Prog 34

I missed last week's blog. The Football World Cup got in my way and despite my best intentions I never quite found the time to update the blog. With only one game left I am reprioritising and once again ready to indulge my love of comics.  

Prog 34

15 October 1977 

Invasion once again dips into a Trojan horse story for this week's issue. A collaborator rats out Bill Savage and his men, but Savage is faster on the draw and escapes the trap. Sparing the life of the collaborator, Sir James MacGregor, Bill seemingly appears to share empathy with the man and declares that he will join him.  While Bill holds his now ex-friends at gunpoint, Sir James takes the controls of a Volgan troop carrier, and together they set off to Sir James's manor house where he has a dinner appointment with Volgan top-brass. Having gained Sir James's trust, Bill takes the driving duties of the troop carrier and proceeds to smash through the gates of the manor house, and through the wall of the dining room where the Volgans are seated. With the troop carrier full of primed grenades about to go off, Bill makes a hasty escape, leaving the traitor and Volgan officers in a fiery blast that destroys the house. We close with Bill making his way back to the resistance, driving Sir James's Rolls Royce and his fellow fighters off into the sunset. After a week's break, I am reading these stories with fresh eyes. Invasion feels lighter and brighter than I previously remember, and I enjoy the humour throughout. The dialogue isn't as snappy as the first issues as I remember them, and at times it touches on dad jokes, but it still lifts the story that otherwise may be dreary and heavy. The story has certainly changed a lot since Bill Savage left London, and it feels like there is still mileage to be had out of his time in Scotland.   

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "The slimy rat! He's sold us right down the river!"

From start to finish, this week's Judge Dredd is top-notch, and pleasingly it's only the first part of a story. In one of the most dramatic pages we have seen thus far in 2000AD, the story begins with two pages dedicated to a funeral parade, a funeral parade for Judge Dredd! What follows is some very clever storytelling, as one of the observers, Judge Gibson, fills us in on the back story of how we got to this point. Judge Dredd had been on the trail of a Mutie committing crimes across the city. Examining clues, Dredd comes to the conclusion that it isn't a mutie at all, but rather a judge disguised as a mutie. The wrinkle in the tale comes as the Judge in question is the man telling us the story, Judge Gibson. Knowing too much, Dredd becomes his target and is shot by Gibson from across the street. Feeling secure now that Dredd is dispensed with, Gibson once again dons his mutie disguise and heads out to commit a robbery. But there is one final twist before this week's issue is done with us as Dredd appears at the door and shoots Gibson's gun from his hand. The way this week's story unfolds is excellent, and the story twists and turns through every page making for a compelling read. The opening panels are spectacular, both with the subject matter and the art. The details of the funeral parade are laid out and there is a sense of the gravity of the situation, and how the judges pay respects to their fallen. With Dredd's landlady and Walter both grieving, the loss is keenly felt on the page. The second part of the story is equally good, and the final panel of Dredd appearing at just the right moment would fit into any dramatic movie. If next week lives up to this first part of the story then we are in for a real treat. Even if it doesn't match this opening, I would be more than happy with what we have here. 

Rating: 9/10  

Best Line:  "We come to bury Dredd, not judge him! But the good a man does lives after him. We shall never see his like again"

I was pleased to see Falmuth take a prominent role in last week's edition of Shako, and am happy to see him again at the centre of the story this week. The story though accelerates considerably here, and as it turns out this is a final hurrah for Falmuth. Falmuth is hard on the heels of Shako, but a snowstorm sees him taking shelter in a cave. As luck would have it, Shako is making for the same cave and is surprised to find two men there. With Shako blocking the entrance there is no escape and the men are trapped. As is his way, Falmuth sacrifices his colleague but is still facing a slow demise in the cave. Grabbing an icicle as a weapon he decides to flee, only to come to an end in the jaws of Shako. There are no tears shed from my side, but I am saddened to see one of the driving forces of the story dispensed with so easily. I thought Falmuth would have driven the story for longer and I'm surprised to see his part in the tale end here. It does appear that Dollar will take up the cause in hunting down Shako, which has potential, but I do feel cheated to see a main character go out with a whimper rather than a bang. No epic battle stretching across several issues, just a snowstorm and Shako in a cave. Overall, I have mixed feelings. I'm pleased to see Falmuth get what's coming to him, but disappointed it didn't play out on a grander scale. 

Rating: 7/10

Best Line:   "Three of us started out on this mission. Now Dobie and Falmuth are dead I'm the only one left...so I've got to kill that bear!"

Dan Dare lifts my spirits immediately with another great issue. This week Dan and his legion land on a green planet full of mystery and terror. The story starts with one of Dan's crew members striking a space monkey that has come on board the ship. Harming a space monkey is said to bring bad luck, and like sailors past, modern astronauts are just as superstitious when it comes to such things. Shortly after they land on the green planet, a planet that is covered entirely in forests. As Dan and his crew explore, two crew members disappear. With the legion spooked, Dan sets a trap, only to find that the trees are alive and attacking them. Their ship, the Eagle, is unable to get a firm lock on them, and things are looking grim for Dan and his crew as we close out the issue on a cliffhanger. Another great monster-of-the-week story from Dan Dare, and one can see it clearly drawing from the likes of Dr Who or Star Trek. However, it remains its own entity and is elevated by the character of Dan Dare. I mention the art constantly, and this week once again it is outstanding, adding to the spookiness and scary vibe of the story throughout. Although not as original as some of the other stories in 2000AD, I still find it most enjoyable and always rate Dan Dare highly.     

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "Look--the trees walk!"

Man versus the elements seems to be a theme for this week's bunch of stories, and in MACH 1 we find John Probe taking on the cold and ice of Mt Everest. The scene is set by the Halloran expedition seeking to conquer Everest by the direct route, only for a series of avalanches across ten hours ruining both their expedition and many others. Rising temperatures are leading to snow melt and unpredictable conditions and two days later it is John Probe who arrives with his own set of unique skills. Finding the remains of Halloran's party, and the now thawing remains of several others, he continues his rapid ascent before in the final panels he comes across a hidden solar energy station. He has very little time to digest this new discovery before he is shot at and then attacked. He fights off his attacker but is then knocked unconscious by an injection from an unseen opponent. A cool story and one that is served well by the clean lines of John Cooper's artwork. I am a fan of John's work, and any story I read that has his hand in it is elevated in my opinion. Once again we are set up for a multipart storyline, and with an intriguing concept, I am curious to see where we go from here. After the previous UFO storyline, it's good to see John Probe back to fighting something more earthly, and this story is warming up nicely for the next few weeks. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "25,000 feet... and the snow's turning to slush! And what in heaven's name is that revolting smell?"  

Future Shocks stretches across three pages before we reach the final three panels that contain the crux of the story. Like Dan Dare a few weeks ago, we have another space vampire story. A ship finds a planet inhabited by fanged creatures, and after being attacked escape to their ship and take off. It's not a clean escape, the captain has been bitten and soon enough is a vampire himself and attacking the rest of the crew. They battle him across a couple of pages, using all manner of space weapons, but he is unstoppable until the final panels as he comes across the ship's cook. The cook has the ultimate weapon against vampires and defeats him with a healthy dose of garlic powder. As much as I enjoyed the story, and I enjoyed it very much, I felt that it could have been told faster. We have seen some future shock storeys told in two pages, and this is one of those stories that could have been wrapped up quicker. Still, it looked great and was a sweet well-contained story. I can't ask for any more than that and despite being a page too long I found it a great way to wrap up this week's issue of 2000AD. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "Prepare to meet thy doom, fat fool!"

Prog 34 final ratings:

Overall: 8/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "Fat I may be, ya stinkin' vamp...but I got something better than all that hot shot gimmickry they bin' throwin' at ya!"

Best Panel: