Prog 99

Prog 100 is just a week away, and with two stories finishing this week, we should see something new on the pages of 2000 A.D. very soon.  At least that's what I thought until I saw the advertising for the next issue and two familiar faces that will be returning. Still, that's all ahead of us, and first, we must negotiate the final issue of Angel and Flesh. I'm pleased to say goodbye to Angel, although I feel Flesh still has some gas in the tanks and has the potential to run for longer. However, I must admit I have never quite been 100% committed to this iteration of Flesh, and truth be told I won't be shedding too many tears at its demise. The rest of the comic remains as strong as ever, and once again Judge Dredd and Ro-Busters are on top form and delivering great issues every week. Plenty to enjoy here, so let's jump right in.    

Prog 99

10th February 1979

Resisting the urge to turn immediately to the Ro-Busters story, I first catch up with all the latest happenings in Judge Dredd. The insane Judge Cal had fired a shot that sent Judge Dredd and his men plunging towards instant death when we last left them. 

Instant death is what the caption promises, but the story is more nuanced than that and the roadliner plunges through the road below and into an underground river. Judge Cal proclaims victory, and in celebration tells the citizens that for the next 24 hours, all crime will be legal. 

The chaos you might expect never comes, and instead crime drops as the citizens stay home and mourn the death of Dredd. This only pushes Judge Cal deeper into his insanity, and soon he is commanding one of his closest men to die for him. 

The other Judges watching on can see that it will only be a matter of time before they are next, and there is talk of killing Judge Cal, although the only man strong enough to stand against Cal was killed earlier in the strip. 

This brief description merely scratches the surface of a fantastic episode of Judge Dredd. I can't emphasise enough how great the artwork was this week, provided by McMahon. Every panel had a dynamism to it and carried a sense of drama. The faces were etched in emotion, and there was not a single panel that didn't deserve attention and praise lavished upon it. Likewise, the dialogue reached new heights, and in the absence of Dredd, many other characters stepped into the spotlight and gave us some smart lines. I appreciated every turn of phrase, and although I don't want his to be a gushing fan-boy blog, I am dangerously close to it today in the wake of this issue. Maybe a cup of tea will calm me down, so I shall sip it thoughtfully now while I re-read one of the greatest.    

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Judges - Cal has won...I weep - I weep for my city!"

Harry Angel has his plane's computer embedded in his body, and he's going to need it as he faces his greatest challenge so far. 

Orbiting Earth in the British Space Fighter, Harry discovers that the watch given to him by the Squadron Leader is a thermite bomb and that the Squadron Leader is the one behind the sabotaging of the space programming. 

Acting quickly, Harry manages to avoid the worst of the explosion, although the spacecraft is badly damaged. Harry has no option but to escape the Space Fighter and risk a freefall reentry with nothing but his space suit for protection. 

Here the magic of the computer in his arm takes over, and Harry survives the reentry and manages to land on his feet beside a road. 

Timing is everything, and two passing policemen pick up Harry. They don't believe his story, but again the computer makes itself useful as Harry plugs himself into the patrol car and seizes control of the situation. Arriving at the base just in time to catch the fleeing Squadron Leader, Harry leaps from the police car and onto the Squadron Leader's jeep. From there the story rushes to a close with the Squadron Leader crashing into a tree, and then admitting that the Reds were blackmailing him. The final panel is slight, with some low-key banter between Harry and the policemen who gave him the ride. 

Well, thank god that's over. My first thought when I finished was "Ugh" -  although that is unfair given how much I enjoyed some aspects of the story. I never warmed to the characters, or the concept, but I did find the artwork by Pino to be to my taste, and while I winched at parts of the story, the artwork always made me smile. This is a sci-fi comic, and I  expect to see the unbelievable on the page. However, the plane computer embedded in Harry Angel's arm after an accident was several bridges too far for me, and from that point on the story was on the back foot. It never recovered from this flimsy start in my eyes, and as much as it had some great action and artwork to match, it never became something that I felt I had to read. I give one final salute to Pino for his art, but after today I will never think of this story again.   

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Space Fighter? Baled out? Er - I think maybe you better in the car, son! We'll...er, look after you till you get another rocket!

Now for the strip I have been looking forward to most - Ro-Busters. 

The destructive Terra-Meks are approaching the poor part of Northpool, and are about to flatten the city to turn it into a vast aero-space port.  

Only the giant robot Charlie can save the area now, but of him there is no sign. 

It's up to Father Flannigan to resist the robots, and standing strong he steps in front of the robots and tells them they must stop. He points out that they are programmed not to hurt humans, and upon hearing this they stop to consider what has been said. Father Flannigan is right of course, but after some debate, the robots talk themselves past this little issue and are soon charging at the humans with nothing but destruction on their minds. 

As the carnage begins, Father Flannigan directs the fleeing citizens to his presbytery where they can shelter in the underground cave below. While many escape, there are still the inevitable casualties and we see several panels of the robots swallowing cars and people whole.

While the people wait helplessly for their final fate, Charlie sits paralysed watching all that is unfolding. He refuses to disobey his programming and despite his willingness to help, he can't get past this thought. However, seeing the wreckage of people's lives floating by, something suddenly snaps within Charlie and he flies into a rage. Angrily he gets to his feet and walks across the river towards the robots inflicting misery on his community. The strip ends with Charlie confronting these machines of destruction and demanding that they stop, only for the robots to respond with a threat of death to Charlie. 

Last week I wrote nothing but praise for Pat Mills. This week I have the same feeling, but Pat is trumped by the art proved by Dave Gibbons. His style is well suited to these wrecking machines, and the clarity of his line gives them detail without ever being too busy. The same can be said of his work on the human characters, and in particular, the emotion of Father Flanagan came off the page and straight into my heart. This was the first story I wanted to read when I picked up this issue, and it delivered everything I could have wished for with the art and writing complementing each other throughout. What a dream team to have working on the strip, and as much as I enjoyed Ro-Busters previous stories, this one eclipses all that has come before and sets new standards for the comic. Another gushing review for me, but honestly, it doesn't get any better than this. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Charlie...he can hear Northpool dying...he want to help...but he must obey his programming..."

The last story of the week is the final episode of Flesh. The Trans-time fish farming base - Atlantis Station, is sinking while Big Hungry and the other Nothosaurs are wreaking havoc within. 

There is carnage on every panel as a variety of reptiles destroy the station and the men within. Carver comes close to being snatched and is only saved by the intervention of Peters, who wants to bring Caver to justice. 

His rescue is short-lived, and over the page, Carver finally meets his end in the jaws of Big Hungry. 

Peters is still intent on escaping, and as the water rises he makes his way to the time controls. Peters fends off one Giant Scorpion as he reaches the controls, but just after he operates the switches he is grabbed by another and is crushed to death. 

However, his operation of the time controls is successful, and the entire base is shifted through time. It is not a smooth journey, and the Station Atlantis is lost at the bottom of an unknown ocean. Big Hungry has travelled through time too, although he has become separated from the rest of the station, and he disappears into Loch Ness, where he lives to this very day. With these two events, the story ends in a nice bow and all the loose ends tied up. 

I'm pleased to see this story end before it took a dip. I have been up and down on my thoughts of it, and I think now is the right moment for the story to wrap up. Having the myth of the Loch Ness monster and Atlantis explained away on the final page was a little on the nose, yet I found I enjoyed it for what it was. It was clever writing and finished the story in a well-rounded way that placed it in the real world. I wasn't so happy to see Carver come to an end so quickly. That could have been an epic finish, and I felt cheated to see Big Hungry easily grab him and end him in a single panel. This iteration of Flesh has been a lot of fun, and for all my mixed feelings about it, it was better than the first version. It was more consistent, and the story seemed to know where it was going. The cast of characters was larger, and more fully fleshed out, making for an interesting read even when the plot was meandering. The final issue was a strong one, with each character getting a fitting end, and the artwork was just as strong as it had been previously. It was close to great, and although it was very good, it never quite made it to that final grade.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "We gotta reach the time controls - beam the whole damn rig outta here! Come on, man!"

Prog 99 final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Ro-Busters

Best Line: "The monster? Ha ha! That's a good one, Roy! Everybody knows the Loch Ness monster is just a fairy story!"   

Best Panel: 

Prog 98

It's so cold in the spare room today, that I can barely cajole my fingers to type. Good for brevity, I will be rushing to get this done as soon as possible so I can get back to my warm lounge and a nice cup of tea. Exciting issue this week, I will hopefully elaborate more next time around once this cold snap is over.     

Prog 98

3rd February 1979

Judge Dredd is in trouble deep as a Klegghound has grabbed his arm. It looks like Judge Cal may have won this battle but for one small mistake made by the beast - it has grabbed Dredd's gunhand.

One blood-splattered explosion later and Dredd is free. A single panel deals with the rest of the Klegghounds, and all attention is turned to the advancing Kleggs. 

After a page of batting the Kleggs, and a moment of martyrdom, Dredd and the men retreat to the sub garage where their means of escape awaits them. Climbing onboard a sleek road liner, they hit the highway, much to the disgust of Judge Cal who is overseeing the operation.  

Taking to a hover ship, Judge Cal is soon in pursuit of Dredd. Firing from above, Cal destroys the road ahead of Dredd and we finish with the cliffhanger of the road liner plunging 8000 feet to the streets below. 

Brian Bollard's artwork snatches all the headlines of this issue. For all the snappy lines and fast-moving plot, it is page after page of excellent artwork that holds me enthralled. Every panel is a mini-masterpiece, and when put together in a cohesive narrative it becomes even greater. I could pull out any panel for special mention, but the real power of the work comes from the consistency page after page. I don't even have to read the story, I would be quite happy just looking at Dredd and his variety of poses and expressions panel after panel and watching the story flow from there. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Die well, Judge Fernandez, you will be remembered!"

Part man, part machine, Harry Angel was last seen plunging from a transport aircraft with his parachute sabotaged and a slim chance of surviving the fall. 

However, there is a Hawk chase plane monitoring events, and seeing Harry in trouble the pilot does some unbelievable flying to save the day. Going into a steep dive, the pilot manoeuvres close enough for Harry to grab onto the plane and catch a ride to the ground. 

Harry is quickly on the trail of the saboteur and confronts the man responsible for the parachute. The man is tight-lipped, but after some non-too-subtle threats from Harry, he tells him that a man with a gammy leg is responsible. 

Storming outside, Angel has Blutcher arrested, one of the men responsible for Angel's training, before returning to the training program. 

The next week is full of tests before Angel is deemed ready to fly the Space Fighter. As he prepares for launch the Squadron Leader approaches and offers him a family good luck charm, an old watch carried by his father in the First World War, and then him in the Second. 

Harry gratefully accepts it, although he regrets it shortly after takeoff as he realises that the watch is a concealed bomb, and the Squadron Leader is the saboteur. 

A steady enough issue of this story, and I am feeling more positive about it than in the previous few weeks. I am slowly warming to the characters, and the storyline is beginning to firm up without the constant interference of Angel's computer. We had very little mention of it this week, and now we are deeper into the story there is no longer the need to keep reinforcing his origin story. This makes for a far smoother read, and the story is now distilled down to its essence with Angel hunting a saboteur. A few more issues in this vein would help vanish some of my earlier criticisms. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "And you're going to tell me if anyone from my project's been snooping around here- or I cream your face all over my fist!" 

Future Shocks begins with a group of alien students landing on a desolate Earth, preparing for an archaeological exam. 

The students are told that the dominant life form was Man, but they have no record of what the species looks like, Their task is to collect all the clues they can, and then provide a model of a typical man. 

The students gather quite a lot of parts and then work together to build a model of what they thought Man may have looked like. We finish with the sight of a T.V. sitting in the middle so the students, while the tutor muses that it's no wonder the species died out, it doesn't look very mobile or adaptable. 

I could easily see the T.V. of this story substituted for a smartphone for modern times. The final line of "DId television sets ever dominate life on your planet" is just as applicable to smartphones, and perhaps even more so. The point of the story was sharpened by the length of the story. This one really did live up to the title of a Future Short, clocking at barely one page and one panel. With no excess flab, the story stayed true to its concept and delivered a tight strip. I envy it for its brevity and conciseness, and I can only wish that one day I will aspire to the same level. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Finished, Sir! What do you think? Gruesome, isn't it?"

It looks like Peters time in Flesh is coming to an end as the evil Carver pushes him down a gangplank towards a watery grave.

He gets an unexpected reprieve as a flight of Pterosaurs descend from the sky and attack the ship. Carver and the crew repel the attack, but by the time the sky has cleared, they find that Peters has gone, as has Big Hungry. 

Little do they realise that Peters is still aboard, and is currently fighting his way deeper into the base. Neither do they know that Big Hungry is also lurking under the base, although they find out soon enough as Big Hungry attacks their Cybosaurs, and, along with the other Nothosaurs, begins to wreak havoc on their defences. 

Carver orders his men to take a killer sub out and deal with the Nothosaurs. Old Ben the gunner is the first to volunteer, and we soon discover why. He too has a score to settle, and instead of firing at the dinosaurs, he begins to fire at the girders holding the base up. The inevitable happens as the base collapses into the sea, and we finish with the image of the Nothosaurs coming in for revenge. 

I'm not sure if next week will be the final, but it is sure looking that way. I don't see how Carver can wheedle his way out of this one, and all his enemies now hold the upper hand in one way or another. Although I wasn't enamoured by all the action we saw here, I still loved the fast way that story moved forward. Of course, any story that shows the dinosaurs in their prime is worth the time, and we have several panels showing just that in this issue. I should give some praise to Pino here for his artwork. I am familiar with his style, almost to the point where I take him for granted. I shouldn't, he is great throughout, and here his art is just as good as any plot or dialogue on the page. A strong issue and one that signals the end may be near, although, in the world of 2000 A.D., anything could happen. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Gunner Ben!! Hmm...you might be an old loony- but you're also the best gunner I got!"

We round out this week's issue with a new story beginning for Ro-Busters. We are introduced to Charlie, a huge robot that brings ships safely into the harbour, in the opening panels, and this gives us a good idea of his size and exactly what he does as he pulls a ship to safety amid a storm.   

He has been the ship's pilot for Northpool for fifteen years and is well-loved by the community and the ships he serves. However, we learn that this is the last ship he will be saving. The era of big ships is over, and with mammoth jets now doing the bulk of the work the port of Northpool is dying. Most of Northpool is to be demolished and a vast new spaceport is to be built on the ruins. 

A group of robots known as the Terra-meks are about to be brought in to take on the destruction of Northpool. The people of Northpool are unhappy about their homes being destroyed, although Ron Murdoch, leader of the Northpool council, insists that it is for the best and those that have their homes condemned will be rehoused - underground. 

Seeing the citizens protesting, Father Flannigan hurries down to the docks to enlist the help of Charlie. Father Flannigan explains the situation to Charlie and tells him that he is the only one that can stop the Terra-meks. Charlie tells Father Flannigan that he will think about it.

The next day Father Flannigan is standing at the hastily erected barricades put up by the local citizens. There is no sign of Charlie, and the strip closes with the Terra-meks about to arrive in numbers. 

This is why Pat Mills is the greatest. Across these few pages, he presents us with an entirely believable world that draws heavily from the familiar and places it in an updated context. It was easy to draw parallels between Northpool and many English cities in the late 1970s, while the presence of giant robots created a visually arresting image and a glimpse into a foreign future. Like the previous Ro-Buster stories, Pat Mills again turns his attention to the ills of modern society, and as much as I love stories about big robots, I also love the grittiness with which Mills infuses the stories. As an introduction to a new adventure, it is sublime, with questions already reaching through my mind and the overall impulse to see what happens next. We are in safe hands, and I will be here again next week to cheer on the heroes of the story and whatever circumstances Mister Mills puts them in. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Why...why these robots want to do this bad thing? Charlie not understand..make Charlie feel...funny...feel...sad...deep inside..."

Prog 98 final ratings:

Overall: 8/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "Excellent! You, gunner - out! And brush the seat before you go! I don't want to catch any of your germs!"   

Best Panel: 

Prog 97

 Last week I was wistfully dreaming of the 80's and thinking what treats await me in the future. I had grown jaded by some of these stories and was already thinking of greener pastures. It seems I was premature in my thoughts and this week's issue snapped me back to the here and now (well, at least 1979) with a cracking issue that saw several stories leaping off the page. Both Judge Dredd and Ro-Busters delighted me, and while Angel and Flesh treated water they both felt an improvement on last week. Suddenly I am reinvigorated and I know it's been a good issue when I immediately want to pick up the next comic to see what happens next.    

Prog 97

27th January 1979

The hounds of Klegg are about to be unleashed on Judge Dredd, with Judge Cal using these ferocious alien trackers to find him. 

Given the taste of Dredd's clothing, these monstrous hounds are soon on the trial of Dredd, who is currently hiding in a disused underground garage with his men. Dredd is quite clear about what is needed to win this war - kill Judge Cal. There is little time to consider this statement with the arrival of the hounds soon after Dredd makes the decision. The hounds rampage into the garage and we end with one of the creatures holding Dredd in his mouth while Dredd's men look on helplessly. 

The threat of the hounds of Klegg was built up nicely in this issue. The opening panel showing them to be all teeth and rage was bookended by the final image of  Dredd being caught by one of them, and in between we had plenty of time to consider how dangerous they were. Although most of the artwork was dedicated to the hounds of Klegg, there were still moments of snappy dialogue and I found the balance between the two to be just right. I was smiling as I turned each page, eager to see what happened next but enjoying the ride on the way. Not quite enough Dredd in it to make it a classic, but with the story still growing and Dredd in peril, while coming up with his final solution, there is still plenty of interest in the coming weeks. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Man, my pappy never tol' me there'd be days like this!"

Harry Angel is relaxing in bed, with a computer still embedded in his shoulder, while outside an assassin prepares to strike. 

From this sleepy start, the story explodes with a phosphorus grenade going off in Harry's room. Luckily the computer took over his movements just in time, propelling Harry out of bed and through a window. Falling twenty floors should be fatal, but the computer continues its good work and guides Harry to a safe landing. 

It's not over yet, as there is a baby trapped in the burning building. Ignoring his commanding officer's instruction, Harry rushes back in, and with his computer guiding him, makes the rescue.

The next day Harry is doing jump testing. Taken up in a Hercules transport plane, Harry jumps out at 30,000 feet with a parachute. It's then that he finds the assassin has struck again, for his parachute's ripcord has been severed and he is facing a very long fall followed by a sudden stop. 

It's hard to move past the fact that this is treading similar ground to MACH 1. If I hadn't read the earlier Progs it would have been just fine, and indeed quite enjoyable, but my mind keeps drifting back to the previous story and similar situations. There is not enough about Harry here to make me warm to him, and the story would perhaps become its own entity if Harry were a stronger character. Perhaps that will come in future issues. I hope so as now I feel I barely know him. I like this mysterious assassin aspect of the story, and that is enough for me to keep turning the pages at the moment. If we could just push Harry into something unique, I would be a lot happier. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Sleep well, Angel. The phosphorous grenade will make you sleep forever"

Tharg's Future Shocks is the shortest we have had for some time but does present an interesting idea. 

We see an alien sentenced to 20,000 years in exile after committing the first murder since his race discovered the secret to everlasting life. 

Writing a letter to his mother from this strange planet he has been exiled to, he tells her of his first 5000 years here, and how he learnt to hunt and build his own shelter. 

Over the page, he turns to face the reader and we see that he is a vampire, just as he writes to his mother that he is about to go down to the village for a bite to eat. 

Ignoring the final wordplay (amusing, but not laugh out loud), I found this concept to be interesting, and potentially something that could be developed further. Most young boys are fascinated by vampires, and I could easily imagine this story being stretched out into something substantial and satisfying for the reading audience. As it stands, the idea that vampires are aliens feels almost plausible and something I would be willing to believe in a sci-fi comic. It's great to see a new idea presented this week, and just when I was finding Future Shocks to be reheating old leftovers it surprised me with this treat. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I'll nip down to the village for a bite to eat!"

Flesh begins with a mutiny onboard the Atlantis Station, as Carver rounds up men to take control of the station. 

While Carver and his men begin their mutiny, a pack of angry Nothosaurs are heading this way, and we are soon treated to the sight of Carver's men shooting at some of the dinosaurs as they try and enter the station. At the same time, Peters is offering some resistance to Carver, and just like last week the pair are fighting each other across the pages.

Carver gains the upper hand, and we finish the strip with Peters being forced to walk the plank while a pack of hungry Nothosaurs wait below, including Big Hungry himself. 

This week was stretched thin, and the same scene played out several times. Carver would look to have beaten Peters, only for the action to carry on to the following page as the story was spun out a page or two too long. The action looked fine, and the dialogue was good, but there wasn't enough flesh on the bones for my liking, and I walked away from the story still hungry for more. A decisive action between Peters and Carver would have been more to my liking, or perhaps a stronger representation of the dinosaurs. Sadly there was neither, and I was left just watching the characters wander through the pages, no one getting ahead or in immediate peril. The ending was the highlight this week, and it should be a good jump start into next week and hopefully something more dramatic.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Shut up, ya dork! I'm takin' over this station, not Peters!"

It's the final week of Ro-Jaws memoirs in Ro-Busters, and I'm intrigued to see how it will all pan out. 

The Robo-butler of the family that has brought Ro-Jaws is determined to get rid of him, and the first part of this plan is enacted when Annabel, the young lady of the house and the one who is enthralled by Ro-Jaws, is packed off to boarding school. 

From here it is all downhill for Ro-Jaws, and without an ally in the house anymore he is sold to as a builders laborer to the Dickensian Mr Murphy. 

Murphy treats Ro-Jaws poorly, with never a kind word and more work than Ro-Jaws can handle. Things reach their nadir at Christmas, and as Ro-Jaws waits in the snow for Mr Murphy he meets his old robot friend Ginger. Ginger is also overworked and at the end of his tether.  

After a brief chat the two robots part, but later that day Ro-Jaws sees the feet of Ginger pass by in robot knacker lorry.  Ro-Jaws cries out at the sight of it, and Mr Murhpy is soon onto him with a whip. Ro-jaws can't take it anymore, and he falls to the ground, refusing to get up. 

Just then Annabel appears. She has returned from boarding school and found out what her parents did to Ro-Jaws. She quickly pays off Mr Murphy, and taking Ro-Jaws home all is restored, and just in time for Christmas.  

From here we jump back to the present, where Ro-Jaws is telling his story to Marylin and Hammer-stein. Marilyn has a tear in her eye at such a sad story with a happy ending, although Hammer-stein tells her that he would straighten Ro-Jaws out if he was in his regiment. 

This is the end of Ro-Jaws memoirs, and with next week's story Terra-Meks rapidly approaching, this is a fine way to end this current arc. With the Christmas snow falling and the treatment that Ro-Jaws received throughout the strip, it does very much feel like a Charles Dickens story. Although I can see the bones of the story that this particular story is fleshed out on, I still found it to be a fantastic read. If you're going to use a template from the past you can't do better than Dickens, and especially at Christmas. The two memoir stories of Ro-Jaws and Hammer-stein have been thoroughly enjoyable and although I don't know what direction Ro-Busters will go next, I am already on board with anything they want to dish up. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Not for robots...it's only work, work and more work. I look forward to deactivation. Goodbye, Ro jaws, old friend!"

Prog 97 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Ro-Busters

Best Line: "The bottom of the sea is the only place for scum like you - and that's where I aim to put you!"   

Best Panel: 

Prog 96

It's been almost two years since I first started reading 2000 A.D. and I still feel I haven't a handle on the comic. The ground is moving continuously beneath my feet with stories coming and going, and nothing quite sticking. The obvious exception is Judge Dredd, and coupled with its longevity, it is one story that I cling to. The rest of the comic, no sooner than I begin to bond to a story than it is whisked away. Of the current crop of stories, Ro-Busters promises a lot, although I don't think we have much more air in the balloon, while Angel is an out-and-out disappointment so far. Flesh 2 is beginning to cover old ground, despite my love of the premise, and it is only Dredd that is truly flying the banner for the comic. I'm told the 1980s is when 2000 A.D. really hits its stride, and with that in mind, I tell myself I just need to be patient for one more year. 

Prog 96

13th January 1979

Things are escalating on the pages of Judge Dredd. Snubbed by the people of Mega-City One, the insane tyrant Judge Cal - Mega-City's new chief Judge - had vowed to make them suffer. 

Backed by his alien mercenaries the Kleggs, Judge Cal cracks down on the local populace until only one option is left for the citizens - abandon Mega-City and escape into the Mutant Lands. 

With the city emptying, Cal enlists the Kleggs to bring the people back into the city - after all, where is the fun in ruling over an empty city?

The people are rounded up, and to ensure such a thing never happens again, Cal orders a concrete wall to be built around the city. 

We finally see Judge Dredd midstory, and with a handful of men, he offers some resistance to the wall being built. However, more than his guerilla tactics are needed in the face of the scale of the wall being built and despite his efforts the wall is completed. 

Even with the wall completed, some try to escape. Inspired by Dredd's resistance, an underground movement continues to grow, disparagingly referred to as Dreddists by Cal. The only way to stop this ever-increasing tide is to kill Dredd, and speaking with the Klegg leader, Gampus, Judge Cal is introduced to a solution to his problem - the hounds of Klegg. 

The evil shadow of Judge Cal is cast long across this story, and he has grown into a powerful figure that pushes Dredd into the shadows of his own story. Poor old Dredd barely gets a couple panels in his own strip. This issue was purely focused on Judge Cal, and although it may feel like a weakness to have your main character relegated to the sidelines, in this case, it works well. Judge Cal has been built to the point of a final boss, and to defeat him from this point Dredd will have to be at his very best. If Dredd does win this battle, he will come out of the story looking tougher than ever with the strength of his character enhanced by the strength of the opposition. Elsewhere, we had glimpses of our own world and the past as Cal built his wall. My first thought was of the Berlin Wall, and like other stories in 2000 A.D., this seed of something familiar only heightened my empathy with the characters. A solid issue and the only reason I didn't rate it higher was the fact we didn't move forward as much as I'd hoped. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "And rule over an empty city? You fool! Where's the fun in that?"

Last week we met Harry Angel and witnessed him suffering a terrible accident that left his aircraft's computer embedded in his shoulder. When we last left him he was a passenger in a jump jet flying toward Air Force One in an attempt to save the President from a potential aircraft crash. 

We are jump-started this week as Harry leaps from the jet, freefalls to the President's 747, and then fights his way past the security. It's quite a sequence and he follows up this intense action by bursting into the cockpit and seizing control of the aircraft. From there we get another good demonstration of his skills, and he soon lands the aircraft safely, much to the relief of a now grateful US President.

No good deed goes unpunished as they say, and Harry's reward for all this is an order to help the US with a problem they are having with a secret space fighter. Two prototypes of this fighter have been made, and both have been blown up on the first flights. Harry is tasked with finding out what has been going wrong and putting it right.

Before he begins this mission, Harry takes his time to relax in the luxurious quarters he has been billeted in. Harry thinks he's got it pretty good, but unbeknownst to Harry, the silhouette of an assassin is just outside, and we end on a cliffhanger as this assassin prepares to strike. 

Last week I thought that this was a rehash of several stories we have seen before, and this week did nothing to dispell that thought. The Six Million Dollar Man is an obvious comparison, as is MACH 1 who appeared in earlier Progs. I like the idea of a man with machine-enhanced abilities generally, although in this case, I have a couple of issues that I am having trouble moving past. The first is how Harry Angel has received his mechanical abilities. Having the electronics fused to his body in an aircraft accident was a facet of the story I didn't like last week, and seven days on I still can't let go of the nagging thoughts I have about it. The second problem I have with it, and a problem I have with other stories in this genre, is that he is too powerful. How he jumped from one aircraft to another in the first panels of this story looked great, but I never felt the risk involved. It always felt like it was achievable, and I never once felt he was in danger. I am relying on the human aspect to bring me into the story, and that has failed to happen so far. However, I remain optimistic, especially with the appearance of the assassin in the final panel. Not only does he look like a villain of an old expressionist movie, but he also hints that a larger plot is at play that brings some political intrigue and manoeuvring behind the scenes. I'm all for that, and if that is the direction the story moves in over the coming weeks, then I shall be much happier than I am now.    

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "All this, and a chance to fly the most exciting plane I've ever seen. Things are going fine, Harry-boy!"

This week's Future Shocks is titled "The end of the universe?" and although it promises much, it proves to be a story we have seen many times before. 

The starship Discovery has been travelling across the universe for 50 years while its two crewmembers lie with Crydgentic chambers. Its mission is to find the edge of the universe, and as the two crew are awakened by the ship they assume the sip must be getting closer to its destination. 

However, that's not the case, and as far as they can see the universe stretches on. They assume the computer has awakened them when it realised that there is no end to the universe. One of the crew is frustrated by this and tells the other one that he just wishes that he could see the whole universe. 

Over the page, we meet some aliens who are looking through a microscope. The subject of their attention is a drop of water, and within it our universe and the spaceship Discovery. We are a mere drop in the true scale of the universe, and there is more out there than we could ever comprehend. 

A disappointing edition of Future Shocks this week. The story is one that we have seen countless times already on these pages in various guises. The idea that mankind is just a speck of dust in the universe, and there are much larger beings out there toying with our world is nothing new, and an idea that has been explored in better ways before now. It is a good concept to consider, but by Prog 96 it is an idea that needs an extra kick to turn it into an interesting story.    

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "The only answer can be that our computer has worked out our mission can never succeed! There is no end to the universe, and our voyage has been for nothing!"

Flesh begins with the dramatic moment Big Hungry comes ashore as Carver and Peters fight each other at the sea edge. The sight of Big Hungry is enough to snap the pair out of their conflict for a minute and wonder how they are going to get out of this one. 

They don't have to wait long to find out, with a blast from Old Ben and his blaster on the sub scaring off Big Hungry. With the dinosaur threat gone, hostilities continue between the two men, with Peters coming out on top with a knockout blow.

While Big Hungry seeks his pack for support, Peters carries Carver to the Atlantis Station, where he explains to Grouse the station commander what Carver's larger plan is concerning the hidden gold.

Grouse tells Peters that he will lock Carver in the brig, and although he runs Peters through all the defences they have on board, Peters isn't convinced that it will stop the creatures outside, nor Carver within. 

Peters hunch is correct, and soon Carver has managed to break out of his makeshift jail, luring his guard too close with the sight of gold. He uses the rest of his gold to win over more of the crew, but unbeknownst to all, a far larger threat is looming outside with the approach of a pack of Nothosaurs led by Big Hungry. 

This strip is really cooking now, and on coming on the heels of last week, we are now in the midst of the good stuff. No big splash page, but the art still makes a splash with the details it catches with the dinosaurs in all their glory. All the threads of the story are coming together and with the internal conflicts between the men and the external threat of the dinosaurs, this feels like it is all peaking. Sharp writing, some great-looking art, and a thrilling finish guarantee that I am a fan of this week's issue. My only fear is that it may all be over soon. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You thinking lockin' Carver in the brig will stop him? The man's crazy - kill-crazy! You gotta get him off the station completely - before he brings disaster on all of us!"

We have some interesting twists and turns in this week's Ro-Busters, and I'm loving all of it. 

Ro-Jaws has joined some robot resistance fighters (you'll have to go back to truly understand) and helps them escape after a bank hold-up by leading them into the sewer. The leader of the resistance is an android named George Washington, and he demonstrates his leadership qualities early on when he tells the other robots he will hold off the police while they make their escape. 

It is a fine plan, but George Washington is immediately shot, and Ro-Jaws hurries the team into the sewers, carrying George Washington with them. They emerge from the sewer at the graveyard where Ro-Jaws has previous worked, and there is a pause while they take stock. 

Ro-Jaws is introduced to the rest of the robots, who are all named after famous human freedom fighters. Ro-Jaws is inspired by these robots and would like to join them, but sadly he is told he is not wanted - he is too funny-looking and no one would take him seriously. Things become more miserable when George Washington dies, and they bury him in the graveyard with an appropriate headstone. 

Ro-Jaws continues to work at the graveyard, and two years after this event he has a stroke of luck. One day a young lady named Annabel is visiting a nearby grave and she meets Ro-Jaw. She immediately takes a liking to him and the way he talks, and after some negotiation she buys him from his current owner. 

Ro-Jaws finds his life changing considerably and he moves into a posh house where Annabel lives. The only dark cloud on this is the robot butler who finds Ro-Jaws quite distasteful and can't abide his friendship with Annabel. Annabel and Ro-Jaws' friendship continues to grow, but behind the scenes, the robot butler is planning his demise and is in the ear of Annabel's mother with a solution that should get rid of him. 

It felt like a lot was crammed in here. The opening pages showing the resistance group had a different feel from the second half of the comic as Ro-Jaws was adopted. It was two completely different stories buttressed up against each other and I didn't feel a natural flow between the two. However, I did enjoy both halves of the story, and this new direction is intriguing. I especially enjoyed the appearance of the robot butler, and he is a conniving one, making for some excellent drama between him and Ro-Jaws. The relationship between Ro-Jaws and Annabel is equally interesting, and again the character of Ro-Jaws is at his best as we see all that we have come to know and love of him. I'm not sure how much mileage we will get out of this story of Ro-Jaws and Annabel, but it has been fun so far and I can only hope there's plenty more to come. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Er - I don't think the sort of jokes Ro-Jaws tells are very suitable, darling!" 

Prog 96 final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Ro-Busters

Best Line: "At least I think Napoleon fought for freedom...I'm not very good at history!"   

Best Panel: