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Later Garth Ennis Dredds

Started by JayzusB.Christ, 28 August, 2018, 10:01:29 PM

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JayzusB.Christ

Well, I must say I really really hated when Garth Ennis took over as the main Dredd writer - I thought his stuff was juvenile and cack-handed (I didn't even like Raider much) and i just wished he'd go away.

When he returned years later for Helter Skelter, I thought he'd actually got his shit together a bit, Dreddwise. Dredd actually sounded like Dredd (even if Cal didn't sound much like Cal).  I know I'm in a minority but I liked it.

I've just reread Monkey on my Back, and I must say it's pretty darn good. Despite the mistake with the Wall existing before it was built, Dredd's character was spot on and the ending was powerful (even though it was the standard Ennis Unforgiven pastiche, and Dredd started saying things like 'lousy' and 'swell' for the first time since the first Ennis Dredds).

In any case, Garth has gone from being to one of my least favourite comic writers to one of my favourites, and I'd be happy to see him have one last crack of the Dredd whip.

"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Greg M.

I've said this before, but there's a point late on in his initial run - at some point after Judgement Day - when everything starts to click, and he has a great little spell of one-offs, like Last Night Out, A, B or C Warrior and Unwelcome Guests. To me, it felt like he'd finally cracked the formula. Monkey on my Back, when it finally rolled around, was largely excellent - I'd be more than happy to see Ennis return with a multi-part story, possibly in tandem with King Carlos.

Rio De Fideldo

I'd be happy to see some more one off Dredds by Garth Ennis (or anyone for that matter)

Colin YNWA

Funnily enough just re-read the Ennis run and while I've always defended it in the past I struggled with it far more this time. Its terribly inconsistent. There are great moments and the way he handled his elements of the democary vote was great. There were however dips throughout and while it does get better as it goes on, the ideas seem to dry up also and we get a string of very formulaic stories about hard men on venge missions of one form or other.

Shame as condensed to the good stuff he'd have cracked it.

Given the writer that Ennis has become I'd always be delighted to see hom back on the character however.

JayzusB.Christ

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 29 August, 2018, 06:38:29 AM
Funnily enough just re-read the Ennis run and while I've always defended it in the past I struggled with it far more this time. Its  There are great moments and the way he handled his elements of the democracy vote was great.

I'd forgotten about that; it was great - couldn't believe it was the same guy who had written the story about a mutant teddy bear with a big gun.

It wasn't perfect (including the same quote from an earlier Dredd twice; an abysmal mixed metaphor about the city being a sparkling jewel with an infected wound) but Dredd's brave, non-violent stand against the millions of marchers was absolutely outstanding.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Richard

I'd love to see a new Ennis Dredd story. I agree that the quality of his stories in the 90s was inconsistent, but he was in his 20s so we should make allowances. With 20+ years of further experience including Preacher, he'd be brilliant now.

I don't agree that he only became good after Judgement Day. He wrote some excellent stories before that too. I liked Death Aid, Return of the King, Twilight's Last Gleaming, Justice One, First of the Many, and A Magic Place.

JayzusB.Christ

Quote from: Richard on 29 August, 2018, 01:00:27 PM
I liked Death Aid, Return of the King, Twilight's Last Gleaming, Justice One, First of the Many, and A Magic Place.

Hmmm.  Death Aid - nah.  Made the previously-terrifying and well-organised Hunter's Club into a pack of buffoons; though the departure of Yassa from the city was very nicely done.
Return of the King - not for me.  'The ;aw is never wrong, Hershey.' Had Garth simply skimmed over the last few years, which was largely themed around Dredd's doubts about the system?
Twilight was great; and Justice One was ok. 
The other ones were fine, but First of the Many could have been so much more - it simply showed Dredd arresting someone, then killing him later.

"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

broodblik

Ennis was part of the cabal that killed the prog for me, but I read a lot of his stuff outside of AD and he has certainly evolved in a great writer. I will really like him to take up Dredd again.
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Frank


You can't really understand why the rubbish Garth Ennis stories were rubbish without reading them in the context of their time.

In Deadline, creators were pop stars, worshipped by pretty girls for referencing Rentaghost and writing little apologies in the corner of the page explaining that the drawings were crap because they were up all night drinking and did them at the last minute.

Those are the folk he saw as his peers; that's who he was trying to impress. In his answers to Ivor Goldkind's questionnaire in prog 705, Ennis wants you to know that he drinks beer, was too cool to work hard at school, and is mates with Jamie Hewlett.

Nobody wanted to give you a blowjob because you wrote Judge Dredd.



Richard

That should be the number one reason to give anyone a blowjob.

Frank

Quote from: Richard on 29 August, 2018, 05:51:48 PM
That should be the number one reason to give anyone a blowjob.

Rory McConville says to look him up at the next convention.



JayzusB.Christ

He was a bit of a pain in the arse back then, was our Garth - Guinness, the Pogues and Unforgiven all the way, and how great his comics were compared to everyone else's.  Also gays. Loads of funny gay people buggering people. The man was obsessed. 

Oddly, as his work has improved massively, so has his personality - he seems a way more pleasant chap these days and even admits that some of his work wasn't actually that good.

I used to hang round with a girl at university who was mates with him; I kind of hoped I'd never meet him because I couldn't possibly pretend to like his work.  But these days I'd jump at the chance.  I'm a fan and I never thought I would be.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Robin Low

Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 29 August, 2018, 02:11:53 PMHmmm.  Death Aid - nah.  Made the previously-terrifying and well-organised Hunter's Club into a pack of buffoons; though the departure of Yassa from the city was very nicely done.

I liked Death Aid... but I also agree with your criticism.

Ennis's Dredd was all over the place, but it had some magnificent moments. That's what makes his run on the series so frustrating. You want to love him for the first and last page of the final episode of Judgement Day... and then there's The Magic Mellow Out.

Regards,

Robin

Tjm86

That was pretty much the culture back then though, wasn't it.  Big Dave is very much a reflection of that mindset that was unfortunately running around a bit too much IIRC.  Way too many folks were arseholes and proud of it.

Frank

Quote from: Frank on 29 August, 2018, 05:11:44 PM
Ivor Goldkind

It's pronounced Igor.

Everyone thought they were Vic Reeves back then. Look at Millar's Red Razors; it's YOU WOULD NOT BELI-EE-EE-EE-VE WHAT'S GOING ON OUT BACK in comic strip form. Just referencing something you hadn't thought of since you were a kid - like Swap Shop* - was sufficiently hilarious no story or character development was considered necessary.

I enjoy Ennis's Crisis work and I can't blame the 19-year-old for wanting to hang with the cool kids, rather than Fleischer and Hilary Robinson. It's important to remember what a shambling embarrassment the comic had become at the time he was on the payroll. Ennis even told Judge Dredd: The Mega-History he didn't grow up reading 2000ad (p 126), which as porkies go is a Mighty One.


* It was the crap, British start of the Tarantino/Kevin Smith cycle that brought us to where we are today, where enjoying something new depends largely on the warm rush of familiarity as you recognise all the pieces of old things from which it has been assembled