Some very important and significent additions in this one. We've lost Chief Judge's Man last round after 5 votes will City of the Damned, now the longest running thrill survive as other Epics have eatten into its lead? Let's fine out this one will get interesting I think...
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:
City of the Damned (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/08/epics-50-47-dont-bother.html) - Progs 393-406
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
Trifecta (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-31-29-reaching-for-heights.html) - Progs 1804-1812
Wilderlands (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-31-29-reaching-for-heights.html) - Progs 904-918 and Megs 2.63-2.68
Next four from Dredd Epics Ranked:
Tour of Duty (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-28-26-sublime-and-ridiculous.html) - Progs 1649-1693
Judge Dredd Vs Aliens - Incubus (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-28-26-sublime-and-ridiculous.html) - Progs 1322-1335
Judgement on Gotham (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-28-26-sublime-and-ridiculous.html) - OGN
End of Days (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-25-23-noble-failures.html) - Progs 2184-2199
Voting will close on the morning of Saturday 13th 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.
1. Trifecta
2. Mechanismo
3. Tour of Duty
1. City of the Damned
2. Tour of Duty
3. Mechanismo
Tour of Duty is improbably successful in selling the idea of a genuine shift in the status quo, in large part by including the Megazine in the proposition without tiresome hopping about mid-story, and the variety and quality that multiple authors brought. It's an enjoyable re-mix of Luna One, The Pit, the Hunting Party and some politicking, and it's a genuine thrill seeing Joe and Rico II in proper action together. Despite the Cursed Earth itself being far from an original setting, and the villain (as such) lurking largely in the background, I'd have been happy to see it run longer.
1. Mechanismo
2. Tour of Duty. PJ Maybe becoming Mayor was a brilliant idea, and the whole thing fits together really well.
3. City of the Damned
The crossovers, while fun, I don't see as essential. I haven't read End of Days yet.
1 Tour of Duty. On the "what makes a Dredd epic?" thread, there is a suggestion that anything over 21 episodes should be classed as a mega-epic; well for me this goes beyond that and is a hyper-epic. It seemed to be an ongoing story for about two years and redefined the way Dredd stories were told. It even seemed to be a direct continuation of Origins. It's one of the few modern stories that can stand toe to toe with the classics. I loved Colin MacNeil's art on it. In hindsight it seems like a mid point between his America / Mechanismo fully painted style and his modern style. And that's not meant as a criticism in anyway.
2 Trifecta.
3. Mechanismo.
1. Tour of Duty
2. Vs Aliens: Incubus
3. Mechanismo.
SBT
1. Tour of Duty
2. Alien
3. Mechanismo.
Maybe it is time for me to do a Tour of Duty reread because some interesting points were raised on the whole series. It did not have the same impact when I initial read it.
I'll join in now that we're actually talkin Dredd epics.
1) Tour of Duty; Build up matters, whether it be Christmas Eve, the day before an important event or witnessing your favourite fictional lawman face conspiring forces from multiple directions. I will echo Tordels comment - I wanted more.
2) City of the Damned; Personal nostalgic fondness.
3) Trifecta; Executed perfectly.
Quote from: broodblik on 11 March, 2021, 09:21:56 AM
Maybe it is time for me to do a Tour of Duty reread because some interesting points were raised on the whole series. It did not have the same impact when I initial read it.
Another thing that really works for me is the way Tour of Duty manages to have very siginificent, large scale stake without blowing up half the city and being all about the body count and how beat up Dredd gets. At the same time is has even more significent personal sakes. Really playing with Dredd as the unstoppable warrior and placing him in an arena where he is - initially - impendent. Its really brilliant craft.
Oh and then if seamlessly switchs to a great crime mystery (in the Columbo sense) as it becomes PJ Maybe's best story.
1) Trifecta
2) Mechanismo
3) Tour of Duty
1. Tour of Duty
2. Wilderlands
3. End of Days
-I swear, more people are gonna rate End of Days after a re-read. Tour of Duty is indeed a Hyper epic. And as such, it can't sustain pure greatness all the way through - but the set up and many of the details are just brilliant. It's also the only big epic to have significant John Higgins involvement, one of Dredd's longest-serving and least-lauded artists. (I think he did a chapter or maybe two of Oz?)
Quote from: AlexF on 11 March, 2021, 09:52:36 AM
more people are gonna rate End of Days after a re-read.
It's right after the complete Sonny Steelgrave on my re-read pile.
1 Tour of Duty - What a great story this is. Agree with Colin that this is a significant epic despite not having a war or some other huge worldchanging thing at stake. The character work in this is superb. It's the anti-End of Days, really.
2 Trifecta
3. Mechanismo - Straight up choice between it and Wilderlands..
1. Tour of Duty — properly epic and top-quality stuff
2. Mechanismo — some way back from the above, but still solid
3. Trifecta — clinging on by its fingernails; no chance it'll still be in my list next round, surely?
1. Wilderlands
2. Mechanismo
3. City of the Damned
I have NOT read ToD yet sadly, so can't vote for it. Or Trifecta...unless a story is collected in the Case Files or prog/meg from the past 2ish years, I've not read it.
If ToD is in Progs 1649-1693, what are we, 6 or so case files away?
- Tour Of Duty
- Trifecta
- Mechanismo
Not read the 2 crossovers that have joined the voting this time around which automatically excluded them from my voting options. End of Days for all it's action packedness just didn't ever establish any kind of tension - the stakes were high but it never felt like there was any doubt as to the outcome and there hasn't been much ongoing impact.
1. Tour Of Duty
2. Trifecta
3. Wilderlands
Tour Of Duty is the top Dredd epic for me.
1 - Tour of Duty
2 - city of the Dammed
3 - trifecta
1st: City of the Damned
2nd: Tour of Duty
3rd: Trifecta
Mechanismo
City of the The Damned
Tour of Duty
Though I sadly suspect CotD will get booted by Trifecta, honestly, the narrative conceit is excellent and pulled off espertly; the overall story? Not quite so much
City of the Damned
Tour of Duty
Mechanismo.
1. City of the Damned
2. Mechanismo
3. Tour of Duty
Seriously... City of the Damned has to be top 10, hell top 5, stuff.
1. Mechanismo
2. City of the The Damned
3. Wilderlands
1. Tour of Duty - I loved how Dredd was put I nto a position he couldn't fight his way out of (because he had to obey orders and take this shit posting in the CE). It also had that classic Carlos page with the SJS marching to arrest Sinfield.
2. Mechanismo - This will be always be significant, and Colin MacNeil did some of his best exit wounds on part one.
3. Trifecta - because of Dredd kicking in the door
Hmm, I must be in a minority lacking love for Tour of Duty. For sure there are some cracking moments, not least of all that iconic Carlos cover. The general concept is a good one as well. For me though it just felt like it didn't really have the courage of its convictions. so much more could have gone on.
Judge Dredd vs Aliens has to be one of the better crossovers of its type. Not forgetting Flint's artwork on it. CoTD has some of Dillon's best artwork, not forgetting Gibson and Smith. Of the rest I would have to say Mechanismo is one of the more impactful stories.
So for me:
3 - Mechanismo
2 - City of the Damned
1 - Dredd vs Aliens (and clearly I'm in a minority here, but hey-ho).
1. Tour of Duty (Blam! First Big Hitter Alert!)
2. City of the Damned (cool concept, nice ending, plus Dillon bringing the awesome)
3. Mechanismo (these last two keep flipping spots for me)
1 Tour of Duty
2 Mechanismo
3 City of the Damned
1 Tour of Duty
2 Trifecta
3 Judgement on Gotham (Is this really getting no love whatsoever?)
VOTING CLOSED
Whoops sorry forgot to put a reminder on that this was closing this morning, but I think we've had the most votes of any round to date so I'm guessing anyone who'd want to has voted?
And what a vote it was. I thought that I'd be using that video from 'Just for Laughs' again, but now as the number reveal:
Progressing to the next round:
Tour of Duty - 54 points
Mechanismo - 32 points
City of the Damned - 27 points
Trifecta - 21 points
Going into the 36 - 29 position play off:
Wilderlands - 7 points
Judge Dredd vs Aliens - 7 points
End of Days - 1
Judgement on Gotham - 1
So City of the Damned has actually increased its vote from Round 5! Where on earth will it finally land. Its also overtook Wilderlands that after a good showing in Round 5 is out into the play offs in Round 6. We also get a new leader - AND RIGHTLY BLOODY SO as Tour of Duty blasts into the next round. That next round brings some interesting titles in so we'll see if any of those can stop any of these?
See you Monday
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 13 March, 2021, 06:43:57 AM
VOTING CLOSED
Whoops sorry forgot to put a reminder on that this was closing this morning, but I think we've had the most votes of any round to date so I'm guessing anyone who'd want to has voted?
No. 🙁 But I see that, actually, my votes would have changed nothing!
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 13 March, 2021, 09:20:22 AM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 13 March, 2021, 06:43:57 AM
VOTING CLOSED
Whoops sorry forgot to put a reminder on that this was closing this morning, but I think we've had the most votes of any round to date so I'm guessing anyone who'd want to has voted?
No. 🙁 But I see that, actually, my votes would have changed nothing!
What would they have been - I'm happy to add them to the final scores.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 13 March, 2021, 10:28:36 AM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 13 March, 2021, 09:20:22 AM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 13 March, 2021, 06:43:57 AM
VOTING CLOSED
Whoops sorry forgot to put a reminder on that this was closing this morning, but I think we've had the most votes of any round to date so I'm guessing anyone who'd want to has voted?
No. 🙁 But I see that, actually, my votes would have changed nothing!
What would they have been - I'm happy to add them to the final scores.
Colin, you're a gent! At least this way everyone is spared my waffle.
Tour of Duty
Wilderlands
Trifecta
VOTING CLOSED and UPDATED
Progressing to the next round:
Tour of Duty - 57 points
Mechanismo - 32 points
City of the Damned - 27 points
Trifecta - 22 points
Going into the 36 - 29 position play off:
Wilderlands - 9 points
Judge Dredd vs Aliens - 7 points
End of Days - 1
Judgement on Gotham - 1