Prog 140

I made a mistake last week. While reading Dredd, I assumed it was going to be a multi-part story. Rereading it before this week’s issue, I can see quite clearly that it’s not. That doesn’t lessen my enjoyment of it. In fact, it’s good news, because we get a new Dredd story starting this week, and it’s already shaping up to be a classic.

We also have two other new stories beginning this week: The V.C.s and The Stainless Steel Rat. I am particularly intrigued by The Stainless Steel Rat. It has a great title, and I can only hope it lives up to the expectations I’ve pinned on it.

There’s a lot to digest, and already the stories that ended last week are fading from memory. Still, 2000 AD is all about the future, so let’s jump into it.

Prog 140

24th November 1979 

Judge Dredd is facing another plague this week, a black plague of spiders.

The story begins in the atomic wasteland outside Mega-City One, where homesteaders are doing their best to scratch a living out of the contaminated soil.

We meet mutant Moze Bigleftear, who is soon fleeing for his life as a plague of black spiders sweeps across the land. Escaping on his mutant horse, Henry Ford, he rides to the city to enlist the help of Dredd. 

Dredd is intrigued by this boy and his talking horse and, despite the mocking Judges, agrees to help protect the village of Atom Gulch. 

Dredd arrives just minutes before the spiders and, surveying the scene, reckons they only have five minutes to find a cure for the black plague. 

Great introductory issue, and from the start we can see the spiders are truly the stuff of nightmare. In the first two and a half pages we see what they can do, and we are subjected to several intense panels that would give a younger me severe nightmares. The death of Moze Bigleftear's uncle brings home the horror that faces the village and primes us nicely for what follows. 

This terror is well balanced with the usual Dredd humour. In this case, the talking horse, Henry Ford, provides most of the humour. It's a great name for a horse, and the horse lives up to its first introduction. He is smart-mouthed, and the interaction between him and Moze Bigleftear is key to the middle section of the story. They keep the story fast-moving until we can get Dredd introduced. 

Dredd's part in the story is slight in this first episode. We see him interact with Moze, and then arrive at the village. Next week we will see Dredd take centre stage. This issue is about getting him to the right place at the right time, and the story did this efficiently while giving us a good feel for the other characters Dredd will share the stage with.

There was much to enjoy here, even if the story never got out of second gear. As we accelerate into next week's issue, I expect the story to deliver terror and humour in equal measure. I can't wait.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Why do you put up with that horse, Moze? The way he talks to you - never mind the cost of meat to feed him!"

New story alert. This week we are introduced to The V.C.s, a squad of space warriors fighting against an enemy known as the Geeks.

The story begins with a fresh-faced trainee named Steve Smith, heading off into the galaxy to his first assignment. 

After a four-month journey, he rendezvouses with his new ship and the V.C.s.

As the crossover is made, they are attacked by a Geek ship. The supply ship is damaged, leaving the V.C.s to repel the attack. 

This is what they do, although they show clear disregard for the rules and regulations. This is highlighted when they sacrifice the damaged supply ship to defeat the Geeks.

With his first battle behind him, Steve Smith meets the rest of the crew. He is surprised to see that they are all half-castes, making him the only earthman on board. 

The V.C.s are a motley crew, and with their tough talk, they make it clear that Smith is an outsider. We end with one last nugget of information dropped: V.C. stands for vacuum cleaners, because that is what they are doing - cleaning up all the Geeks. 

I don't know much about this story, but I like it already. The idea of a rookie being thrown in with a hard-nosed bunch of warriors generates a natural conflict, and the contrast between them heightens the sense of tension in the story. 

We don't know much about the Geeks yet, and my only gripe in this first issue is that they are treated as mere cannon fodder in the first battle. They do hit the supply ship, but they are easily dealt with after this. We have been told they are conquering the galaxy, but we haven't seen anything first-hand that would suggest they are to be feared. 

Smith comes across as relatable. Everyone has been out of their depth at some stage, and in this story Smith is that everyman. Even the name "Smith" suggests this. Seeing him fighting aliens while struggling to fit in with his unsavoury team is just the sort of thing I want to see play out on the page. Having replaced two big stories, it has large boots to fill. This issue promises much, and I can only hope it lives up to expectations in the coming weeks.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Good luck, Trooper. This is where you forget your training and start learning from experience!" 

You wait for ages for a new story, and then two arrive at once. This week's second new story is The Stainless Steel Rat. We meet the aforementioned Stainless Steel Rat on the very first panel of the strip: James Bolivar diGriz, a master criminal about to be arrested by a police robot. 

An explosive device in the ceiling gives him a chance to escape the robot, although it doesn't deliver a fatal blow to the droid. As he makes good his escape, he tells the reader that he is one of the 1% of criminals who are in it for fun. Furthermore, he reveals that he goes by the moniker the Stainless Steel Rat, as that is how he sees himself, a modern rat living not in a world of wood and brick, but rather plastic and steel. 

As he exits the building, we see his current criminal activity: a pile of gold bricks that he has been removing one by one from the bank next door. 

That night he returns to the scene of the crime, where the police are collecting evidence and loading the gold into a truck. Tossing in some sleeping capsules, the rat steals the police truck and makes a run for it with his gold reclaimed. 

He does well to lose the police by hiding in a garbage truck, but as he hides in a warehouse waiting for his chance to ship the gold off the planet, his plans fall apart with the arrival of a black van, carrying a sinister police force known as the Special Corps. The strip ends with James Bolivar diGriz finding himself caught in a trap, a Stainless Steel Rat trap. 

There is something delightfully old-fashioned about The Stainless Steel Rat. It reads like a pulp fiction-inspired crime heist, with strong gangster overtones. I could easily imagine this being written by Mickey Spillane. This all made sense when, over the page, I saw it had started as a book. The write-up by the author, Harry Harrison, was informative and backed up some of my thoughts. I haven't gone so far as to read the book, but knowing me, I probably will track it down at some stage. 

This was a fast-moving opening salvo that swiftly introduced us to the character and his story, and laid out the drama for the coming weeks. I am already won over, and after such a strong start, I look forward to seeing more of this on the page. 

I hope it continues in a similar vein, with the humour fully intact. It may evolve into something darker, but for now I am happy with the tone and eager for more. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Keep those lights flashing, boys. I need a police 'escort' to clear traffic for me!"

Wolfie Smith is still battling his way through the shoot as Julian Rowse wants to film the final, sacrificial scene at the Sacred Trianad, the stones the Guardians warned Wolfie to stay away from.

The crew backs Wolfie, and Julian Rowse storms off, saying that he will finish the film with a new crew and new actors.

Wolfie can see that Rowse has disposed of the body of the stuntman who was previously attacked by the Guardians, and while the rest of the crew leaves, Wolfie follows Rowse into the abbey to confront him. 

Rowse is waiting for him and has set a trap. Wolfie is knocked off his feet and into an old well shaft. Rowse laughs at him, and with a hose that pumps synthetic mud, tells Wolfie that he's about to drown him. 

Forget the story for a minute, and just admire the art. It's absolutely breathtaking here. We get the full range, with some dramatic panels, a sexy woman, and intense expressions written across the faces of some of the characters. It's exquisite, and as much as I hate to say it, it's almost too good for a story such as Wolfie Smith. 

The story sagged this week. The drama has been stretched thin for too long, and once again I felt I was being strung along as I read this issue. Week after week we circle around these sacred stones, and each week we remain within touching distance of a finale. The only consolation I can take is that this week all the crew has departed, so we are left with only the main two characters. 

I expect that Wolfie shall escape his current predicament, and that we get a more thrilling ending to this story, that is, if we get an ending. I can't see the future, but I have a bad feeling we still have a long way to go. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "I can see it now - the victim...and the executioner! The glint of black, evil light from the knife!" 

Black Hawk has had his soul sucked from him, and now, with Ursa, Zog and Battack, he has been sucked into a black hole. 

The soulless Blackhawk is a changed man, and now has a madness about him. The group wonder where they can possibly start to search for Blackhawk's soul in such a strange world as they now find themselves in. The appearance of the D'Jinn gives them some insight as they learn that they are in the world of Silversun, a weird, unnatural world. 

The D'Jinn tells them that his master wishes for them to visit him so he can bestow a gift upon each of them. For Ursa and Zog, a life of fighting, singing, and drinking. For Battack, a release from the hatred that fills his dark mind, and for Blackhawk, he promises the return of his soul. 

Blackhawk tells the D'Jinn that no man or demon gives freely, and asks what price they will be required to pay. 

The D'Jinn tells Blackhawk that he will find out in due course, but first they must make their way to his master's castle, only a billion miles away. With this declaration, he disappears, leaving the friends to decide what they will do next.

They have little time to make a decision, for at that very moment some fearsome-looking scavengers descend from the sky upon them.

This has become more like a Dan Dare strip rather than Blackhawk. Finding themselves in a black hole, with a D'Jinn and a quest, this was very much Dan Dare territory, and Blackhawk looked sadly out of place. Even with no soul, he feels miscast for this adventure. I liked the concept of a man out of place in the earlier issues, but now we're moving away from what made Blackhawk enjoyable, leaving me looking nostalgically at past issues.

I like a good quest as much as the next man, and there is hope that once our heroes defeat this attack from above, they can move deeper into this world. Personally, I hope they find Blackhawk's soul and the soul of this story in the next few weeks, and we can move to something more substantial and fun. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Har! You not worry about lost soul - you got plenty more, heh?" 

Prog 140 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: The Stainless Steel Rat 

Best Line: "Whooaa, boy! Just hold on here, Moze! I don't recall anythin' in my contract about carryin' two people!"

Best Panel: 

Prog 139

We have a couple of goodbyes in this issue, as we see the end of A.B.C. Warriors and Disaster 1990. Both have had a strong run and will be sorely missed. However, that means next week we will have some brand new stories to experience, and I look forward to engaging with some new material. I haven't read ahead, so whatever lies ahead will be a mystery to me. But before that, let's have a look at Prog 139 and the stories that lie within. 

Prog 139

17th November 1979 

Judge Dredd is facing a plague that destroys plasteen, the mainstay of almost everything that Mega-City One builds and produces.  

This mysterious bacteria appears on the first page of the story, eating away at the plasteen pillars at Inter-Space Corporation's New Cargo Terminal 43.

From there it rapidly spreads across the city, eating its way through plasteen microphones, plasteen hats, plasteen boots and suits, and even plasteen underwear and dentures.

Obviously, chaos ensues across the city, and although the scientists develop a plasteen resistant to the bacteria, Dredd still needs to hold someone to account.

The obvious choice is K K Danvers, the head of the Inter-Space Corporation, whose space terminal was where the bacteria was first discovered. 

Dredd is told that Danvers is unavailable, as he has recently undergone surgery; however, several angry citizens storm in demanding to see Danvers, and we find that he is present, although sequestered in an isolation tent.

The angry citizens tear through this tent, despite Danvers' protestations. Exposed to the outside world, Danvers falls to the ground dead, and we learn that he has recently had his heart replaced with one made of plasteen.  

The first thing that caught my eye about this story was John Cooper's artwork. With its clean lines and minimal style, it wasn't as busy as some of the other work we have seen on the pages of Judge Dredd. It made the story easier to read, although I found it did detract from the chaos of Mega-City One that I have previously become used to. 

Although a clever and amusing concept, this story wasn't quite as cutting or funny as I have come to expect of 2000AD. It made its point well; indeed, the concept is just as relevant today as it was fifty years ago, but as much as I found myself smiling at it, I never cracked a grin, let alone a laugh.

However, that is a minor quibble, as I found the ending to be clever, as was the overall conceit. This is shaping into another multipart storyline, and I do hope we see more of this clever storyline reveal itself over the coming weeks. This is a slow-burning start, which bodes well for a substantial storyline. Whether or not that develops next week remains to be seen, but for now I am intrigued by what comes next and eager to read more.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I'll disturb him all right! Inter-space ships brought that bacteria in - and I'm holding Danvers responsible!"

Blackhawk is in the clutches of the nightmarish Soul-Sucker, while his trusty sidekick Ursa fights side by side with Zog, the mad dwarf, to free him. 

The pair are quite the combination, and soon they have fought off Captain Pysko and his henchmen before dragging the unconscious Blackhawk to an escape craft.

Enlisting Battak as a pilot, they blast through the exit hatch to freedom. However, that freedom is short-lived as they find themselves sucked into a black hole.

This was an enjoyable episode, although we barely saw Blackhawk on the page. I have previously written that sometimes the characters around Blackhawk are more interesting than he is, and this episode highlighted that as the story continued apace without him. 

Last week I found Captain Psyko to be an outstanding character. That wasn't built on this week, and he too took a back seat as the story was action-led, with Ursa and Zog driving both the action and the story. 

The ending took us to the next phase of the story, although they are now facing overwhelming odds with the appearance of the black hole. In some cases, this makes for compulsive reading as I am wondering how the heck they are going to get out of this, but I also fear that it may lead to some crazy plot twist that takes me out of the story. Of course, I am already reading about an ancient gladiator fighting in futuristic times in outer space with a bear, a dwarf, and a bat, so my belief has already been well and truly suspended. 

I'm quietly looking forward to the next issue, and having Blackhawk taking a background role might just be what is needed to keep the story fresh. This was a solid issue, and although I'm not one hundred per cent convinced we are heading in the right direction, I am still reading with a smile on my face.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Aaargh! You forgot to open the exit-hatch!" 

This is the last appearance of the giant robot, Mad George, on the pages of the A.B.C. Warriors, and apparently the last appearance of the A.B.C. Warriors for a while. 

After the successful attack on Biol, the synthetic food manufacturing company, the A.B.C. Warriors make to escape into the desert. However, George insists they leave him to face his fate against the soon-to-arrive tanks. 

After some debate, the A.B.C. Warriors acquiesce to George's wishes and leave him alone to face his inevitable end.

Hearing the explosions, they pause to reflect on George's demise. It is then that they realise that the chunks of metal flying overhead aren't part of George, but rather they're the tanks sent to destroy him.

Turning back, they find a miracle has occurred. The Mess, the liquid member of the A.B.C. Warriors, had been in a vial in George's heart. Now that had been broken, and the Mess had flowed throughout George's body, linking his five brains. For the first time in his existence, the giant robot George had operated as intended. 

Victory is assured, and the A.B.C. Warriors are again on their way, now with a new member, George, towering over them. 

I had expected a sad climax to this part of the story, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a triumphant outcome for George. Seems those tissues I had weren't needed after all. 

This "happy ending" has lifted the tone of the Warriors strip considerably, and the second half of this week's story gave the strip a new energy. I appreciated that we moved away from some of the war comic tropes, such as leaving an injured member of the squad to face his fate, and transitioned into a more satisfying and uplifting ending. 

On the negative side of the ledger, this will be our last dance with A.B.C. Warriors, as next week we see the arrival of a new strip - The Stainless Steel Rat. A.B.C. Warriors has had a strong run, and this final issue was a fine capstone to close this story. It's a shame to leave them here, and I can only hope they return soon with another fresh story. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "No - George NOT move! Me not want to go back to being "Mad George" with his silly walk. It better to die!"

Wolfie Smith continues his fight against the Grim Guardians, who have possessed one of the stuntmen working on the film set.

While chunks of rock are flying at him, Wolfie puts up a psychic shield, protecting both him and Tara. However, the rest of the film crew aren't so lucky, and down below someone is hit by a falling rock while others urge the director to stop filming and take cover. 

Eventually, the Guardians consider their warning has been delivered, and Wolfie is left to recover, while Tara comforts him. The possessed stuntman, Joe Snarly, isn't so lucky, and the pair discover that he has been drained of life and energy during the battle, leaving him as an empty shell. 

Wolfie returns to the rest of the film crew, and the director insists they are still going to proceed with the filming. However, Wolfie is filled with dread when he sees that the director, Julian Rowse, plans to film the sacrificial scene at the Sacred Trianad, the system of stones that the guardians have warned him to stay away from. 

I am reluctant to say it, but I am beginning to tire of Wolfie Smith. Last week it was the best story in the comic, yet I found this week the battle against the guardian was drawn out, and it feels like we have been on this film set for an eternity. The material is beginning to become stretched thin, and there needs to be another peak to reenergise the story. I am even more frustrated to see ABC Warriors wrap up this week, while we persist with this Wolfie Smith story. 

Vano continues to impress, and the artwork is near faultless throughout, often carrying the story that is otherwise becoming a grind. I enjoy taking a second, or even third, look at each panel and forgetting the words while I indulge myself in the art. 

The final tagline does offer me some hope that the ship will right itself next week. "The death of Wolfie" will either bring things to a close, or spin the story off into a new direction. I would be happy with either outcome, just happy to be moving forward again.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Poor old Joe's just...going to pieces!" 

Buckingham Palace sees Disaster 1990 reach its climax as Bill Savage continues his fight against the London Legion.

Backed by the northern farmers, Savage soon conquers the Legion's last stronghold, although he can find no sign of the leaders Razor, Martin and Doc Sinclair.

While Bill and his men enjoy a hearty meal, in the basement below, the Legion's three leaders are making their final power play. With a cache of explosives, they prepare to blow up Buckingham Palace, with Bill and his men unaware of what is unfolding beneath them. 

However, Savage stumbles upon their plan, and a fight ensues. Razor, Martin and Doc Sinclair light the fuse to their explosives, and as Savage tries to intercept them, he finds a knife thrown his way. His life is saved when the Squire steps in front of him, sacrificing his life to save Savage's. 

Razor, Martin and Doc Sinclair escape, leaving Savage to deal with the rapidly burning fuse. With his trusty shotgun, he blasts one of the wine barrels above the explosives, a shower of wine extinguishing the threat. 

The crisis is averted, although Razor, Martin and Doc Sinclair have escaped. 

The next morning, Savage and his men awaken to find that it has been snowing overnight, and London and its floodwaters are completely frozen over.

Out on the streets, they soon find Razor, Martin and Doc Sinclair frozen to death in the ice. 

With the war over, thoughts turn to rebuilding Britain. Voices call for Savage to be the new leader, but turning his back on the men, Savage tells them that he's simply a lorry driver and a loner. Now that the ground is solid again, he can turn and walk away.  The final line offers the fishhook for what we have already seen previously; maybe there'll be another day for Bill Savage.    

I feel sorry for Bill Savage. He has long been one of my favourite characters, and he didn't deserve the truncated ending we got here. Still, that is the way of these comics, with old stories quickly folded to make way for new. Still, the thought lingers with me that both Bill and the story deserve better. 

Aside from the jarring moment when Bill suddenly finds his enemies dead in the ice, the rest of the story stacked up rather well. The action scenes in Buckingham Palace carried the comic, and the sacrificial death and reappearance of Bill's shotgun were touches that we have grown used to throughout Bill's story. The appearance of both was a nice nod to the ground the story has been built on and a little piece of fan service before the story wrapped up. 

Perhaps the timing is right to say goodbye to Bill. As much as I enjoy him, there were only so many battles to be fought in this scenario. He was the right man at the right time, but now that time has passed. I shall leave with nothing but fond memories of him and his story, and every time I see a shotgun, his will be the first name to spring to mind. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "No, like the lorry driver I was before the floods, I'm a loner. An' now that it's solid ground again I can turn and walk away." 

Prog 139 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: A.B.C. Warriors 

Best Line: "You're right, Deadlock. No-one asked George if he wanted to be built as a freak...maybe it's his right to decide how he should die!"

Best Panel: 

Prog 138

 Hogarth Hughes: "You are who you choose to be."
The Iron Giant: "Superman."  

-The Iron Giant 

"The Iron Giant" was loosely based on Ted Hughes's masterpiece "The Iron Man." "The Iron Man" looms large over 2000AD, and we have seen giant robots appear several times in the first three years of 2000AD. This week we have Mad George in the A.B.C. Warriors, who is cut from the same cloth as Ted Hughes's seminal character. I only made the connection today - while Ted Hughes's Iron Man fed upon farm equipment, Mad George is ploughing a similar furrow as he destroys the company mass-producing food. The scale may be different, but the underlying idea is the same. 

You might think with this introduction that A.B.C. Warriors is my favourite story this week. It is not. All the stories this week are strong, although all have weak points that I have tried to cover where I can. When the dust settled, I found a surprising story on top, Wolfie Smith. In retrospect, I can see that it is the one story that has been building in its continuity and is now reaching the payoff. It doesn't have a giant robot, but it does have plenty to recommend it. Next week it will be A.B.C. Warriors reaching its zenith, and one can only assume the other stories will also deliver an array of arresting images and thoughtful passages worthy of their predecessor, "The Iron Man"  

Prog 138

10th November 1979 

This week, Judge Dredd lends itself to a monster story, aptly titled "Night Of The Bloodbeast."

In the Enid Blyton block, a huge crocodile-like beast is prowling. It feasts upon its victims, and Dredd is soon on the scene, looking at the remains of two citizens who have had their hearts torn out. 

While Dredd tracks the beast responsible, we see a flashback of how this came to be during the time of Judge Cal, when the alien Kleggs operated as his mercenaries. One of their offspring was born a mutant, and when the Kleggs fled the planet, they left this mutant behind, imprisoned in a basement apartment where they had been billeted. 

The couple who owned this apartment decided to raise the mutant, thinking that as the last of the Kleggs, he would be worth a lot of credits one day. However, he had grown outrageously, eventually developing a taste for blood, and this led to their demise in his jaws. 

Immediately after this flashback, we see Dredd in the Enid Blyton block hunting his prey. Bursting into the apartment where the creature is, Dredd fires at its brain, but the creature keeps coming. Dredd is caught in its grasp, but suddenly, the monster realises it's dead and slumps to the floor. 

All that's left is for Dredd to deliver the final soliloquy and strike a cool pose for a final panel. 

A nice return by the Kleggs in this issue. They bring a menace to the page, and any panel showing the mutant or the original Kleggs was worthy of a second look. I especially appreciated the first couple of pages when we were reacquainted with their look and the way in which we were led into the story.  The very first panel grabbed our attention and helped create a momentum that carried us through the backstory.

Although not as funny as some other Dredd stories, there was still an undercurrent of humour. The very first comment about the citizen fearing visiting his mother-in-law made me smile, as did the name of the city block -Enid Blyton. I have not heard the name Enid Blyton for many years, and I found it hilarious to see her referenced here. We feel a long way from the world of Enid Blyton, and in this context, it felt absurd - in the very best way possible. 

Although the story was short, it was well-rounded and delivered a satisfying conclusion. Within the confines of only seven pages, it managed to build to a tense climax, with the story peaking as Dredd is grabbed by the throat. This gave us a memorable panel that ranks among the best in this comic and finished the story on a high. Paired with Dredd's final words, the story had an unexpected pathos that left me considering rereading it immediately. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "No, not evil...Urk didn't know any better. He was innocent, like a newborn child..."

The stadium ship upon which Blackhawk is held is now being attacked by a pirate ship led by Captain Psyko, a deformed pirate with a twisted face. 

Leading an army of same-faced clones, Captain Psyko storms the ship, the only resistance coming from the gladiators onboard. These gladiators put up a spirited fight, but they are overwhelmed, and soon only Blackhawk and Ursa are left fighting. 

Ursa runs to free Zog, the dwarf, who could swing the fight in their favour. Meanwhile, Blackhawk fights on single-handedly, managing to cut Captain Psyko several times with his sword. Eventually, Blackhawk is defeated, although left alive. Captain Psyko tells his men to spare Blackhawk, as their leader, the Soul-Sucker, only feeds on live food. 

I have only been briefly exposed to Captain Psyko, but I love him immediately. His unique dialogue was brilliant, as was his cool nature through the pirate attack. Sure, he was shown to have a furious side, but this wasn't pushed as hard and didn't make as much of an impact. He looked cool, had the best weapon with his sword with a skull as a hilt and got all the best lines. I often feel that Blackhawk lacks personality, and that was highlighted in this issue as Captain Psyko had personality oozing out of every pore. Another day, I might say this unbalanced the story, but I enjoyed it immensely. It will be interesting to see what happens next, and I do wonder if Captain Psyko's role will be reduced before he threatens to dominate the story.

The final reveal of the Soul Sucker was the scariest moment. While Captain Psyko was portrayed as the enemy, he didn't come across as particularly threatening, a lot of his menace undone by his sharp tongue. On the other hand, Soul Sucker is nightmarish in both its look and the thought of what he could inflict upon a man. Hopefully, he will be hard to kill and will linger for several issues before Blackhawk dispenses with it. 

I was pleased to see Ursa change size in this issue, after my comments about it last week. He is now much closer to Blackhawk's size, and I didn't even think about such things until after the comic finished. Seeing the two fight side by side was the crux of this week's issue, and we were served with plenty of images of the two wielding their weapons in the face of overwhelming numbers. They acquitted themselves well, but the Soul Sucker is another level altogether, and it will be a week before we see how they take on this hideous alien.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I'm bleeding! This really is too much!" 

The A.B.C. Warriors are using Mad George, a colossal robot on Mars, to attack the base of the food manufacturing company Biol. Mad George is big, but his five computer brains have never been able to control him, so each of the Warriors has taken control of a part of his body manually. 

The attack is a success; with George a familiar sight on Mars, he gets close to the base without arousing suspicion. However, he is a Trojan horse, and soon he is smashing through the defences while the Warriors fight from his every limb. Even a flight of fighter bombers can't stop him. 

Soon, the battle is almost won, and George asks that he be left behind so the soldiers can kill him. He can't go back to being a Mad George and would rather die having done something good.  

There is something inherently sad about giant robots, especially the ones we see in the pages of 2000AD. Mad George's final two panels cast a long shadow over all that came before it, and as I put the comic down, it was his final words that stayed with me.

The rest of the strip was wall-to-wall action, with explosions, gunfire, and the robot warriors storming the HQ. It was delivered in large panels that captured the size of George and the battle they were fighting and anchored the story before we returned to Mad George's final thoughts. It was exciting and fun but made shallow as the story waded into deeper waters toward the end. 

Although I was taken by the opening and closing panels, this was a well-balanced story. It had a very real heart, and this remained with me long after the flame and fury of the centre pages. The two contrasting threads strengthened each other, making the story appealing to both my eyes and my heart. I already know that next week will once again pull at my heart, and I shall have my tissues ready.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "George is glad...but when it's over, Sarge...George want to be left behind...so the soldiers can kill George!"

Although Wolfie Smith should be running away from the mysterious stones, and potentially the Wendigore, he finds himself running toward the Abbey, anxious for the safety of Tara Lawson.

In the rain-lashed ruins of the Abbey, the filming continues, with Tara and Mark being instructed by the director Julian Rowse. He encourages them to climb to the heavily costumed Joe, little knowing that Joe has been possessed by the Guardians of the Stones.

While the crew watch from below, Mark reaches the hooded figure, only to be thrown aside as he gets close. Tara is next, and she lets out a piercing scream as the creature drags her along the ramparts.

Wolfie recognises what is happening and rushes toward them. He has a premonition, and acting quickly, he avoids the collapsing stones beneath his feet. However, he isn't so fortunate the next time, and in the final panel, we see the monster using psychic forces to hurl chunks of masonry at him.    

Things are happening fast, and although I am enjoying it, it does feel a little shallow, especially compared to some of the other stories in the comic. 

Wolfie Smith is beginning to resemble a teenage horror film, and I have mixed feelings about that. On one hand, I am enjoying the pace of it and seeing the tropes I am familiar with. The young damsel in distress, the director thinking only of his film, and the hero, knowing something evil is afoot and unable to prevent it. On the negative side, it isn't as creative as some of the other stories in 2000AD and sometimes the surprises aren't as shocking as they should be. 

The art of Vano is certainly a plus and helps compensate for some of my issues. He gives the characters a believable feeling and creates a good atmosphere for the horror to seep from. He does suffer from my familiarity with some of his other work, in particular, the Guardian looks like several of his other creatures, but overall I do get a quiet buzz from his work. This week he gave us several great panels that outshone everything else in the comic, and it's no surprise that I have chosen one of his panels as my favourite. Nor is it a surprise to see that it is an image of Tara Lawson!  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Why wasn't this written into the script? It's fantastic! Get a camera on him, quick!" 

Disaster 1990 picks up from last week, with Bill Savage having been captured by the London Legion after leading a failed uprising against them.

He is forced to watch the other mutineers being shot by the London Legion before facing a slow death himself as his amphibious vehicle is filled with concrete with him in it.

Cast adrift, Savage faces a slow death as the concrete hardens and his vehicle sinks in the flood. He is closely watched by members of the London Legion in surrounding boats, who all think it is great entertainment. 

Other boats try to approach, and they are waved away; this entertainment is only for the bosses. However, it's not the boats of Legionnaires, but rather the Northern Farmers who have arrived to liberate London. 

The farmers are armed with shotguns, and the skirmish is soon over, and all eyes turn to conquering the last Legion stronghold - Buckingham Palace. 

The arrival of the farmers to rescue Bill Savage was fantastic, and gave us a suitable payoff from our first meeting of them. Seeing them attack the Legion filled my heart with joy, and Bill Savage wasn't the only one relieved to see them on the page. The rural-urban conflict was brought to life on the page; I sincerely hope this won't be easily resolved next week. This could drive the story forward for quite some time, although the final panel doesn't fill me with much hope for this happening. 

As much as I liked this story, there was one thing that I couldn't get past - Bill Savage and his slow death in concrete. This is a classic James Bond villain move, and one instinctively knew that Savage would somehow get free. Why villains persist with this slow-death idea, I just don't know, but it is well past its use-by date even in 1979, let alone 2025. 

My second problem with Savage and the concrete is that concrete is heavier wet than it is dry. Quite why the boat begins to sink as the concrete hardens, I don't know, but it never made sense to me. I spent much too long thinking about this rather than the story, and it did distract me from all the good things that were happening. 

Despite these reservations, the story has lifted this week, and we are in good shape as we look ahead to next week.   

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Hallo there, Squire Archer. As you can see, I'm about to fall on hard times!" 

Prog 138 final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: The Mind Of Wolfie Smith 

Best Line: "Least it's a concrete proposal!"

Best Panel: 

Prog 137

Recently, I've been thinking of wrapping up this blog when I reach Prog 150. It's a big world out there, and there are many things out there that I should be doing rather than reading old comics. However, I missed updating the blog the other week and made an important discovery. I'm in too deep. I want to see what comes next. I want to see what happens to these characters that I care about. However busy my real life gets, I find myself irresistibly drawn to these musty old comics. As much as I want to walk away, I can't. To quote a famous cowboy movie, "I wish I knew how to quit you."  

Prog 137

3rd November 1979 

Judge Dredd this week centres on the story of the murder of a Judge. Judge Harkness stops three Joyhoppers who have been driving on the speed walk, only for one of them to draw a weapon and shoot her in cold blood. 

An emergency signal goes out to all other Judges, and Judge Bryce, her partner, is the first to arrive. She dies in his arms, and he immediately pledges to avenge her death. 

What follows is a race through the streets as Judge Bryce chases the murderers while Dredd does his best to keep up. 

Judge Bryce catches up with the three Joyhoppers and is about to avenge the love of his life, delivering a death sentence to the murderers, when Dredd shoots him. As Judge Bryce dies, Dredd reminds us that when a Judge breaks the law, there is no law, before a final soliloquy of "There can only be one love in a Judge's life...the law."

I thought the death of a Judge would have a far greater emotional impact than what we saw here. The death of Judge Harkness played out much as one would expect, but for some reason, it failed to tug at my heartstrings. Perhaps this was due to the context of the death and the surrounding story that seemed steeped in 80s action films (yes, I know we are still months away from 1980)

Many of the lines spoken in the strip were bombastic and would feel more at home in a Hollywood blockbuster rather than on the newsprint paper of a 1970s comic. Judge Bryce's promise to avenge the death was just such a line, and although I have chosen it as the best line in this week's comic, it didn't quite feel right against the death of Judge Harkness. 

This is partly due to the senseless way that Judge Harkness died. True, people die in such circumstances all the time, and not every cop goes out in a blaze of glory, but coupled with the fact that we barely knew her, there wasn't an emotional resonance as we saw her die in Bryce's arms. 

The fast nature of this revenge didn't give us the breathing space to fully digest the death of the Judge, and although it did rush us through to the story's eventual conclusion, it didn't feel particularly satisfying when Judge Bryce caught up to the murderers. 

Like last week, this was a Dredd story that flattered to deceive. It seems to contain all the elements required for a great Judge Dredd story, but it didn't hang together in a pleasing fashion, and despite wanting to enjoy what I saw, it all felt rather pale and tepid compared to stories past. There were still a couple of panels of stunning artwork and some memorable dialogue, but the story itself never lived up to these moments, leaving me to wonder what the essence of a good Judge Dredd story is. Maybe, next week, we will find out. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Keep out of this, Dredd! You don't understand! I loved her, drokk i - I loved her!"

Blackhawk is planning to escape, but first, he must convince Ursa to help him. Ursa won't help until he receives a sign from his God, and Blackhawk is happy to help him on that front, surreptitiously setting Ursa on fire while he prays.

This is the sign that Ursa has been waiting for, and he is at Blackhawk's side as Blackhawk slips out into the corridor. They are confronted by some of the director's drones, but they make short work of them as Ursa swings his heavy axe.

Soon enough, they have reached a scout craft, but the plan falls apart when Blackhawk discovers that Ursa doesn't know how to fly it, and neither does he. 

Both are brought before the director, who intends to make an example of them by hanging their bodies outside of the spaceship. However, before he acts on this, they witness a cargo craft being approached by pirates. The director decides to join the action, as the salvage rights on the cargo ship will be worth a lot of credits. However, as they approach, the panels of the cargo ship move, revealing it to be a much larger pirate ship, and now the director finds that their ship is trapped. 

This story was far more enjoyable this week, mostly because we have put aside the idea of Blackhawk fighting a new monster each week and instead are concentrating on the wider story arc and Blackhawk's bid for freedom. 

The story had a couple of interesting twists and turns, and although none of them were jolting, they did give the story texture and opened up new possibilities. The moment when Blackhawk and Ursa reached the ship only to discover that neither one of them could fly was just such a moment. It made me smile, but more importantly, it made me wonder what might happen next. Even better was the final page, when the cargo ship transformed into a pirate ship, and the director found his vessel under attack. It was a well-disguised moment in the story, with no foreshadowing, making it a total surprise that will carry us over to next week. 

The story also carried some humour, especially early on as Ursa prayed to his God. This immediately made an impression, and instead of beginning with Blackhawk fighting an alien, we had an immediate light moment. There was still the obligatory chop-chop from Ursa, but in this new context, it was funny and started the story on the right note before things got heavier over the page. 

This week, I continue my love/hate relationship with Blackhawk, with the pendulum swinging back toward love on the back of this solid story. It's still not a particularly high rating, but it is positive, and the story is my favourite this week. Without a doubt, this is helped by the art of Belardinelli, who excelled once again this week. His depiction of Ursa and Blackhawk on the first pages was noteworthy, as was the image of the dead bodies hanging outside of the ship. My only reservation was seeing the size of Ursa when standing next to Blackhawk. He seems to have gotten a lot bigger this week, and I'm sure he wasn't this tall in earlier issues. It was glaring, and I found it distracting in an otherwise very good story. If I had more time, I would go back and check the earlier issues for a size comparison, but alas, I am time-poor, so I will leave it as is, a half-remembered thought that may or may not be true.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "We have only ourselves for help, you furry fool! Don't just stand there - fight the faceless spawn!" 

This week's A.B.C. Warriors begins with the introduction of a giant called Mad George. George is so big that he has five different brains to control his various functions, all serving a master brain. However, his master brain is too small, and despite his best efforts, he can't seem to get anything right. 

Meanwhile, the A.B.C. Warriors are called in to defend the rights of small landowners who are being attacked by Biol, one of the large synthetic food corporations of Mars, which is determined to stamp out any rivals producing fresh food. 

The Warriors decide that the best form of defence is offence, and on the final page of the strip, Hammer-Stein has the idea of using Mad George as part of their plan to attack Biol's base. 

It's only my first time seeing him, but already I have a soft spot for Mad George. Maybe it's his name, or maybe the warm nature with which the artist Mike McMahon has imbued him, but I can't help but feel sorry for him. I want to see more of him, and from the direction of the story thus far, I think I'm going to be amply rewarded. 

Apart from the introduction of Mad George, not a lot happened this week. Sure, we saw the operational methods of Biol, and the havoc they wreak upon the local citizenry, but we never saw the men behind the company, nor did we get any indication of the A.B.C. Warriors overall scheme for attacking Biol's base. We know Mad George will be involved, but apart from that, we know nothing. Nor do we know what part Blackblood will play in the coming weeks. Last week, we saw him betray Hammer-Stein and Hammer-Stein's reaction. This week, that event wasn't even alluded to, although I'm sure it hasn't been swept under the carpet. 

I have a lot of questions, which is always a good thing and a guarantee that I will read on. I understand the importance of this issue in setting up what comes next, and already, I know I am going to enjoy it far more than the Dinosaur story we saw last month. With likable heroes and dastardly villains, we are poised for a great story, and all that remains now is for me to pick up the next copy and read it. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Right! And we're gonna take the war to the corporation! We're gonna burn and destroy - just like Biol burn and destroy! We're gonna raze the corporation's base to the ground!"

There is trouble on the set of "Night of the Carnivore," but Wolfie Smith isn't there to see it. High up in the Abbey, Joe is grabbed by a hideous creature, and before he can do anything, he is transformed and possessed.

Meanwhile, Wolfie is with the local pot-holer, Moley, who wants to show him some of the sketches he made of the wall paintings they discovered on his last expedition. Wolfie recognises the creatures in the paintings as they are the same as his visions - Wendigore.

The Wendigore thrived on the blood of animal sacrifice and were lured into an underground chamber using young lambs as bait. The chamber was surmounted by three megaliths, which neutralised the Wendigore's power.

When Moley tells Wolfie that the three megaliths are still there, Wolfie deduces that the guardians are trying to scare everyone away so these megaliths aren't disturbed. With that, he races back to the set, worried that something bad is about to happen. Meanwhile, on the set, Tara is about to ascend the stairs to where, unknown to her, one of the guardians awaits. 

Every week, Wolfie Smith takes us to the edge of something exciting happening, only to pull back at the last minute and leave us waiting another week. Last week, we saw a Guardian appear in costume, surrounded by other actors, and yet nothing came of it. This week is a repeat, with the Guardian reaching for Joe from behind. It remains to be seen if something will follow on from this next week, and on current form, I would say it's more likely that Joe will move away from the Guardian with no consequences than something actually happening. 

The highlight of this week's strip is the image of Tara in a sexy outfit being given instructions by the director. It may not have added much to the story, but I found it far more appealing than the images of Wolfie talking to Moley. This conversation between Wolfie and Moley added a lot of information to the story, but apart from a notable image of the Wendigore, it was mostly close-ups of their respective faces as they talked about it. You may think I'm shallow, but comics are a visual medium, and it was the image of Tara that I carried in my head once I put the comic down. 

It probably doesn't help that I have never warmed to Moley, nor, indeed, Wolfie. Wolfie has had his moments, but Moley is a lost cause, and I can't find it in myself to care about him or his backstory. He is little more than a vehicle to carry information about the Wendigore for Wolfie. More time spent on his introduction would have helped me become interested in his character and perhaps made the information he is imparting all the more important. As it is, it is all a  little flimsy, and I find myself more interested in Tara's legs than the Wendigore. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "And the stones are still there, Wolfie! According to the old writings, they must never be removed or destroyed..!" 

In Disaster 1990, Bill Savage has returned to London where a gang of thugs calling themselves the Legion of London have made slaves of other survivors and are using them to loot and pillage.

The Legion has also wiped out the Oxford survivors, and Bill Savage has only one thing on his mind - revenge. The Legion are using Buckingham Palace as their HQ when one of the guards notices a tree floating by. The tree contains a surprise for the guards: Bill Savage armed with his shotgun. A couple of blasts later, Bill Savage has freed the slaves in the immediate vicinity, and they all immediately pledge to join him in overthrowing the Legion.   

That night, Bill Savage again approaches Buckingham Palace, this time in his amphibious vehicle and with backup. The two sentries are quickly overpowered, and Savage and his team enter the Palace. 

Within, they find the two leaders, Razor and Martin, and Savage tells them that without them at the head of the movement, the movement will quickly collapse. Meanwhile, Bamber has found Dr Sinclair from Oxford, and it seems that Savage has everything in hand. 

However, Dr. Sinclair reveals himself to be the third leader of the Legion, and, drawing a pistol, he shoots Bamber at close range. With that, the tables are turned on Savage, and the strip ends with Dr. Sinclair promising Savage a slow death. 

I love a good third-man reveal. This one isn't one of the greats, but it was good enough to get us to Bill Savage's perilous position at the end of the comic. There was no hint at this twist, and although it came out of the blue, it didn't have the impact one might expect.  Dr Sinclair hasn't fought side by side with Bill Savage, and there wasn't a great sense of betrayal when he showed his true colours.

Aside from the reveal of Dr Sinclair, the rest of the strip was action-packed and, at times, felt more like a war comic than a 2000 A.D. story. There was gunplay on every page and fighting throughout the story. It helped push the story along at a good clip, with the plot nipping at the heels of the action. The story wasn't substantial, but the action did help paper over the cracks. 

There is a great story to be told here, yet this issue felt like it was stuck in second gear. Even with the fast-paced action, the shadow of the larger story loomed large, and part of me wished we could push past this shooting action and sink our teeth deep into the wider story of the occupation of London. 

Despite my obvious reservations, I found this to be a good read, with the story of Legion of London being compelling. Bill Savage is a hard man to kill. Next week, I expect to see him not only escape death but take the fight to the Legion of London.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "This tree bites, pal!" 

Prog 137 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Blackhawk 

Best Line: "That's right - I'm a Judge! I'm going to find those murdering rats -  and I'm gonna judge 'em!"

Best Panel: