Judge Dredd: Case Files 03

The Complete Case Files 02 contained two long story arcs and few shorter stories. Third contain only short stories. Longest being only four issues long. Only memorable story is one with first appearance of Judge Death and Judge Anderson. Stories are quite uneven from worst stories so far to some of the best short stories so far.

Maria and Judge Giant are no longer part of stories. Walter The Robot is still there but less in later stories. Judge Dredd starts to become more of a ideal judge than person with home and someone waiting there. More what I remembered from first time I read the comics. Writers are trying to figure this change out. It results quite uneven stories which don’t seem to have anything to say. It will get better later but I started to consider if I should read Dredd from Complete Case Files or get collections of best stories.

After this I know I prefer longer Judge Dredd stories. Binging shorter stories is exhausting. At least when quality is as varying as in this collection.

Judge Dredd: Case Files 02 ( + Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth Uncensored)

The name says The Complete Case Files. That is not the case with this book. 2000AD had some trademark problems with four issues of The Cursed Earth. They didn’t dare to add them into Case Files 02 collection. When parody laws changed they released uncensored version of The Cursed Earth saga. Case Files don’t have burger war story and another story with many trademarked character. Burger War is fun story. Another one feels complete filler. Burger War isn’t worth the full price when Uncensored has worst image quality. I read everything else from Case Files. Don’t know worse picture quality that is possible. I got Uncensored in Humble Bundle. Wouldn’t have paid full price.

Case FIles 02 has The Cursed Earth and The Day the Law Died plus few shorter stories. The Cursed Earth is Dredd’s journey from Mega City 1 to Mega City 2 through Cursed Earth. The Day the Law Died tells what happens when future Caligula becomes Chief Justice. I haven’t seen it mentioned too often but to me it is most memorable Judge Dredd story. So memorable I had forgotten how long it was.

First Case Files was collection of short stories. This is mainly two long stories and few shorter stories at the end. Can’t say which one is better format. Shorter stories give you good jumping off point when you read late at night. First case files felt bit off at the beginning. This is the Dredd I remember reading decades ago.

Judge Dredd: Case Files 01

I have read Judge Dredd decades ago. Have wanted to read these case files for sometime. 2000 AD sells them as files. When Comixology was still around it was more convenient that using files and reader. Now that Comixology library is unreadable and I have saved only 15% as backup files it was good time to start this project. There are currently 38 case file books and few more books collecting specials. 39th is coming in couple months. Not sure if I get all of them. I read these as long as I enjoy them. Everything I have read before should be in first ten books.

Judge Dredd is published in 2000 AD’s magazine in few pages chunks. Stories happen in “real time” or close to real time. Meaning Dredd is getting older and world changes as stories go on. This book collects first comics published in magazine. At the beginning they are figuring out how to do this. By the end it start to feel more like comics I remember. If they knew how popular Dredd would become they might have started with younger Dredd.

I wanted to read these books instead of classic story collections because short one issue stories are quite interesting. Longer stories are still told in few page chunks but take many issues. Few page format has benefit and drawbacks. Benefit is they can go crazy because it is just few pages. Drawback it they have to have some sort of conclusion or cliffhanger every few page. It makes binging the stories bit exhausting. Book’s longer stories include robot war and Dredd’s time on moon colony Luna 1. Shorter stories have Dredd’s brother which was used in Sylvester Stallone’s Dredd movie.

Judge Dredd 20220220

It was week when Comixology died. It was time to finally get in Judge Dredd. Judge Dredd fan art felt like best way to go. Review of Judge Dredd: Case Files 01 coming later. Text was inspired by first Judge Dredd comic which you can find from Case Files 01. It has little bit different Judge Dredd. Original idea was to have him shout “I am the law” but with gun in that place it didn’t work.

I finished inking course. Not sure what course to take next or how fast I will do it. I have started to ink and color drafts. Before I only made drafts. Starting to get better at it. Not good enough to draw same character over and over again but getting passable characters. Now the question is should I just draw more or try to do course which teaches different style and pick something different for problem areas. It is not like I have to buy new courses for that. Just start one I have bought earlier.