THE APOCALYPSE WAR | The First True Judge Dredd Epic

[@DiegoReviews]

You did not need to pop off this hard. The b-roll, the soundtrack, editing, tone of voice. This was such a gripping video. Incredible!

[@MattyStoked]

Wow, thank you so much. It's all quite new and already I've got a few ideas of what to do differently next time. But I'm having an absolute blast right now. This was fun from beginning to end!

[@a51s49]

Agreed 🧐

[@MattDraper]

Ahhhhhhhhh this was incredible!!!!! Loved this so much and would love more Dredd. Cursed Earth maybe?

[@dipster6290]

Oh, SNAP MATT D, I love your videos! And this was great. Me and my friend have been talking about reading dredd for years now. Finally going to pull that trigger now and start with this.

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you mate, you're so kind! I would love to make more Dredd videos. Cursed Earth could be a fun one. That's some of Bolland's best work!

[@MattyStoked]

​@@dipster6290if you pull the trigger on reading Dredd because of this video, my heart will burst with pure pride.

[@dipster6290]

Already in my Amazon, thanks for the video!

[@Manga_Lloyd]

More British/European comic videos, please! This was so cool. I already liked Judge Dredd as a character, but I honestly knew nothing about the different tone of the original iteration.

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you. The response to this has been wonderful. I am absolutely going to do more.

[@mxvega1097]

I must have read The Apocalypse War in about 1986, after buying a stack of early 80s progs from a second hand store. Reading it at the time seemed to slot into the zeitgeist about getting too casual or comfortable with easing tensions with the Soviets, that a naive and dangerous triumphalism was setting in, especially in the US. War was clean, distant, invaders could be fought off with teens with ARs (eg Red Dawn). Ezquerra's art was brutal. And Dredd returns a conquering hero. No parallels there, no sirree, as we watched the Iran-Contra show and then the Gulf War show on tv. Dredd was great art and absolutely bang on target for its times.

[@Mr2at]

Born in 68, started reading 2000ad in 79. So hit Apocalypse War in my early teens. It was superb entertainment that's not been easily surpassed since.

[@MattyStoked]

In a small way, I regret making this my first video about Dredd. This was such a great story to talk about, it feels like I've nearly peaked haha

[@rhysholdaway]

I collected these in their Eagle reprints. Apocalypse War is pretty epic and is probably my second favorite Dredd story, just behind The Robot Wars which appeared slightly earlier. Good review man. You should definitely do more.

[@MattyStoked]

When I said ".. isn't the first multi-part story", I was going to have a shot of Call-Me-Kenneth. I love that arc! I actually got into Judge Dredd by reading imported Eagle comics! Looking back, that almost feels a bit silly. But it doesn't really matter how you get into something. Thanks for the kind words. I absolutely will do more of these.

[@rhysholdaway]

@@MattyStoked not silly... it was "death to the fleshy ones!" that made me fall in love with Dredd comics. Recently read Nextwave and it brought a smile to my face when Machine Man made the same reference.

[@Eleven17Studios]

Genuinely had no clue how cool Judge Dredd was. Hopefully, my local shop has a copy.

[@MattyStoked]

It's a REALLY cool book. I think a detail which is overlooked is how satirical the book is. He's a terrible fascist, and the writers can still sometimes make that funny.

[@juggaloclownpreacher]

War is hell man And it will transform any goofball into a serious Warrior.

[@Hellismary]

Would LOVE a breakdown of my favorite Dredd Arc “The Day The Law Died” I feel that’s the absolute best!

[@MattyStoked]

That's a little earlier than this. But I have also had a request for the Cursed Earth. I've got my plans for the next couple of Dredd videos though, so check back real soon!

[@jonathanguzman3044]

Ever since i saw the mind blowing film Dredd(2012) ive been trying to learn as much as i can about this surreal potential future

[@MattyStoked]

And there's loads to learn! I'm working on my next Dredd video. I really enjoyed making this one :)

[@Larry]

Fantastic work Matt, thoroughly enjoyed it Sir! You definitely should consider sending this to 2000AD/Rebellion, they love content like this!!! Also, amazed this is your first piece, I could have sworn you did something on Strongtonium Dog. :S

[@MattyStoked]

You're kind as always, Larry. I'll send this along to the 2000AD bots, good idea! I haven't done a video on Strontium Dog, but I could!

[@OverDriveOnline7921]

I started reading 2000ad with block mania onward and as a child, it was amazing to read at the time. Even after the apocalypse war finished, the ramifications continued as the other stories went on. I now have the whole series in book form and have read it through several times, catching up on parts I’d forgotten and re-engaging with the story. A nice video here going through the key points, well thought out and presented

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you very much. It was a blast to put together. Events like the Apocalypse War and Judgement Day are still affecting the modern Dredd storyline. As they would if they happened in our world!

[@jacobmotts5752]

I just realized my mouth had fallen open in awe as you gave this exposition paired with that striking artwork from the books. As someone who is looking to dive into Dredd as a whole, this was fantastic.

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you so much, that's so cool to hear! I definitely have more Dredd on the way. The response to this has been awesome.

[@UsurpersAndAssassins]

The Apocalypse War showed how war makes monsters of people. It was incredibly interesting, but also horrifying. Even the best of people can do the most awful of things when they stop questioning their own actions.

[@ADistantImage]

I really hope you do more Dredd videos. There aren't enough but the series deserves to be so much bigger than it is in my country

[@MattyStoked]

It does. And getting it bigger means talking about it more! I am working on the next one. I'm really pleased with the response this video is getting.

[@vadersfather1248]

Even here in Australia me and my mates couldn’t wait for the next 2000ad edition ,dredd is my favourite but rouge trooper was also a great storyline

[@MattyStoked]

Oh yeah I remember seeing the commonwealth prices on the front cover, I always thought that was cool. Rogue Trooper was my favourite character for a long time, he's just so weird! 🧞

[@vadersfather1248]

@@MattyStoked I even have a few old ones lying around that I get out and read from time to time it was weird how it all ended for rogue going to a planet looking for enzyme e to cure bagman helm and gunner

[@michaelgibson2330]

This story line was very cool agree But as a youngster it was always the cursed earth saga that remains my absolute favourite

[@MattyStoked]

I would _love_ for a Cursed Earth series. Each episode by a different writer / director. A different genre, even. Each one a self contained wacky adventure while Dredd makes his way to Mega City 2.

[@leetyler621]

Was a kid when i read this week in week out, and i could not agree more! still makes my spine tingle !

[@MattyStoked]

I'm already working on the next video!

[@edpaintsminis]

I was going to go to bed...but then you hooked me in from start to finish. You're killing it man. You might have just set me off on a Dredd binge. I was having a chat about Transmetropolitan with some friends the other day - would love your take on that :)

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you brother. This was totally out of my comfort zone and I'm super pleased it seems to be resonating with you. I read Transmetropolitan some years ago at the library. I'd have to refresh my memory, but it can happen!

[@SUK2293]

Apocalypse War was my first !

[@MattyStoked]

What a place to start!

[@tripdefect87]

I've been a fan of Dredd for years (mostly just read the Fleetway/Quality and Eagle books, Dredd was fairly hard to come by in the states until the Case Files started coming over after the Karl Urban film) and only read The Apocalypse War recently. I remember reading an issue of the comic that told the tail end of Block Mania and being blown away, but honestly, nothing could have prepared me for how big the Apocalypse War was. What's funny is that I initially skipped over it, thinking that it would be just as bland as The Judge Child quest. Boy, was I ever wrong

[@MattyStoked]

Really great points. It's a story of incredible magnitude. What's wild is that Dredd epics which followed actually manage to top it in scale.

[@arturopineda1997]

I'd love for you to explore more European comics, especially from 2000AD. So many good books that don't get enough attention.

[@MattyStoked]

2000AD alone will give me so much to talk about. But I'd love to talk about the vast wealth of European comics which don't get a lot of coverage on ComicsTube.

[@domhudd]

I love 2000ad and Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog in particular. This video is 👌.

[@MattyStoked]

One day I'll get around to talking about Judgment Day. I also love Strontium Dog, so can't wait to talk about him. Thank you, mate!

[@TheCrawl]

I’ve only read a scattered handful of Dredd comics, most of my appreciation for the series comes from Dredd 2012. This video was a great intro to more of the universe. Also this video was just a joy to watch, man. You have this way of conveying your enthusiasm for the stuff you like in an infectious way that I can’t help but immediately become curious to find out more. Just absolute top-shelf stuff, my dude.

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you so much. I LOVE the 2012 film. Garland cuts out a lot of the nuance to tell a much leaner story. That's where the comics can come in! Thanks so much for the kind comments. I'm glad the enthusiasm comes across. I love geeking out with you!

[@thefireonthehill]

Excellent video. With regards to what collection to go for, I found because the Case Files are a much smaller page size and format from the original progs it did make the artwork look a little 'compressed'. Think the Titan ones were in the original format.

[@MattyStoked]

This is a really good point. To make the books more bookshelf-friendly, the pages have been scaled down and given air at the top and bottom. The collected trades do this a little bit, too. But nowhere near as much!

[@justafied4665]

Great video. I’ve been wanting to get into Dredd more and this was an awesome find.

[@MattyStoked]

Perfect timing as I uploaded another one just this week!

[@jondorsey2043]

Please do more comic book videos, for the love of god! 😂

[@bazfish2904]

loved this story when it started, gave up reading 2000ad a while ago now but i still keep an eye out for whats happening and thinking of collecting the case files books

[@MattyStoked]

There's >30 case files books, as it collects every strip ever. They're great value, but you can quickly become overloaded if you just want to keep up to date with the big stories. I highly recommend the Rebellion Essential books for that. If you enjoyed this, the next video in the series is currently being edited. About a week or so until it drops :D

[@Tha_Pencil]

Love judge dredd, randomly decided to start reading his comics in highschool and i never regretted it

[@MattyStoked]

Glad to hear it! What are some of your favourite stories?

[@ScottsGameAsylum]

I had no idea you was covering this. You know I love 2000ad and it deserves to be talked about. And I need to get the rest of the case files

[@MattyStoked]

Yes indeed! There's 30-odd Case Files books - I hope you've got strong shelves!

[@jorts_master69]

I remember I'd popped open my half finished copy of case files volume 5 one night and was just looking to read something while bored, and I was just a couple progs close to Block Mania and Apocalypse War. I stayed glued to every page and finished the entire arc in one night. While Father Earth will still be my personal favorite for the storyline that officially sold me on the comics, the Apocalypse War is arguably some of the craziest, darkest, and catastrophic stuff Dredd has to offer and I'll never forget it.

[@MattyStoked]

Yeah it's absolutely wild. Changed the book forever. Since then, the escalation of events has put poor Mega City One through the ringer, but the Apocalypse War will always be the first truly epic story arc.

[@THEFORBIDDENMAN-lk7of]

THANKS FOR THE COVERAGE OF JD NOW IM RETIRED I CAN GET BACK TO SOME OF THE COMIC HEROES I ENJOYED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER HOPE YOU DO ONE FOR THE NO 1 HEROES THAT MOST PEOPLE DONT SEEM TO KNOW ABOUT IN FACT IM SURPRISED THAT NO ONE TURNED THEM IN TO HOLLYWOOD HEROES - THE METAL MEN

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you for the lovely comment. I hope you enjoyed the video! Lots more JD on the way but my next video (launching next week) is about a lost comics character from the 1970s. So keep a look out for that, you might like that one!

[@THEFORBIDDENMAN-lk7of]

@@MattyStoked THANK FOR THE REPLY I HOPE TO GET INFORMED AS I HIT THE SUBSCRIBED BUTTON HAPPY DAYS

[@robbieduffy9998]

Christ..i remember buying the 1st issue with that ridiculous frisbee thing..and loved 2000ad ever since..!! As a kid (16 at the time) and a sci/fi fan this was right up my street..feck star trek and Dr Who etc..this was the real deal..!! Its got it all..four dark judges..strontium dog..and who can forget mean machine..??!!..still collecting it today ( mostly the books now )..in my eyes..a timeless classic..and long may it continue..!

[@MattyStoked]

lol the Space Spinner! My first prog was around 1992ish. I remember Armoured Gideon and I remember the illustrations made me feel slightly sick. I fell in love instantly.

[@lordofbats3601]

Excellent and emotionally earnest review, I wanted to find something to argue with you about but I agree with most of what you say, Im going to look at your other videos now

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you very much. This is my first video about comics. The response has been awesome so I will definitely do more.

[@ianfleetwood8804]

I remember buying the original floppies and at that time i am sure JD had the centre pages that were in color and then b&w. The case files is a proven point as if you look at case file 1 and then case file 10th anniversary, you will see that the case files 10 anniversary is a truerepresentatio of dredd. As is the cursed earth uncensored.

[@MattyStoked]

Not sure. You're right, 2000 AD was all black and white until the late 1980s, when they added colour to the centre pages. JD and Slaine would absolutely have taken advantage of those pages. Not sure about Apocalypse War, but if you say it was, then I'll believe you! Ooh I reckon I would argue that Cursed Earth is still well within "silly era" Dredd. Fighting dinosaurs, robots and the Michelin Man doesn't quite sell the uber fascist that we'd see in later stories 😎

[@jaredgarcia8638]

Case files one and essential were my introduction. And the Apocalypse War is quite possibly a thought provoking book, in how we view policing and what lengths are we really going to go when facing war

[@MattyStoked]

The whole history of Judge Dredd is a critique of law & order policing, really. As the years roll on, it doesn't get less critical. And our own policing policies don't seem to stop giving these writers new things to write about!

[@jaredgarcia8638]

@@MattyStoked Exactly. Still, it's a scary thought that our police, whether it be America or across the pond, are close to being judges

[@MattyStoked]

@@jaredgarcia8638 it's terrifying. When you hear members of the public saying things like the police aren't strict enough. My mind goes here.

[@jaredgarcia8638]

@@MattyStoked Yeah. This and America hammer the point of why we should be vigilant of our own police.

[@LuckStat]

Me at the start: Ohh it's kind of cute they call them "progs" Me at the end: It is a moral imperative to disassemble every nuclear weapon, otherwise our own self-destruction is an inevitability I've only ever read the Swiercynski stuff from IDW back when it originally came out, definitely going to use this as an excuse to read some classic Dredd. Great video as always, Matty!

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you so much, mate. It's funny how comics can hit you like that sometimes.

[@jaredgarcia8638]

I recently read case files vol.1 and stumbled upon a story where Dredd comes across the Sov Judges during an olympic event on the moon (This was when Dredd was a Marshall). He essentially stops him from executing a perp because there was no death penalty and that sparks a small war. It got me thinking if John Wagner was heading into this direction years prior.

[@MattyStoked]

Oh yeah, the seeds for this kind of thing was sewn from the beginning. I talk a good game about how it was all jokes, but it was referencing the real world from day one.

[@jaredgarcia8638]

@@MattyStoked The creators in 2000 AD have created a character is kinda more than just a typical anti-hero. Dredd is simultaneously a hero and villain, as John Wagner once stated. On the one hand, you're all for what he's doing, but on the other, you're thankful he doesn't exist yet.

[@tankschool1565]

That's a good point as the tension between the two super states was ramped up again in Pirates of the black Atlantic

[@imbreadth11r5]

​@@jaredgarcia8638 It's ironic that Dredd himself is often rigid and inflexible, especially when in regards to enforcing the law, but the way the writers (and even artists) portray him isn't.

[@paulseoighemcgee5772]

Great content . Splundig !

[@MattyStoked]

Florix grabundae, Earthlet!

[@jondorsey2043]

Whoa, whoa!! Well, insta-subscribed. What a story. Great video, sir.

[@MattyStoked]

Welcome aboard! Thanks so much for the sub. More Dredd some day!

[@siddharthbrahma5132]

Superb review.please review more dredd comics.

[@MattyStoked]

Thanks so much! Will do. I am lining up the next two books to talk about. I really want to talk about the 90s stuff, but there's so many good arcs to talk about before then. Not to mention other 2000 AD characters outside of Dredd!

[@JTZinnful]

Great video, thanks for this!

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you! Glad you liked it.

[@aakeeler]

Great analysis, will subscribe

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you very much! I'm still deciding my next Dredd video but there's more comics stuff on the way :D

[@douglasarthur2673]

TAD ……… Total Annihilation Device ! Who else but Dredd ? That’s why He is The Law.

[@IFinishedAVideoGame]

You know I've actually had Case Files 5 sitting on my shelf for years and I think it might be time to finally crack that bad boy open. Also this was beautifully produced. The editing, shots and narration perfectly complemented each other. Another smashing video

[@MattyStoked]

You're already set up for a week's worth of good reading 😎 Get cracking and let me know what you think. You've also got the introduction of The Dark Judges in there, it's really a fantastic book!

[@imbreadth11r5]

What's funny about this is that since Strontium Dog is the future of the Judge Dredd universe, they will end up nuking each other for the fourth time (giving birth to the Strontium-90 mutants of SD)

[@imbreadth11r5]

On a side note, I like it when artists on early Dredd drew him with leaner proportions (Really noticeable with McMahon, also observable with Ezquerra's art in this video). Makes him look closer to his inspiration, Dirty Harry.

[@MattyStoked]

Genuinely, I really like ropey Dredd. McMahon is (probably) my favourite Dredd illustrator. His early days of copying Ezquerra probably informed the skinnier physique, but I love the way the knee and elbow pads pop when Dredd's got those leaner limbs!

[@shokk1967]

Absolutely spot on. Loved dredd and was reading from prog 1. He's come along way, but the apocalypse war was truly his first epic. The artwork, story at the time was frankly amazing. Marvel comics had nothing like it. The comic had a profound effect on me at the time and still does even to this day. Story's like this, America, necropolis etc all fantastic. I still read it today, I actually love making lawgivers, badges etc from my childhood comic. Great review. And spot on.

[@MattyStoked]

Necropolis is another one with a mental body count! So, you make lawgivers? That's extremely cool.

[@shokk1967]

@@MattyStoked tried to contact you, but got no answer 🙁

[@MattyStoked]

@@shokk1967 How'd you try? There's a link to my Discord in the description 😎

[@DeathAlchemist]

Matt Draper sent ne here. Well done for a new topic on a video game related channel. Wouldnt mind seeing you do more 2000 ad or british comics. Its under explored in comics fandom.

[@MattyStoked]

MD is a good guy. Thanks for the comment, hope you stick around for more.

[@knuteri3]

Great video!

[@MattyStoked]

Thanks for the visit and thank you for the kind comment 😊

[@JosephMelia]

Love The Apocalypse War and all, but, like...The Cursed Earth, Judge Cal, The Judge Child Quest..were all very important stories that preceded The Apocalypse War. Each of these, including The Cursed Earth helped shape Dredd's World, and were called back to in later tales.

[@MattyStoked]

You're right, of course. There's plenty of arcs which preceded this. The ones you mentioned but also the Robot Wars, Dredd's tenure on Luna-1. But I stand by my claim that TAW is the first arc to have true, meaningful impact on Mega City 1 and represented a turning point in the types of stories the comic would make.

[@JosephMelia]

@@MattyStoked I could concede it was grittier, and more political than the previous epics, as the comic was beginning to evolve.

[@ThomasSmithTechArtist]

great video

[@MattyStoked]

Thanks mate! Glad you enjoyed it

[@dushy35]

wow bro that was epic

[@MattyStoked]

Thanks man! I'm literally working on my next Dredd video right now! Hopefully it'll be here before the end of the month :D

[@FXTRT-ec9lz]

This my favorite Dredd story. My personal second was "Judge Dredd vs Batman".

[@MattyStoked]

Then you'll be VERY pleased to find out which Dredd comic I'll be talking about next 🤫

[@FXTRT-ec9lz]

@@MattyStoked Looking forward to it! Thanks for all of your hard work on this video. I discovered Judge Dredd in 1982. 2000AD all of it. My favorites.

[@MattyStoked]

@@FXTRT-ec9lz Thanks for the lovely comments! I'm glad that it resonates with a fan who's been here nearly the whole time. I do have another Dredd video on the channel. Maybe you'd like that :)

[@FXTRT-ec9lz]

@@MattyStoked Ill check it out. I still have all of my US issue JD and other 2000 AD comic books I collected from 1982 to about 1993. Not exactly mint condition. But pretty good.

[@MattyStoked]

@@FXTRT-ec9lz It would be impossible to keep a comic like that in mint condition. Nor should you try! It's a sign of a comic well-loved!

[@GaryMartinDobbs]

Surely The Cursed Earth was the first Dredd epic storyline

[@MattyStoked]

Nah, it says it right up there ^ ;-)

[@paulgraham4567]

Great vid, absolutely adore Dredd and his world. If you do more British comics it would be cool if you covered the likes of Tornado, Eagle, Bullet, Action or some of the war comics like Battle and Warlord.

[@MattyStoked]

Well with Battle and Action going back on sale, it would be a great time to talk about them! I have a full run of Warrior, too. With the original run of V for Vendetta and Miracleman. Toxic and Crisis, too. We really were spoiled for comics.

[@paulgraham4567]

@@MattyStoked Never knew they were coming back, that's cool. Loved Toxic, used to get grilled by the lady in the newsagents every time I went to buy it for being underage lol, did you read Overkill back then, still have quite a few of them and the Battletide crossover, and yeah we had some amazing comics back in the day.

[@AndrewNattan]

Great work!

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@wdcain1]

This was interesting. I only know Judge Dredd through osmosis. I had no idea the megacities were once utopian. I hope you'll make more videos on the comic.

[@MattyStoked]

The writers on those very earliest Judge Dredd stories were still experimenting with what they wanted to do. Once the figured it out, we don't see much more of the silliness. But those early stories are really fun.

[@manweller1]

Had to come back for a second watch. Got me thinking I remember in the storyline Justice Department (Pirates of the Black Atlantic) they knew sooner or later East Meg would attack. It was just a matter of time. Even back then MC1 tried its best to avoid conflict. Knowing that the cost to both sides would be out of this world. When the war did eventually come it was full on no holds barred. Even now I think to myself did Dredd overstep the mark? Is he a mass murder? Or he had no other option in order to win the war? Has a kid and even now as a mature man I didn’t feel a thing for any Sov Judge Dredd deleted but the ordinary Sov citizen-ouch they got a raw deal. Poor Dredd what a position to put in. Thanks for your vid, it’s got thinking did Dredd do the right thing? 🤔🤔.

[@MattyStoked]

It depends what you personally define as the *right* thing to do. I personally believe he was in the wrong. I believe that wherever possible, Wagner tried to make Dredd the worst person he could. And in this book, he succeeded!

[@richardshields1488]

I thought first long story was The Cursed Earth I read as a kid in 76/77. Where he went from Mega City 1 to Mega City 2 with a vaccine.

[@MattyStoked]

Cursed Earth was '78! The first multi-part was Robot Wars, which was '77 iirc.

[@carldanescd]

8p....wow I rememberer when it cost that...

[@MattyStoked]

If you remember when 2000 AD cost less than a quid, you groan when you stand up now 😄

[@djortscoetzer-bach279]

Great stuff. More comics is the correct answer to any question.

[@MattyStoked]

I think so too!

[@Goodfella_jewelry]

Cool video

[@MattyStoked]

Thank you!

[@advancearts3777]

Yup, do more Dredd. Fanx!

[@cosmicwartoad2587]

Who gave Mary Whitehouse the right to decide what people should or shouldn't have been a;llowed to watch? If she was alive today I'd make her watch all seasons of the STARZ version of Spartacus.

[@harryjones5260]

do the dark judges please

[@MattyStoked]

You know that's probably my next book to cover 💀🔥🐴🦇

[@kylea8795]

Man the whole sense of nihilistic killing and mass murder, is extremely disturbing in this storyline. I know characters like Dredd were hugely influenced by the social and political turmoil of conservative Britain in the 1970’s and 1980’s. However this story of causing mass destruction and overwhelming acts of genocide for no other reason because they can sounds extremely difficult to digest and unfortunately has some reflections of our world even in the 21st century.

[@MattyStoked]

It had reflections of the world then, too! There was a real and genuine threat of nuclear annihilation in the 1980s. Writing this book, making a story (and even managing to crack a few jokes) would have been incredibly cathartic I bet. Damn, I should have written that in the video! You're right. It's an extremely challenging subject. If you were ever in any doubt, Judge Dredd is kind of the villain.

[@kylea8795]

@@MattyStoked I hope the new mega city one show being produced by Amazon will accurately follows the source material of Dredd’s world like the 2012 film remake did. Man Karl Urban did an excellent job with his portrayal of Judge Dredd.

[@MattyStoked]

@@kylea8795 That TV series has been over ten years in the making. I'm not convinced we're going to get it, bud.

[@kilgoretrout413]

Is that a munce patch growing on the first cover ?

[@MattyStoked]

Good shout! It's not, it's another head-shaped plant called a Brain Bloom iirc. They sing songs which send people to sleep. It's creepy as all hell 😄

[@jaredgarcia8638]

Would you cover Dredd America? Or V for Vendetta

[@MattyStoked]

America is definitely one I want to cover! I actually have the run of V For Vendetta from its original publication in Warrior Magazine. Black and white anthology comics all day. I hadn't thought of covering V, but I would enjoy that 😎

[@jaredgarcia8638]

@@MattyStoked Thank you, sir. In the times we live in, those stories have become incredibly more relevant than ever before

[@dannywhittingham4849]

my memory might be playing tricks but when i watched the Watchman film i felt they had nicked the ending from the apocalypse war

[@manweller1]

I remember reading the apocalypse war back as a kid. It was life changing I just couldn't take Batman, Spiderman seriously ever again

[@MattyStoked]

Yeah NOBODY does it like 2000AD!

[@stevegreen9474]

Although it was Carlos' return to Dredd in 2000 AD, I suspect he'd already turned in fully painted artwork for the 1983 annual (annuals were dated the year after, and appeared around late summer) If you look at the strips in there, the Sov Judge he draws is more like Brian Bolland's version, not the ones he draws for the Apocalypse War So his workload was even more impressive

[@MattyStoked]

Good points! Could be that it was earlier artwork, kept in storage for future use?

[@stevegreen9474]

@@MattyStoked it would have all been scheduled - they didn't like to have stuff that had been paid for lying around unused - which happened later in the 90s I know the editor at the time, Steve MacManus, and John Wagner fairly well, I could ask but not sure if they will remember. Carlos was one of the few artists who could commit to producing that volume of artwork, and keep the quality up It definitely feels like it was done before Apocalype War, I think maybe it was just slotted in before he was tied up with 26 episodes of that I chatted with Carlos quite a bit up until his untimely passing, I wish I'd asked him about it - he was a lovely guy as well as an incredible talent

[@jaredgarcia8638]

Doesn't case files volume 5 also contain judge death lives

[@MattyStoked]

Yes indeed! It's the Dark Judges debut AND the Apocalypse War. What a place to start!

[@jaredgarcia8638]

@@MattyStoked alright. Just to read about the dark judges and to enjoy the black and white, I'm getting Case Files vol.5

[@nigelandre3759]

The mistake this video makes is in taking the Dredd strip out of its context among the other strips in 2000ad. From Issue 1, 2000ad carried a darkness and violence unseen before in Weekly Comics. The graphic Belardinelli episodes of Flesh were incredibly graphic. Invasion started (in Prog 1) with the nuclear destruction of English cities heralding the Volg invasion. That story went on to show civilians being executed by Volgs for hoarding food. Even in Judge Dredd there had been genocides - Judge Cal after all sentenced his own city to death. However, having said all that, this is an excellent video. The presenters enthusiasm is infectious. And I love the music.

[@inguzwulf]

Credo

[@tahnadana5435]

check out metabarons dude

[@MattyStoked]

Ah hell yeah! Great comic. I dream of one day talking about The Incal, but I fear Metabarons might be too niche!

[@cosmicwartoad2587]

D'you honestly thing MAD're going to stop Joe Bidem, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping?

[@cjwensleydale9460]

You devalue the early Dredds for being too lightweight yet, in the same breath, decry later progs for being too heavy. All the while focusing blame on the authoritarian policy of the justice system and at the same time excusing the causal actions of a bored and spoilt urban society necessitating the creation of the system in the first place. The emphasis on Dredd's retaliation to the Sov's attack as being bad, while barely mentioning the morality of said attack in the first place, suggests that personal political biases are perhaps being projected. "Cold blooded murder" of an armed enemy sentry for example? How would he have otherwise been "incapacited"? If this story displays anything, it's that the tribalism of humanity as a whole - whether it be articulated through petty crime, block-wars.or nuclear holocaust - is a fault of each and every one of us and our over-reliance on those humans, with our own fallibilities, on whom we bestow the power to protect us.

[@MattyStoked]

Of course I'm projecting personal biases. You don't experience art and then have some objective response to it! I'm getting very strong neoliberal vibes from the whole of your comment and while I respect your standpoint and the high-effort comment, I don't want to get dragged down into an ideological argument in my own comments section. What I will say though is that I am not devaluing or decrying any era of Judge Dredd. Every creator on the book had vision. Each era of the comic has value and merit. You're gonna love how my next one is about the collapse of the welfare state ;-)

[@Beta_Mixes]

I see your reaction about reading these books, I don't know you personally but you passed the feelings of a person who actually really tried to get the point of these books. My good man allow me to clarefy this a bit: Dredd is the raw embodiment of Justice, he delievers it no matter the cost nor the imensity of the crime. Blowing up what remained of East-Meg was Justice, plain and simple. They could just leave Mega City One alone after the war but no, they decided to not only sabotage it but attack it in the most brutal way possible, they didn't tried to colonize or change people's minds before invading, they just planned a way for more people to die as possible. If you take this for what it is, it's just a day-to-day normal crime but with a couple millions more people involved, people can leave each other alone but some of them decide not to, hence why Dredd goes and brings Justice to them. This book is quite literally what the phrase "Eye for and eye" embodies.

[@jondorsey2043]

Matt Draper sent us, so, maybe, you know, get the man a steak dinner lol! Seriously, you fucking knocked it out of the park!

[@MattyStoked]

I appreciate the kind comment, that's rad of you. I'll buy Matt a steak dinner from all the AdSense money I make. It might be a McDonald's cheeseburger, but we'll see 😇