Prog 68

I had my primary school reunion yesterday. It's forty years ago now, and sadly most of the teachers who taught me have now passed away. However, I did manage to catch up with two of my former teachers. As always, there was that uncomfortable moment when they asked "What do you do now?" and I was forced to admit that I have two blogs about comics that I read at the time, a music blog also about the same era, and a Twitter account dedicated to the Biggles books I read as a child. As I stammered to one of my former teachers, I'm forever stuck in 1978-1984, the years attended that school. Ten years ago I would have never looked back, I was always about moving forward, but now that I am rapidly approaching fifty years old (a matter of days away) I find I am looking over my shoulder more often at things in my past. Things weren't better back then, but they sure were a lot simpler.    

Prog 68

10th June 1978

Mach Zero has been snatched off the streets by Cousin George, in a plan to humiliate Zero and restore Cousin George's prestige. 

In a search to find his new friend, the vagrant Gimpy seeks the help of the leaders of the tramps, known collectively as The Three. After much discussion, they decide they will help and they begin what is known as a day of whispering. With many ears listening, many eyes seeing, and many tongues talking, the whereabouts of Mach Zero is soon discovered.

Meanwhile, Cousin George has begun the promotion of his next spectacle. He is unhappy with how little publicity he has received and bullies his managers into generating more. 

Later that night his show begins at a central London theatre. Gimpy has managed to gain access and has a table from where he can watch the proceedings. With lights dimmed, the show opens with Cousin George swooping down from an upper balcony, before landing on the stage. From here he goes on to unveil a hulking Mach Zero, safely behind bars in a cage.

Mach Zero has little choice but to go on with the charade that George has planned, and after using his strength to burst out of the cage he cowers in front of Cousin George and his whip. 

Gimpy cannot contain himself, and leaping to his feet calls George a coward. The security move swiftly and the strip ends with Gimpy in a back alley facing George's angry cronies. 

The atmosphere and tone of this story was spot on. Mach Zero is being treated as a freak show, and the world created on these pages is very much a Victorian Gothic Freakshow. Candle lit and dim, women squealing while the freak threatens is rendered beautifully, and I doff my cap to Steve McManus the artist. He has done a wonderful job of bringing this story to life and placing Mach Zero in the proper context. The story itself isn't a favourite, yet I rate it highly based purely on this splendid art. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Break bars easily, could break free, but dare not risk bad man hurting Tommy!"

Over the page, Dan Dare has landed on an uncharted planet. Seemingly a paradise, he has just met an inhabitant dressed in pilgrim clothing and looking like a figure from history. 

We quickly learn that the new Earth is being attacked by the Vraak. Dare has little time to digest this information as another attack begins with two Vraak attack craft appearing in the sky above them. 

Dan shows his skills, shooting both craft down with his weapon. With this initial threat dealt to, their new companion, now named as Obadiah Crowe, leads them to this city. Dare is in for another shock, as this city has only 200 inhabitants, and it looks like an ancient earth village transported light years from home. 

That is precisely what it is, and after Dare sends Johanssen to guard the village, Obadiah explains. In 1621 they set sail in the wake of the Pilgrim Fathers for the Americans. They were halfway across the Atlantic Ocean when a strange alien craft appeared and beamed them up. It was an alien life form from the stars collecting specimens.

After a long journey, this craft crashed on the planet they are now on, killing their captors and leaving the humans to settle on this new world. At this point of the story, Obadiah is interrupted by a yell outside. Running to investigate, they find Johanssen, staggering and shambling. 

I love the concept of this story. My first thought was it was influenced by Star Trek, but already we are moving away from that influence and into unique territory. The contrast between this Pilgrim past and modern space adventure looks sharp on the page, and like the previous story, I am blown away by the art. This time it is Dave Gibbons, and his clean lines suit the story being told very well. Another story on the rise, 2000AD is off to a fast start this week.

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Aye, scaly abominations from the nethermost reaches of hell!"

And now, the Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd is powerless to stop the Hillbillies from killing the last president of the United States, who they mistakenly believe is a vampire. The opening page lays out the story, in glorious colour, and it is a feast for the eyes.

Over the page, the story quickly develops. Dredd and Spikes fight off the robots holding them, restoring a sense of law and order. Dredd and Spikes then descend the elevator shaft, just in time to prevent a stake from being driven through the heart of Robert L. Booth, the last president of the United States. 

From here we have some exposition about Robert L. Booth came to be in suspended animation in the heart of Fort Knox. Booth was responsible for the nuclear war that created the Cursed Earth. When the citizens sought justice from the government the Judges were brought in. Their sentence was quickly announced, for his crimes against humanity Booth was sentenced to one hundred years in suspended animation. With three robots assigned to keep him alive, these were the 'vampires' that the Hillbillies so feared, as they collected blood at night to keep their charge alive. 

With Booth now free of his suspended animation, it is time for Dredd to decide what happens next. His judgement is swift as he condemns Booth to a life sentence.

With justice delivered, the three robots are reassigned to help the hillbillies, and we end with the sight of them working in the fields as Dredd and Spike continue with the land raider on their mission to deliver the vaccine. The final dialogue from Dredd makes it quite clear what he thinks of the leaders that led them into war, and even as he delivers justice he is still anti-authority, at least in the guise we know it. 

An excellent conclusion to another classic Pat Mills storyline. It was inventive, creative, humorous, and strongly political, all neatly told in merely a few issues. I enjoyed the outcome, and like the previous few issues, it was the first colour page that caught my imagination the most. This story took all I know about Dredd from the first 65 issues and shook it up into a cocktail that showed off the best aspects of the character. The humour was clear-cut and not as silly as some storylines, and it added to the story rather than detracted from it. Dredd's final lines got to the heart of what the story was really about, and I left the story a better person than when I started it.

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Okay - that's enough! Take a look at my badge...the shield of the judges! You're meant to obey - not attack me!"

I have been waiting for Death Planet all week, and it meets expectations as I quickly read the first page. 

While the survivors continue to traverse across the snowy terrain, they are unaware that one of their numbers, Mike Herschal, has collapsed in the snow and been left behind. 

This is quickly resolved when a small friendly creature appears at his side. First, it arouses him from his sleep, and then it transmits a signal to another creature who has reached Lorna Vern. Hearing this signal and message, Lorna leaves the rest of the survivors and returns to find Herschal in the snow.

While Varn is saving Hereschal, Richard Corey and the rest of the survivors struggle on. They are getting desperate when they see a flash of light bringing them to the safety of some underground caves. It is Varn, who has been led there by the creatures that rescued Herschal, and they are all able to shelter for the night. 

The following morning, the four leaders of the group set out on a scouting mission. While they are out, one of the children in the cave wanders off. This leads to an unfortunate encounter with the woman in black who we were introduced to last week. Promising kindness, she soon reveals her true intentions, snatching the child and taking them hostage in a scheme to lure Lorna Varn to her.

Meanwhile, Lorna isn't totally unaware of this. She and Herschal see the child being carried on a bike as a prisoner of the mysterious woman. Herschal is all for warning Corey, but Varn decides that she will approach things her way, setting us up for a confrontation next week. 

This story was good, but since the appearance of the mystery woman in black, it has become great. The drama has been amplified with a single antagonist. It started off as a story that felt familiar, but now we have crossed into an entirely new creative territory, and I'm all for it. The look of the mystery woman is a sexy darkness, and I have to admit I spent ten minutes after reading this thinking about who I would cast in the role if this was a movie. No solid conclusions, but it was a pleasant distraction. I'm finding I'm enjoying these stroys when Richard Corey's role is reduced, and the female characters such as Lorna Varn carry the weight. With that in mind, I have great expectations for next week and seeing what will develop.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Now listen, brat - you may not know it, but you're going to help me to capture Lorna Varn...she and I have an old score to settle!"

Hale Eegle is dead, Cindy Lamont is maimed, and now the man responsible, Artie Gruber, is facing the wrath of Giant as we begin this week's edition of Inferno. 

Giant is coming for Gruber, but Gruber goes on the offensive, driving hard towards Giant. A strong boot to the face puts paid to his attack, and destroys his synthetic face, revealing his true identity for everyone else watching. 

The two men continue their personal feud before a well-aimed throw by Gruber knocks Giant off his feet. With Giant down, Gruber rips his jetpack off him and doses him with fuel, preparing to ignite the fuel and Giant with it. 

This story moved quickly and was well served by some large and exciting artwork. The fight between the two looked fabulous on the page, and we had some brilliant panels as heavy blows were struck. I wouldn't have thought that a story that consisted of little more than two men battling would be particularly exciting, but I was proved wrong as panel after panel drew me into the story and smothered me with action. A great end to this week's comic, and although this wasn't the best story in the comic, it did provide some of the best artwork. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Looks like Gruber is going to ignite the fuel with his own jet-exhaust! He...he'll turn Giant into a human torch!" 

Prog 68 final ratings:

Overall: 8/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "Oh, yes, Spikes...the hillbillies were right all along...a man like President Booth who causes the blood of millions to be spilt - he's a vampire who puts even Count Dracula in the shade!"   

Best Panel: