One thing Helter Skelter doesn't get credit for is the sheer breakneck pacing and absolutely wonderful absurdity it opens with. Ennis was clearly reaching into other influences like his love of Hong Kong heroic bloodshed and American westerns. Many may not like the idea of cult action flicks in their Judge Dredd, but I don't mind the idea of Judge Dredd in my cult action flicks. I remember the opening episodes being a giddy blur of Cal Judges getting blown away John Woo style and Dredd taking out H-Wagons with his handgun. It certainly slowed later, but Ennis and Ezquerra need to be acknowledged in my mind for making ink and paper feel more thrilling to view than a moving image.
It's a bit of a paradox, really - 2000ad is very often artistically hamstrung by the inherent conservatism and nostalgia of the fanbase and creators (wasn't this right at the cusp of the regretable period where tosh like the VCs and the original, boring Rouge Trooper were being brought back?) and Helter Skelter certainly slots neatly into that trend, but the actual take on Dredd himself is radical and refreshing. I prefer Ennis' softer, more citizen-focused over Grant or Rennie's punative and awful dull Judgey. The character doesn't feel the same as Wagner Dredd, which is unsatisfying if you're more interested in the Dredd uber-arc Wagner's been plotting for nearly three decades. That's unavoidable.
