Helter Skelter

[Huey2]

When Garth became the first new Dredd writer to take over the reins since the days of Wagner and Grant he got a lot of criticism for following too closely in their footsteps and not doing his own thing. Nearly twenty years and a dozen or so new guys later and anybody who deviates from the established Dredd style gets the crits.

What's interesting about Garth's last scripts for Dredd - Goodnight Kiss, Helter Skelter and Monkey on My Back - is that here he actually shows us a new take on Dredd which doesn't contradict what's gone before.

This is Dredd firmly back as the hero, more specifically the cowboy hero.

I'll admit to not being a great fan of Helter Skelter, but even in an Ennis script I don't like there's usually something good in there: a great piece of dialogue, a cool set piece - something.

Goodnight Kiss, despite the idea of a small gang of horseriding marshals taking on the might of Mega-City One, is pretty damn cool. There are some fantastic scenes in there and that final page, had it been drawn by Ezquerra ( And no offence to Mr. Percival, who does a great job here, but there is only one Carlos) would rival "Who the hell's gonna mess with us" for coolest page in a Dredd strip.

And then there's Monkey on My Back. This seems to me to be Ennis's most accomplished work on Dredd. It's great.

- Huey

[JayzusB.Christ]

 
It was his early Dredds I didn't like one bit, including Judgement Day which I absolutely hated.  And the one off about the living teddy bear I think was probably the worst strip in Dredd's history. 

I didn't mind Helter Skelter at all, not a brilliant story but reasonably enjoyable.  I liked Monkey on my Back too. I thought that with those two GE had finally got Dredd's character - menacing in a more brooding and thoughtful way than than that of the monosyllabic thug he used to pass off as Dredd.

[Will I. Cooling]

"When Garth became the first new Dredd writer to take over the reins since the days of Wagner and Grant he got a lot of criticism for following too closely in their footsteps and not doing his own thing. Nearly twenty years and a dozen or so new guys later and anybody who deviates from the established Dredd style gets the crits. "

Quoted for Truthiness. Dredd is a brilliant character, and like most characters there's more than one way to write him. Too many people seemed determined to have every Dredd script be in the Wagner style. The creation of Dredd is a story of different creators (both writers and artists) adding to the initial genius of Wagner's idea - the far-future setting, the space-pirate look, the big chin, the evil brother, etc etc. As great as Wagner is the character is best served by a diversity of interpretation. I mean, I love Wagner's Dredd but when people can say with a straight face that only he should be allowed to use a character created by another writer then something's gone wrong with how fans percieve the character.

[Jim_Campbell]

Too many people seemed determined to have every Dredd script be in the Wagner style.

OTOH, some people didn't like Helter Skelter because it was rubbish.

Just sayin' ...

Jim

[Richmond Clements]

Too many people seemed determined to have every Dredd script be in the Wagner style.

OTOH, some people didn't like Helter Skelter because it was rubbish.

Just sayin' ...

Jim

I quite like HS as a bit of fanfic, but is a good story..? No, I don't think it is.
I was thinking as I was reading this thread that if it turned up as a submission for Zarjaz, I'd probably say no to it in the state it appears in 2k.

[W. R. Logan]

OTOH, some people didn't like Helter Skelter because it was rubbish.

And thats putting it politely.

[Satanist]

Helter Skelter is a better read than Judgement Day. Now theres a backhanded compliment.

I got Judgement Day for £3 just before Xmas and I was robbed.

[Gavin_Leahy_Block]

My problem with Helter Skelter was, this was some peoples first introduction to these characters and each of them was done a disservice. There was a nice flow to the story and it was lots of fun spotting the cameos, but not one of the villains acted in character. I'm a fan of Granth's work, more so his non 2000ad work, though I found Monkey on My Back very enjoyable and I do think Helter Skelter had the potential of being something good if it was scaled back and there was some other motivation then just simply revenge.

[Proudhuff]

100% agreed with Gavin there.

[SuperSurfer]

Hey, whatever anyone says about Helter Skelter, it meant we got this cover. Bring on the bad guys:

[TordelBack]

I forgot Captain Skank was in there too!  Remind me, what was the rationale for a Sov droid being all bothered about Dredd, when his War Marshal already had the task in hand?  And poor Don Uggie... did he ever get on the wrong bandwagon. 

Gavin puts it best; 

My problem with Helter Skelter was, this was some peoples first introduction to these characters and each of them was done a disservice.

[I, Cosh]

...but not one of the villains acted in character

I don't see how that follows given that, like the doppelgangers in Sin/Dex, these are from alternative worlds and, therefore, aren't the same characters.

Of course, that doesn't mean they can't still be pish!

[Gavin_Leahy_Block]

...but not one of the villains acted in character

I don't see how that follows given that, like the doppelgangers in Sin/Dex, these are from alternative worlds and, therefore, aren't the same characters.

Of course, that doesn't mean they can't still be pish!

True, but if you are going to the bother of bringing back some of Dredd's greatest nemeses, then they should of acted like or at least similar to the originals. If they didn't then there really was no point and a few star scans would of been just as good.

[The Monarch]

what gavin said

[JayzusB.Christ]

How did Garth Ennis manage to write decent dialogue for Etrigan in Hitman having written a song in Emerald Isle that went something like this...?

And he's on his way home now,
Back to the Big Meg now,
Something Something, Something Something,
A-Dredd, A-Dredd-oh.

(To the tune of Molly Malone.)