Judge Dredd: The Mega-Collection is an eighty-part collection of hardback books published by Hachette Partworks Ltd. every fortnight, with the first book hitting newsagents on January 21st 2015 (although subscribers received their copies a few days earlier). It comprises collections of key stories from the world of 2000 AD character Judge Dredd and stories which introduce popular supporting characters. Also in the books are concept sketches, cover galleries and interviews with writers and artists. Subscribers are offered a range of gifts including a replica Judge Dredd badge, a Judge Dredd takeaway mug (suitable for all legal beverages) and two bookends bearing the legend "I AM THE LAW."
The stories are grouped thematically rather than being published in strict chronological order, although the stories in each individual book are in the correct sequence. For example, the first book, America, contains all the events pertaining to the life and death of America Jara, and the birth and coming of age of her daughter America Beeny. However, these events come after the events of a later book, The Apocalypse War. When put on a bookshelf in order, the spines of the books show a picture of Judge Dredd inspecting a line of suspects.
The series also features unique and newly commissioned red, white and black line style covers, inspired by a French part work of Batman.
The Mega Collection has been supported and promoted by 2000 AD's first official podcast, the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast, which is released fortnightly to tie in with the current issue of the Mega Collection, featuring interviews with various 2000 AD luminaries relevant to the current release. The Thrill-Cast is released via both iTunes and Soundcloud.
Reading between the lines, the 2000 AD droids seem to have received a certain amount of flak from disgruntled fans about the Mega Collection, its price and its non-sequential nature. Take this droid-penned Damage Report from prog 1935: "'So, PYE-O1,' Cyber-Matt sneered, pausing to light his lube-burner with a fifty-groat note. 'How much have we profited out of the Mega Collection so far?' PYE checked his black book, bound in the hide of penniless Earthlets. 'By embezzling the royalties and production costs, we're on course to make a cool thirty mill.' 'Impressive. Not bad for a couple of plebs, eh?'"
In a similar vein is this exasperated Damage Report in prog 1937: "Part. Works. Part. Works. It's published in parts, hence the name: Partworks. You get it in parts. Some of those parts are released in chronological order, but it assembles into a collection once the parts come together, you see? Part. Works. No, no, you're thinking of the Case Files. Yeah, every story, in order. The Partworks are different — 'cos they're partworks..."
In shelf position order:
1) America
2) Democracy Now
3) Total War
4) The Dead Man
5) Necropolis
6) Judge Death Lives
7) Young Death
8) Psi-Judge Anderson: The Possessed
9) Psi-Judge Anderson: Engram
10) Psi-Judge Anderson: Shamballa (by Alan Grant and Arthur Ranson)
11) Psi-Judge Anderson: Childhood's End
12) Psi-Judge Anderson: Half-Life
13) Stars of Psi-Division
14) Devlin Waugh: Swimming in Blood
15) Devlin Waugh: Chasing Herod
16) Devlin Waugh: Fetish (includes an interesting interview with Siku)
18) Undercover Brothers (featuring Lenny Zero and Brit-Cit Babes)
19) Low Life: Paranoia
20) Low Life: Hostile Takeover
21) The Simping Detective (also features Galen DeMarco)
22) Independent Operators (featuring Harmony Krieg)
23) Banzai Battalion
24) Mechanismo
25) Mandroid
26) Mean Machine (featuring Mean Angel, Jr and Sarah Suggs)
28) The Life and Crimes of P.J. Maybe
29) Chopper
30) Target: Judge Dredd
31) Oz (featuring Chopper's journey across the Pacific)
33) The Day the Law Died
34) The Judge Child
36) The Apocalypse War
37) Judgement Day
38) Inferno
39) Wilderlands
40) The Pit
41) The Hunting Party
42) Doomsday for Dredd
43) Doomsday for Mega-City One
44) Satan's Island
45) Origins (featuring Chief Judge Fargo)
46) Mutants in Mega-City One
47) Tour of Duty: Backlash
48) Tour of Duty: Mega-City Justice
49) Day of Chaos: The Fourth Faction
50) Day of Chaos: Endgame
51) Trifecta
52) The Chief Judge's Man
53) Brothers of the Blood (featuring Rico Dredd, Judge Rico, Vienna and Dolman)
54) Insurrection
55) The Heavy Mob
56) Beyond Mega-City One
57) Calhab Justice
58) The World at Law
59) Behind the Iron Curtain (featuring Red Razors and Samizdat Squad)
60) Hondo-City Justice
61) Shimura
62) Armitage (includes an interview with Dave Stone)
63) Armitage: City of the Dead (includes an obituary for John Cooper)
64) Missionary Man
65) Missionary Man: Treasure of the Sierra Murder
66) Missionary Man: Goin' South
67) Cursed Earth Koburn
68) Cursed Earth Carnage (comprising The Helltrekkers, Citi-Def and Sleeze 'n' Ryder)
69) Mega-City Underworld
70) Mad City
71) Fast Food
72) The Art of Taxidermy
73) Heavy Metal Dredd
74) Famous Monsters
75) Alien Nations
76) Klegg Hai! (includes The Corps)
77) Horror Stories
78) Tales from the Black Museum
79) Into the Undercity
80) Dark Side of the Moon (includes Breathing Space)