Hi

[Rara Avis]

Good Morning Everyone,

Just wanted to say hello to everyone.
I read 2000AD in my youth, quit for a (good) few years and now I'm back wondering 'What have I missed?'.

Why did I leave? I got distracted by life ..

Why am I back? I forgot how much I enjoyed reading comics ... how could I???

Catch you around.

[Colin YNWA]

Welcome (back) aboard.

Reading comics is a bit fun isn't it. Depending on when you left 'What have I missed?' could be quite a lot of good stuff, but you'll have fun catching up I'm sure.

[Rara Avis]

Thanks!

I have missed so much .. I almost don't know where to begin ..

Oh yeah .. how the hell did Dredd end up with a niece and who the hell is this Rico?

[Dandontdare]

Welcome back - it's a familiar story!

As for Rico, the original Rico was Dredd's clone brother, who went bad and was sent to Titan by Dredd 20 years before the prog stories started - prog 8 (I think) saw him return to get revenge and get gunned down by Dredd. Apparently he fathered a  child (Vienna) with a reporter who was allowed to interview him on Titan during his sentence.

The current Rico is another clone of Dredd, but one who is still one of the good guys - he chose to reclaim the name "Rico" and he's basically a younger model of Dredd.

For a collection of stories centred about Dredd's extended clone-family, try the TPB Judge Dredd: Brothers of the Blood.

Other essential Dredd catch up GNs - Origins (bad Bob Trump Booth, the Atomic War and the the birth of Justice Dept) and Day of Chaos (payback for the Apocalypse War - MC1 devastated); but I'd also recommend The Pit (sector house procedural with large supporting cast) and Total War (Justice Dept vs terrorists demanding democracy)

[Rara Avis]

I know, I’ve been reading the Nerve Centre and it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one. I regret not sticking with it though, I’ve missed out on so many thrills. Although 2000AD is all grown up now, no more reader submitted drawings and I note with sadness the demise of the free LRD.

Ah ok, I got something like that from the recent Grindstone Cowboys story but I thought that he was just another cadet called Rico. When he showed up to the Christmas dinner at Dredd’s niece’s house it certainly got me thinking ‘Who *is* this dude?’

So that’s Vienna explained -  has she had any effect on Dredd? Has having family / not being alone changed him at all?

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ve ordered Day of Chaos already but will look into the others.