Prog 125

It's a hot summer day and the cricket is on. Makes it kinda hard to justify sitting inside with my old comics. Writing a blog seemed a great idea in the middle of winter with a heavy ale in hand, not so much in summer with a gin calling my name. Still, 2000 A.D. is a great comic, and Prog 125 bares that out with a stunning array of stories and characters, all of whom draw me into their world for the next half hour as I ignore the lure of the outside world.   

Prog 125

11th August 1979 

Judge Dredd may have seen the volcano threatening Maga-City One plugged, but he now faces a raft of new problems including the man-eating plants that have broken loose. The worst of these plants is the Bloodplant, calling victims to it with its hypnotic wail. 

Outside the botanical garden, Dredd is rounding up the invading Muties, including the Cosmic Punks who he clashed with several months ago. It looks as though Father Earth's invasion of the city has failed, but we see him calling for one last sign that he is on the right path. At that moment he hears the wail of the Bloodplant. Hearing it as the voice of God, he begins to lead the remaining followers toward the Botanical gardens. 

Entering the gardens, several of Father Earth's followers are devoured, but he continues towards the great plant. Dredd isn't too far behind, although he has taken the precaution of having music pumped into his helmet so he cannot hear the Bloodplant.

There is no surprise in the final quarter of the comic as Father Earth is devoured by the plant as he approaches. As Dredd drily comments, he is now at one with nature.

This was the perfect ending to what has been a wild ride of a story. In the early episodes we saw Father Earth, but it wasn't until this final chapter that he really came into his own, and he brought the best lines and scenes to this issue. The sight of him walking calmly toward the blood plant was a highlight, and the artwork captured the moment and the feeling wonderfully. Like Father Earth himself, I moved hypnotically through the story, and the ending had me caught in its tendrils every bit as much as Father Earth. The story has been strong throughout, and although there were a couple of wobbly moments, this ending erased those from my mind. There were a lot of details on these pages, all of which took time to properly read and devour, and this made the story feel more substantial than it otherwise deserved. It never reached the epic scale of some of the previous stories, but it did elevate itself above the recent one-offs and certainly sits a lot higher than some of the short stories that appeared earlier in the run a couple of years ago. A shame that we won't see Father Earth again, I quite liked him as a villain, but no doubt there is a vast rogue gallery ahead of us in the coming years, and I shall digest each one as it comes.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "A sick prophet gone to join his sick God. Who can say that isn't justice?"

We are off to a fast start in Disaster 1990 as Bill Savage and other survivors are on the run from convicts in fast motor boats. 

In an effort to outrun them, Savage ditches all the supplies they have with them - most of it luxury foods from Harrods. 

Seeing a sunken petrol station, Savage has an idea. He sends down two men into the water, one upper class and one working class, to turn on the fuel pumps as he waits for the convicts to catch up with them. 

The rest plays out as one may expect. The convicts arrive and find their boats surrounded by highly inflammable fuel. Savage ignites it and the convicts and their boats are destroyed, all except the leader. As the upper-class and working-class heroes congratulate each other, Savage pulls the last convict on board his vessel, only for the convict to pull a knife.

Savage reacts quickly, knocking the man out and the focus of the story changes as the professor salvages a car radio from the garage below. Using the radio, they pick up signals from Oxford and the strip ends with Savage pointing their boat in that direction, wondering if the countryside will be any better than the city.

As in previous weeks, this was a story with interesting characters, and a solid plot line, which never quite delivered in the way it should. Savage still isn't back to his snappy best, and although the crooks were dealt with innovatively, it still felt flat. On the plus side, we did have a nice tie-in between the two classes working together, and the line that they are like oil and water led us to the eventual outcome of the story. It was a clever idea, only let down by the lack of dynamics on the page. I liked the story, yet I walked away frustrated. I have read other comics covering similar ground as this, and they carried me along week after week with a single thread running through the story. This story doesn't have that. There is no overarching goal for Bill Savage and the survivors, they are just stumbling along week after week with a real plan of where they should be going and what they should be doing. That may change with the radio, and more people calling in Oxford, but without a spine running through the story, it all feels a bit limp and tepid. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Whew! Up yer come, toffee-nose! You didn't do too bad!"

We don't see the A.B.C. Warriors on the first page of their own strip, rather the strip begins showing us a missionary school being destroyed in what became known as the Bougainville Massacre. 

Walking death machines stride through the village, killing all ahead of them and ably backed by Volgan jungle robots known as Straw Dogs. All these forces of evil are led by General Blackblood who we meet over the page and looks as his name might suggest. 

Not far away, the A.B.C. Warriors are approaching one very simple mission - shoot General Blackblood with a sniper's rifle and bring him back so their scientists can delete the evil parts of his robot mind and utilise his guerilla warfare expertise.  

The A.B.C. Warriors come across the site of the massacre and find one survivor in the rubble, a woman teacher from the school. Taking her with them, they begin to move deeper into the Jungle. Hammer-Stein warns them to be careful as Blackblood is an expert in camouflage, but little do they know that even as he speaks they are walking into a trap. 

We learned a lot, although not a lot happened to the A.B.C. Warriors in this episode. The introduction to General Blackblood was thorough, and not only did we meet the General, but we also had some insight into his methods and the weapons being used in the jungle war. The Straw Dogs looked great, and added a new interest on the page, while the Volgan Daddy Long-legs were as deadly and sinister as one might expect. General Blackblood himself looked as every bit scary as you might expect, and the way he spoke helped emphasise this. We also had a woman enter the story, and this helped balance up a lot of the testosterone on the page. With that thought. I also note we had an air hostess appear in Project Overkill, and although neither woman had a leading role, both did help break up the non-stop boys own action. The artwork remained strong, and although a couple of panels early on weren't clear, the very best panels were crisp and clean, especially the one I have chosen for the best panel in the comic. The forthcoming jungle action promises much, and we are starting to see quite a diverse range of robots working together. Just like the best war movies, this will give us contrasting points of view, and action on the page, making for an interesting read no matter which way we go. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Rip my rivets, Sarge! You want that maniac Blackblood to join our squad?"

Kenny Harris, with the help of U.S.A.F. doctor Peter Schaefer, has stolen a military aircraft and located the secret location of Project Overkill. However, they are surrounded by four highly advanced aircraft and seemingly have little choice but to surrender. 

Harris has one card left to play, and suddenly cuts the engines and lowers the flaps of the aircraft. One of the following aircraft crashes into him and both aircraft plunge downwards.

Harris has no options and aims for Project Overkill, hoping to destroy it in a firey crash. It's then that Project Overkill reveals just how powerful it is, bringing his aircraft to a halt with a powerful beam and lowering it into the mountain. 

In the halls of Project Overkill, Harris and Doctor are led away. They come across one of Harris's former air hostesses, but she has been brainwashed and doesn't respond to Harris's questions. In a rage, he strikes out at a nearby guard and is shot with a stun gun. The guard tells the doctor that Harris will now be taken to meet Number One, head of Project Overkill. 

I could take or leave the opening page of action, and it was only once they were inside the mountain that I became serious about what was happening. Harris is getting close now, but still the comic won't reveal its secrets,. This is a well-paced story, and although we had recognisable characters in this issue, none of them helped Harris with his mission. In fact, the appearance of the air hostess raised more questions than it answered. The action-packed start didn't raise my pulse, but the sight of a sexy air hostess certainly did. It was nice to see a sexy girl in the comic, and after seeing a series of sexy aliens over the last few weeks it was a relief to finally be attracted to someone human. Next week we meet Number One, and I can only assume that the end of the story is near. I hope we can get a few more weeks out of it, but I'm satisfied with our journey to get here and it does feel as if the time is right. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "What had you done to her, you filth! She was part of my team, a good friend..." 

Dan Dare have found themselves in trouble at a dive bar after Sondar punched out a woman. With an angry mob approaching, Sondar explains that it was shapechanging Krulgan, a claim that is borne out as the woman transforms into a large hairy alien before their eyes.

A fight breaks out, with further Krulgans entering the bar. Dare and Sondar kill two of them, but the particular Kulgan they are seeking makes an escape.

In the alley out back, they confront this Krulgan, but he changes into a dog, preparing to escape through the back streets. At that moment a large pterodactyl descends from the sky and tears out the Krulgan's throat. A mysterious woman appears, calling the bird to her. She has had her vengeance, but now Dare's last chance of proving his innocence has gone. 

Another beautiful woman, and although this one is alien, she is the best of the ones we have seen in this comic. The rest of the strip was mundane in my eyes, and it was only the appearance of this woman and her pet in the final panels that saved the day, not only for Dan Dare but for my reading pleasure as well. As always, I love the look of Dan Dare, and although he isn't served with a great story, there is still enough for the artist to give us some beautiful panels. The Krulgans didn't look much on the page, and it was the other aliens that held my interest. Once again we had Dare fighting himself out of a situation only to find himself in another predicament, although this time it is less about fighting and more about what he will do next. For me, this worked much better, and I enjoyed the shocked look on Dare's face as he realised the situation he now finds himself in. The thought of what he might do next, and with a new character to learn about, there are plenty of reasons to come back next week, so I shall do exactly that.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "...'tis the abomination that betrayed us!"

Prog 125 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "You'll do nothin', mate - except burn in hell!"

Best Panel: 

Prog 124

I am constantly amazed that these comics from forty-five years ago never feel old. Many of the stories still resonate with today's world, and some even more so with current events catching up with some of these stories. Judge Dredd is the gold standard on this front, with his satire just as sharp and relevant to popular culture now as it was in 1979. It's making my current read of the comic far more interesting than I could have imagined, and each week I eagerly scan the pages for something I recognise from our modern times and I am constantly surprised by what I find. 

Prog 124

4th August 1979 

The source of Mega-City One's power, the Power Tower which draws power from deep in the Earth's core, has been struck by terrorists and now white-hot lava is boiling over the city. Judge Dredd can only watch on as a natural disaster unfolds.

Not only that, but there is also a series of earthquakes, and as the streets are ripped open, buildings start to tumble, including the wall that surrounds the city and protects it from the Muties. 

Father Earth and his hordes of followers seize the moment, and despite Dredd fighting off some of the Doomsday Dogs, there are soon Muties across the city. 

The holocaust squad is called in to deal with the Power Tower, each man protected by a heavy protective suit as they are dropped into the lava surrounding the tower. Despite their protection, this is a suicide mission, and the squad only has three minutes to save the day before their suits burn up. It looks as though they might fail, but one of the men manages to shut off the main safety valve, and although they all lose their lives, Mega-City One is saved. 

With revenge on his mind, Dredd surveys his ruined city where the Muties are still running loose and promises that these going to a reckoning. 

Last week I was drawn to the parallels between this story and the terror attack on the Twin Towers. This week it was the threat of a nuclear disaster that came to mind, and although my mind jumped to Fukushima, the Three Mile Island disaster in March of 1979 is a far more obvious inspiration. Although Judge Dredd had several good moments early in the comic, it was the holocaust squad that was a highlight for me. Their self-sacrifice was handled well and resonated with some of the acts of heroism at Fukushima while delivering the best art moments of the strip. Early images of Dredd looking strong were good, but no match for the emotion shown on the faces of the holocaust squad, or the detail shown on their suits. There was plenty here that a modern reader could relate to, and just like last week, this was compulsory and essential reading. He may live in a futuristic city, but Judge Dredd is firmly rooted in our world, making the strip timeless and relatable to all generations.  

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Bike don't fail me now!"

In Disaster 1990, Bill Savage is watching a gang of escaped convicts disguised as Royal Marines approach survivors holed up in Harrods. 

Although lacking in weapons, Savage has the element of surprise on his side, and he rams his amphibious vehicle into the side of one of the convicts' boats. With men thrown into the water, Savage yells to the people in Harrods to throw him his shotgun. This they do, and not a moment too soon as one of the convicts prepares to throw a grenade. A shot from Savage drops him before he can throw the grenade, and as the grenade explodes, killing more convicts, Savage is able to reach the relatively safety of Harrods. 

However, now they are stuck, and surrounded by the convicts and with limited ammunition, Savage is forced to devise a new plan. They decide to slip quickly out at night to make their escape, but unfortunately, as they paddle out they hit a hidden flare planted by the crooks. With the crooks rapidly coming them on motor boats, Savage engages the engines, telling us that a chase is about to begin, although the convicts have the advantage of faster boats.

Although better than last week, I still wasn't totally convinced by this story. Savage had some good lines, although he was sadly lacking some of the sharp dialogue that I have come to expect from him. This made the story feel flat despite the action, and overall I was disappointed. Still, the story is moving quickly along, and I was pleased to see the siege of Harrods only lasted a page before Savage and the others attempted an escape. This fast pace keeps me reading and I know that whatever I don't like now will soon be gone as we move forward to the next issue. I like the clean art style of Pino, although I feel he was let down this issue by a lot of the action occurring at night time. This added a heaviness to his line, and it wasn't as incisive as previous weeks. We have good foundations here, the overall theme of the story is strong, and with a couple of small adjustments, this story will be a favourite. I'm reading on hoping next week we will turn the corner and the strip will deliver all that it promises.   

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Nah, them little army lanterns help us play cards while them civvies sweat it out across there!"

Hammer-Stein of the A.B.C. Warriors finds himself in a tournament with Deadlock, Grand Wizard of the Knights Martial. If Hammer-Stein wins Deadlock will join his team, but if Hammer-Stein should lose he will sacrifice his life. 

The tournament they fight is reminiscent of the knights of old, with both riding toward each other with lances drawn. Hammer-Stein struggles against his opponent, with Deadlock using his mystical powers throughout the fight, and it all ends with Hammer-Stein defeated and facing death from ten swords.

Ten swords are called for, and at a ceremony, each is carefully stuck through his body. As the tenth, and fatal, sword is about to be placed, Hammer-Stein grabs hold of Deadlock's ace of swords and holds it to his throat. Hammer-Steain now has the upper hand, and Deadlock submits to him. 

The strip ends with Hammer-Stein repaired, Deadlock joining the squad, and the mysterious human officer presenting Hammer-Stein with another challenge - General Blackblood.

There was a lot of mysticism in these pages, and a great deal of it occurred in the fight between Hammer-Stein and Deadlock. The fight itself was dragged across four pages, so we were offered plenty of time to take it all in and really wallow in the battle and the spiritual overtones. It wasn't quite my cup of tea, but I can't deny, I liked every moment of it. An early highlight was the opening colour pages which featured Deadlock drawing tarot cards, and the first charge of the opposing warriors. It dropped us immediately into the story and gave us a good idea of where we would be going over the following pages. The tarot cards were crucial to the plot, and they bookended the story nicely with the opening foretelling eventually playing out. I am enjoying seeing the squad come together, although, at the same time, I am itching to see what the secret mission will be. This has been spoken about several times, and each time it becomes more intriguing. I'm guessing we are still a couple of weeks away from finding out, and until then I shall make do with seeing who this mysterious General Blackblood is and what he will bring to the team. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "In the name of Kaos, I shall destroy you!"

On the pages of Project Overkill, Harris and the USAF doctor who is aiding him, are approaching the hanger of a Super Constellation aircraft. They are confronted by a thug from Project Overkill carrying a flame thrower, and after a skirmish in which the doctor throws a bucket of water over the thug, Harris defeats him by electrocuting him with 2,000 volts as he stands in the puddle of water. 

Harris and the doctor fly off in the Super Constellation, putting its sophisticated electronics to good use and making it practically invisible to radar. They also use its array of electronics to search for the precise location of Project Overkill, and they soon find it. However, four strange-looking craft appear in the sky beside them, and Harris identifies that the only way they could fly would be through the use of anti-gravity. With such power at their disposal, Harris wonders how he can ever defeat Project Overkill. 

Another good episode, with a healthy mix of action and plot. The fight with the man with the flame thrower occupied a couple of pages and had a satisfying outcome as Harris outthought his opponent. This gave the strip a fast start and was a good introduction to what followed. I liked the thought of the anti-gravity craft we saw in the final panel, and like the very best comics, it left me with a lot of questions that can only be answered by reading the next issue. I still don't have a good handle on Harris, and as a character, he feels rather empty. However the rest of the story compensates for this, and the strip is far more interesting than the character of Harris. Each week we turn a corner and I think we are about to get a major reveal. I have that feeling again this week, and the strip continues to string me along - how much longer, I don't know, but I'll be back next week for more of the same.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Yeah, Harris - I'm waiting for you and so is my little death machine here!" 

Dan Dare and Sondar have come to Topsoil, a rough satellite refuge, in search of a shape-changing alien who has framed them. There is trouble around every corner, and Dare and Sondar soon find themselves in some as a revolting figure offers to take them to someone who knows where they can find the Krulgan they seek. 

It's a trap, and down a dark alley, they are accosted by a press gang. It's only the power of the cosmic claw that saves them, and they resume their search in a nearby bar.

The bar is full of strange and unusual characters, including a woman with three heads singing on the stage. Sondar is immediately on the alert as he tells Dare that he can smell the Krulgan. As a woman walks past them, Sondar suddenly lashes out, striking her with the butt of his gun. In a flash, the aliens in the bar rise to their feet and Dare and Sondar look to have taken on the fight of their lives.

A very strong Star Wars influence here, with the bar Dare and Sondar visiting closely resembling the Mos Eisley Cantina. The people within were of a similar ilk, and it was hard not to feel the connections. Understandable, given that the first Star Wars movie had only just disappeared over the horizon by the time this issue arrived. The cast of characters within the bar gave the artist, Dave Gibbons, a chance to flex his creative muscle, and I was quite taken by the array of aliens that appeared on the page. The three-headed woman is a firm favourite although there were plenty more that caught the eye. I liked this story more than I thought, mostly due to the surprising twist with Sondar striking a woman. I caught my breath when I saw it, and it was shocking on the page. I understand what's happening, but even so, there was an audible gasp when Sondar struck out. Dan Dare is still meandering a little, but this issue has raised the stakes, and seeing Dan Dare in a rough and tumble world has knocked off some of the 'boy scout' feelings I have about him, as well as giving the story a spine that it needed.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "The artificial twilight gathers, Dan! Silence falls over this pathetic outpost of life--as if its slimy denizens are expecting trouble!" 

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. 

Prog 124 final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "What's luck got to do with it? See you in hell, Mitch!"

Best Panel: 

Prog 123

Sorry, I missed updating the blog last week - kids do as your parents tell you and don't drink too much. I came unstuck at a hazy beer Fest at the local pub, and while I had a fantastic time on Saturday, Sunday wasn't so kind to me. Nobody told me when I was younger how much worse hangovers are once you're over the age of fifty, or that they last multiple days. Sigh. Still, here I am a week later and once again ready to indulge in a pile of old comics. Rest assured, no beer in hand as I read this week's issue, I'm strictly on the tea today - and will be for the next few weeks. One last piece of advice - don't get old. 

Prog 123

28th July 1979 

Terrorists have infiltrated the Power Tower, the source of Mega-City One's power via molten rock pumped from the centre of the earth. The terrorists are known as the Doomsday Dogs, and within minutes of the news breaking of their seizing of the tower, Judge Dredd and a host of other judges converge on their location. 

The Judges make short work of the Doomsday Dogs, and they are soon rounded up and their bomb defused. All thoughts turn to the leader of the Dogs, a Mutielander named Father Earth, and Judge Dredd rides to the south wall to confront him and his 10,000 followers.

Dredd warns Father Earth, telling him to turn around and take his followers with him. After delivering this message there is nothing more Dredd can do but ride home to watch the election. With everyone voting remotely with a touch of a button, the election will occur simultaneously, and this jolts a thought in Dredd's mind. This mass voting will draw a huge amount of power, requiring lava to be drawn through the auxiliary pipe in the Power Tower. Dredd deducts that this is where the Doomsday Dogs have planted a second bomb, and a call to the Power Tower confirms this is correct. 

While Dredd tries to stop the election, the robots attempt to defuse the bomb. Both fail, and in the final panel we see the bomb detonating and the Tower exploding.  

It's hard not to look at the final panel and think "9/11" The imagery is strong, and the sight of the top of the tower exploding while people below flee is evocative and resonates strongly. Although I am not North American, I still have strong memories from that period of history, and seeing something similar sketched out twenty-five years early is an eerie feeling. The connections to the US are strong throughout the strip, even more so as the US has just had an election. The talk of no recounts, and no swingometers, was timely and pertinent and brought a wry smile to my face. The more Dredd touches on the real world the better it becomes, and seeing global events in Dredd's playground gives us a detachment and a chance to see ourselves through other eyes. It all helps that there's a cracking story behind it. That story is escalating, and a final confrontation may be some issues away. This is just what I wanted, and after several weeks of one-off stories, we are getting something substantial. The payoff is immediate, and already we have been pulled deep into the world of Mega-City One and the Doomsday Dogs that Dredd is up against. The story is currently riding the crest of the wave and with both art and storyline creating a strong pull, we could be riding this for some time.        

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "There'll be no recounts, no swingometers, no boring commentators- because all your voting will be over in one second!"

In the first two panels of  Disaster 1990, Bill Savage and Professor Bamber sail past some well-known London landmarks. After passing by New Scotland Yard, the pair arrive at Harrods where they find some people sheltering inside. 

There's trouble afoot, and inside a class war is about to break out. Savage doesn't take sides, he merely fires his shotgun to gain everyone's attention and calms the situation by disarming one of the thugs.

Further help is near at hand as several boats of British Commandos arrive. They had been doing sea training when the floods came and are now trying to help wherever they can. They see Savage's shotgun, and he is forced to surrender it to them. With things settled, the commandos move on, as do Savage and the professor. 

Out on their boat, Savage and Bamber argue while eating some food Bamber stole from Harrods. The argument ends with Savage telling Bamber that he will let him off at the next piece of dry land. As they approach the security prison that the commandos are checking out,  Bamber looks back at Harrods through his binoculars and sees the commandos approaching Harrods in their boat. Savage can see something is amiss, as at the prison they find the dead bodies of the marines floating in the water, all stripped of their weapons and uniforms. The people at Harrods are about to be ambushed by criminals dressed as the commandos, and there is nothing Savage and Bamber can do about it.

I'm struggling with this story. It doesn't seem to fit with the other stories in 2000 A.D. and although I love the character of Bill Savage and the art, the story has the feel of the stories that would later feature in Battle Action. This ill-fit colours a lot of my thoughts about the strip, and I am judging it unfairly compared to the other stories in the comic. Putting that aside for now, this issue does take a step forward and sets the scene for some action next week. There was conflict this week, although no action, and this merely raised the temperature for things to reach a boil next week. Having a class war (or perhaps skirmish would be a better phrase) on the pages was a nice touch, and was distinctly British. Even though Savage saved the day at Harrods, he was still looked down upon and turfed out at the first opportunity. Even in times of disaster, some things remain the same. This was also a pointer to how much things have changed since the 1970s. Now Harrods is full of American tourists buying stuffed bears, rather than bowler-hatted men getting their hampers. This issue introduces us to all the main players for next week, and with Bill Savage once again facing overwhelming odds I expect some innovative action and sharp lines from the man.     

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Get back, I say! You've no right - no right to be here! I had an account with this shop for years!"

On the pages of A.B.C. Warriors, Hammer-Stein has been tasked with recruiting Deadlock of the Order of Knights Martial to his team.

We are introduced to Deadlock in the first few pages and learn a little about this mystical order. We also see their spaceship, the Watch-Tower get hit by a meteorite and falls from the sky.

The Volgs are pleased that their weapon has worked and they rush to the site of the crash. So too do the A.B.C. Warriors, intent on saving Deadlock and recruiting him.

A fierce battle ensues, and the outcome sees the Hammer-Stein and Deadlock victorious. Deadlock tells Hammer-Stein he knows why he is there, and that he will join the group - but only if Hammer-Stein meets one condition. Hammer-Stein must beat him in a tournament. If Hammer-Stein fails then he must surrender his life. 

There was a lot of lore crammed into this story, and I have skipped a lot of it in the summary. Deadlock and his order are heavy on the mystical and we learn a lot about them as the action carried through the comic. This was cleverly done, with their story unfolding as they fought the Volgs, and by the time Deadlock met Hammer-Stein, we knew a lot about him and his men. There was a touch of Jedi about him, and although it would be easy to point to the Star Wars influence given that Star Wars was out the previous year, I think the idea existed independently. There is nothing here that feels derivative and although it mines some of the same mystical vibes, it never comes across as a direct steal. The character of Deadlock is well-rounded, and although it's hard to see how Hammer-Stein can beat him, I do look forward to seeing him as part of the team. A robot Grand Wizard, what is not to like, and he took the story to another level as he charged into battle. The final images of Deadlock presiding over a court martial took us back into the mystical realm and seeing Deadlock in robes only amplified the wizard aspect of his character. I didn't like everything I saw here, but with Deadlock stealing every scene he was in, it was an enjoyable read and one I look forward to seeing more of.   

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Purge the filth that dares to attack us! Cleanse with fire and sword, my brothers!"

Captain Kenny Harris has discovered that Project Overkill has planted a controlling gizmo in his brain, and with nothing to lose, he crashes through the security of a USAF airforce base and at gunpoint forces a neurosurgeon to operate immediately to remove it. 

This surgeon, Captain Peter Schaefer, operates without anaesthetic and removes the gizmo. The pain is too great and Harris falls unconscious, but when he comes around he is grateful to Schaefer and tells him the whole backstory of how this came to be. 

Schaefer agrees to help Harris, while far away Project Overkill knows that Harris has removed his controller and at that very moment is ordering his death.

While some of the stories this week were bereft of action, Project Overkill opened with a smashing action scene, before pulling back into its conspiracy-fueled storyline. Harris's introduction to Schaefer was dramatic and gave the story a push where it could have stalled. The recruitment of Schaefer, while a tad unbelievable, was just what the story needed, and with another ally at his side, Harris becomes a more interesting character. Let's hope Schaefer lasts longer than the last guy who helped Harris out. The final page matched the first page for interest, and what it lacked in action it made up for in intrigue. Once again we got to see the men behind Project Overkill. The agent sent to dispatch Harris looks particularly cool, and it was enough to sell me the next issue while putting a nice capstone on this one. This wasn't one of the best stories this week, but it was a solid issue and did everything it needed to do. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "It's got to come out now - no pre-med, no anaesthetic...nothing! Pain doesn't matter to a dead man - and I'm dead if that thing stays there!"

Branded a traitor for helping the Mekon steal the crystal of Life, Dan Dare and Sandor are attempting to escape Earth. They have stolen a ship, but Dare is struggling to get the power up and with the surrounding ships turning their guns on them, it is looking like a short flight.

Luckily Sandor is quick and gets the shields up just in time. He then tells Dare what to do, and the pair escape Earth and the pursuing vessels. 

As they fly away, Sandor tells Dare that he doesn't believe that it was Myriad who denounced them, but rather a Krulgan who has the ability to take on the appearance of others. Finding this Krulgan is their only chance to prove their innocence, and their first port of call is a satellite world called Topsoil, which is a refuge for cast-offs from around the universe.  

The satellite world of Topsoil looked dead cool and was the highlight of this week's story. Good thing too, since the rest of the story failed to get a rise out of me and I was underwhelmed until this final page. Dare's rocketship escape was drawn large, and while I appreciated the artwork, I never fell in love with the action on the page. Sondar bringing the idea of a Krulgan into the story felt like a last-minute decision and was shoehorned in, making for an awkward reading moment as they flew away from Earth. The concept was sudden and unexpected, not in a good way, and broke the natural flow of the story, veering us off into a new quest. The arrival at Topsoil erased this aberration, and by the story's end, I was once again happy with the direction we are heading. I just wish the idea of the Krulgan had been introduced earlier or in a more subtle way than what we read here. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "It is my considered opinion that he is now celebrating his grisly triumph amongst creatures of a similar ilk...in a place that harbours the scum of the solar system!"       

Prog 123 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Judge Dredd

Best Line: "The name's Harris - and this gun says I'm no nut! Now take off your shirt and stand against that wall!"

Best Panel: 

Prog 122

I've rated this issue highly, although I found a lot of disappointment among the pages. Despite its faults, the issue was still enjoyable and I lot of what I read remained with me after I put the comic down. I think that says more about me than the comic, and it's true what they say about art- what you see depends on what you bring yourself to the piece. When we look at art it reflects our own selves back at us. This must make me a kick-ass lawman of the future, or maybe just someone who reads comics more than they should.      

Prog 122

21st July 1979 

It's been a while, but the Cursed Earth is back on the pages of Judge Dredd. The story is quickly laid out with the introduction of the main characters on the first page. At a trading post outside of Mega-City One, we meet the Doomsday Dogs - part of a much larger band of Mutielanders intent on destroying Mega-City One. They are led by Father Earth, a strange mutant with plants growing on his body. Father Earth is leading a crusade against Mega-City One, perceiving it as the root of all evil and wants to destroy it stone by stone. 

Inside Mega-City One, the Judges receive reports of 10,000 Mutielanders approaching. Normally the walls surrounding the city would be enough to repel them, but the sheer number of them has Dredd voicing concerns. 

While the city prepares for the local election, Dredd's mind lingers on the approaching Muties. While arresting the local street crime that goes on during an election, Dredd thinks that the only way the Muties could get in would be if they had people working on the inside.

At that moment we are whisked to the central Power Tower where Mega-City One's power and energy are produced. While the robots there are watching the election on TV, they are approached by some hooded men. These men pull back their hoods to reveal that they are followers of Father Earth.

The strip concludes with these followers planting explosives at the scene, while Dredd hears the alarm and expresses concern that if the Power Tower goes there will be a raging volcano in Mega-City One. 

Another excellent story from Judge Dredd, and it looks like there is plenty more to come as the story has left itself room to stretch across multiple issues. It brought yet another new concept into the world of Judge Dredd, and it's always a delight to see more of the world revealed, this time with the cult of the Father Earth followers. Two years in, and we are still learning about the world of Judge Dredd. The characters and plot were introduced quickly, and after an introduction that told us all we needed to know we were down the essentials of the story, The clean artwork matched the crisp storyline, and the story flowed naturally across the pages. It is timely to see an election taking place in Mega-City One given that the US election takes place this week, and once again it is scary to see how accurately Judge Dredd translates into modern times. Great artwork captures all the drama of the story, and the images of the Doomsday Dogs were the most arresting of the comic. This isn't quite top-shelf Dredd, but all the elements are in place, and I look forward to seeing if the next issue can top this one. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Who told you jokers to watch the election, huh? When robots get the vote, then you can watch the election! Until then, get up them pipes!"

Bill Savage has been shot with a spear gun and had his ambitious vehicle stolen, and this week Disaster 1990 begins with Savage climbing an observation tower in the hope of finding his vehicle and the man who shot him.

Scanning flooded London, Savage can see nothing, but after an hour he finally spots his vehicle parked outside the Bank of England.

Seeking revenge, Savage quickly makes his way there and discovers the scientist he previously met, Bamber, opening the vault with a gas torch. Savage is about to have his moment of revenge when he finds that two hoods with weapons drawn are behind him. Bamber has been captured by them and they are using him and his scuba equipment to cut a way into the flooded vaults. 

The odds are against them, but Savage and Bamber hear noises within the vault, and they sense a way to escape. Flinging open the vault reveals that it has become a giant nest of water rats, all of whom rush out and descend upon the hapless thugs. Meanwhile, Savage and Bamber shelter underwater using scuba gear. 

The rats are soon gone, leaving the dead thugs and Savage and Bamber look deeper into the vault. There is one more moment of action as the king rat jumps at them, but Savage is quick with his shotgun and the rat is blown to pieces. The story ends with Savage and Bamber in the amphibious vehicle, once again in the depths of flooded London and Savage pondering upon what else they might face.

This was a step up from the previous week's story, and although it is still an episodic self-contained story it kept me wanting to read into next week. The story was tightly focused, and with no additional elements thrown it we remained with the familiar and what had already been introduced. The flooded city was key to the story, rather than merely a backdrop, with the flooded vaults and scuba gear essential to the story being told. We had Bamber back on the pages, and although he isn't a particularly likeable character, he did work well with Savage to keep the story moving forward. Although there were only a couple of panels of intense action, these images were well done and the art was once again a highlight of the story. Disaster 1990 is a great concept, and after several lukewarm episodes, it is finally beginning to deliver all it promised. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "It's OK, Bamber - the King just lost his crown!" 

Hammer-Stein has been ordered to recruit Mongrol, a robot obsessed with seeking revenge for the woman who recreated him, and A.B.C. Warriors begins with the two squaring off at a supply dump that Mongrol has been stealing from.

The expected battle never comes, as Volg commandos descend from the skies. The rest of the story concerns itself with the A.B.C. Warriors fighting off these Volgs alongside Mongrol. The battle climaxes with Hammer-Stein saving Mongrol's life, and with Mongrol now in his debt, Mongrol agrees to the team until the debt is repaid. 

Mongrol is now part of the team, but the mysterious officer behind this recruitment has one more task for Hammer-Stein - to recruit Deadlock, Grand Wizard of the order of knights Martial, a task that should promise to be one hundred times more difficult. 

The ghost of Lara, the woman who saved Mongrols life in the last issue, loomed large over everything we saw here. In his first confrontation with Mongrol, Hammer-Stein mentioned Lara, which triggered a rage within Mongrol that carried us through the rest of the strip. We saw images of Lara several times and each time only served to emphasise the pain Mongrol felt within. Although not as heart-wrenching as last week, this was still an emotion-fueled episode and one that retained the consistency of previous weeks. We know very little of what Hammer-Stein will face next week, and the name of the next member is intriguing and makes next week all the more interesting. The story of Mongrol across the last two issues has been superb, and one can only hope that next week delivers something just as good. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I've opened old wounds...Mongrol can be hurt after all!" 

This week we find what Project Overkill is all about as Kenny Harris reads the secret file handed to him by the now-dead Colonel Martie. 

Project Overkill consists of every scrap of data known to man processed and stored on the Overkill computer, a vast supercomputer secretly built deep underground in the desert. 

The computer and project were completed several months ago, but just as it was activated the roof of the bunker collapsed, killing everyone associated with the program and losing the Project Overkill computer forever. 

Harris guesses that his plane came down somewhere near the site of the bunker and that the project is still functioning, although it has now gone bad. Renting a car, he wonders how he could outfox a computer that is predicting his every move. 

He decides to do the unexpected, and instead of taking his information to the president, he drives his car into the desert toward where his plane came down. He notices that he is being followed by a truck, and again he goes with the unpredictable, turning directly toward the strict and firing at it with his gun.

He eventually forces the truck into crashing, and pulling the driver from the wreckage he hopes for more information. However, the driver is dead from a broken neck, although Harris does find that the driver's skull contains wires. With this, he realises that the Overkill controls its operatives with a direct channel to their nervous system. This raises further questions as Harris remembers that he was unconscious for two days - easily long enough for them to operate and place a control gizmo in his own skull. 

Things are really ramping up in this story and although I am losing interest in the overall premise, and am still addicted to the intrigues. We learnt a lot very quickly this week, and the story lost some of its mystery as we found out the history of Overkill. I would have been quite happy to remain in the dark in regard to the big picture for now, and having the enemy that Harris is up against laid out for me does raise the question of how much longer this story will be with us. I thought the air of mystery about Overkill could have remained for a while longer yet, and it does feel like we are into the final third. There was some good action in this week's strip which accelerated the plot, and with the reveal of the file, things are moving at a fair clip. This wasn't as good as the previous episodes of the series, and with the action moving back to the desert it feels like we are coming full circle. I'm still enjoying the story, but I really need a strong episode next week to bring me back into the fold. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Kenny Harris ain't running no more! Let's see if overkill predicted this!"

Dan Dare has been accused of treason, and as this week's strip begins he finds himself attempting to make an escape from a building surrounded by security forces. 

With the help of Sandor, Dare lures some window clearers in and snatches their anti-gravity packs. With their grav-packs, he and Sandor fly out the window to freedom. However, guards in the building across the street open fire at them, and Dare quickly comes up with a plan - fly back to the space complex where they least expect them. 

This they do, and at the spaceport, they steal a brand new spaceship. It is both a space cruiser and a fighter, but as they take off Dare finds that he hasn't built up the required power. As the craft rises it is a sitting duck for every laser cannon on the nearby gunships. 

Once again it all felt too easy for Dan Dare, and this detracted from some of my enjoyment of the strip. While I liked the artwork and the action, I was underwhelmed by the overall direction of the story, Like so many other issues of the last few months, Dare blasted his way out of one situation and into another. It was enjoyable enough, without being nourishing, and I found myself hungry for something more substantial. On a positive note, the story did feel like it was moving quickly, and there was little time to dwell on the situation as Dare went out of the frying pan and into the fire. I like Dan Dare, and once again the artwork was strong, I just wish he had something more complex ahead of him and the story could be as exciting as the action. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "So far, so good! But these grav-packs weren't built for commuting! They're starting to overheat already!"  

Prog 122 final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: A.B.C. Warriors

Best Line: "We've had eight years of Mayor Grubb's misrule. We need a woman's touch at the controls!"

Best Panel: