Prog 8

   

I've been trying to run before I could walk. I was reminded this morning that I'm only up to Prog 8, a mere two months after 2000 A.D. was launched. For all that lays ahead, I should enjoy these early moments of the comic and give myself time to breathe. Last week's issue for most enjoyable, and an earlier look at the cover suggests that me. All is good in the world, and what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon, than with a comic in hand and the sun on my face. 

Prog 8

16 April 1977

There is something reassuring about the fact the stories follow in the same order every week. I know that Invasion will always put me in the right frame of mind for all that will follow. This week we have Bill driving the wives and families of the resistance to the airport, to be flown to safety in Canada. Driving a London bus, Bill and his men shoot their way into the airport, making for the Concorde Mrk 2 that sits on the runway. It looks as though it may fail when Volgan aircraft fire heat-seeking missiles at the Concorde, but the Volgans fail to account for the Concorde's cold hydrogen engines. The Volgans become targets for their own weapons as the missiles fail to lock onto the Concorde and instead target their own hot engines. The final panels reveal that this was part of Bill's calculations, having learned such technical data from his own now dead airplane mad son. A good story, with plenty of action, and a plot twist near the end, makes for a nice package to begin this issue. Any panel will Bill Savage is worth viewing, and the death heads logo that appears on the London buses is another nuanced touch by the artist. Invasion is the most dependable strip week after week, long may it continue.   

Rating: 6/10

Best Line:  "It's a special excursion, lad, fixed by the...er..yer Uncle Bill"

Last week's Flesh promised a lot, and this week we get the payoff as Earl Reagan and Claw Carver set off for the base through miles of Dinosaur-infested jungle. We see the coldness of Carver early as the Doctor is killed by a prehistoric snake, and then a page later as he throws one of their own men off a raft in the face of danger from another dinosaur. The team survives dinosaur attacks across the first few pages before Carver sets a trap of his own - offering himself as bait. The final panels set us up for another drama-filled week next time around. Previously I found the art in Flesh too busy for my taste, but I have reconsidered that, I now find the attention to detail elevates the story beyond mere giant creatures smashing and bashing their way around. The friction between Carver and Reagan keeps the human element to the fore, and I find this issue takes last week's story and lifts it to another level.  

 Rating: 7/10

Best Line: "Try chomping on that, you slimy crittur!" 

Tension rises in Harlem Heroes as Giant continues his downward plunge with a failed jet pack. This was a great cliffhanger last week, I'm pleased to see it's immediately resolved in the first panels this week. Instead, after making a play off an opponent, Giant is caught by a teammate before a time-out is called. Appreciate that the story isn't rushed, and the drama of the situation is left to play out. It makes for a better read and is far more engaging. After going on to win the game, the ground crew report that no further jet backs had issues, and it looks as if sabotage is at hand. In the final panels, we see a cyborg player being prepared, a cyborg that wants to see the Harlem Heroes dead. I expected to see more of the game against the Siberian team here, but after the jetpack problem, the rest of the game was quickly resolved. The intrigue in the final page made up for it, and there is plenty to hang my interest on for next week's issue. A good solid story, this one bookends last week perfectly.      

 Rating: 7/10

Best line: "That's it, boys... all together now, first one to catch me wins a kewpie doll!" 

Dan Dare started slow, but the last few issues have been great, and this one is no different. With the Odyssey being sucked into the Biogs living ship, Dan has no option but to follow. Without waiting Dan and the crew immediately exit their craft and set off to find the Odyssey. Taken deep inside the Biog's vessel, he is offered a bargain, deliver humans to the Biogs in exchange for everlasting life, an offer Dan immediately agrees to!  As always, the art is outstanding, and this story takes twice as long to read as any other story because there is so much to absorb on every page. The Biogs are proving to be a formidable enemy, and I for one can't wait to see what happens next. But for now, I just want to drown in this art.  

 Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Hear me, Brain of this ship. I want to live forever... I will betray my comrades."  

I enjoy this issue of M.A.C.H. 1 right up until the final two panels, and then it lets me down. In a tale of kidnapping, John Probe is sent to Spain to free maria Aragon after being snatched while her fiance did nothing. With ransom money in hand, John makes short work of the villain when it comes to the exchange, and from there travels by motorcycle to the villa where Maria is held. After a smashing entrance on the bike, he confronts the woman who is responsible for the kidnapping. At this point, all the air is let out of the story as she meekly surrenders in the face of Johns's display of strength. Up to this point, I had enjoyed it just as much as last week, but I feel badly let down by this conclusion. The story had a lot going for it, some great action, and art that captured the drama well, but the final panels see me rating this as only average rather than something on par with last week. However, John's final sentence gives me hope that next week the overall story will develop further. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line:  "I like her a lot, but MACH men aren't paid to have feelings" 

Judge Dredd restores balance with its humour and fantastical future. With petrol-driven cars being considered art in 2099, this week's story revolves around an art theft of a Morris Minor, something that has me laughing with the memory of my mother's Morris Minor when we were kids. Who knew that one day it would be worth 500,000 credits! It's up to Dredd to bring justice to the world, and this he does in great style, confronting the thieves at Krilz's Auto Market. This leads to a funny scene as Dredd is temporarily insights by a spray of plastic on his visor. Taunted by the thieves, he removes his helmet, only for them to recoil in horror at the sight. The story ends will the main villain Krilz being delivered to Dredd on a walk-eezee. I think this is the best Dredd so far, it was amusing and relatable and paced nicely at the end of the comic. In a large, complex, universe, Dredd is finding his feet, and I anticipate plenty more in the coming issues. 

 Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "We can deal with him! He ain't a robot, he's human.... I think!" 

Prog 8 final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Invasion 

Best Line: Krilz -  "Aargh! What's happened to Dredd's face - it's horrible!"

Best Panel: