Prog 35

 2000AD has been heating up in the last few issues I have read, and this one is the cherry on top in many ways. Several stories are peaking at the same time, led by the superb Judge Dredd, and there is something special cooking up on these pages. I have several favourite stories at the moment, but none compare to Judge Dredd which is getting better every week.  

Prog 35

22 October 1977 

I am amazed that every week the writers of Invasion find a new angle and new story to be told. It could quite easily fall into repetition, but so far I find the story is still evolving and unearthing new scenarios. This week Savage is still in the Highlands, and about to be joined by new recruits. The recruits arrive in two groups, and neither is particularly pleased to see the other. A group of Oilers and a group of Woodsmen, and not much common ground between them. Their respective leaders are already at each other throats when Savage steps in and suggests that they settle it man to man in the morning, with Silk to referee. The next day as they prepare to fight they are ambushed by some Volgans who have been tipped off to what's happening. With Silk slipping away unseen, the two leaders are taken away to the castle at Fort William. With both groups desperate to get their leader back, they fall easily under Savage's command and using their respective skills the Oilers create a division out front while the Woodcutters storm the back entrance. From here the story writes itself, the leaders are free, their men now prepared to work together, while Silk has uncovered the real truth - Savage tipped off the Volgans to have them arrested and unify the remaining resistance. This story was better than last week, but Savage was a little too clever. His scheme could have easily gone astray and he could have ended up with blood on his hands. However, it didn't go astray, and we have here a high-tempo, action-filled issue, with plenty of snappy visuals to fill the gaps in the dialogue. Invasion isn't back to its best but this is a step in the right direction and points to a brighter future for the story.

Rating: 7/10

Best Line: "And taken to Fort William garrison! They'll be swinging on gibbets by tomorrow!"  

Judge Dredd was the highlight of last week's issue for me and I am pleased to report that this week is just as good. Last time around Dredd had faked his own death to capture rogue Judge Gibson. This week we see the fallout of this as Judge Gibson calls for cadet's rights, whereupon they return to the training academy to settle their differences in a manner similar to how they used to do. Battling through a recreation of Mega-City One's streets, Dredd initially has the upper hand, but he is outsmarted by Judge Gibson who finds himself above and behind Dredd with a clean shot. Reacting quickly, Dredd turns and shoots, fatally wounding Judge Gibson. In the final death scene, Dredd asks Gibson why he hesitated when he had the chance to finish him and, in the most poignant moment of the strip, Gibson replies that he thought of Dredd as his friend. We end on another down-beat, as Dredd removes Gibson's name from the honour roll. Last week's issue set the bar high, and this week eclipses it in my opinion. The first part of the story had all the action and drama, but this second part was all heart. It is curious that such a cold figure as Dredd could elicit such emotions, and it's perhaps because of this coldness those moments of emotion and pathos feel deeper and heavier than they would otherwise feel. There is no need to mention the art here, it is superb as always. Iconic when it needs to be, but also drawing the reader close for the intimate moments, and matching the words on the page for weight and storytelling power.  I'm reluctant to throw out 10/10 willy-nilly, but this strip is thoroughly deserving of it and I am more than happy to sing its praises to anyone that will listen.

Rating: 10/10

Best Line: "No, principal, it was a bitter victory. Judge Gibson was...my friend" 

Last week I wondered if the death of Falmuth signalled that Shako was coming to an end, and this week it proves so with a fitting finale. With his original companions dead, it is left to Dollar to carry out the final hunt for Shako. Taking a harpoon, he sets out to the rubbish dump where Shako was seen scavenging. Sighting his prey, he launches his harpoon, catching Shako in the heart. Even then it's not enough to kill the great bear and Shako mauls Dollar, leaving him to suffer a slow death. But there is a final turn, as Dollar is found by his colleagues. Refusing to go to the hospital, he lays one final trap for Shako. Knowing that he will die anyway, he asks to be buried alive with a bazooka.  Returning to the rubbish pile, Shako sniffs him out and begins to dig out the buried Dollar. Shako uncovers more than he bargains for, as Dollar shoots him through the heart before he himself is crushed to death under the weight of Shako's dead body. It seems a fitting end for all involved, man and beast dying side by side after all these months of pursuing each other. Shako has been an enjoyable read, and even though I found some issues repetitive, overall I found it very good. This was the epic ending I wanted for Falmuth last week, and I think having Dollar as the last character fighting Shako is a fair call and worked well for the overall story. This final issue wasn't all action, and was a well-balanced finish, walking the tightrope between action and emotional drama. Not quite as good as the Dredd story that precedes it, but very close to it. 

Rating 9/10

Best Line: "MANICHOK!" 

Dan Dare is still fighting a forest of angry trees, and for the first page of this issue, the trees appear unstoppable. Dan Dare always has a plan and this time it's gamma grenades. After reducing some trees to matchsticks, Dan realizes that they need to take out the leader and accompanied by Haley he makes a dash towards the biggest tree. While the rest of the legion provide covering fire, Dan and Haley scale one of the trees using their knives, before swinging by vines towards the largest tree. Once again pitching their grenades, they find that other trees are falling in front of the leader to protect him. It is now that Haley becomes the hero of the moment and sacrificing himself he leaps directly onto the tree leader whereupon he detonates his grenades. His kamikaze action saves the day, and Dan is able to communicate with the Eagle still orbiting the planet and get his men beamed to safety. We end here, with the men still talking of the monkey curse that started this, and doubting the space monkey from the first page, now named Haley Junior. This strip may sound a little silly, but reading it I felt totally captivated by the action. Stakes were high, there was self-sacrifice, dynamic action scenes, and a nice payoff in the final panel.  It is the typical Dan Dare story of late, and ticks all the boxes for what I would expect from such a tale. I don't know how Dan Dare is viewed by the general public, but I find his stories a throwback to simpler times, and they always bring a smile to my face as he faces these weekly challenges through space. Maybe not one for the purists, but I rate it highly for its entertainment value. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "I guess I started all this with that fleabitten monkey, so I should be the one to finish it--and this way I can't fail!" 

This is the best M.A.C.H. 1 I have read. Sure, me and M.A.C.H 1 have had our ups and downs over the previous six months but I can now say, hand on my heart, I love it. Maybe I'm over-enthused by John Cooper's art here, but this story seems to have clarity and focus and is full of nonstop movement and action in every panel. With John Probe knocked unconscious after discovering a secret solar energy base on Mt Everest, there is plenty of story ahead of us from the first panel. I do pause a second before I go in, it is kinda weird that solar energy is the villain of the piece. How times have changed! John Probe awakens and finds himself a prisoner, along with Halloran who we met in the previous issue. It is Halloran who outlines the villain's plan for us, using the power from the solar station they are going to melt the Himalayan glaciers and flood India. With a hyper punch John Probe frees them and with the aid of the now-freed prisoners attacks the solar station. With the station destroyed, Probe and Halloran hold off the army guards while the prisoners make good their escape. While Halloran sets off to conquer Everest, Probe fights his way to the bottom of the mountain. With t's crossed and i's dotted, Probe sets off for the summit to find Halloran, only for the computer to tell him to return to base - mission superfluous. Although I found the plot to be James Bond-inspired, I loved the artwork, John Cooper excels in fighting scenes and a lot of what we see here reminded me of his later work on the Battle comic. The story covered a lot of ground, which didn't give me too much time to dwell on plot holes, and it was the action that drove the bulk of the story. I was left feeling that I had read an exhilarating story, and one that sits atop the MACH 1 canon. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "I hope you know what you're doing, computer! I'm only human!"

I had to read Future Shock's twice to really appreciate it, and on the second reading, I found it far better than the first time around. We have an ice planet where two cities are locked in a timeless war. However, the warrior king of Topan creates Peron, an ultimate warrior who could kill with his gaze alone. With this powerful weapon, Topan triumphs and peace is restored for the first time in 10,000 years. With this peace upon the planet, Topan presents Peron with a gift. Removing his visor, Peron looks upon a mirror and destroys himself, leaving the final panel where Topan tells us that such an ultimate weapon couldn't exist as it would threaten his own position. I liked the story, enjoyed it even, but it never shook me up or delivered a thrill. It was good without ever threatening to become great. What I enjoyed most was the name of the characters, especially Peron, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was named after Juan Peron, and if this story is an analogy for his own reign? I think about it for a while, but without a conclusion, so returning the comic to pile I return to the real world and thoughts once again drift to next week. 

Rating: 6/10

Best Line:  "Go forth, Peron - to battle!"    

Prog 35 final ratings:

Overall: 8.5/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "It-it was hard enough killing you once...I couldn't...do it again...you see, Dredd...you were my friend..."

Best Panel: