OK - let's make the next one a wee bit less controversial. The next trial will be:

Is 2000AD right to let its biggest characters grow old or be killed?
(I might play around with the wording).

This rounds up the Rogue/Alpha deaths and the Dredd age question. Good or bad thing? Who wants to take a side?

yeah, someone step up to the plate and get picked apart. Cos my turn is over, damn it!

(oh and Gavin, have you noticed that the top left of the forum control bar says '20000AD Review'?)

Maybe thats what theyll call it in 20000AD . . .

I'm certainly 110% in the kill 'em camp. In fact, I can't imagine what the opposition argument would be.

I'll happily argue the "don't kill 'em" side of things.

Is Alpha still alive then

Is Rogue dead? (found it!?)

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If you kill them theyll only bring them back, or reclone them or something daft. Friday was a really good idea I thought. The rest of the G.Is I just dont care for.

I'm with kill them. What I'd do, is kill Dredd, and have Rico renamed as Dredd, sort of carrying on the legacy. Then do short mini-stories featuring original Dredd fighting day-to-day crimes.

As for Rogue Trooper, not too sure on this one.

Kill Dredd? Why? Bill, sure. But Dredd . . . .naahhhhhhhhhhhhh

i would be happy to have a go at either, I'm more i'n the kill/let them grow old camp but i can see why keeping them going is good to. i think i agree with both arguments

For me one of the strengths of 2000AD is the aging of characters, rather than the everlasting life of someone like Batman. But each to their own...

Sure Dredd ages, then Rico can take over, looking and acting exactly like him and changing his name to Dredd, and Alpha can have â??before he was deadâ?? as can any one else who is dead but still working. Itâ??s good that the characters and the worlds change with the times year on year but donâ??t be fooled they are no more mortal then batman.

thats my argument pitch too

I dunno, one day 2000AD will fold and Dredd will be finished once and for all. Unless those DC bastards get the rights

it's unlikely that dredd would hit the scrap pile even if 2000ad was to fold. dan dare is about to make another come back aparently, you cant keep a good brand down.

Hi Gavin,

This is a great topic but might I suggest a change to the format? Lets have 3 different contributors to the 'for' argument and 3 for the 'against'. Authors names could be listed but not connected with their arguments so that this doesn't feel too personal and we want to spare Mechanix's feelings.

This is also a good topic because people can cut loose more with this one, rather than targetting an indivdual talent. Of course no namecalling or hair-pulling is allowed.

I would also happily weigh-in on either side of the debate if you wanted me to.

Cheers

I would not read the comic if it starred Rico. Sure, he's made of Dredd's genetic material, but he doesn't have the history that makes Dredd an icon.

This is definitely an interesting topic for debate though. I'm really not sure whether Dredd getting old will be good or bad 10 years from now.

How do we know that it was Dredd who judged Rico all those years ago. Rico could have swapped badges. Their DNA is the same, I presume that would make their finger prints the same (I'm speculating there) and Judges can beat a Birdie through their training

Therefore we might have been reading all about Rico all the time

Well, he seems to have been better behaved since that time then.

Nope, completely wrong.

Whoa! And JR wasn't in the shower all along and maybe the kid in the sixth sense was actually a ghost, and Blood of Satanus III actually made some sense. Stranger things have happened.

Y'know, that idea actually really appeals to me... he ain't heavy, he's my brother... and that would make Vienna... Dredd's daughter!

Maybe Rico Judged Joe Dredd, switched places. Maybe Rico had a rejuve job & Kraken shot 'Dredd' ? Vienna is then his Aunite/Daughter/Niece?

Is there a new 'on trial' topic in the offing?
I'm enjoying this feature very much, although just at the moment I can't think of a must do idea for a debate.

Following on a bit from last time, how about '2000 AD should leave well alone' vs 're-inventions of old series should be encouraged'?

Which could focus on MACH 1 / Greysuit; Invasion / Savage; Robo-hunter; VCs; Harlem Heroes; Rogue Trooper; old Flesh books vs new Flesh etc

I think this sounds like a good one.

Some 2000 AD on Trial suggestions:

Swearing in 2000 AD: To Drokk or not to Drokk.

With an ageing readership, at what level/age should 2000 Ad be aimed?

Is Mega-City One a totalitarian state?

What's this stuck to the bottom of my shoe?: The Big Question!

Should Judge Dredd be
- replaced by Judge Rico
- given a bionic body
- artificially regressed in age
- killed (and the series ends)
- be made chief judge or a tutor at the Academy and mentor a new legion of judges
- something else?