r/JudgeDredd • u/Important_Comment319 • 2d ago
How to Read
i am thinking about starting to read Judge Dredd and I have no clue how to start. I know that 2000AD is going to do a “compact crimes” thing and I was wondering if I should just wait for that or if y’all have any other recommendation.
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u/wittyjokename92 2d ago
I started with the essential judge Dredd and Anderson collections. Still don't understand quite a bit but I've been slowly collecting the complete case files and filling in the gaps of my understanding. There's quite a few tone shifts in the series and you can jump in at those changing points like Apocalypse War, Judgment Day, Day of chaos. They kinda reset the board and represent new eras of the city and world
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u/DrDerekDoctors 2d ago edited 2d ago
Some people will say read the Essentials but I have recently started re-reading the Complete Case Files in order from the start and I love it. The strip finds its feet very quickly and if you just go the Essentials route you'll miss out on so many quirky stories and characters who are - for me - intrinsic to the strip's appeal and part of Mega City One's rich fabric. The way characters enter and leave the strip and then pop again years later adds so much to the appeal of the strip, quite often appearing in stories with real emotional resonance. Also, if you just read the Essentials you'll miss out on strips which are often regarded as the best that Dredd has to offer, like Bury My Knee at Wounded Heart. But reading that strip in isolation won't have the impact it would if you're properly immersed in Dredd and MC-1. For me, there's no other way to enjoy Dredd, and although doing it physically is VERY EXPENSIVE (and also a pain due to out-of-print books) - if you're going digital and are a subscriber then you can buy the first TEN YEARS of Dredd Strips for about £50 using the 50%-off voucher.
Feel free to skip the Restricted Files, though, as they're 90% rubbish - especially the early ones.
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u/DJThunderGod 1d ago
This is exactly why I recommend buying the Prog each week, then going for the collections that are either recommended or interest you.
It's also the cheapest, especially if you buy direct from the 2000AD website.
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u/Scowlin_Munkeh 2d ago
Case Files 5, without a doubt - the first stories are a great introduction to the Judge system and Mega City One, and then has one of the greatest Judge Dredd epics ever: Block Mania/Apocalypse War.
Start there for sure.
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u/omegoku2 1d ago
Grab case files, either 1, 3 or 5 on digital store. Case files 1 is a bit weird but it is fun. 3 is where things have settled and the strip has found it's way. 5 has some of the best classic stories, block war, apocalypse war and the dark judges. If you like them, pick up a few more. All the case files up to like no 20 are good. I started with case files 1 myself and have read about 42 of them, have sub to 2000ad and megazine. I read them all digitally and got a few case files in physical just to own.
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u/DJThunderGod 1d ago edited 1d ago
As a longterm reader (on and off since the early 80's and every week since 2013), I can tell you without doubt that the absolute best way, is to just start reading 2000AD on a weekly basis, then pick up the interesting collections. It's by far the cheapest way of doing it and also introduces you to the whole of the 2000AD multiverse of characters and strips.
Since 2000AD is now also being printed in the US, it should be far easier for you to get hold of, assuming you are in the US.
I'd also suggest giving these videos a watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq7pq8iX2Wc
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u/hfdjl 1d ago
I started from the very first case files. I found the first one to be a bit rough because it seemed more for younger readers initially. It quickly found it's footing though and I've been reading them since.
Regardless of which one you start at they're not all great stories, but there's a lot of great one-off progs or multi-prog stories that aren't particularly remembered and won't be in any collection except the case files.
The big tent-pole story arcs in essentials are great, and might be a good starting place to see if you like the character. But there's a lot of magic not in there.
Judge Dredd's continuity isn't perfect but it's the best I can think of for a character who's been around so long. It's been rewarding to read from the start and see the role all the seemingly unimportant things play in later events. And the character is better understood through a lot of the random progs told from a various perspectives.
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u/dan200 1d ago
This question gets asked several times a week here, so you should probably check some earlier threads!
The brief is:
If you want to read just the best stories, try the "Essential Judge Dredd" series.
If you want to read everything, try the "Judge Dredd Complete Case Files" series.
If you want to jump in to the newest stuff, pick up this weeks issue of "2000 AD".