, Mechanismo still feels like an epic)
2. City of the Damned (The most epic feeling epic so far)
3. Hunting Party (The art is awesome and the story fun)

HM to Darkside, this was a pleasant surprise reading the case files as I hadn't heard of it and was deep into the story when I realized I was reading an epic. I liked the story more than  the art (and coloring)
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Funt Solo on 01 March, 2021, 03:13:59 PM
1st: Mechanismo
2nd: City of the Damned
3rd: Robot Wars II: Revenge of the Droids (aka Doomsday)
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: SmallBlueThing(Reborn) on 01 March, 2021, 04:52:35 PM
1. City of the Damned
2. Mechanisms
3. Chief Judge's Man

SBT
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 01 March, 2021, 05:15:13 PM
Quote from: AlexF on 01 March, 2021, 10:21:35 AM
To me, the Mechanismo trilogy feels as if it was conceived as one story, broken up by the passage of time.

It's worth remembering, of course, that Book II of Mechanismo takes place within hours of Book I ending!
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Leigh S on 01 March, 2021, 05:54:47 PM
New top for me in Mechanismo - not only great, but much needed - I wouldn't be here today f the only Dredd available in the early 90s was of the Millar/Morrison variety.


Mechanismo (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/07/epics-43-41-these-stories-are-real.html) - Megs 2.12-2.17; 2.22-2.26; 2.37-2.43


City of the Damned (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/08/epics-50-47-dont-bother.html) - Progs 393-406

The Hunting Party (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/07/epics-43-41-these-stories-are-real.html) - Progs 1033-1049
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: The Mind of Wolfie Smith on 01 March, 2021, 06:35:42 PM
1. mandroid 2
2. chief judge's man
3. city of the damned
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Colin YNWA on 02 March, 2021, 06:22:50 AM
As is becoming standard these feel all too brief, but I'll stick with it to keep the momentum going. To that end last day for this one. Get your votes in today and I'll count up and announce the result in the morning so we can have the second vote start Thursday. Get um in folks.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: BPP on 02 March, 2021, 10:44:54 AM
1 - city of the dammed
2 - mechanismo
3 - chief judges man

Honourable mention for mandroid 2 which suffers from being seperated from its origin story in this ranking. Combined they would have taken 2nd spot.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: TordelBack on 02 March, 2021, 11:12:38 AM
1. City of the Damned. Holding the top spot for me, short and sweet,  great concept,  great art, some of the strip's greatest moments.
3. Mechanismo. Brilliant idea and action, suffers a tiny bit from being repetitive across its 3 parts, and the general downward trajectory of the art from Colin's blue-skyed gorefest.
3. Doomsday. Doesn't quite deliver everything it promises, and after a great start the art flags somewhat in the Prog parts, but Narcos is a great villain with  a wonderfully low-key ending (I keep waiting for him to return TBH),  and it got me back into reading the comic regularly so maximum bonus points.


Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Bolt-01 on 02 March, 2021, 11:24:58 AM
Yeah, Narcos is still out there, isn't he?

Now I want a story showing Narcos trying to get himself back into a position to start rebuilding his empire, only to fail and have to bail into a succession of inferior droids only to realise too late that his mental capacity diminished with each copy before settling down to service munce dispensers.
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 02 March, 2021, 11:42:00 AM
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 02 March, 2021, 11:24:58 AM
Yeah, Narcos is still out there, isn't he?

He was summarily executed in the street by a ring of Judges - but I think I prefer your idea!  :lol:
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Southstreeter on 02 March, 2021, 06:09:42 PM
At last, a bona fide classic enters the fray. I suspect Mechanismo will be hanging around this contest for a long time, before the really big hitters (you know what they are) appear.

1. Mechanismo
2. Chief Judge's Man
3. Doomsday
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: skurvy on 02 March, 2021, 10:44:50 PM
1. City of the damned
2. Mechanismo
3. Chief Judge's man
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Andy B on 03 March, 2021, 02:41:39 AM
1. Doomsday
2. Mechanismo
3. Chief Judge's Man
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Colin YNWA on 03 March, 2021, 08:00:34 AM
VOTING CLOSED

The result here is pretty cut and dried. While all but one Epics got votes, four dominated. Two continued their seemingly unstoppable march forward, but their advance was slowed considerably by a new front runner, how much further can they go? Enough, the votes already -

Progressing to the next round:

Mechanismo - 59 points
City of the Damned - 33 points
Chief Judge's Man - 19 points
Doomsday - 18 points

Going into the 44 - 37 position play off:

Mandroid 2 - 6 points
The Hunting Party - 4 points
Darkside - 2 points
Cold War
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: maryanddavid on 03 March, 2021, 08:24:36 PM
Ah, missed it.

I would have picked
COD
Mechanismo
CJs man

So no effect anyway!
Title: Re: Dredd Epics Ranked - Better! Round 3
Post by: Colin YNWA on 03 March, 2021, 08:59:57 PM
Quote from: maryanddavid on 03 March, 2021, 08:24:36 PM
Ah, missed it.

I would have picked
COD
Mechanismo
CJs man

So no effect anyway!

And the great thing is with this format you may get to vote for them all again!