Prog 14

 I don't know what was happening in May of 1977 but things are getting pretty wild in Prog 14. I like to think that 2000 AD reflected a little of the times in which it was written, and given what I've seen so far 1977 was grim. Still, with humour running through the comic it never feels oppressive or hopeless, and even as bleak as the future is portrayed I still find myself smiling.  

Prog 14

28 May 1977

I have been looking forward to this week's Invasion and the arrival of a S.A.S. strike force to take the fight to the Volgans. Things don't quite go according to plan, however, and as Bill and the resistance wait for the strike force to arrive they run into a tramp. Bill wants to deal with him, but the Brigadier makes a decision to release him, a decision that will come back to haunt him as the tramp reveals their position and scheme to the Volgans. Things heat up at this point of the story, and the SAS strike force is taken out by the Volgans in a page of explosive action. All is not lost though, and Bill kills a jeep load of Volgans in the final panels, giving them a chance to still hit the base. Next week's episode promises to be a cracker as Bill coldly tells his team that there's only one way to do it now - Bill Savage Style. The artwork in this issue seems brighter and lighter than previously, and even though the action takes place at night, every panel has a clean look that can easily be digested. It makes the story move faster, and this works well with the action. It's a trope we see week after week, but I still get a kick out of seeing Bill take out Volgs with his shotgun, and for all my literary pretensions, these are the panels I like the best. I'm tempted to post one of these panels every week, and it takes all my willpower not to do so. 

Rating: 7/10

Best Line:  "You're getting the payoff all right, scum...in hot lead!"

The good news is that I did manage t get a nightmare-free sleep after reading last week's Flesh. The bad news is I have to go through it all again for this week's issue. This week's issue is a doozy, with not only Tyrannosaurs on the ground but also Pteranodon in the sky, and giant spiders underground. A scary triple threat if there ever was one. But, as the story shows us, the greatest enemy is man himself and in this case, it's the Controller who personifies this. From the opening panel we see what the evil looks like as he executes those who ran in the face of the dinosaur attack. Our hero Reagan has the courage to speak up, but his voice is lost in the hostile environment and the death sentence is carried out. With Reagan locked up for his insubordination, the siege continues. The following pages are given over to man versus man, as Reagan makes an escape and confronts the controller. After turning the tables on the controller the story swings back to the dinosaurs as an electrical storm sees them advance on three fronts - ground, air, and underground. I rated last week's issue extremely high, and although not as dramatic as last time, this week is just as good for other reasons. Some of the tension has ebbed out of the story, but the telling line about man killing man is the crux of the story. The story is gaining new depths, and I'll be here again next week to indulge in it.       

 Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "Good work, Reagan...I was on your side all the time!" 

The flying Scotsmen continue to pummel Harlem Heroes as the game escalates in this week's issue. With a large lead and their hard-hitting style, Harlem Heroes are up against it. However, Louis's brain has a solution, stop playing them at their own game, and instead, play with speed and finesse. It's not quite enough for the win, and the scores are tied as the game ends, setting us up nicely for a sudden-death playoff featuring one player from each team. The story felt flat this week, and even though the final panel is promising, there isn't much that came before that made me sit up and take notice.  

 Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Sorry boys! I've decided physical contact is ain't good for my constitution!" 

I continue to be in awe of Belardinelli and his stupendous art in Dan Dare. The first page in colour captures the horror of a rapidly aging crew member who dies in front of Dan as he ages hundreds of years in a few seconds. It kick starts the story, as next the ship heads into the heart of a giant sun. As Dan prepares to land we switch to the other half of the story and the Mekon. He continues with his schemes, and we have a demonstration of his ruthlessness as he eliminates one of his followers. Mekon has raised the stakes in Dan Dare and the story is better than ever as his plot unfolds. The action wasn't great this week, but every panel with Mekon was excellent, and the color art as always was outstanding. I may not always rate Dan Dare highly, but I always look forward to reading it.  

 Rating: 7/10

Best line: "OK. I'm going to try for a landing! Though who knows what we'll find on such a strange planet?"  

Last week M.A.C.H. 1 drew from disaster movies for its plot, and this week it is the kung-fu genre that gets an airing. Sent to Red China to obtain a revolutionary process for growing food, John faces a team of kung-fu experts before meeting the biggest of them all for a final battle. John doesn't beat him, but he does match him, causing his mind to snap. The story is all too familiar, and at times it does cross into James Bond territory, especially with the villain's exposition. However, it is likable, and the opening panel gives us a firm indication of what is to follow. They say familiarity breeds contempt, but the artwork keeps the story energised and by the final panel I am satisfied with all that came before.   

 Rating: 6/10

Best line:  "Brave words, Mr. Probe, and brave fighting. You will make I, Shang-chin, an admirable opponent...they are so hard to come by nowadays!" 

I am loving war with the Robots in Judge Dredd and every week it becomes more intense. Dredd is still a prisoner of the robots, and we see just how evil Call-Me-Kenneth is as he shows Dredd his fate. Dredd is scheduled to have his brain removed and placed in a robot so he will suffer pain forever. It is no surprise when Call-Me-Kenneth tells us that he's a big fan of Adolf Hitler. In a clever touch, even Dredd's handcuffs are a robot, one that's happy to grass him up at every opportunity. All is not lost, however, and on the final page, we have the reappearance of the lisping Walter, who helps free Dredd from his cuffs with some highly corrosive acid (or "highly cowosive" as Walter calls it). The first pages of this story are dark and ominous, and the stakes are set high. There is light relief in the second half of the story with the robot handcuffs and Walter, but there is still drama throughout. I'm not sure how long this war against the robots will last, but I can't get enough of it and I sincerely hope it will continue for a long time yet. With a great villain, fantastic art, and brilliant one-liners, this is the strip that has sold me on 2000AD.    

 Rating: 9/10

Best line:  "Try it an' you'll be sorry, buddy! I'll scream blue murder!" 

Prog 14 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd 

Best Line: "The cruel sentence was carried out...while the Tyrannosaurs gathered for the final kill...the "clever" humans killed each other"

Best Panel: