Prog 52

The last year has passed by incredibly fast - I can't believe we are at Prog 52 already. It's been quite a year - I was introduced to 2000AD, and have enjoyed the ride that was its first year of existence. There have been changes, stories have come and gone, and I have had a few favourites along the way. In particular, we said goodbye to Invasion last week, a mainstay since the start. I must admit, I was emotionally attached to Invasion, and it was a sad goodbye. But every cloud has a silver lining, and this week we do have a new story to look forward to. I have yet to peruse the issue, so it remains a surprise for me, but I am confident that it will be just as strong as the story that preceded it. 

Prog 52

18th February 1978

With the Starslayer Empire behind him, Dan Dare faces a new challenge this week. This new challenge appears right away, a floating coffin on the cover of the comic that becomes the focus of this week's story.

Donning a space suit, Dare floats out to take a closer look at this coffin, only to be blinded by a light as he approaches.

Back on the ship, Dare learns that he had blacked out and that the crew had to pull both him and the coffin onboard. There is something unusual about this coffin, and soon enough we get a first-hand experience as the coffin mysteriously opens by itself, revealing another Dan Dare. 

Leaping from the coffin, this alien Dare attacks our own Dare, leaving the crew confused about which is which. Both claim to be the true Dare, and there is a standoff as both put forward arguments to the crew. Alien Dare is more convincing, and soon the original Dan Dare is running for his life through the ship as the crew and alien shoot at him. 

In the final portion of the story, Alien Dare shoots at Dan Dare, seemingly evaporating him, only for us to see in the final panel that Dan Dare is still alive and wondering just how he can get out of this predicament. 

A nice change from the previous weeks, my initial reservations about the coffin came to nothing, and I enjoyed the story. I am intrigued about how we will progress from here, and I look forward to seeing Dan Dare untangle this knot. Although the crew were actively involved throughout the story, they did seem passive, and I would like to see them take a stronger role in the coming weeks. However, that is neither here nor there, and overall I found this an interesting start to what could be a compelling story over the next few weeks. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "It's even got my voice, drokk it!" 

I have been a big fan of Visible Man since it started. The last couple of weeks have seen the story twist and turn, and today's episode sees it return to the fore with a crackering twist that has me enthralled.

We started with our hero Frank being put through his paces on a sickening-looking centrifuge. It is all in the name of gathering information for the British and US cooperation in space scheme, although Frank has little interest in that aspect. All he cares about is the promise of an antidote if he goes along with the testing. 

With this promise dangled in front of him, the second half of the story accelerates as Frank is told that his last task is to be sent into space, with cameras focussed on every part of his body to record the effects of outer space on the human body.

Being alone in space gives Frank time to reflect on his situation as he sees a potential escape. The flight started well enough, but ground control has trouble communicating later in the story as Frank ignores their calls to return to Earth. It all comes to a head in a final panel that sees Frank and his spaceship heading out towards deep space and Frank telling them all that he resigns from the human race. 

It is ambiguous if this is the end of the story, the question mark on the final "The End?" raises just enough doubt in my mind. If this truly is the end, then what a great way to go out. This was fantastic on every page this week, and I felt it was a fitting ending (if it is the end). I must admit, as Frank headed towards the spaceship the thought crossed my mind that it might end like this, but that didn't detract from the moment, or the drama of the last three pages. I hope this is the end of the story now, it was short but ended on such a high, I would hate to see it come back and be diluted in future issues. Still, that's not for me to decide, but one thing I can say for sure was I loved this from start to finish. 

Rating: 10/10

Best line: "And there's nowhere in the world I can escape to, but out here...the norms can't follow me..." 

A new story this week - Colony Earth. This first issue is all about setting the scene, and it goes something like this. 

A trawler is pulling up cod from the North Sea when they dredge up a strange-looking mechanical humanoid. Thinking it might be worth some salvage money, they place it in the hold. 

We learn later that the trawler was missing for three weeks before a chance sighting by a British nuclear sub, The Drake, as it returns from Arctic patrol. As the sailors approach the vessel and the mysterious figure, it suddenly shoots a beam from its head, and the sailors never reach their target. 

Back in Greenland, we learn that now The Drake is also missing. Commander James Hunter is tasked with finding it, and soon enough his long-range helicopter has the trawler in sight.

Commander Hunter and one of his crew explore the trawler, there is no sign of the crew, and although they find a navy hat, there is no sign of The Drake's crew either.  Taking the ship's log, Hunter returns to his frigate and they sail for the spot where the trawler discovered the mechanical figure. 

They find the spot alright, and after diving deep they pull up a capsule. Initial thoughts are a Russian mini-sub, but closer inspection reveals it to be more of a space capsule rather than an ocean-going vessel. 

We end on a note of intrigue, as the vessel displays similar markings to a 10,000-year-old civilisation in Peru. The capsule itself remains tightly sealed, refusing to surrender its secret to Hunter or the professor looking at it. For now, speculation is that it's extraterrestrial. 

Written and drawn by Jim Watson, I have a soft spot for this story from the start. It looks gloomy in a style that screams Jim Watson, and his busy pencil work on the page is matched by the storyline. It is still too early to get a firm grip on the story, but I like what I see so far, and it bodes well for the future. Safe to say, this will be the first story I turn to next week, eager to see how the story will develop from here. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: " 'er, bosun - whassat!" 

Judge Dredd is still in Luna-city, where a strange robbery is taking place. Apparently Laurel and Hardy, along with Charlie Chaplin, have turned to a life of crime and currently holding up the First Luna bank. 

Things don't go one hundred percent according to plan, and the security system slides heavy bars down over the doors, trapping the three robbers in the bank. With the Judges arriving outside, and Judge Dredd leading the call for them to give themselves up, the three have limited options. 

They still have the hostages though, and they release them slowly before their own escape plans appear. Using a face changer, they quietly leave the bank with the hostages, disguised as the Marx brothers.

The Judges are fooled, and storm an empty bank on the back of some explosive charges and with weapons drawn. With the robbers already gone, it is here that Dredd rumbles their scheme, deducing that they must have a face-changing machine. 

The crooks are laughing at their own escape, but already Dredd is on their trail, speaking with the only supplier of face-changing technology on the moon. Looking at the list of sales, he comes across a name he recognises, Al Tooley. Not only is Al Tooley a crook, but he has two brothers he works with. Convinced he's found his man, all Dredd needs to do now is prove it. 

Dredd pulls the three crooks in for questioning, only for their lawyer, Manny Bloom, to turn up and insist they are freed- after all, it's not a crime to own a face-changing machine.

Dredd reluctantly releases them, but not before waving his finger at Manny and telling him two can play a dirty game. Some minutes later, Manny leaves the building and joins the gang of three in a car, returning to their apartment. There they all laugh at their own cleverness and the way they have fooled the law.

But the law has not been fooled. Manny pulls a pistol out on the gang and tells them they are all under arrest. It's not Manny at all, but rather Judge Dredd with his face changed. He has taken a leaf out of the villain's own book and used the face-changing device at justice central to change his face to infiltrate the gang. 

This was a tight story with some of the best artwork we have seen in Dredd for some time. The art is clean and stays out of the way of the story being told. Although it wasn't the most dramatic of stories, it did have a twist that reminded me of some of the Future Shocks we have seen. Overall I found it liked it for its clarity of storytelling, and the way it stayed tightly focused on all the essentials. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "The face is Manny's - but the fist is Dredd's." 

This week's Future Shocks is all about what it takes to become a long-haul space flight pilot. We start with a simple set-up, a pilot in his empty ship, travelling through space on a six-year mission. In the emptiness of the ship, thoughts begin to run through his head about how far he has to travel and how alone he is. 

It's all too much for him, and he is gripped by madness, making a run towards to an airlock with the intention of throwing himself into outer space and dying instantly. 

Airlock released, he throws himself out, only to land on a plywool mat outside. It has all been a simulation, and he is just another failed pilot. Even worse than that, he only lasted a mere ten seconds in the simulator before he flipped out. 

Like the very best Future Shocks, I didn't expect this ending, and I was delighted that the writer managed to get one over me. The Brian Bollard artwork was a star, and the emptiness of the spaceship was well rendered. There was nothing too taxing here, but it was just as enjoyable as anything else in this week's comic. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Another crummy failure! He'll never make the grade as a cargo pilot on the long haul!"

On the final panel of Inferno last week we met Regal Eegle. This week we learn a lot more about the man who claims to be the greatest stunt-biker in the world. He certainly lives up to the hype with an awesome display of his prowess.

As good as he may be, he does bring conflict, continually talking down to Moody Bloo, and anyone else in earshot, as he rides rings around the team. His spot is cemented, but it may prove to be a rough ride long term. 

Elsewhere, the wider story makes an appearance in the final panels as Louis informs the team that he may have a lead on the possible identity of their enemies. A final image of the previously destroyed Pearly, now roughly restored and rewired ends the story on a high and is instantly enough to have me ready to pick up the next issue. 

A solid edition, we were well and truly introduced to Regal Eegle. I enjoy his style of talking, he lived up to the regal part of his name, and this coloured his interactions with the other members of the team. Perhaps he had a little too much time on the page, but I feel I have a good handle on who he is and how he will fit in the team. The most exciting part of the strip for me was the final panels showing a restored Pearly. Even though we only saw her in a couple of issues, she was an important part of the story, and it looks like she has more to contribute in this new iteration. Next week should peel back another layer of the story and I for one can't wait.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I suppose one must learn to humour such buffoons." 

Prog 52 final ratings:

Overall: 8/10

Best Story: Visible Man

Best Line: "Maybe I'll meet someone or something out there that won't treat me as a freak- maybe it'll just be blackness! Either way, it doesn't really matter!"   

Best Panel: