We are a week away from Spring and with the days longer and warmer I really should be outside getting some vitamin C. Instead, I have devoted my life to indoor hobbies, and now find myself on a lovely Saturday afternoon sitting inside with a pile of musty old comics. Needless to say, my wife is thrilled. If only she could see the joy that hides in the pages of these newsprint treasures and the thrills that await as I read my way through Prog 112.
Prog 112
12th May 1979
Do-gooder Marjory Blackshack has been kidnapped by one of the Exo-men gang and, despite his feelings about her, Judge Dredd is tasked with getting her back.
Dredd has one advantage and that is Marjory is insufferable and the kidnapper regrets his decision, especially when the rest of the C.C.C.C. (Citizens Committee for Compassion for Criminals) refuse to pay the ransom. It is during these negotiations that Dredd traces the Exo-man, and he is soon on the way to the basement of the Cyclon Metal Works.
There is the obligatory fight and shoot-out before it all climaxes with the Exo-man falling into the furnace. However, Dredd hasn't finished dispensing justice there, and he sentences Marjory Blackshack and Councilor Petty to six months of penal servitude for aiding the escape of a criminal. There are no exceptions to the law.
There were some funny moments in this, moments that had me laughing out loud, but it didn't seem to work as well as the previous week's issue. The fun of seeing Mary Whitehouse parodied had lost its lustre and wasn't as impactful as previously. This was offset by the glorious panels of her arguing with the rest of the CCCC and the pettiness of infighting that seems to occur across a spectrum of organisations. That was a highlight, and the rest of the story was a by-the-numbers pursuit and fight scenario. A fight in a factory with the Exo-man falling into a furnace is by now a cliche. I can't comment on if it was a cliche at the time, I was far too young, but I would think that such situations have played out many times ever since robots first appeared in print (thanks Karel Čapek). I enjoyed the fight, and the fun of the comic in general, and once again it only suffers in comparison to its previous highs. Still, with its strong artwork and equally strong characters, Dredd remains a firm favourite.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "Don't try that laser claw! I know all about those Exo-suits now!"
There is a crowd to welcome them back, and soon they are surrounded by reporters, although all the female reporters are more interested in Kidd than Sam Slade. However, Slade has the last laugh as a robot nanny appears and carries away Kidd.
At the de-brief, Slade tells the backers of his trip that although the robots on Verdus have been destroyed, the planet is now burning.
Chan and Rogers are furious, but to announce the trip was a failure would reflect badly on them and they instead present Slade as a hero to the masses. He has even been awarded the World Medal Of Honour.
Kidd isn't so easily pacified, and he blames Rogers and Chan for his predicament, stuck in a toddler's body. Seeking revenge, he pulls a blaster on them, and as they take cover he starts blasting. Once again it is the robot nanny to the rescue and Kidd is safely removed.
The story ends with Slade speeding off into the sunset with two beautiful women beside him and not a care in the world.
It's a farewell to Sam Slade and Robo Hunter this week, and this strip concentrated on tying up the loose ends and making sure that Slade leaves us on a high. Not a lot happens in the story, but that is irrelevant as Slade was at his most likeable and each panel was filled with joy. Seeing Slade in the company of beautiful women alleviated the muddled nature of recent weeks, and we had much more of his character highlighted on the page. His character was always the most enjoyable aspect of the story, and it was fitting here that the issue stayed solely on him, his dialogues, and the way he interacted with the world. Robo Hunter has been inconsistent, but seeing Slade at his best in the final issue was a timely reminder that this could have been great if only the story had trusted the character and remained in focus.
Rating: 7.5/10
Best line: "Anywhere, toots. Just drive!"
Strontium Dog brings us up to speed with the recent trials and tribulations of Johnny Alpha. Lured deep into the desert by Lord Ky, Johnny has started to change into a skeleton. Lord Ky may be immune to Johnny's weapons, but his horse isn't, and a handful of sand thrown by Johnny sees the horse rearing up and throwing Lord Ky. Johnny is quick to take the saddle, and as we turn the page he is riding at speed away from Lord Ky.
A screech from Ky brings further cloaked horsemen to the scene, and suddenly Johnny finds himself facing the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
What follows is a wild ride through the desert as Johhny outruns the four riders intent on stealing his soul. This ride ends with Johnny throwing a nuke grenade that gives him the break he needs. However there is one final play by the four horsemen, and in desperation one of them throws a battle axe that catches Johnny in the back of the head. Luckily Johnny's armor takes most of the impact, and as he and his friends scramble through the gate to safety they see that they are out of the frying pan and into the fire for now they have reached Hate, the second city of hell.
The four horsemen of the apocalypse were wasted in this story and I would have loved to see them play a bigger role. While they were on every page, they didn't carry the weight that one might expect, and having Johnny Alpha ride away from them, and then escape with the help of a nuke undermined the threat of the awe-inspiring opening panel. I can only hope they will return to play a bigger part in future issues. On the art side of the story, they looked fabulous, and it is a shame that they weren't better serviced by the story. The story itself continued to move forward, although we weren't afforded any real explanation about the four horsemen, nor the new city that Johnny Alpha and his friends have entered. Perhaps we are laying the groundwork for something that will be rewarded in future issues, and for now, my interest is piqued by what we have here.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "Up ahead - A walled city is appearing! If I can reach it we're safe!"
Dan Dare is about to take control of Eternicus, the cosmic claw, a weapon that will aid him and his fellow guerillas in their battle against other Thraxians. The power can only be unlocked by blending one's own life energies with the claw, and although there are certain tests to be carried out first, Dare plunges right in and grabs the claw.
Despite the inherent danger, this works for Dare, and the gauntlet is bound to his hand and he gives several demonstrations of its power.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the Mekon has an audience with the leader of the Thraxians. Both have intentions of killing each other, despite the diplomatic overtones, and the strip ends with Hagnar, the Thraxian leader, telling his men that he will listen to what the Mekon says, and then he will kill him.
Another issue of Dan Dare that concentrated more on the weapons and the world they are in rather than the characters and plot. Dare is finally equipped with the weapon, although we didn't see much more than him giving a few trial blasts with it. Attention was stolen away from this aspect of the story as we returned to the Mekon, Again, not a lot happened with the Mekon, apart from putting pieces in place for next week. Even though I found this issue mundane, I do like where we ended, and with trouble brewing between the Mekon and Hagnar, there is enough here to make me want to read the next issue. The final image of Hagnar was the most arresting of the entire strip and did enough to ensure that I would be back next week for more.
Rating: 6.5/10
Best line: "But why? What does this green-skinned abomination want with us?"
in the bar Greasey Gracies, things are out of control as Gottleib, Ro-Busters link to the escape line, is beaten by P.D. Troopers. Wading into the fight, Hammer-Stein hands out some rough justice himself before the situation degenerates into a massive bar brawl with the robots fighting amongst themselves.
This all shakes out with the robots escaping via a back door, taking the captain of the P.D. Troops as a hostage.
Their escape vehicle is the Saturn Dart, a sleek and fast ship designed to travel through the underground travel tube. The team make haste and speeding down the tube they attract the attention of a police Shark Car. What follows is a high-speed chase through the tubes, with Gottlieb driving, that sees some hair-raising moments that all culminate with the police Shark Car being blown to bits by the Saturn Darts guns.
The trouble isn't over, and with more police vehicles in pursuit Gottlieb hurtles into the carasol, the heart of the travel tube system where all tubes merge, and chaos ensues. With smashed-up vehicles everywhere, and two more police patrols destroyed, Gottlieb tells us that the action is just starting.
After some of the previous issues, this was a lighthearted romp that lifted us clear of the heavier themes of recent weeks. It was a good old-fashioned police chase, and although I would normally shy away from such things, probably labelling them as boring, I found this to be a lot of fun and just what I needed today. Gottlieb is still giving us the best lines in his heavy Chicago accent, and coupled with his piloting of the Saturn Dart, he was easily the standout character this week. In my enjoyment of the chase I almost forgot about what it was all for, or the punishment that Gottlieb endured last week, and for a few minutes I was lost purely in the action on the page. This wasn't what we normally get in Ro-Busters, and I know that the black humour will once again descend upon us in the coming weeks, but for now, this was a timely change of pace that kept the pages quickly turning and a lust for more next week.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Maybe I ought to stay behind and get a few more P.D. Troopers...yeah, I'm just getting in the mood..."
Prog 112 final ratings:
Overall: 7/10
Best Story: Ro-Busters
Best Line: "You ungrateful hussy, Pamela! How dare you! After all I've done for the C.C.C.C! Who organised the jumble sales and whist drives? Who started the fellowship of the young offenders last year? Who?"
Best Panel:
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