Prog 22

It's been a tough week and even the thought of looking at a computer screen gives me a headache. But the thought of the latest Prog brightens my mood considerably, and as I eye the cover of Prog 22 all my worries and woes recede leaving only the thought of what lays within. Thrills, action, joy, pathos and drama, all await me and for the next thirty minutes, I will be lost to the world as I thumb my way through the latest issue. 

Prog 22

23 July 1977

As always, my journey through this week's Prog begins with Invasion. l had looked forward to seeing Bill Savage leaving London, and the potential storylines that could develop as he took his war across the UK. However, since leaving London I have found Invasion uneven, and while it has continued to rate highly, the tone of it seems to change from week to week. This week is another steady enough issue, but it isn't as hard-edged and brittle as some of the earlier stories. With Bill working alongside the Somerset resistance the story is set out early on - Vogans have destroyed their prime food source and need to find an alternative. Bill leads the way as they ambush a train of heavy machinery, much to the annoyance of the resistance who would rather be fighting for food. The reveal comes as Bill has been looking at the big picture all along and the heavy machinery is a mobile protein-synthesizer. It is a quirky twist, but comes late in the story, meaning that the bulk of the story focuses on the men attacking a train, something we have seen plenty of times before. I enjoy it well enough but feel it could be better if only the twist could have come a little sooner to prop up the second half of the story.   

Rating: 6/10

Best Line:  "Yeah! Yer need a full belly to kill Volgs!"

I want Shako to win. Falmuth is a loathsome character, and even though we are only a few issues in with Shako, I'm dying to see him get his comeuppance. I think that I might get my wish early on in this issue as Shako strikes, leaving Falmuth laid out and Dollar staring Shako down. Things take a turn in the final few panels, as Dollar managers to shoot Shako, the prone bear laid out and facing a final killing blow in the last panel of the strip. The action between Shako and Falmuth is very good in this issue, but the most interesting part of the story is early on as we learn that the capsule within Shako contains a biological weapon. The reader may have surmised as much, but now it's out in the open the story can move quickly on. Asides from that, the panels with Shako and Dollar staring each other down are among the best, along with the first page which has a very dramatic image of Shako. Plenty to enjoy throughout this story as it weaves and turns, and even if things look bad for Shako, I am still along for the ride  

Rating: 8.5/10

Best Line: "Nice work, Eskimo. But now it's my turn - I'm gonna dirty the snow up a little with that brute's brains!" 

My feelings about Harlem Heroes are mixed this week. On the positive side, I love the art, it is excellent page after page, and almost every panel holds my eye. The continual use of the word "Jap" doesn't thrill me quite as much. It is of its time, and I understand that, but it becomes uncomfortable every time my Japanese wife looks over my shoulder to see what I'm reading. One glimpse of that word, and my Progs may well end up in a pile with the recycling while I'm at work. But, putting that aside, the rest of the story fails to fire, and although we get backstory about the team they're facing, and some intense aeroball action, I never lose myself in the world they are creating. If the art wasn't so sublime I would rate this much lower, but given that this is a visual medium I give it a pass this week, but I hope it will improve in the coming issues.  

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Stick your blood money any place you likes! Do I make myself clear?"

I enjoy the first colour pages of Dan Dare but the second half of the story doesn't match it for excitement or story, even though plenty happens in the back end of this week's issue. With the Two of Verath and Dan Dare battling on board the spaceship, the scene is set for a return to the Mekon. This fight looks great in colour, and at this stage, I have high hopes for the rest of the story. The rest of the story is given over to a lot of set-up for the arrival at the hollow planet, and the trap they are setting for the Mekon. The final panel restores some of the balance as the Two Of Verath advance on the Mekon, threatening death and potentially a great episode next week. Until next week I'm left with this issue in my hand, an issue that reeks of wasted potential after the opening burst of colour. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Careful? Haw! I'm going to make holes in the Mekon's oversized head! Come on, brother!"  

I am again cast back into 1977 with the plot of this week's M.A.C.H. 1. British oil men are under threat from local tribesmen who are being manipulated so that the oil can be sold to Eastern countries. All very 1977 but it makes for a cracking story in the following pages as John Probe takes on the local strongman. There is all we have come to expect from John Probe as he displays his range of abilities, both in speed and strength as he fights the local strongman, and later the leader. The fight against the strongman is predictable enough, and it's his escape from being buried alive but tunnelling using his bare hands that I find the most thrilling and original aspect of this story. I enjoy everything until the finale, as the villain falls prey to a cheetah that he accidentally shoots himself. It wraps up the story too quickly for my tastes, and although it is clever, it doesn't give us the satisfaction of seeing our hero triumph by his own hand. I can't complain too much, the panel of the cheetah attacking is great and one can feel the pain of the attack.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "Sendin your killers against oilmen's one thing, but torturing a helpless girl... " 

Judge Dredd is an interesting character, and he is matched this week against the equally interesting Mr Buzzz. The world of Mega-City 1 continues to expand as this week we meet a murderous gang, led by Mr Buzzz who as it turns out is a mutant. Mutants hate ordinary people and are banned from the city. Judge Dredd is at his cold-blooded best throughout this story, and the panels that grabbed me the most are as he sets the hotel alight to flush out Mr Buzzz. His final confrontation with Mr Buzzz is also noteworthy as he figures out how Mr Buzzz can see using his buzzing and negates this with a barrage from his own armoury. The story felt short this week, although it covers the usual amount of pages, and the storytelling was tight throughout with little fat on the story. This one felt par for the course for a Dredd story, but with that bar set high it was the second-best story in this week's comic.       

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line:  "You have walked right into my trap- buzzzzz! And now you will die! Bzzzzz!" 

Prog 22 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Shako

Best Line: "Since my cats are overweight, I shall smash your knee to slow you down, English!"

Best Panel: