The Four Dark Judges... Plus nine more?

[mimikeke]

Maybe?  I suppose?  What this ends up being is that this is what the uninitiated end up thinking the core of Dredd is all about.  Well, this and the Stallone movie.  Very few comic shops over here get 2000 AD at all, so there is very little exposure beyond the IDW stuff.  It's not a good thing when someone has heard good things about Dredd, decides to try this, and then dismisses it as being silly and not very good... having no exposure to the Wagner books, or the work the other excellent creators are doing currently.

The figures for the IDW books are very healthy, which suggest there's an audience out there that either want something different in tone to 'traditional' Dredd or are not willing to read 2000 AD. This is an audience we simply cannot reach, but one that is being exposed to the character in a new way. How is this a bad thing? If the IDW stuff isn't to your tastes, that's fine - but it's something thousands and thousands of people enjoy every month. This is just a different string to the bow and has an excellent knock-on effect for awareness of our books in North America.

I for one, endorse this statement.  I can't get 2000AD anywhere except for online and I live in a major metropolitan area in the US.  I went to a very popular comic shop here in the Bay Area and they had never even heard of Dredd, movie or otherwise.  We take what we can get

[locustsofdeath!]

That's so weird...

I assumed the sales were low because I don't know anyone reading it. None of the nerds in the comic shops I haunt are even interested in the title. But still, cool, wish it was a better comic either way.

[Molch-R]

I assumed the sales were low

They're ... kinda not. In fact, the combined sales of the IDW titles every month are pretty damn good.

[Skullmo]

I assumed if they were not selling then IDW would not be producing them, they do not have charitable status!

[locustsofdeath!]

I assumed the sales were low

They're ... kinda not. In fact, the combined sales of the IDW titles every month are pretty damn good.

Oh, I'm not disputing that. I was just surprised for reasons I stated.

I gave the comic a go. A good, honest chance. I'll put it this way: I'm glad there are forum members willing to buy and send me copies of 2000AD and I haven't missed a prog in the 2 years since I've been back in the States.

[Taryn Tailz]

I can't help but look at Judge Choke and think he looks like someone's poured a bucket of water over Judge Fire. 

[BPP]

Maybe?  I suppose?  What this ends up being is that this is what the uninitiated end up thinking the core of Dredd is all about.  Well, this and the Stallone movie.  Very few comic shops over here get 2000 AD at all, so there is very little exposure beyond the IDW stuff.  It's not a good thing when someone has heard good things about Dredd, decides to try this, and then dismisses it as being silly and not very good... having no exposure to the Wagner books, or the work the other excellent creators are doing currently.

The figures for the IDW books are very healthy, which suggest there's an audience out there that either want something different in tone to 'traditional' Dredd or are not willing to read 2000 AD. This is an audience we simply cannot reach, but one that is being exposed to the character in a new way. How is this a bad thing? If the IDW stuff isn't to your tastes, that's fine - but it's something thousands and thousands of people enjoy every month. This is just a different string to the bow and has an excellent knock-on effect for awareness of our books in North America.

You don't think the repositioning of Dredd and the rewriting of concepts such as The Dark Judges is damaging to your core IP? Sales may be one thing but the direction this comic is in seems so far from the standards, quality and spirit of Dredd that one wonders what's 'Dredd' will mean to US audiences in a few years time.

[sheldipez]

Maybe?  I suppose?  What this ends up being is that this is what the uninitiated end up thinking the core of Dredd is all about.  Well, this and the Stallone movie.  Very few comic shops over here get 2000 AD at all, so there is very little exposure beyond the IDW stuff.  It's not a good thing when someone has heard good things about Dredd, decides to try this, and then dismisses it as being silly and not very good... having no exposure to the Wagner books, or the work the other excellent creators are doing currently.

The figures for the IDW books are very healthy, which suggest there's an audience out there that either want something different in tone to 'traditional' Dredd or are not willing to read 2000 AD. This is an audience we simply cannot reach, but one that is being exposed to the character in a new way. How is this a bad thing? If the IDW stuff isn't to your tastes, that's fine - but it's something thousands and thousands of people enjoy every month. This is just a different string to the bow and has an excellent knock-on effect for awareness of our books in North America.

You don't think the repositioning of Dredd and the rewriting of concepts such as The Dark Judges is damaging to your core IP? Sales may be one thing but the direction this comic is in seems so far from the standards, quality and spirit of Dredd that one wonders what's 'Dredd' will mean to US audiences in a few years time.

What else can they do? Cut Dredd serials out of the progs and release their own monthly series? I get the impression that getting the US market to jump onto a long running british anthology would be like getting most of the grumps on this board to read US comics. 

[Molch-R]

You don't think the repositioning of Dredd and the rewriting of concepts such as The Dark Judges is damaging to your core IP? Sales may be one thing but the direction this comic is in seems so far from the standards, quality and spirit of Dredd that one wonders what's 'Dredd' will mean to US audiences in a few years time.

Nope. It's been a resilient one over 37 years and will continue to be, and I'd dispute that IDW's work is that far from anything we've published over that period, it's just a different take and appeals to a different audience. Dredd isn't one character, one take, one interpretation, and the fact is he's more popular and with a greater profile now than at any point in the past 20 years.

[Proudhuff]

Maybe?  I suppose?  What this ends up being is that this is what the uninitiated end up thinking the core of Dredd is all about.  Well, this and the Stallone movie.  Very few comic shops over here get 2000 AD at all, so there is very little exposure beyond the IDW stuff.  It's not a good thing when someone has heard good things about Dredd, decides to try this, and then dismisses it as being silly and not very good... having no exposure to the Wagner books, or the work the other excellent creators are doing currently.

The figures for the IDW books are very healthy, which suggest there's an audience out there that either want something different in tone to 'traditional' Dredd or are not willing to read 2000 AD. This is an audience we simply cannot reach, but one that is being exposed to the character in a new way. How is this a bad thing? If the IDW stuff isn't to your tastes, that's fine - but it's something thousands and thousands of people enjoy every month. This is just a different string to the bow and has an excellent knock-on effect for awareness of our books in North America.

I for one, endorse this statement.  I can't get 2000AD anywhere except for online and I live in a major metropolitan area in the US.  I went to a very popular comic shop here in the Bay Area and they had never even heard of Dredd, movie or otherwise.  We take what we can get

You see what happens Larry? You see what happens?

[Molch-R]

What else can they do? Cut Dredd serials out of the progs and release their own monthly series? I get the impression that getting the US market to jump onto a long running british anthology would be like getting most of the grumps on this board to read US comics. 

This. One of the harsh truths we have to face is that, after 30 years of having access to them in multiple forms, if the American audience isn't reading the 'originals' then they're never going to and a different take than just telling them they should is required. They're not a charity, but IDW are doing 2000 AD a great service in reaching out to new audiences and the sales of our graphic novels have boomed along with it.

[Spaceghost]

Maybe?  I suppose?  What this ends up being is that this is what the uninitiated end up thinking the core of Dredd is all about.  Well, this and the Stallone movie.  Very few comic shops over here get 2000 AD at all, so there is very little exposure beyond the IDW stuff.  It's not a good thing when someone has heard good things about Dredd, decides to try this, and then dismisses it as being silly and not very good... having no exposure to the Wagner books, or the work the other excellent creators are doing currently.

The figures for the IDW books are very healthy, which suggest there's an audience out there that either want something different in tone to 'traditional' Dredd or are not willing to read 2000 AD. This is an audience we simply cannot reach, but one that is being exposed to the character in a new way. How is this a bad thing? If the IDW stuff isn't to your tastes, that's fine - but it's something thousands and thousands of people enjoy every month. This is just a different string to the bow and has an excellent knock-on effect for awareness of our books in North America.

You don't think the repositioning of Dredd and the rewriting of concepts such as The Dark Judges is damaging to your core IP? Sales may be one thing but the direction this comic is in seems so far from the standards, quality and spirit of Dredd that one wonders what's 'Dredd' will mean to US audiences in a few years time.

What else can they do? Cut Dredd serials out of the progs and release their own monthly series? I get the impression that getting the US market to jump onto a long running british anthology would be like getting most of the grumps on this board to read US comics. 

They COULD just put out a better comic?

I wouldn't mind Dredd being re-booted and jiggered about if the result was a good comic, but it's not. It's a bad comic. A very bad comic.

I gave it a chance too. I bought the first 10 issues hoping it would surprise me. It did, but not in a positive way.

Year One and Mars Attacks (and by all accounts Mega City 2 though I haven't read it) show that good, strong stories CAN be told in this 'universe' but the ongoing Dredd title is not doing that.

[Molch-R]

I wouldn't mind Dredd being re-booted and jiggered about if the result was a good comic, but it's not. It's a bad comic. A very bad comic.

With the very greatest of respect, this is just your opinion. A smidge under 10,000 people disagree with you every month.

[James Stacey]

I wouldn't mind Dredd being re-booted and jiggered about if the result was a good comic, but it's not. It's a bad comic. A very bad comic.

With the very greatest of respect, this is just your opinion. A smidge under 10,000 people disagree with you every month.

Well, some of us agree fully but still buy it ..

[Molch-R]

Well, some of us agree fully but still buy it ..

Then there's no helping you