Prog 91

1979 is rapidly approaching in my reading of 2000 A.D. and I'm trying hard to forget that that's forty-five years ago. It simply can't be true. The comics I'm reading here are too current, too relevant, to have been from forty years ago. I guess it's true what they say -  "History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes" 

Prog 91

18th November 1978

Judge Dredd has escaped the clutches of the insane Chief Judge Cal and hits the road with the help of Judge Giant. 

We get several thundering panels of Judge Dredd clinging onto Judge Giant as they take to the highway on Judge Giant's bike, but things slow as Dredd and Giant disappear into the city. 

Judge Cal isn't taking any of this lightly and demands those responsible be brought before him.  The future isn't too bright for Judge Glass and Judge Percy, but Judge Slocum comes to their aid, dressing them in women's clothing and then telling Judge Cal that it is his goldfish's idea. Not wishing to undermine the authority of his goldfish, Judge Cal leaves things as they are and commands his men to find Dredd, and not alive. 

Meanwhile, Dredd is in a secret location where he finds others to join his cause. These are Judges wounded in the line of duty and tutors at the Academy of Law. They tell Dredd that they are ready to overthrow Judge Cal, but Judge Dredd must be the one to lead them. 

This wasn't quite as good as last week, but it came close. This week the humour was more to the fore, and while I enjoyed it, I found it did detract from the intensity of the story. Judge Slocum was a personal favourite, although every time I read the name I couldn't help but think of Mrs. Slocombe (different spelling, I know) from Are You Being Served? (showing my age here). I also found Judge Cal's interaction with his fish to be a jolly bit of fun, and those panels had me smiling hard. It did recentre the story and tipped it back from the brink of satire to more obvious humour, although I enjoyed it much more last week when the drama was cranked up to ten. A lot of the story was given over to Dredd on the back of the bike, and some of these panels would have been better served featuring Judge Cal as he is the star of this strip at the moment. A gloriously mad creation, I wallowed in delight in every panel he appeared in and my only hope is that he will feature heavily in next week's edition. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "It wouldn't do to overrule Judge Fish's decision. The men might lose confidence in him!" 

Dave Gibbons is on art, Pat Mills on writing, and Hammer-Stein is still serving alongside Sergeant 'Country" Joe Farmer, 'Bomber' Harrison, and 'Babyface' Brannigan in this week's Ro-Busters.     

Hammer-Stein and his trio have stopped in a small town for a couple of hours of rest and recreation when a flock of Volgan Sky-troopers drop in. Our heroes are messing around and putting spare arms on Hammer-Stein, leaving him looking like a robotic beetle when they answer the call of duty and leap into action.

Hammer-Stein puts his extra arms to use and is able to put the Volgans on the backfoot. However, the Volgans have a large gun on the roof of one of the buildings, and this causes problems for the defenders. With the aid of Bomber and Babyface, Hammer-Stein fights his way to the rooftop and with one final heroic intervention from Bomber, the large gun is destroyed. 

All that is left is for the local townsfolk to express their gratitude to Hammer-Stein and his friends, offering them gifts in the street and celebrating. 

A slight issue after the previous two Ro-Buster stories which had delivered intensity and pathos. This edition was far more relaxed, and as such I felt myself take a step back from it. The art of Gibbons was a plus, and several large panels conveyed the action of the piece. However, the story had no intimacy or quiet moments, and we moved quickly from one set piece to another. This week's story could appear in any war comic of the time, and there was only a brief nod to Hammer-Stein's robotic abilities. I would have enjoyed this just fine if not for the fantastic series we saw earlier, and although it's not a bad story, it pales in comparison to what has come before. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Waddayamean? Someone gotta keep an eye on you, ya crazy hunk o' tin!"

Flesh gives us plenty of oversized dinosaur-shaped action across the first few pages. In an awesome display of power, Big Hungry battles another dinosaur that has strayed into his cave. After giving this interloper a bloody end, Big Hungry snatches up the gold hidden by Carver and sets off to find a safer place. 

In the meantime, Carver is facing further troubles on the submarine 'Thor's Hammer' as Peters confronts him about his murderous ways. The confrontation is short and brutal as Carver strikes Peters with his claw. With Peters sent to the brig for medical attention, Carver now has complete control of the vessel and orders them to the nearest island for repairs.

There is some hesitation on the part of the crew concerning this and we soon learn why as the sub advances up a hidden creek to the interior of the island. The crew reveal the secret of the island to Carver - it is a luxury resort for people of the future to time travel to. Carver is heartened by the sight of the time machine that is about to beam in the next consignment of travellers, and we close out the strip with Carver's thoughts of recovering his gold and stealing a ride back to the twenty-third century.

This was a twist I didn't see coming, and although Carver remains at the centre of the story with Big Hungry, it does feel like a different story from what has come earlier. We've jumped from a band of hardened fishermen to a much larger scheme involving tourists and a hidden resort, while at the same time, the mutiny of Peters quietly disappeared in the first couple of panels. I'm confident that Peters will return but I can't hide my disappointment that it didn't come to more in this current issue. The opening panels looked great, yet they felt disjointed from the plot that followed, aside from the fact that Big Hungry has moved the gold. With new elements dropped into the plot, and several other strands left hanging, this issue gives us the fuel we'll need to get through the next couple of months, and it shall be interesting to see how all these moving parts come together. I will be reading with interest. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "A concealed beach...with hotel facilities - but trans-time don't run this!"

While flushing out a Sandorian bolthole, Johnny Alpha had considered escaping, but after receiving a secret plan from a dying Sandorian he decided it would be better to return to the Wolrogs. Thus this week's Strontium Dog begins with the image of Johnny facing Sergeant Kark and explaining that he had no thoughts of escaping as he searched the bolt hole. 

Sergeant Kark is angry and it looks like trouble for Johnny when suddenly Kark walks away, telling them they're wasting time, and that they should get on with the fight. 

The battle is soon over, and the Wolrogs have successfully conquered the planet Nykos. The Wolrogs celebrate with a boisterous party, and before long Johnny, Wulf and Gronk slip away. 

They find the suicide ships armed with nuclear warheads and decide that although it is dangerous, this is their only means of escape. Unfortunately, Sergeant Kark has suspected something was afoot and appears just as they are planning their escape. A fight ensues, with Gronk playing a heroic part, and Kark meets his downfall as his claws connect with a power cable. 

This story moved slowly for a few pages and then sped up considerably on the final two pages. I didn't mind in the slightest, with Esquerra's art being a delight throughout. Visually, this is my favourite strip week after week. The story has yet to grip me, but the artwork holds my attention and I love to marinade in the detail. I'm not sure how I will feel about this strip in the long run. For now,  I will live in the moment and appreciate it panel by panel until the story reaches the same heights as the art. 

Rating: 7.5/10  

Best line: "Come, scum! Taste the claws of Sergeant Kark!"

Prog 91 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "Guess I'll be made 'Army Surplus', Sarge! Just hope I don't end up in a disaster squad called 'Ro-Busters'...I've heard it's real bad!"   

Best Panel: