Prog 105

 Last week felt like a return to form for 2000 A.D. With the return of Strontium Dog, the comic provided another interesting thread as we went from four stories a week to five. This week builds on that, and although I should be working my way through a list of chores my wife has given me, I am instead happily flicking through the pages of this week's comic, happy to see that all my favourites are delivering strong instalments. 

Prog 105

24th March 1979 

In order to get a man inside the Hall of Justice, where the tyrant Judge Cal rules,  Judge Dredd enlists the aid of his roboservant, Walter. But when Walter is taken to Cal things turn nasty and now Cal is about to take to Walter with an axe.

It is now that Dredd's master plan begins, and as Walter pleads for mercy he denounces Dredd. Cal sees this as a chance to destroy Dredd forever and calls for his badge maker. Soon Walter is sworn in as a Judge, and sporting his new Judge's badge he appears across an array of media, slandering Dredd at every opportunity. 

Meanwhile, Judge Slocum has inadvertently called Judge Cal crazy, a loose slip of the tongue that may cost him. Slocum schemes in the background, seeking a way to get back into Cal's good books, and a week later he has an opportunity as he catches Walter in the act of stealing the daily briefing tape. 

Judge Slocum sees Walter's ruse for what it is, and soon he is escorting Walter towards Cal where he intends to reveal the plot. However, things take an expected turn as he is intercepted by Cal's doctor who slips a needle into Slocum's arm. Before Slocum has a chance to tell Cal what he has discovered, he finds himself paralysed and unable to talk. It gets worse as Cal puts him in a giant test tube filled with vinegar. Judge Slocum is now one of Cal's collection, and he is effectively silenced. 

Walter is still waiting for Slocum to turn him in when Cal appears and tells him Slocum won't be going anywhere now. Furthermore, he gives Walter back the briefing tape and tells him to return it on the way back to his quarters. Walter is off the hook, and once again Dredd's plan is back in action. 

We have seen the mad side of Judge Cal many times throughout this story, but this week was on a whole other level.  He was genuinely scary and I was aghast at the fate of Judge Slocum. It was a terrifying thought and brilliantly executed on the page. I could feel the fear of Judge Slocum, and behind his forced smile, you knew how horrified he must have been at what was about to befall him. Perhaps I should have given the story a higher rating than I have, it was a great read. However, there wasn't any sign of Judge Dredd on the page, and as brilliant as Judge Cal was, it lacked the sharpness that Dredd brings to the comic. Walter Wobot is a fun character, but he is no Judge Dredd, and as much as I appreciated what he brought to the story, it wasn't enough to fill the boots of Dredd. The horror of Judge Cal's actions was sharpened by the humour throughout this week's strips, and we had some very funny panels and moments before we reached the climax on the final page. The appearance of the Badgemaker brought a smile to my face, as did the neat way the story depowered Judge Slocum just when it seemed he had Walter done for. A strong story, with Dredd onboard it would have been A+, and even as it is I enjoyed it immensely.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "It's the only cure for worry wrinkles - and for men who call me crazy! Ha ha ha!"

Sam Slade has met with the robot leader of Verdus, Big Brain, but things haven't quite gone to plan on the pages of Robo-Hunter. Big Brain's brain has snapped, and Sam Slade is now at the centre of an argument between two robot generals and their respective armies. 

With the two armies preparing for war, Sam looks to his companion Kidd for help, but Kidd is too busy indulging in fine clothes and treating the robots with disdain. A smack across the bottom by Slade straightens him out, and just in time too as the two robotic religious leaders appear with an appeal for Slade to stop this war. 

With half the robot armies refusing to listen to him, there is little Slade can do. He thinks that perhaps a visit to the robot parliament may help, and soon he is once again entering the hallowed halls of power. It is just as chaotic as his previous visit, and nothing is gained by the visit. The strip ends where we began, with the drums of war beating and Slade powerless to stop it. 

The last few weeks I have been disappointed in Robo-Hunter and found some of its humour missed the mark. This week is much better on that front and it had some moments that hit my funny bone in just the right spot. The robot army and their over-the-top General made me smile, and over the page, I actually laughed at the interaction between Slade and Kidd. Seeing Kidd get a spanking was easily the highlight of this week's story and something I have long wanted to see. It delivered a glorious image and a panel that deserves to go in my gallery of favourites. The robot parliament was just as funny as last time, if not more so, and once again I got a kick out of the party's different names. The ending was a letdown after all this hilarity, and I can't quite decide what the story is trying to do in the final two panels. Perhaps it is just taking a deep breath before we plunge into the depths of the story again next week, and if so I am primed after this week's solid issue.    

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Soggy bags of flesh and blood and gristle-inefficient machines that break down and wear out. We must be real - because nobody in their right mind would want to simulate us!"

I was pleased to see the return of Strontium Dog last week, and after that solid start the story has something to build on as we go forward. The first part of this week's story deals with Johnny Alpha as he desperately clings to the top of a toppling road-train. 

Luckily Johnny is saved by the cargo of grain that the road-train is carrying, and his fall is cushioned by this cargo. Back in the vehicle with Wulf, Johhny is soon back on the trail of Fly's-Eyes Wagner, and heading into the nearby town where he lives. 

Using his mutant powers, Johnny looks through the various walls to find his foe. It doesn't take long before he sees Fly's-Eyes, punching out the man who he blames for his mutation - his own father. 

Before Johnny can approach his foe, he finds the local lawmen again coming at him with guns drawn, arresting him for all the trouble he has previously caused. 

This distraction alerts Fly's-Eyes to the presence of the local law enforcement agency, and seeing a number of Marshals in the street he opens fire with his dimensional warp. In an instant, Marshal Hickman's men have been hurled onto another dimension. That just leaves Strontium Dog against Strontium Dog, and while Marshal Hickman looks regretfully on, Johnny Alpha prepares to face Fly's-Eyes himself. 

I can't help but think that the name "Fly's Eyes Wagner' is a reference to Strontium Dog's writer John Wagner. Quite why he would reference himself, I'm not sure, but I assume it is a wink to the audience as the story is credited to one of his non de plumes.  The first part of the story with the adventure on the road-train did little for me, but the story was really cooking in the second half, and once we were reacquainted with Fly's Eyes the story again accelerated. We had some tremendous panels showing Fly's Eyes at his fighting best, and in particular, the panel where he struck his father was a standout. Last week I was just happy to see Strontium Dog return and this week as the story continues to grow I am pleased to see it is just as good as ever. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Now you haf put der cat among der cucumbers, Marshal!"

Dan Dare and the Mekon have landed on the planet Lystria. With no memory, Dare believes himself to be an intergalactic law-enforcement officer working with the Mekon to recover the crystal of life from the Thraxian invasion force. 

Approaching the city of Eternium, everything is cast in a blood-red glow. The Mekon explains that this is due to the building materials used and the way they reflect the setting sun. 

Travelling towards the city through the swamp, Dare and the Mekon's men run into a small group of Lystrians. There is no time for talk, and the Mekon's men gun one of them down without question while the others escape into the swamp. Dare is told that it was a case of mistaken identity and although he is unhappy about it, he accepts it.

Further on they find the hover vehicle belonging to the Lystrians. As they use this vehicle to travel across the swamp, the Mekon tells Dare more about the crystal of life. It had fallen from space, and upon crashing on this planet, the locals discovered its healing powers. A spa city was built around it, and it became a place of pilgrimage for the sick and maimed. 

However, this changed when the Thraxians arrived and conquered the city. The Mekon then tells Dare that the reason he is here is to help bring the Thraxians to heel and restore the crystal for all. However, Dare questions why a single law enforcement officer would be sent on such a mission. This train of thought (and the story)  is abruptly ended by the sudden arrival of a Thraxian patrol boat.

I like a lot of things about this story, but I can't seem to warm to it. The art is great, and the story is interesting enough, yet I find it all leaves me rather cold. Is it the story or is it me, I am not sure, but I will continue to read on in the hope that things will change. A lot of this week's story relied on exposition, and apart from an action scene earlier on, it felt like a lot of the story was given over to an explanation of the crystal and the city that has grown around it. It was all important to the overall story, although it did slow things down and this week we barely moved through the swamp that we entered last week. Is the swamp a metaphor for the slow pace of the plot, I doubt it, but it feels fitting for how bogged down we became in this week's issue. All the key features are in place, my fingers are crossed that the story with cross some t's and dot some i's next week.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "This accursed mist plays tricks with my eyes! I--I thought they were Toad-men!"

The Preying-Mantis is about to take off for the last time, with the majority of Ro-Busters onboard and facing annihilation from a bomb planted by Quartz. 

From the now empty base, Quartz and Marilyn watch on - Quartz is happy that he will soon be reaping the insurance money from this 'accident' while Marilyn is distraught at the thought of losing the robots. 

Onboard the ship, Ro-Jaws outlines this dastardly plot to the other robots. The only chance they have is to jettison the escape pod, a plan that requires them to overpower the overseer to gain access to the pod. 

Swapping body parts, Ro-Jaws places his head head on Hamer-stein's body. On close-circuit TV, the overseer can see all the robots mismatching their parts, and he storms in, angry at what he sees.

This is the moment the robots have been waiting for and they overpower the overseer and jettison the escape pod. They are just on time as the ship explodes behind them, but they aren't out of the woods yet and still face a crash landing.

The pod crashes into the planet, and the robots quickly run away before it too explodes in a ball of fire.  

For the first time in their metal lives, the robots are now free. They begin to consider their chances of remaining free, as they have no documents or place to stay. Before they can make any firm decisions about their next move they face a more immediate problem as a wagon full of Punishment and Discipline troopers approach, with the motto of shoot first and ask questions later firmly at the front of their minds. 

A strong episode for Ro-Busters, with the plot, art and dialogue all pulling in the same direction. There was a naturalness to the way the robots talked to each other that appealed to me, and I became more invested in the story each time they chatted. This was an improvement on last week, and the story is heading in the right direction as far as I am concerned. The images of the robots swapping body parts were fun, and I especially enjoyed seeing Ro-Jaw's head on Hammer-Steins body.  I would like to see more of this in future and hopefully, it will be tapped into again further down the line. I can see there is a lot I am going to like next week, with Pat Mills again pulling familiar real-world themes into the story, and it should develop nicely in the coming weeks.     

Rating: 7.5

Best line: "Oh yes! We are only machines...built to serve humans! Machines do not have the right to be free and happy!"

Prog 105 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Ro-Busters

Best Line: "Aw, can it, you old heap of junk! Here, Slade, try one of these Verdus Havanas. They make those stogies of yours taste like dried cats' meat "

Best Panel: