So welcome to the knockouts of Dredd Epics Ranked - Better. Round one - exciting! And we kick off with two big hitters (well their all big hitters now I guess) Seed 4 against seed 13. Arguably the The biggest of the Mega-Epics vs the smallest scale Mega-Epic. But can that close personal examination of Dredd, that forged and shaped his supporting cast for years to come possibly take out a nostalgic giant that took out more than half the city? Only you can decide.
Seed 4 Apocalypse War (inc Block War) (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-6-4-how-much-destruction-can-one.html) Progs 236-270
Vs
Seed 13 The Pit (https://dreddepicsranked.blogspot.com/2020/12/epics-16-14-two-of-these-are-many.html) - Progs 970 - 999
Back to the simple purity of popping the name of the Epic you prefer in a reply to this thread (remember to mark it clearly so I can spot it - bold tags are good) and then say whatever the heck you like to about these two great stories.
We're also back to 3 day votes so this one will close first thing in the morning Thursday 1st of April - winner advances to the Quarter Finals - loser goes into the 16th - 9th play off vote.
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.
You mean "Block Mania". Not Block War from Prog 182 😉.
Apocalypse War
sad to see The Pit fall so soon. it's a first class epic but not sure much can stand against its opponent.
Apocalypse War is my vote.
The Pit arguably set the standard for modern Dredd. But the destruction of half the city and Dredd's revenge, the triumphant return of King Carlos, and so many iconic moments mean The Apocalypse War carries it here.
Quote from: Magnetica on 29 March, 2021, 07:07:08 AM
You mean "Block Mania". Not Block War from Prog 182 😉.
You are absolutely correct.
Apocalypse War for me.
apocalypse war
The Pit is the moment in which Dredd, the strip, shifted from something with appeal that was largely nostalgic to something that proved it's worth as an ongoing concern. At least for me.
However, The Apocalypse War is still my go-to 'graphic novel' if I'm ever at a loss for anything to read, and I can still remember the excitement of reading it weekly in the prog. So, while qualitatively adult me wants to vote for The Pit... The Apocalypse War gets the nod.
SBT
Both would make my top 5...
But The Apocalypse War would be ahead.
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 29 March, 2021, 08:54:24 AM
Both would make my top 5...
I'm similar - I was surprised how relatively poorly The Pit performed in Seeding - hence its got a really tough draw here.
Honestly, if there is a modern(ish) Dredd that has a chance of being people's favourite epic it IS the Pit, which has everythiing except a great villain and consistent artwork. Against almost any other classic epic it'd surely get some love but realy, the Apocalypse War is too fun, too funny, too ballsy, too well-drawn to ignore.
Apocalypse War all the way...
I think both 'Day of Chaos' and 'Tour of Duty' have a chance of doing okay? I'd be surprised if at least one didn't get top 4? I guess the question is how folks vote for stories that aren't traditionally regarded as Epics but are REALLY well loved... the vote will prevail...
In real terms AW is better, especially on the artwork front, but I'm voting for The Pit, because I love it and I don't want it going out here with zero votes. As others have said it's top 5 material IMO.
AW all the way!
Where else the hero destroys a mega city?
Gotta be Apocalypse War
From the start, this has been about favourites. Apocalypse War is the more iconic story and arguably more epic in the sense of a big splash. But The Pit wins it for me, because it's just a better read.
I would love to buck the trend, but it's The Apocalypse War for me.
Block Mania is just full of iconic moments, like the dropping of the frenzy whip, the mob facing off against the Judges, Orlock poisoning the water supply, Giant's death, "I'm with Rowdy Yates Block! Who you fighting with?" And that's before we even get to the Apocalypse War itself.
Surely nothing can top that.
But The Pit set the tone for modern Dredd, and was a beacon of quality at a time when most stories in 2000AD where pretty mediocre. And it deserves to get more than one vote. So it's got mine.
The Apocalypse War.
Apocalypse War.
Hmmm let's see ... Ezquerra at the top of his game ... massive destruction and loss of life ... more iconic scenes and ironic one-liners than you can shake a HB pencil at ... and if we expand to include Block Mania as part of it we get to add in McMahon, Dillon, Bolland and Smith on art duties, even more classic one-liners, Grover's casual indifference for supporting characters (Death of Giant) ...
On the other hand ... Ezquerra breathing new life into his game ... massive destruction and loss of life ... that kiss ... reinvigoration of Dredd as a strip ... a new cast of supporting characters .... the borderline psychotic Roffman ...
Hmmm. You know it is actually tougher than first thought. But no "looks like total nuke-out" ... "I'm with Rowdy Yates Block ...." It's got to be Apocalypse War.
Got a collected edition of the Apocalypse War at Xmas - it's a classic no doubt, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I have on previous reads.
The Pit is of course a landmark marking the start of Dredd as it has become. But while also being a good read, it never really hit the full mark for me. It's more the consequences that are interesting.
So, on balance Apocalypse War for me.
I didn't read either of these in the prog, AW because it came before I bought and The Pit because I'd jumped ship. There's no doubt that AW is the most important Dredd story, but The Pit is a better read. Possibly.
I read The Pit when it came out, and the Apocalypse War a few years after that in reprints. (I mean, I probably read some Apocalypse War episodes when they came out, but I was very young and can't really remember.)
The Pit was amazing - I re-read it after buying the audiobook a couple of weeks ago. But as for gung-ho, balls out destruction, and the mega-epic that paved the way for all subsequent ones, Ezquerra art all the way, gleefully nasty incidents of execution and torture, and massive disaster scenes that cinema hadn't yet learned how to do properly, it's got to be The Apocalypse War for me.
(Also, huge portions of The Pit had Alan Craddock on colours. No. Sorry, but just no.)
Block Mania/ Apocalypse War for me.
The Apocalypse War
I'm not going to say it was my first prog, but The Pit was near enough to it to make no difference in my memory. I remember thinking this is what Dredd was always about and would always be about, a comic concerning the shenanigans of Sector House 13, and the strip got its title from and focus from the gaffer. Everything flowed from that starting point so elegantly that I'm not sure I even realised my initial assumption of Future Police Precinct Procedural was wrong.
The point I'm badly making here is The Pit is page 1 of Dredd for me. The Apocalypse War is great and all but its from The Before Time. It doesn't have the same nostalgia for me. I don't think experiencing it first as an audio drama helps either.
So it's The Pit for me.
Apocalypse War
Sadly, as I love The Pit and those late 90s procedurals. But the AW has been hanging over Dredd for 40 years now and is still relevant.
Apocalypse War
Every newbie: "Where should I start reading Dredd?"
Every Squaxx: "Case Files #5"
When getting into Dredd several years ago, the above basically summarizes my search. Start with the Apocalypse War was the answer. While not necessarily my recommendation (I say start with CF #1 and don't miss a volume!) I do get why that is reccomend. The story is awesome and the art incredible; this epic planted the seeds of my obsession with Ezquerra's art.
Apocalypse War all day baby.
The Apocalypse War - remember Dan Tanna!
Tough draw for the Pit, which really deserves to go further... but not today. The apocalypse war for me please. Basically for all the reasons practically everyone else said!
Apocalypse War....
I guess I haven't been paying attention: how did The Pit end up in the bottom half of the seedings...? Hate to vote against such an important story, but let's face it: it's The Apocalypse War. Pure comics.
Tough draw for The Pit but like so many others I have to cast my vote for The Apocalypse War
The Pit
Closing this one down in the morning so any last votes need to be popped in today and we'll have our first quarter finalists and folks ready for the play-offs ... that might be changing....
Apocalypse War...
These would've been my two and three (or maybe three and four) or both top four anyway. So it's tough to see them up against each other so early. The Pit is great and everything but The Apocalypse War takes this bout.
VOTING CLOSED
Well the other vote went as expected and from an eye scan I thought this one was as well... but... but ... WOW!!! I knew The Pit was respected but there is no Earth on which I though this would happen. There was of course a lot of love for the original Epic of Mass Destruction but it seems overall the earthier more character driven world of
The Pit
took this in what must surely be the shock of this of indeed any other Tourney to date. I'm stunned... even if I agree...
I was confused...I began to count...happy [spoiler]April Fools[/spoiler] Colin!
This result is a surprise for me. When Dredd is mentioned most cases people will talk about AW and not The Pit.
Quote from: Rogue Judge on 01 April, 2021, 07:30:41 AM
I was confused...I began to count...happy [spoiler]April Fools[/spoiler] Colin!
Well I did wonder if I could [spoiler]pull it off so [/spoiler]that made my day... well until [spoiler]noon[/spoiler]
VOTING CLOSED - NONE APRIL FOOL VERSION
Of chuffin' course
Apocalypse War
won this vote - by a country bloomin' mile. The earlier result was just my childish attempt to drum up shock and surprise and even revulsion to celebrate the day... you didn't bite damnit.
Apocalypse War is through to the Quarter Finals and The Pit enters what is a changing play-off situation...
At least you caught one sucker !!!!
Two. :-[
That's the thing right now, when you consider what the news is like day-in, day-out, it's virtually impossible to know when someone is pulling your leg these days ... :o