Prog 73

Last week's Prog was outstanding and was always going to be a hard act to follow. With several new storylines beginning this week, Judge Dredd, Mach Zero, and Dan Dare are all in a rebuilding state. That leaves Inferno and Ant Wars to do the heavy lifting of the storys, and although both are good, it's not enough to make this a great issue. Of course, it remains a solid issue, and the seeds are planted for some great things to come, but first, the building blocks need to be pushed into place, and many pages of this week's issue are dedicated to doing exactly that. I can't deny, that my interest has been piqued, and I am already eyeing next week's issue, but first let's take in all the new beginnings of Prog 73.       

Prog 73

15th July 1978

Following his Indian companion, Anteater, through the jungle, Captain Villa makes good time as he tries to outrun the ants in Ant Wars. He may not think much of Anteater, but Anteater leads them to a plantation and a hint of civilization at the jungle's edge. 

They immediately go and visit the plantation owner, buoyed by the sight of a generator and a radio mast. This early optimism is misplaced, as the plantation owner, Da Silva, refuses to believe them and takes them both captive. 

However, he finds their story intriguing, and as a precaution pulls all his workers in from the fields. This proves fortuitous, as soon after one of his men rushes in to warn him of a giant ant approaching. There is little time to digest this information, as they dash for the radio hut. They never make it, the ants have outsmarted them and there is one hiding just outside who makes short work of the fleeing worker. 

Anteater is a tougher proposition, and he gives a spirited fight back, stabbing the ant with his machete. The ant is hurt, but not fatality, and looks as though it will gain the upper hand when suddenly its antennae start twitching as it receives a message. 

Leaving Anteater, he throws himself upon the generator, killing itself, but also destroying the plantation's only source of power. This leaves Captain Villa, Anteater, and Da Silva surrounded by a terrible army of killer ants and no way to call for help. 

Another excellent episode and the tension is still building up. Just when I think I couldn't be more afraid of the ants, another aspect of their intelligence is shown and I'm left quaking in my boots. Aside from the frightful ants themselves, the key aspect of this story is the relationship between Captain Villa and Anteater. As in the previous weeks, we see Villa dismissing Anteater's intelligence, only for the Indian to prove his worth every time. Much like the ants, Anteater is far more intelligent than Villa gives him credit for, and this is ably demonstrated on the page. Now we have a third party in the mix with Da Silva, and I expect the relationship between the three men to be key to the story going forward. Scarier than last time, but I am getting used to the fear and look forward to following this again next week. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "We can't radio out for help! These ants are even more intelligent than I thought!"

There is very little of Mach Zero in his own strip this week as we embark on a new adventure simply titled "The Suit" 

With Mach Zero last seen walking into the night, we pick up the story this week as he arrives at the edge of a large country estate, owned by businessman and financier Sir Charles Hilliers. 

After seeing Mach Zero sneak through the fence, the story pivots and for the rest of the strip we will follow Sir Charles and what lies within his house.

What lies within is a meeting of great and powerful, all gathered to see the unveiling of Sir Charles's project. The project is simple enough - an all-powerful metal suit. It has undergone various tests and now needs one more final demonstration, this time with a human factor.

The human guinea pig is one Harry Winthrop, a small mild-man man who has been working at the fringes of the project. With Harry sealed in the suit, the testing begins. First, the suit is subjected to a massive dose of radiation. If the suit works correctly, Harry should be safe inside. 

Everything seems to be fine, and the suit undergoes a sophisticated cleaning process. Harry is almost beginning to enjoy himself, but when it comes time to remove the suit it is found that Harry cannot be extracted.

With a crowd of potential buyers about to see the suit for the first time, Sir Charles is desperate to extract Harry from the suit. There is only one option left, if he can't be freed or kept quiet then he must be disposed of. 

This leads to the horrific final panels of the story as the security force arrives and sets fire to the suit, with Harry still trapped inside it.

Although not Mach Zero-centric, I found much to like in this story. Already I can see how these two story threads will collide and feed the drama in the coming weeks. The artwork is a dip in quality compared to the just finished storyline, but the writing feels stronger and should give the artist more to play with in future. It will be next week before I have a better feel for the story, with Mach Zero still to make an impact, so I will reserve judgment until then, but for now, I am very happy with where we sit and the direction we are facing. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best Line: "Oh, just the few routine deals with major industrialists, business conglomerations and financiers. That suit will make our millions professor!" 

Chapter 13 of Judge Dredd's saga on the cursed earth, and from the very first line it is apparent that Pat Mills is on writing duty. His prose is beautiful, sketching out the setting in just a few sentences while maintaining a sense of awe about the world Dredd is in. 

The land-raider, driven by Dredd and his men, is in immediate peril as a stampede of dinosaurs attacks. Yes, you read that correctly, a stampede of dinosaurs. Dredd remains unfazed, as you'd expect, and along with Spikes starts blasting away at them. He also manages to deliver a bit of exposition, telling Spikes that these dinosaurs are from Dinosaur National Park, where they have been brought to life by genetic engineering. After the atomic war, they were left to roam the cursed earth, and that now puts them in the situation they are in. 

The dinosaurs back off as we hear the sound of another dinosaur in the distance. The story pauses at this stage as we learn the back story of this other dinosaur, a fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex named Satanus. He was the first to be brought to life, and quickly gained a taste for blood and flesh. Growing quickly, he became the basis of the Dinosaur National Park. Later he broke free from those who raised him, fuelled with anger and a hunger for blood. Now looking down, he sees Dredd and the land-raider, and his mouth is watering. 

I love dinosaurs, although I must admit I never thought I would see them appear in a Dredd story. The concept that worked them into the story was clever, and bringing dinosaurs to life via genetic engineering is an idea ahead of its time, a full twelve years before Michael Crichton's book Jurassic Park would appear.  The back story took a long time to lay out, perhaps my only criticism of this story, but it was essential work that will no doubt pay off in the long run. All of it was necessary to make the dinosaurs believable, although towards the end I just wanted the story to start properly. Always good to see Pat Mills doing what he does best, and I am intrigued to see where this story will go from here. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Like something out of hell!"

Inferno and the Wolves of Death are about to take on the Hellcats, while the Hellcat's captain remains wired up to a bomb at the mouth of their cave. 

The odds are stacked against the Hellcats as it is revealed that the Wolves of Death are all androids, programmed for one thing only - to score cave-ins and destroy Giant. Furthermore, the only way the Hellcats can win is if they score twenty cave-ins, or if all the wolves are destroyed. 

Both events are highly unlikely, although Moody Bloo smashes one of the droids to pieces with a fearsome blow to the ball. It seems to have little effect on the outcome as we finish the strip with a replacement droid entering the arena looking just as dangerous as the one he is replacing. 

Lovely to look at, the artwork was the best thing about the story this week. The Wolves of Death looked just as dangerous as their name, and they dominated every page they were on with a look that demanded attention. The story itself didn't seem to move far this week, but I have little cause for complaint as it looked so good. Like Dredd before it, it looks like this story will rapidly move up a gear next week, for now, I shall take my time and just wallow in the artwork for a while. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "...an' I don't like collecting debts from stiffs!" 

With the threat of the Sleetha put behind them, Dan Dare and his crew continue their journey through the lost world's section of space. 

There is no immediate threat, but it is obvious that the crew are tired and beginning to get scratchy at each other. Pilot Polanski is talking to Dare as the story begins, and as they chat their talk turns to Gunnar Johanssen who has been heavily sedated since the Sleetha attack on him. Just as they mention his name, he comes out of sedation, threatening to break the holding tank he is in. 

As Pilot and Dare attend to him, the ship suddenly shakes. Rushing to the bridge, a crew member cooly tells them that it is a meteor shower. Dare is enraged, it is clearly a mega-storm and he lets the crew member know exactly what he thinks of him and his carelessness. 

The ship is in need of repair, and despite his reservations, Dare lets Pilot Polanski and some of his men go outside to make the repair. It doesn't go well as a bunch of rocks come towards them. The men rush back inside, leaving Polanski to try and blast the rest of the rocks coming at him. The inevitable happens and he is crashed by two large rocks while Dare watches on from the bridge. 

Dare is incandescent with rage, and rails at the men who left Polanski out there to die. Calling them cowards, he eventually hits crew member Haskins with a vicious right hook, leaving Haskins seething on the floor. Haskin's response comes in the next panel as he pulls a pistol on Dare, effectively instigating a mutiny. 

This comes as no surprise to anyone who read the title of this story under the Dan Dare header - Mutiny. However, how we got here was surprising, and sacrificing one of the lead characters, Pilot Polanski, was a shock that added the necessary gravitas to the story.  I shall miss him, although I recognise how important his death was to make this story believable. We have seen Dare angry before, although this is a different level altogether and helped fan the flames of mutiny. Both the story and the artwork were compelling, and although not as scary as last week, I found myself just as invested in this story as any other I have read this year. A strong first issue and this looks like it will be the story to follow closely in the next few weeks.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "...you just pulled a gun on me! Any way you look at it--that's mutiny!" 

Prog 73 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Ant Wars

Best Line: "You...inhuman obscenity!"   

Best Panel:

Prog 72

Ant Wars dominated my thoughts last week, but we shouldn't overlook the fact that Mach Zero has been outstanding of late, and this week is another excellent edition. Every time I think it has run out of steam it picks up again, and this week it manages to eclipse its previous highs. Outstanding, - pick up Prog 72 now and read along, you'll see what I mean         

Prog 72

8th July 1978

The first panel of Mach Zero lets us know we are in for something special as Mach Zero pushes the columns of the theatre apart with his bare hands, bringing the house down around him. 

The tramps and vagrants flee, as does Cousin George who has been holding Mach Zero prisoner and manipulating him. It looks as though Mach Zero has sacrificed himself, but he pushes his way out of the rubble and after thanking the vagrants sets off in pursuit of Cousin George. 

Over the page, we see that Cousin George has escaped underground in an abandoned part of the London Underground network. Hearing Mach Zero coming, he pushes his way into a recess, hoping he will remain unseen as Mach Zero passes by. His plan goes awry however when the water rises and he finds he is trapped. After his life of adulation and worship, Cousin George drowns alone and isolated. 

Mach Zero emerges from the underground unaware of Cousin George's demise. Now utterly alone he wanders off into the wet, cold, unfriendly night, with thoughts of searching for his boy Tommy. 

This looked like it could be the final issue of Mach Zero, but these final panels give me hope that it still has some way to run. This was another outstanding issue, with the panels of George's death among the very best I have seen on the pages of 2000AD. The intensity caught on his face is magnificent and one could feel the true horror of his lonely death. Equally compelling is the first panel of the story as Mach Zero pulls the theatre down around him. It is only one panel, but it was the fire that ignited the story this week. It would have been my favourite panel if not for the equally brilliant panel capturing George's end. Aside from the art,  the writing remained tight, and the writer has given himself room to manoeuvre with Zero emerging and wandering off towards potential new storylines. Plenty of positives here and a great start to this week's edition. 

Rating: 9/10

Best line: "I'm trapped...but this can't happen to me! I'm the greatest stuntman in the world! I can escape from anywhere. I'm everyone's favourite, Cousin George!"

Ant Wars continues this week with thousands of giant soldier ants approaching Captain Villa and his Indian companion Anteater. 

A desperate race through the jungle begins, and after several hours they are forced to stop for a break. Captain Villa shares his rations with Anteater, but is horrified to see that he not only eats the rations but also the wrapper as well. Chastising him, he demonstrates how you should just throw the wrapper away, a key plot point that will become important soon. 

They have a stroke of luck shortly after as they chance upon a road and a petrol tanker. Anteater shows his ignorance as they climb aboard for a ride he opens the hatch of the tanker, puts his hand in and tastes the petrol. Again Captain Villa steps forward and shows Anteater that this is special firewater, a demonstration of how it burns being an effective and quick lesson for the young Indian. 

All this setup comes into play over the page. The tanker comes across a fallen tree blocking the road, and as they assess the situation the ants emerge from the forest and spring their trap. Anteater is quick with his machete and fighting off the ants hauls Captain Villa to the top of the tanker. He goes back for the driver, and although unable to save him, he pulls something from the dead man's pocket. Watching Anteater open the hatch of the tanker, Villa wonders if he has the brains to work out an escape plan.

Things move quickly from here on, and as the ants consume the driver's body Anteater jumps from their position and calls for Villa to follow him. Once safely away from the tanker, Anteater pulls the dead driver's lighter from his pocket, and igniting some dry leaves around a stone hurls the incendiary device back at the open hatch of the tanker. The rest of the story writes itself as the tanker explodes into flame, blasting the surrounding ants to pieces. 

As Villa surveys the trap the ants had set he wonders how they could have picked up their trail so quickly,. It is explained in the following panel as he sees the wrapper of his ration packet lying nearby. 

We finish the story with Villa disgusted as Anteater chops up one of the freshly roasted ants and enjoys some hot food. 

A tidy story, and although I felt a lot of the setup was too obvious, the payoff was worth it. I find the most interesting part of the story to be the ants themselves, and I can't help but be repulsed by the sight of them in every panel. They are fascinating and disgusting in equal measure and the reason this story is so good. The thought of being trapped in the forest with them makes my skin crawl, and I can't wait to see how Villa and Anteater will negotiate their way of out the jungle in the coming weeks. This week was a little predictable, but I have high hopes for what comes next. There was enough horror here to make me fear the garden just outside my window, and I shan't risk going outside for the rest of the day.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "You simple savage. Don't you realise that you're playing with fire?"

Judge Dredd has arrived in MacDonald City along with Spikes, although both are prisoners of Ronald McDonald himself. 

With the government destroyed in the atomic war, the burger chains have become so powerful that they have taken over, and Dredd is forced to listen to Ronald McDonald, giving a speech to his people about how they are beating the Burger King chain as his dream of every child growing up to be a McDonalds eater. 

It is quite a speech, and after Dredd and Spikes are taken to a burger bar where they find the employees are just as disposable as the food. After the meal, Dredd and Spikes take advantage of some sleeping guards and make an escape. Seizing an old McDonald's truck, and wearing some McDonald's uniforms, they head out into the wasteland, but they aren't clear just yet. 

In the wasteland, they find that they are caught in a stampede. It's not just any stampede, it's a stampede made by the Burger King bozos, driving the cattle right towards Dredd. Taken prisoner again, this time by the Burger King chain, Spikes and Dredd face a kangaroo court. Wearing McDonald's uniforms and captured in a McDonald's truck, their protestations of innocence carry no weight and they are quickly condemned to death. 

Things look grim as they are strung up, and Spikes sums it up best with his comment "What a stupid way to go." However help is near at hand, and the sudden appearance of the land-raider saves the day as it arrives with all guns blazing. With Dredd saved and Burger King boys released, the story ends with Dredd and his men resuming their journey to get the vaccine to Mega-city Two.

I had almost forgotten the vaccine and this is a timely reminder of why Dredd is crossing the cursed Earth. I enjoyed the premise of this story and the associated set-up, although the final conclusion was a letdown. With Dredd and Spikes facing death only for the land-raider to suddenly arrive and save the day felt like the easy option. I would have liked a little more substance behind its arrival, and given how well the rest of the story was written this was surprising. The overall story concept was fantastic and worked well in the Dredd strip. It was a good fit for this cursed Earth story and added another layer to the world that had been previously created. The idea of two burger companies battling it out over the remains of civilization had an air of believability about it and gave the story some solid ground to build on. This is the satire that Dredd does so well, and as such it is entirely representative of all I like about Dredd. The weak bending doesn't detract from the fact that this is a very good Dredd story told briskly across two issues.

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "A likely story! You've bin tried an' found guilty of hamburger crimes! By th' powers vested in me by the Burger King, ah sentence yu to death. String 'em up!"

With John 'Giant' Clay kidnapped by the mysterious syndicate, we begin this week's Inferno story with the Hellcats team about to enter the deserted Firebowl in search of him. 

Entering, they find a statue of Giant mounted cover an open grave, complete with a tombstone announcing his death. The meaning of this is revealed with the appearance of a weird faceless figure who tells them whether or not Giant fills the grave is up to them.

It is then that we see Giant spreadeagled across a cave entrance. They are unable to free him however as he calls to the team to stay back - he has been wired with explosives that will detonate if anyone so much as touches him. 

We finish with the Hellcats about to defend the cave, and the life of Giant, as they face a team named the Wolves of Death.

The final image of one of the Wolves Of Death is spectacular, and things bode for the next issue. However, this issue was dedicated to setting that up, and we moved slowly through the pages that showed the lay of the land. The location was given its due time on the page and looked perfect in every panel - just as I would have imagined it. The faceless figure carried a lot of the weight of the storytelling, and the second part of the story was heavy on exposition. I wouldn't normally mind too much, but in this case, I would have liked to see something happening visually, rather than all the art being focused on the backdrop as people speak. If this balance is addressed next week, we should be in for a great issue. All the ingredients are in place, they just need to come together in the right mix.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "...but whether he fills that grave or not, is your decision! As you can see, gentlemen...the stage is set..!"

The introduction captions to Dan Dare are brilliant, and as well as filling us in on the backstory also emphasise the horror of Sleetha killer worms that are swarming over the ship. 

It seems Dare and his men will face a gruesome death as even with their phasers blasting some of the worms they remain heavily outnumbered. That changes with a flick of a switch as Dare activates the ship's electro-sterilization circuits, sending 5,000,000 volts surging through the ship. It's highly effective and the Sleetha are fried to a crisp.

Dare explains that their rubber-soled combat boots insulated them from the full force of the shock, but he is cut short as the Vrakk appear outside the ship. It could be out of the frying pan and into the fire, but the Vrakk have come in peace. They quickly fill in the blanks of the story we have been following for the last two months - the Sleetha had been using false radio messages for years to lure ships to the plant where they then hypnotised them, luring them until a false sense of security. 

With this cleaned up, Dare and his crew leave the planet, and continue their mission to lost worlds.

The Sleetha were the best part of the story, and coupled with the ants in Ant Wars I shall be wary of anything in the garden for the next few weeks. The opening panels were fabulous with words and images coming together in a powerful comic alchemy. The rest of the story never reached these same heights, but by then a chill had been placed in my heart and I read the rest of the story fearfully. This hasn't been my favourite Dan Dare, but it has been one of the most impactful, and I don't think I will forget the Sleetha for a long time to come. With Dave Gibbons on art, Dan Dare will always be a favourite, and in this case, we have had an excellent story to go with the superb art. Dan Dare still hasn't reached its full potential and as good as this is, I still think the best is to come. We will find out next week. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "Brace yourselves, men! I'm going to set in motion a mammoth de-lousing operation!" 

Prog 72 final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Mach Zero

Best Line: "What a...stupid...way to go...!"   

Best Panel:

Prog 71

Ant Wars has arrived, and I must say after having a sneak peek I am impressed with what I see so far. The rest of the comic remains strong behind this new story, and although I was sad to see the end of Death Planet last week, I have no complaints at all as I flick through this week's 2000AD. Let's have a deeper dive and see what happened in this thrilling issue.      

Prog 71

1st July 1978

After several weeks of hype, the Ant Wars are finally upon us. Obviously, there will be Ants and war, and my mind is already running quickly through the possible scenarios that will get us there.

I'm not too far off the mark with my assumptions, although the first few pages do a good job of laying out the characters and the context. Deep in the Brazilian jungle a group of Indians are rounded up by the government, ostensibly to be cleaned up and made civilized. The sight of the Indians eating ants is taken as a sign of the government's superiority, and the soldiers take delight in carrying the Indians back to a reservation camp for retraining.

As they depart, they throw a can of experiment insecticide into the nearby anthills, thinking that they will clean up every part of the jungle. This will be key to the story that follows. 

Months later, the youngest of the Indians is still eating ants. Although he has learnt some English, he hasn't stopped this habit, much to the disgust of the soldiers at the camp. Under their officer's orders, they beat this Indian until he is unconscious and then carry him back to his bunk. 

Later that night the Indian escapes. A helicopter sets out to find him, but they get more than they bargain for as they fly over the deep jungle. It is here that they find Anthills built into the sky, the size of small mountains. Staring in shock, the helicopter crashes into one of these, leaving the survivors on the ground surveying the wreckage.

They are not alone, the Indian they are seeking is also nearby. They are soon thrown together with the appearance of a man-size ant. The ant attacks the men, killing all but one, but the Indian intervenes and kills the ant with his knife. The soldier understands immediately that the experimental insecticide must be the cause of this.  We finish with the soldier and the Indian alone facing a long journey home and an army of giant killer ants. 

Heebie-jeebies all around for this one! I was drawn into the story by its political slant and statement about indigenous people and so-called civilization, but when the giant ants entered all that went out the window and all my thoughts became fearful. It's going to take a while to get the image of the giant ants out of my head, and I'm pleased that my bedtime is still some hours away - I still have some respite before the nightmares start. This story has been built up for several weeks now, and I did have reservations about it, especially as Death Planet was rushed and cut short to accommodate it. Now that I have started reading Ant Wars I can see why. With Gerry Finley-Day on writing duty, the story has a pedigree from the start, and I anticipate that this is one story that may live up to the hype. Already the story is packed with information and character across the first few pages, and even before the giant ants appeared it was a compelling read. It may have horrified me, but I'm tempted to pick up the next issue immediately and see what happens. I'm going to be patient, and next week will come soon enough,  especially with some sleepless nights as I worry about giant ants outside my window.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You! A simple savage yet you killed that creature, when my highly trained soldiers have all been wiped out!" 

On the pages of Inferno, Giant has an android replica of Artie Gruber entering his room while he's sleeping. It's a fast start to the story as Giant first tries to turn the android off with the remote, before being knocked out and carried out into the night by the android. 

The Hellcats become aware of this the following day when the android arrives at their training session and delivers an ultimatum for the mysterious "Syndicate" -  they have Giant as a hostage and the Hellcats must be at the Death Bowl tonight at midnight, or else.

Venner acts rashly and runs at the android who then self-destructs, destroying himself and Venner. The Hellcats have now lost Venner, Eegle, and Cindy, and they realise that the Syndicate will stop at nothing to destroy them all. Despite this, they decide to go to the Death Bowl, a stadium that lives up to its name and looks suitably foreboding in the final panel. 

This story was all about the artwork, and every page was a treat. The story has advanced nicely, yet when I look back it is the art that is most memorable. We saw Belardinelli deliver up some weird, almost psychedelic, scenes in Dan Dare early in the run of 2000AD, but here he deals with something far more sharp and sinister, and I cannot speak highly enough of his depictions of the android Gruber. Last week I complained that Gruber had appeared too much in this story, but in light of his fearsome look and brilliant rendering by Belardinelli I take that all back. My eyes could not help but linger on every image of Gruber, and all thoughts of the plot vanished as my mind focused entirely on the art. Next week looks promising with the Death Bowl, but until then I am entirely in the moment and every panel in this week's issue.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Jupiter's blood...you! It's gotta be some kind of nightmare..." 

I can't decide if this week's Judge Dredd story is clever or silly. I have read it twice, and I'm leaning towards clever, but next week's issue will decide it for me.

Dredd is still travelling across this cursed earth, where this week he becomes caught up in the Hamburger Wars. Yes, I'm glad you asked, the hamburger wars are being fought between the two titans of the industry, McDonald's and Burger King. 

It is a war in every sense of the work, and the opening two pages show the opposing forces facing off against each other in battle. How Dredd stumbled into this is explained over the page as we see Dredd and Spike enter the town of Inbetween. It is here that the trouble starts when Dredd and Spike enter a local cafe and Spike innocently asks for a hamburger.

This upsets the locals, and we quickly learn that the Burger Barons are fighting a war over this part of the country, with McDonald's in the North and Burger King in the South. The town of Inbetween lies in between the two, naturally, and is the only free town left. 

Dredd has little time to digest this information, as Burger King and his burger boys steam into town. Demanding loyalty to his franchise, the Burger King prepares to chain up the locals and take them back to Burgerville. 

It's a case of out of the frying pan, onto the hot grill for Dredd as the sudden appearance of Ronald McDonald and his army becomes open war against the Burger King. 

The fight is on to capture more than just the hearts and minds of the local townsfolk, and the violent battle comes to a head over the page as Ronald McDonald decapitates the Burger King. The victorious McDonald wastes no time in chaining up the locals, including Dredd and Spike, and prepares to march them back to McDonald City. Not only that, but he also burns the town to the ground.  

Dredd and Spike appeal for their freedom, even telling McDonald of their mission, but he tells them that he can't take the risk of them going to the other side and that they'll have to stay McDonald's customers until the war is won. Given that this is a big country, that may well be some time yet. 

It is clever, and I love anything that pokes commercialism in the eye, but I do wonder if this is all too obvious. Sure, satire is obvious, yet I wish they could have window-dressed this just a little more. Despite that, I couldn't help but be impressed by both the cleverness of the story and the message behind it. Dredd is an anti-hero, and anyone who fights back against the relentless march of big business and globalisation is all right in my book. Although this strip is almost fifty years old it is easy to reimage it in a modern context, with perhaps Amazon taking on another business behemoth. The more things change, the more they stay the same. I will wait to see how this pans out before I fully commit to an opinion, but in the meantime, I'm giving it a tentative 7.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "You didn't have to burn the town. You won this ridiculous war - you killed the Burger King." 

Mach Zero is still being held prisoner inside an old theatre in London by Cousin George, the world-famous American stunt-man, who has been parading Zero's great strength to show off to the public in a circus-like freak show.

This is about to change, and an army of tramps is on their way to help Mach Zero -on the first page we see them arrive at the theatre. Little do they know that it is an elaborate trap by Cousin George, and they find themselves facing George and a bunch of well-armed men as they enter. George may have the weapons, but the vagrant army has the numbers, especially once they are bolstered by two other groups arriving via the rooftops and the sewers. 

Zero is freed, and George is on the run, but there is one final twist in the tale as Zero is shot at close range by a shotgun. Staggering back in pain, all the hate and thoughts of how Cousin George has mistreated him come to the surface, and we finish the story with Zero promising death to all that have illtreated him, while ominously gripping two columns on the stage.

You don't have to be a biblical scholar to see the obvious Samson parallels in the final panel, and I think we all know what is going to happen next. It has been a joy getting to this point, and just like last week and the week before I am captivated by the art. Mike Dorey is again on the top of his game, and I actually read this story three times, once reading the words, and the other two times just looking at the art alone. A feast for the eyes and this tale of a circus freak show is perfectly captured on the page. I do wonder if next week might be the final part of the story, I sincerely hope not. I never expected to enjoy Mach Zero as much as I have, and the fact that I do love it as I have lies squarely at the feet of Mike Dorey. Splendid throughout, and another stand-out issue. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Lor', how many of these freaks are there?"

The most nightmarish story is saved for last, with Dan Dare facing down Obadiah Crowe, the leader of the colonists on this Garden of Eden planet that Dare has discovered, who has now transformed, unbelievably, into a giant killer worm.

We quickly learn how this has occurred, with the membra-flowers in the woods absorbing the minds of the original colonists. The worms then ate the flowers, thus absorbing the minds of all that land there themselves.

Dare acts quickly, and as the worm snatches at one of his crewmen Dare picks up his weapon and kills the worm with a well-placed shot. 

Carrying the injured crew member, Dare links up to the rest of the men who are now in the remains of the village. They all make for the fort, desperate to get there before the worms so they can fly away to safety. They look like they have accomplished their goal but as they prepare to take off a crewmember bursts in to tell Dare that the worms have come in through the ducts and the whole ship is full of snakes. 

I want these mother f****** snakes off this mother f***ing spaceship now! Dan Dare may not say it, but we all know he's thinking up. Another top-notch cliffhanger finish from Dan Dare, and although it wasn't as scary as the previous issue, the final panel did give me the willies. It's true what they say - in space, no one can hear you scream. The set-up and explanation were convoluted and frankly quite silly, but as soon as I saw those snakes I didn't need any explanation - I just needed Dare to run. An excellent finish to the strip, my fingers are crossed that the next issue delivers on the promises made in this final panel.

Rating: 7/10

Best Line: "A futile attempt, commander...for now your friend dies-sss!"

Prog 71 final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Ant Wars

Best Line: "You've bitten off more'n yuh kin chew this time, Ronald! Let's take this town fer th' Burger King chain!"   

Best Panel:

Prog 70

 Ant Wars has now been hyped up for several issues of 2000Ad, but before its arrival next week, we must first negotiate the final issue of Death Planet. Death Planet still feels like it has some way to go, and I do wonder why they are drawing the curtain on it so quickly, especially as there have been some great developments of late. With dramatic characters, a fantastic world, and a survivalist plot, I have enjoyed it thus far, and I feel slightly cheated to see it ending this week. All I can say is this Ant Wars had better be good after ditching a story such as Death Planet.      

Prog 70

24th June 1978

Now that Artie Gruber has been dealt with, we are back on an even keel for Inferno. There are apologies from the opposing team, and then a timely news announcement regarding the death of Mr Chubb and his sidekick Alphonse Torso. The news announcer also informs us of their links to the gambling syndicate, although Giant tells all that he's sure they're just the tip of the iceberg. 

With the Hellcats now officially cleared, there are smiles all around, although once again Giant is the voice of doom. he doesn't even stick around for the celebration and instead takes off by himself for forty-eight hours. 

Two days later, the Hellcats are enjoying a dinner together when unexpectedly the door creaks open and standing there is Artie Gruber. There is a shout, but then Giant appears, explaining that he has built a replica, one that he has complete control over, to remind himself to be on constant guard. 

The rest of the team is put off their food, and they all make their excuses to leave. Giant tells them they have nothing to fear, but late that night as he sleeps in the bed the robot whirs into life and appears menacingly at his door. 

The drama in this story is at a low-level hum, and although the final panel threatened, it was the only part of the story that I found interesting. The reasons for Giant building a replica of Gruber were never probably explained, and I had trouble buying into his reasoning. Likewise, the moment when the robot switched on in the night. My first thought was why, followed by a shrug of the shoulders and a yawn. I was dubious when Gruber first made a comeback in this story and to see it happen again is all too much for me. I like Inferno, but we need to do away with Gruber once and for all and bring in a new threat. 

Rating: 4/10

Best line: "Aww, c'mon Giant you're talking from doomsville. Let's forget the whole crummy crew, an' have ourselves a celebration!" 

Future Shocks isn't too much of a shock this week. On the first page, we meet a worker named Krang making his way home after a hard day at work. However, his work is far from over, and once he gets home his wife has quite a list of chores that need doing. 

He dutifully does all the chores, and over the page, we see him in the kitchen doing the dishes and calling to his wife that he's doing his best, he's only got three pairs of hands. He does only have three pairs of hands, and we see him busy with his six arms trying to get through all his work.

Not the grim life and death that we sometimes get in Future Shocks, and I was quietly pleased to see a more lighthearted story on the pages of 2000AD. It was not a shocking ending, it made me smile rather than shock me, and I feel this is just what was needed for the story. A nice palette cleanser, I am now ready to face the grit and grimness of Mach Zero.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Nag, nag, nag! That's all she does..."

There is little time to settle into Mach Zero, from the very first page the story is advancing. 

The tramp Gimpy has called a council of war amongst the brotherhood of vagrants, and the enemy is named with a call to war - Cousin George.

Not all at the meeting are loyal, there is one traitor in their midst, a member called Sneaker the Rat. Sneaker and rat by nature as well as by name, he is soon reporting all that he has heard to Cousin George. Pleased to receive this information, George shows he is equally untrustworthy, and rather than receiving a reward, Sneaker is dispatched with. 

Unaware of all of this, Mach Zero is still chained up in the basement. He is equally unaware of the three groups of the vagrant army making their way silently towards where he is being held prisoner, all with the intent of freeing him. 

The story constantly moved forward at a steady pace, and I appreciate that nothing was rushed. We weren't swamped with details, and yet everything we needed to see was on the page. Once again there was splendid art throughout the story, and this was the story I dwelt upon longest as I worked my way through the comic. Every panel was to be savoured and enjoyed, and it felt like an indulgent treat to have such a story appear on newsprint. My favourite story this week, and deservedly so. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I tell you, my brothers, that the time for talk is past! Our friend helped us. Now we must help him, by declaring war on the common enemy...the man called Cousin George"

With the slave Tweak strapped to his back, Judge Dredd is facing the Slay Rider and a wall of napalm throwers.

The first pages are all action as Dredd leaps from his bike at the slavers, leaving Tweak to fend for himself as the battle rages. Tweak unwittingly helps, pushing a button on the bike and firing a barrage of mortars into their foes.

The battle escalates, but once Dredd defeats the Slay-Rider it is all but over. Counting their losses, Spike is angry at Dredd that Judge Patton is dead, most of the robots are smashed, and it is all for the life of a dumb alien. 

Looking towards Tweak they see that he is placing rocks on a grave. Spike is convinced that this is where Tweak has buried the bodies of his human victims, but upon opening the grave they find that it is the rest of Tweak's family, who have all been murdered by the plantation owner.

We finish with Dredd and his men helping to close the grave, while Dredd ruminates on the cruelty of the human race and their so-called civilized ways. 

The ending and tone perfectly aligned with the rest of the story. I couldn't help but agree with Judge Dredd's final assessment that sometimes the human race makes him sick. The humans presented in this story were the very worst of mankind, and Pat Mills made his thoughts on slavery and all it entails very clear here in his writing. The artwork stayed out of the way, and let the story shine through. There was action, but it wasn't overwrought, and the actions of the characters spoke for themselves. With stories like this, one can see why so many rate 2000AD so highly. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Dragged as a specimen off his home planet...sold into slavery...his mate and kids butchered on a world light years away from home...yeah, Tweak must really think we humans are civilised!" 

This is the final episode of Death Planet, and things will have to move rapidly to wrap it up from the situation we are now in. 

Things do indeed move quickly, and the first page lays out that Lorna Varn, Richard Corey, and all the colonists are now working as slaves for the leader of the pirates, Zeena Dra Gornik. 

We also learn in the first panel that one of the planet's creatures of death, in this case a large Hell Bird, is picking off slaves and striking fear into the heart of Zeena Dra Gornik. 

Over the page, Corey makes a decision that will bring this story to a close. Using his axe he chops off his arm that has the bracelet that Zeena is using to control him and grabs her, pulling her in front of him, as a giant bird swoops down at them. 

With its jaws wide open, it picks up both of them, including the controller that Zeena is using to control the slaves, and disappears into the sky. Freed of the control device, the slaves rally under Larna Varn's command, and soon they are fighting back against their captors. 

It's not much of a fight, and the story ends with the colonists gaining control of the pirates ship. Vern decides that they won't be using it to fly to safety but rather that will stay on the planet and colonise it, it is what Richard Corey would have wanted. 

This happened all too fast for me, and while I appreciated Richard Corey's sacrifice, it would have meant more with a longer, and perhaps more detailed buildup. I enjoyed this story early on, and it took an interesting turn with the arrival of the pirates, but this ending had me reassessing my opinion of the story. A weak finish, it is a shame that this will be how I remember the story, especially given how much I liked it in earlier episodes. There was a lot of untapped potential in the Zeena Dra Gornik character and a lot more backstory that could have added a different dimension to the story. Likewise, the tension between Richard Corey and Lorna Vern was not satisfactorily resolved, and it was papered over in the final shakedown rather than given the longer in-depth treatment it deserved. Lots that I didn't like here, but I shall always have fond memories of the earlier issues, despite my final thoughts of its wasted potential. 

Rating: 4/10

Best line: "That pirate lady is scared witless by that creature....hmmm! I wonder?"

I had forgotten how bonkers Dan Dare is at the moment until I saw the first panel of this week and the lay of the land. The vicious aliens Vrakk are attacking the descendants of 17th-century Earthmen kidnapped by UFOS and there is only Dan Dare and his men standing in their way.

There is one house already alight, and just like last week one of Dare's men points out that it looks like some kind of weird anthill. 

There is little that Dare and his men can do about the Vrakk attack, and they take to their heels in an effort to draw them away from the village. It works, but as Dare and the spacers hide in the undergrowth they hear the Vrakk crying out. Seeing what the commotion is, Dare finds that the Vrakk are running scared in the face is some huge killer worms. 

The worms take off as Dare fires at them, and Dare quickly returns to the village to confront Obadiah Crowe and question what the meaning of all this is. Obadiah swears upon their sacred book that he knows nothing of these worms, but later Dare discovers that the sacred book is actually empty. 

Doing some exploring they find a crashed alien ship. It appears relatively new, and Dare and another spacer search it for clues. Once again Obadiah appears, and the wider story reveals itself as he changes form into a giant killer worm. 

Well, that's my nightmares sorted for tonight. Dave Gibbons has done a fantastic job on the artwork here, giving the story a creepy horror edge. But it is the script robot Jack Adrian who has really excelled, concocting a brilliantly weird and wonderful story that has kept me guessing, and suitably scared, throughout. None of this could be predicted, and it is a fantastic mix of genres and ideas. I recently read some of the original Dan Dare stories from the 1950s and we are certainly light years away from that. I couldn't ask for anything more: an inventive story, a dose of horror, lovely artwork, and a plot that is still revealing itself. All great stuff, and long may it continue.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Huge killer worms--making mincemeat out of the Vrakk! Where did they spring from?"

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Mach Zero

Best Line: "Judge Patton dead...most of the robots smashed...and what for? To save the life of some dumb alien!"   

Best Panel: