Prog 109

There is no Judge Dredd story this week. In his absence, several others have emerged from the shadows and given us the very things Dredd did best. The comic is packed with humour, social commentary, and grittiness, all set in a futuristic world that looks stunning on the page. Future Shocks and Ro-Busters are standouts, but Dan Dare and Robo Hunter also provided strong moments, making this a consistent issue that papered over the cracks left by the absence of Dredd. If it all came together in a single issue with Dredd this would be a knockout, and even as it is, it delivers a heavy body blow as the comic punches well above its weight. 

Prog 109

21st April 1979 

The robots on planet Verdus are at war, while Robo-Hunter Sam Slade and his comrades take a robo-cab across town. Sam is trying to think of a solution to this problem of war, but cannot collect his thoughts with the constant chatter of the robo-cab, and then the radio. 

The radio provides him with the seed of an idea, and he commands the robo-cab to take him to the radio station. 

After a car chase involving the Second army, and a few white lies told to the cab by Sam Slade, they arrive at the radio station. 

After kicking Frankie Droid, a poor man's Frank Sinatra, off the microphone, Sam Slade gets down to the nuts and bolts of his plan. Grabbing various pieces of radio equipment he assembles an Amstrand Oscillator (I don't know either, apparently it generates high-frequency sound powerful enough to blow out robot circuits).

It's a powerful weapon and one that will destroy friends and foes alike. Boots and SJ1 realise what fate awaits them, and quietly talk about it. This quiet moment is interrupted a moment later as Kidd informs Slade that they are surrounded by the Second Army.

This is the best episode in a long time as we are given plenty of time with the characters. The robot-war is temporarily put to the side, and without its heavy shadow on the page, the character's dialogue sparkles. It gives the story a lift and after a leaden few weeks, I am reminded of how much I actually like Sam Slade. He is almost upstaged early on by the talking taxi cab, but by the end of the strip we know exactly who's story this is. The radio station offered plenty of opportunities for humour, and with witty dialogue, and a guest appearance of Frank Droid, it was all a lot of fun.  I didn't expect much from this week, but I am happy to report that it exceeded all expectations. Although wordy on the page, the robo-cab, Frankie Droid, and Sam Slade delivered killer lines that had me smiling from ear to ear in a strip that has suddenly got a whole lot better.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Boy, why did I ever get involved with humans SJ1?"  

With no Judge Dredd in this week's comic, Future Shocks gets extra pages to tell its tale. 

Tarka III is a dry, inhospitable planet. It was once fertile and green, but the original inhabitants destroyed the world, and themselves, in a thermo-nuclear war.

The planet is now being colonised by a team from Earth, and although they have made great strides they still have someway to go before it is inhabitable again - all they need is more time and more money

A group of assessors arrive from Earth to decide if it is a project worthy of continued investment. They meet Reed Benson, the colonists' leader, and he shows them how the project is progressing.

The accessors are unimpressed, ending the tour early and deciding it is not worth the money. Benson is angry at this, and as he drives home we see his passion for the planet and the families who have settled there. 

At home, his daughter shows him a hidden chamber she has discovered in a rock face. Benson enters this chamber and finds a second room. Here a telepathic voice speaks to him via the technology in the room. This voice tells him that it is the voice of the former inhabitants of the planet. They may have destroyed the planet, but they also put in place the technology to revitalise the planet. All it takes is for one member of Benson's race to sacrifice themselves for the love of the planet, and it can be restored.

Thinking of his family and their future, Benson surrenders to a painful end, and immediately the oxygen vents within the ground are opened and the planet is reinvigorated.

The assessors change their minds about the fate of the planet and their investment. As they fly away one of them comments that Benson couldn't care about the cost of anything- while we see him suffering an agonising death. 

With extra pages to tell its story, Future Shocks gave us not only a fantastic plot but also a whole new world that could have easily been spun into a more substantial tale. The world created in the early pages was comprehensive and was just as much a character as anyone else in the strip. It was set out very quickly, as is the way of Future Shocks, yet it contained everything we needed to know and more. The character of Benson was also well crafted, given a family and a story that made the ending all the more heartbreaking. Not every part of the story worked for me, and it was this quality of character that won me over, along with my interest in the planet that was created. Last week's Future Shocks set a high standard, and that standard was met with another interesting story that had me weeping gently into my cup of tea by the final panel. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Can I do it? Can I die without seeing my family again...sacrifice everything for this brave new world we've tried to build?"

Last week in Strontium Dog, Johnny Alpha blasted Fly's-Eyes to pieces, only to see the body reassemble itself in the last panel of the story. 

Fly's-Eyes comes back to life, and the Preacher explains to Johnny more about this strange dimension they are in.  There is no death in this land, they are in the City Of Lost Souls, and here there is only a life of eternal pain. 

Johnny has heard enough and asks Wulf for one of Fly's-Eyes dimensional warps. Wulf tells him it's gone and they learn that nothing is impossible here and this is a hard place to leave. 

The Preacher comes to the fore in this part of the story as he explains that Satan rules here, and he lives in the Black Citidal on the Mountain of Skulls. We can see this looming in the background as the Preacher tells them that this is the heart of all evil and the only way out of this place.    

Wulf and Gronk are scared, but Johnny tells them they have no choice, and this is their only way out of hell. 

Walking to the edge of town they come to a river of flame, aptly named the River Inferno (the writer was really stretching himself here). There is no alternative- they must cross it, despite Johnny's and his friends' reservations. They talk among themselves, almost talking themselves out of it, before the Preacher intercedes to tell them they are becoming warped by Hell. They must go now before their fear gets stronger and they lose the will to leave. 

Johnny is stirred by this, taking control of the situation and striking Wulf before marshalling them onto a boat. It is obvious that the boat will be incinerated by the river, but the Preacher tells them not to fear, nobody dies in hell. 

That may be, but as they set out across the water the boat becomes engulfed in flame, and the screaming crew disappear into the inferno, leaving us with a final panel of nothing but silence and the sight of nothing but the burning river. 

Last time out I found Strontium Dog's coloured pages to be the perfect backdrop for the story being told. This week the colouring didn't work as well, and it gave the story a heavy and slow start. When the story did finally emerge from this sluggish opening it was great, and the final two pages stood out to me with their strong artwork and sense of peril for Johnny Alpha and friends. The hell world on the first page wasn't as hellish as I expected and it was these final two pages that grabbed me and pulled me into this nightmare world. The ending was a treat in itself and left the story open-ended. I have no clue where the story may lead from here, and I am happy in my blindness. The slow start was forgotten with the final panel burned into my brain, and if next week can start quickly we should remain at this standard set on the last page.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "The boat is burning! God- the heat!"

Dan Dare is back after a break last week and we pick up the story where we left off. He is still on the planet Lystria and in the company of Lystrian guerillas while on the run from the Thraxians. 

The Lystrians see Dare as fulfilling the prophecy of a chosen one coming to release them from bondage. Dare is reluctant but takes on the leadership. His first plan is to call for further help. However, a woman emerges from the crowd and berates him for his lack of courage. This woman we come to learn is the Lystrian Princess, Myriad. She is a strong character, both physically and mentally, and Dare concedes to her, coming up with a new plan to attack the weakest gate into the city.

This attack initially starts well, and they overrun the single energy gate defending the gate. However, things take a turn with a force-barrier spanning the gateway and stalling the attack.

This story has settled now that the Mekon is no longer part of the immediate story. The plot and artwork are on a firm course and some of the extra distractions are gone as we focus purely on Dare and the Lystria guerillas. The appearance of a new character was welcome, and Princess Myriad was a favourite from the start.  She is bold and beautiful, and Gibbons has done a magnificent job of creating a species of aliens that are believable, and oddly beautiful. The artwork throughout was great, with larger panels giving us plenty of time to indulge in the work of Gibbons. I would have lingered longer on it, but the story has started moving quickly forward, and the attack on the city was just what I needed after a wordy first few panels. With good action and dynamic characters, the story is gaining traction in the absence of Dredd this week, and we are well-placed for whatever the future throws at us.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Be silent, Earthman! I know what to do!"

The Ro-Busters have been told of a secret planet where robots can be free. To get there though they must make contact with the escape line within a human city. 

Ro-Jaws and Hammer-Stein head into the city to make contact, taking the human-like Casey with them along with Ginge who has knowledge of the city's streets. They also take little Mon, who is too scared to wait with the rest of the robots hidden in the woods.

Casey looks realistic dressed as a human, and beside the road, he manages to flag down a ride. The family in the car are surprised as three droids roll out of the bushes to join Casey, and all squeeze into the car, with Casey telling the humans that he's taking his robots into town to sell. 

Reaching London they come across a police checkpoint, but they manage to pass OK with Casey kicking the other droids and making a scene of how much he dislikes them.

In London, Ro-Jaws finds some tasty garbage to eat. However, the latest model of garbage-eating robot comes across him, and after an argument about food and who is the better robot, they fight, with Ro-Jaws handing out a beating to this new robot. 

From there it's on to finding the escape line using their only clue - X27. 

There is a lot of disagreement about what it might mean, but it is little Mo who finds the solution, seeing a crossing marked X27. It seems they have made a major stride in finding freedom but from the shadows the robot that Ro-Jaws is watching suspiciously, and about to follow them wherever they might go next. 

The usual mix of humour and plot made this a strong episode for Ro-Busters. The front half of the story was hilarious, and perhaps my favourite part of this week was when the robots hitched a ride into the city. It was relatable and funny, and I was still grinning about it as the story finished. The other moment that stands out in my mind was when the robots encountered the police checkpoint and Casey kicked the other robots to keep up the pretence of being human. His character was great throughout this issue, and it was pleasing to see a background character taking a lead role and excelling in bringing new angles to the story. Casey added humour to every panel, and along with Ro-Jaws gave us a lot of laughs as the robots looked for X27. There is no need to reiterate what a great character Ro-Jaws is, here again, he was at his best, and his personality was a key part of the plot moving forward. Perhaps better than the rating I have given it, Ro-Busters provided another burst of humour while remaining on course with its plot and the overall story being told. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I ain't takin' your lip! I was scraping out bins while you was just a blueprint on the drawing board!" 

Prog 109 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Ro-Busters

Best Line: "Yes- yes I can do it! I must! I do love this world- and if my death will help it live again...then to hell with what it will cost me!"

Best Panel: