Prog 137

Recently, I've been thinking of wrapping up this blog when I reach Prog 150. It's a big world out there, and there are many things out there that I should be doing rather than reading old comics. However, I missed updating the blog the other week and made an important discovery. I'm in too deep. I want to see what comes next. I want to see what happens to these characters that I care about. However busy my real life gets, I find myself irresistibly drawn to these musty old comics. As much as I want to walk away, I can't. To quote a famous cowboy movie, "I wish I knew how to quit you."  

Prog 137

3rd November 1979 

Judge Dredd this week centres on the story of the murder of a Judge. Judge Harkness stops three Joyhoppers who have been driving on the speed walk, only for one of them to draw a weapon and shoot her in cold blood. 

An emergency signal goes out to all other Judges, and Judge Bryce, her partner, is the first to arrive. She dies in his arms, and he immediately pledges to avenge her death. 

What follows is a race through the streets as Judge Bryce chases the murderers while Dredd does his best to keep up. 

Judge Bryce catches up with the three Joyhoppers and is about to avenge the love of his life, delivering a death sentence to the murderers, when Dredd shoots him. As Judge Bryce dies, Dredd reminds us that when a Judge breaks the law, there is no law, before a final soliloquy of "There can only be one love in a Judge's life...the law."

I thought the death of a Judge would have a far greater emotional impact than what we saw here. The death of Judge Harkness played out much as one would expect, but for some reason, it failed to tug at my heartstrings. Perhaps this was due to the context of the death and the surrounding story that seemed steeped in 80s action films (yes, I know we are still months away from 1980)

Many of the lines spoken in the strip were bombastic and would feel more at home in a Hollywood blockbuster rather than on the newsprint paper of a 1970s comic. Judge Bryce's promise to avenge the death was just such a line, and although I have chosen it as the best line in this week's comic, it didn't quite feel right against the death of Judge Harkness. 

This is partly due to the senseless way that Judge Harkness died. True, people die in such circumstances all the time, and not every cop goes out in a blaze of glory, but coupled with the fact that we barely knew her, there wasn't an emotional resonance as we saw her die in Bryce's arms. 

The fast nature of this revenge didn't give us the breathing space to fully digest the death of the Judge, and although it did rush us through to the story's eventual conclusion, it didn't feel particularly satisfying when Judge Bryce caught up to the murders. 

Like last week, this was a Dredd story that flattered to deceive. It seems to contain all the elements required for a great Judge Dredd story, but it didn't hang together in a pleasing fashion, and despite wanting to enjoy what I saw, it all felt rather pale and tepid compared to stories past. There were still a couple of panels of stunning artwork and some memorable dialogue, but the story itself never lived up to these moments, leaving me to wonder what the essence of a good Judge Dredd story is. Maybe, next week, we will find out. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Keep out of this, Dredd! You don't understand! I loved her, drokk i - I loved her!"

Blackhawk is planning to escape, but first, he must convince Ursa to help him. Ursa won't help until he receives a sign from his God, and Blackhawk is happy to help him on that front, surreptitiously setting Ursa on fire while he prays.

This is the sign that Ursa has been waiting for, and he is at Blackhawk's side as Blackhawk slips out into the corridor. They are confronted by some of the director's drones, but they make short work of them as Ursa swings his heavy axe.

Soon enough, they have reached a scout craft, but the plan falls apart when Blackhawk discovers that Ursa doesn't know how to fly it, and neither does he. 

Both are brought before the director, who intends to make an example of them by hanging their bodies outside of the spaceship. However, before he acts on this, they witness a cargo craft being approached by pirates. The director decides to join the action, as the salvage rights on the cargo ship will be with a lot of credits. However, as they approach, the panels of the cargo ship move, revealing it to be a much larger pirate ship, and now the director finds that their ship is trapped. 

This story was far more enjoyable this week, mostly because we have put aside the idea of Blackhawk fighting a new monster each week and instead are concentrating on the wider story arc and Blackhawk's bid for freedom. 

The story had a couple of interesting twists and turns, and although none of them were jolting, they did give the story texture and opened up new possibilities. The moment when Blackhawk and Ursa reached the ship only to discover that neither one of them could fly was just such a moment. It made me smile, but more importantly, it made me wonder what might happen next. Even better was the final page, when the cargo ship transformed into a pirate ship, and the director found his vessel under attack. It was a well-disguised moment in the story, with no foreshadowing, making it a total surprise that will carry us over to next week. 

The story also carried some humour, especially early on as Ursa prayed to his God. This immediately made an impression, and instead of beginning with Blackhawk fighting an alien, we had an immediate light moment. There was still the obligatory chop-chop from Ursa, but in this new context, it was funny and started the story on the right note before things got heavier over the page. 

This week, I continue my love/hate relationship with Blackhawk, with the pendulum swinging back toward love on the back of this solid story. It's still not a particularly high rating, but it is positive, and the story is my favourite this week. Without a doubt, this is helped by the art of Belardinelli, who excelled once again this week. His depiction of Ursa and Blackhawk on the first pages was noteworthy, as was the image of the dead bodies hanging outside of the ship. My only reservation was seeing the size of Ursa when standing next to Blackhawk. He seems to have gotten a lot bigger this week, and I'm sure he wasn't this tall in earlier issues. It was glaring, and I found it distracting in an otherwise very good story. If I had more time, I would go back and check the earlier issues for a size comparison, but alas, I am time-poor, so I will leave it as is, a half-remembered thought that may or may not be true.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "We have only ourselves for help, you furry fool! Don't just stand there - fight the faceless spawn!" 

This week's A.B.C. Warriors begins with the introduction of a giant called Mad George. George is so big that he has five different brains to control his various functions, all serving a master brain. However, his master brain is too small, and despite his best efforts, he can't seem to get anything right. 

Meanwhile, the A.B.C. Warriors are called in to defend the rights of small landowners who are being attacked by Biol, one of the large synthetic food corporations of Mars, which is determined to stamp out any rivals producing fresh food. 

The Warriors decide that the best form of defence is offence, and on the final page of the strip, Hammer-Stein has the idea of using Mad George as part of their plan to attack Biol's base. 

It's only my first time seeing him, but already I have a soft spot for Mad George. Maybe it's his name, or maybe the warm nature with which the artist Mike McMahon has imbued him, but I can't help but feel sorry for him. I want to see more of him, and from the direction of the story thus far, I think I'm going to be amply rewarded. 

Apart from the introduction of Mad George, not a lot happened this week. Sure, we saw the operational methods of Biol, and the havoc they wreck upon the local citenzery, but we never saw the men behind the company, nor did we get any indication of the A.B.C. Warriors overall scheme for attacking Biols base. We know Mad George will be involved, but apart from that, we know nothing. Nor do we know what part Blackblood will play in the coming weeks. Last week, we saw him betray Hammer-Stein and Hammer-Stein's reaction. This week, that event wasn't even alluded to, although I'm sure it hasn't been swept under the carpet. 

I have a lot of questions, which is always a good thing and a guarantee that I will read on. I understand the importance of this issue in setting up what comes next, and already, I know I am going to enjoy it far more than the Dinosaur story we saw last month. With likable heroes and dastardly villains, we are poised for a great story, and all that remains now is for me to pick up the next copy and read it. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Right! And we're gonna take the war to the corporation! We're gonna burn and destroy - just like Biol burn and destroy! We're gonna raze the corporation's base to the ground!"

There is trouble on the set of "Night of the Carnivore," but Wolfie Smith isn't there to see it. High up in the Abbey, Joe is grabbed by a hideous creature, and before he can do anything, he is transformed and possessed.

Meanwhile, Wolfie is with the local pot-holer, Moley, who wants to show him some of the sketches he made of the wall paintings they discovered on his last expedition. Wolfie recognises the creatures in the paintings as they are the same as his visions - Wendigore.

The Wendigore thrived on the blood of animal sacrifice and were lured into an underground chamber using young lambs as bait. The chamber was surmounted by three megaliths, which neutralised the Wendigore's power.

When Moley tells Wolfie that the three megaliths are still there, Wolfie deduces that the guardians are trying to scare everyone away so these megaliths aren't disturbed. With that, he races back to the set, worried that something bad is about to happen. Meanwhile, on the set, Tara is about to ascend the stairs to where, unknown to her, one of the guardians awaits. 

Every week, Wolfie Smith takes us to the edge of something exciting happening, only to pull back at the last minute and leave us waiting another week. Last week, we saw a Guardian appear in costume, surrounded by other actors, and yet nothing came of it. This week is a repeat, with the Guardian reaching for Joe from behind. It remains to be seen if something will follow on from this next week, and on current form, I would say it's more likely that Joe will move away from the Guardian with no consequences than something actually happening. 

The highlight of this week's strip is the image of Tara in a sexy outfit being given instructions by the director. It may not have added much to the story, but I found it far more appealing than the images of Wolfie talking to Moley. This conversation between Wolfie and Moley added a lot of information to the story, but apart from a notable image of the Wendigore, it was mostly close-ups of their respective faces as they talked about it. You may think I'm shallow, but comics are a visual medium, and it was the image of Tara that I carried in my head once I put the comic down. 

It probably doesn't help that I have never warmed to Moley, nor, indeed, Wolfie. Wolfie has had his moments, but Moley is a lost cause, and I can't find it in myself to care about him or his backstory. He is little more than a vehicle to carry information about the Wendigore for Wolfie. More time spent on his introduction would have helped me become interested in his character and perhaps made the information he is imparting all the more important. As it is, it is all a  little flimsy, and I find myself more interested in Tara's legs than the Wendigore. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "And the stones are still there, Wolfie! According to the old writings, they must never be removed or destroyed..!" 

In Disaster 1990, Bill Savage has returned to London where a gang of thugs calling themselves the Legion of London have made slaves of other survivors and are using them to loot and pillage.

The Legion has also wiped out the Oxford survivors, and Bill Sage has only one thing on his mind - revenge. The Legion are using Buckingham Palace as their HQ when one of the guards notices a tree floating by. The tree contains a surprise for the guards: Bill Savage armed with his shot gun. A couple of blasts later, Bill Savage has freed the slaves in the immediate vicinity, and they all immediately pledge to join him in overthrowing the Legion.   

That night, Bill Savage again approaches Buckingham Palace, this time in his amphibious vehicle and with back up. The two sentries are quickly overpowered, and Savage and his team enter the Palace. 

Within, they find the two leaders, Razor and Martin, and Savage tells them that without them at the head of the movement, the movement will quickly collapse. Meanwhile, Bamber has found Dr Sinclair from Oxford, and it seems that Savage has everything in hand. 

However, Dr. Sinclair reveals himself to be the third leader of the Legion, and, drawing a pistol, he shoots Bamber at close range. With that, the tables are turned on Savage, and the strip ends with Dr. Sinclair promising Savage a slow death. 

I love a good third-man reveal. This one isn't one of the greats, but it was good enough to get us to Bill Savage's perilous position at the end of the comic. There was no hint at this twist, and although it came out of the blue, it didn't have the impact one might expect.  Dr Sinclair hasn't fought side by side with Bill Savage, and there wasn't a great sense of betrayal when he showed his true colours.

Aside from the reveal of Dr Sinclair, the rest of the strip was action packed and, at times, felt more like a war comic than a 2000 A.D. story. There was gunplay on every page and fighting throughout the story. It helped push the story along at a good clip, with the plot nipping on the heels of the action. The story wasn't substantial, but the action did help paper over the cracks. 

There is a great story to be told here, yet this issue felt like it was stuck in second gear. Even with the fast-paced action, the shadow of the larger story loomed large, and part of me wished we could push past this shooting action and sink our teeth deep into the wider story of the occupation of London. 

Despite my obvious reservations, I found this to be a good read, with the story of Legion of London being compelling. Bill Savage is a hard man to kill. Next week, I expect to see him not only escape death but take the fight to the Legion of London.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "This tree bites, pal!" 

Prog 137 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Blackhawk 

Best Line: "That's right - I'm a Judge! I'm going to find those murdering rats -  and I'm gonna judge 'em!"

Best Panel: