Prog 23

I started this blog with no knowledge of 2000AD, and 23 issues in I still know nothing. I had intended to learn about the writers and artists as I progress, but so far I have been completely engaged with the stories that I haven't had a single thought of looking further for information. Maybe that will come in future, but for now, I am up to my eyeballs in the stories and enjoying every moment of it.

Prog 23

30 July 1977

The first panel of Invasion grabs my attention immediately, but it's not the striking image of Bill Savage that I'm drawn to, but rather the caption above him. "1994- year of the massive Volgan invasion of Britain." 1994? That doesn't sound right. A quick check of previous blogs and I'm vindicated - the invasion was 1999, I hadn't imagined it. Hamish 1, 2000AD nil. Smugly I continue my read. At first glance, this is another standard working-class man verse the Volgans story, with Bill Savage linking up with coal miners in Newcastle to take on the Volgans. What elevates it this week is the dynamic artwork, as panel after panel we see Bill Savage at his bone-crunching best. While he bashes and smashes his way through the story, the story itself delivers a twist that sets up a final setpiece involving coal buckets, nicely rounding out the theme of the story. Not the most taxing of reads, but there is a lot that happens across the pages, and the surprise near the end is a great way to bring us to the final page of action. As much as I like the story, the artwork just pips it in my estimation, and I could choose any number of panels to represent this story.  

Rating: 7/10

Best Line:  "You ain't Geordie, you're a dirty Volg agent..aaah!"

I wasn't too fussed by Harlem Heroes last week. This week is much better, and once again I am engaged with the story. The beauty of these comics is that they move quickly from week to week, so anything that doesn't appeal may well be gone the following week, and conversely, anything I love is likely to disappear in a few weeks. I guess the moral is to live for the moment and enjoy where you are in the story. This time out we have the continuation of the game against the Bushido Blades, a team that plays with sacrifice and honour. The contest is brutal, but then again every game of aeroball we've seen on these pages is, but it does give the art a chance to flex its muscle with some impressive-looking collisions. It is the final page that I am most interested in, as any thoughts I have of the game vanishes at halftime with the appearance of Ulysses Cord, and from the Hero's side Louis. Louis has developed the power to enter people's minds, which seems like a big revelation to me, and he seeps into Ulysses's brain. It happens very quickly and comes out of nowhere, spinning the story back to its wider context. I'm not sure where it will go from here, it will be difficult to think of the game now that I've seen this at halftime, but I am more than pleased to see some wider development of the story. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Surely you're not going to take advice from that...that hunk of tissue?"

I was hoping to see Shako get some sort of revenge on Falmuth, and after a tough start, I am rewarded in spades. We last left Shako Iaid out on the ice with Falmuth about to deliver the killing blow. Now it wouldn't be much of a comic if that happened, so Shako is saved by Dollar, and then dragged across the ice to the waiting medical staff in perhaps the most evocative panel in this week's issue. I am overjoyed as he awakens and immediately battles the humans, I don't know, perhaps I am feeling particularly bloodthirsty this week, but this scene is fantastic. Even better is when he tears off Falmuths gun arm, leaving him swearing revenge in the final panels, setting up a continuing vendetta. Everything in this issue was great, and the panels where Shako goes crazy for revenge are noteworthy, making for a highly rated episode in my estimation. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best Line: "Yeah! ol' Jake K's gonna perform an operation now...without an anaesthetic!" 

Dan Dare has given me a lot of joy over the last six months, so I am shocked and surprised to find that this is the last story for a while as the final panel informs us that the story will be taking a break. However, before I reach that point there is a lot to get through as the final issue is packed with action and story. There's the confrontation with the Mekon, an escape by Mekon, pursued by Dan Dare, and then a final escape from the planet as it explodes. Sometimes it feels rushed, but one can see why when we consider how much is packed into these pages. I am a touch disappointed with the frenzied ending but heartened by the fact that Dan Dare will be returning. These first 23 issues have constantly been among my favourites weekly, but I am sure that whatever follows will be just as good. Time will tell, and in the meantime, I will count down the days until Prog 24. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "It may take a hundred years, but one day we'll make planet-fall, and then I shall have your heads on plates! Meanwhile, we are trapped -hating each other -but unable to kill each other - quite ironic!"

  

M.A.C.H. 1. is thrills and action from the first panel to the last, with no single panel wasted. We are dropped right into the action with John Probe as he pilots his aircraft over enemy airspace to recover a downed pilot. From here on the story comes in a rush as he evades opposing forces, finds the pilot, fights off white wolves, and on a memorable final page combines all this as he throws a snowball of white wolves at his pursuers. I don't usually have strong feelings about M.A.C.H.1, but I can safely say that this is one of the good ones, and I am totally onboard from the first page to the last. Breathless action suits this strip well, and with no pause in the thrills and spills it delivers what it does best.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "Aaah! An avalanche...of white wolves!"   

Judge Dredd is once again right when it comes to predicting the future. Not only did the writers predict that in the future smokers would be pushed out of public spaces, but also that smoking would come with grave warnings on the harm it can do to your health, as we have in current times. The story is woven around where smokers stand with the law in Mega-city 1, smoking is legal, but not in public. While Dredd issues a stern anti-smoking warning to some teens on the street, across town a bank robbery is taking place, with smoking providing the clues that will eventually see Dredd find the lawbreakers. Mega-city 1 is a central character here, not only do we learn more about the laws of the city, but we also get a close-up view of the cigarette stores in the future, as well as the one place where smokers can legally smoke- the Smokatorium. Seeing Dredd dish out justice is always a lot of fun, and there are some fantastic panels here as he deals with the crooks. Coupled with some great lines, Judge Dredd again delivers a great ending to another solid Prog.           

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line:  "Can't you read, boy? Get that weed out of your mouth!" 

Prog 23 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Shako

Best Line: "Only dead men walk out of doors, lawbreaker -- smart ones use the window!"

Best Panel:

Prog 22

It's been a tough week and even the thought of looking at a computer screen gives me a headache. But the thought of the latest Prog brightens my mood considerably, and as I eye the cover of Prog 22 all my worries and woes recede leaving only the thought of what lays within. Thrills, action, joy, pathos and drama, all await me and for the next thirty minutes, I will be lost to the world as I thumb my way through the latest issue. 

Prog 22

23 July 1977

As always, my journey through this week's Prog begins with Invasion. l had looked forward to seeing Bill Savage leaving London, and the potential storylines that could develop as he took his war across the UK. However, since leaving London I have found Invasion uneven, and while it has continued to rate highly, the tone of it seems to change from week to week. This week is another steady enough issue, but it isn't as hard-edged and brittle as some of the earlier stories. With Bill working alongside the Somerset resistance the story is set out early on - Vogans have destroyed their prime food source and need to find an alternative. Bill leads the way as they ambush a train of heavy machinery, much to the annoyance of the resistance who would rather be fighting for food. The reveal comes as Bill has been looking at the big picture all along and the heavy machinery is a mobile protein-synthesizer. It is a quirky twist, but comes late in the story, meaning that the bulk of the story focuses on the men attacking a train, something we have seen plenty of times before. I enjoy it well enough but feel it could be better if only the twist could have come a little sooner to prop up the second half of the story.   

Rating: 6/10

Best Line:  "Yeah! Yer need a full belly to kill Volgs!"

I want Shako to win. Falmuth is a loathsome character, and even though we are only a few issues in with Shako, I'm dying to see him get his comeuppance. I think that I might get my wish early on in this issue as Shako strikes, leaving Falmuth laid out and Dollar staring Shako down. Things take a turn in the final few panels, as Dollar managers to shoot Shako, the prone bear laid out and facing a final killing blow in the last panel of the strip. The action between Shako and Falmuth is very good in this issue, but the most interesting part of the story is early on as we learn that the capsule within Shako contains a biological weapon. The reader may have surmised as much, but now it's out in the open the story can move quickly on. Asides from that, the panels with Shako and Dollar staring each other down are among the best, along with the first page which has a very dramatic image of Shako. Plenty to enjoy throughout this story as it weaves and turns, and even if things look bad for Shako, I am still along for the ride  

Rating: 8.5/10

Best Line: "Nice work, Eskimo. But now it's my turn - I'm gonna dirty the snow up a little with that brute's brains!" 

My feelings about Harlem Heroes are mixed this week. On the positive side, I love the art, it is excellent page after page, and almost every panel holds my eye. The continual use of the word "Jap" doesn't thrill me quite as much. It is of its time, and I understand that, but it becomes uncomfortable every time my Japanese wife looks over my shoulder to see what I'm reading. One glimpse of that word, and my Progs may well end up in a pile with the recycling while I'm at work. But, putting that aside, the rest of the story fails to fire, and although we get backstory about the team they're facing, and some intense aeroball action, I never lose myself in the world they are creating. If the art wasn't so sublime I would rate this much lower, but given that this is a visual medium I give it a pass this week, but I hope it will improve in the coming issues.  

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Stick your blood money any place you likes! Do I make myself clear?"

I enjoy the first colour pages of Dan Dare but the second half of the story doesn't match it for excitement or story, even though plenty happens in the back end of this week's issue. With the Two of Verath and Dan Dare battling on board the spaceship, the scene is set for a return to the Mekon. This fight looks great in colour, and at this stage, I have high hopes for the rest of the story. The rest of the story is given over to a lot of set-up for the arrival at the hollow planet, and the trap they are setting for the Mekon. The final panel restores some of the balance as the Two Of Verath advance on the Mekon, threatening death and potentially a great episode next week. Until next week I'm left with this issue in my hand, an issue that reeks of wasted potential after the opening burst of colour. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Careful? Haw! I'm going to make holes in the Mekon's oversized head! Come on, brother!"  

I am again cast back into 1977 with the plot of this week's M.A.C.H. 1. British oil men are under threat from local tribesmen who are being manipulated so that the oil can be sold to Eastern countries. All very 1977 but it makes for a cracking story in the following pages as John Probe takes on the local strongman. There is all we have come to expect from John Probe as he displays his range of abilities, both in speed and strength as he fights the local strongman, and later the leader. The fight against the strongman is predictable enough, and it's his escape from being buried alive but tunnelling using his bare hands that I find the most thrilling and original aspect of this story. I enjoy everything until the finale, as the villain falls prey to a cheetah that he accidentally shoots himself. It wraps up the story too quickly for my tastes, and although it is clever, it doesn't give us the satisfaction of seeing our hero triumph by his own hand. I can't complain too much, the panel of the cheetah attacking is great and one can feel the pain of the attack.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "Sendin your killers against oilmen's one thing, but torturing a helpless girl... " 

Judge Dredd is an interesting character, and he is matched this week against the equally interesting Mr Buzzz. The world of Mega-City 1 continues to expand as this week we meet a murderous gang, led by Mr Buzzz who as it turns out is a mutant. Mutants hate ordinary people and are banned from the city. Judge Dredd is at his cold-blooded best throughout this story, and the panels that grabbed me the most are as he sets the hotel alight to flush out Mr Buzzz. His final confrontation with Mr Buzzz is also noteworthy as he figures out how Mr Buzzz can see using his buzzing and negates this with a barrage from his own armoury. The story felt short this week, although it covers the usual amount of pages, and the storytelling was tight throughout with little fat on the story. This one felt par for the course for a Dredd story, but with that bar set high it was the second-best story in this week's comic.       

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line:  "You have walked right into my trap- buzzzzz! And now you will die! Bzzzzz!" 

Prog 22 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Shako

Best Line: "Since my cats are overweight, I shall smash your knee to slow you down, English!"

Best Panel:

Prog 21

 Prog 20 felt like a milestone I should have celebrated. I chose not to celebrate this occasion as I am well aware of the enormity of the task ahead of me. There will be time enough for celebrating as we cross each centennial, but for now, the first twenty issues are merely the first steps in my journey. As I always, I believe in looking to the future, a strange thing to say considering I'm reading comics from 45 years ago, and it is with this thought in mind I plunge ahead into Prog 21.

Prog 21

16 July 1977

Invasion left me feeling hollow last week, but I'm happy to report that this week I'm back onboard and completely engaged with the story presented. It would be easy for Invasion to become cliché-filled and the fodder of standard war comics, but it remains a cut above with inventive storylines and characters. This week we have the dirty Vogans shooting prisoner in the manner of clay pigeon shooting, and you know that Bill Savage just isn't going to stand for that. Using using good old English clay, he infiltrates the Volgans manor house by muddying out the cameras, before using the clay again to disguise his men as statues. It is this twist that is central to the story, along with the manor house itself which offers up another opportunity for Savage's inventiveness as he calls upon a suit of armour to trick the Volgans. There's plenty to enjoy in these pages, and the set pieces provide some fitting artwork that captures the action perfectly and makes for compelling reading. There have been some average issues recently, but this issue sees Invasion return to top form with a cracking story and art that I rate highly.  

Rating: 8/10

Best Line:  "That's right, Volg- Uncle Bill's payin' a visit to your stately home!"

Shako reminds me a lot of old comics from the 1950s. Back then there were far more comics about man verse beast, and as an action story for boys there is plenty that the genre can deliver. I enjoyed meeting Shako last week, and this week we get more of the same with Falmuth arriving to capture Shako, and the capsule he has, while Shako continues to do what big bears do - eat and survive. We don't get as much blood and carnage as last week, but what we do get counts just as much as Shako defends himself. With Jimbo his main opponent this week, we get to see the psychological effect that the attacks on man have, as Jimbo drinks heavily throughout the story before a drunken, and eventually bloody, encounter with Shako. Like Invasion before it, there are some fabulous panels of action, and even though the story doesn't move particularly quickly, it is very well paced and the artwork carries the weight of the storytelling. Shako is still new to me, but he has certainly made his mark as I gobble up every word and line of the action. Any panel of the story would be worthy of mention, and I think there comes no higher recommendation than that. 

 Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "Ahh! The yogi's got his *hic* teeth grinding into my tootsie!" 

Harlem Heroes is a flat spot this week. That's not to say that it's bad, but it doesn't reach the heights it has in the last few weeks. The match between the Harlem Heroes and Gorgons Gargoyles has eventually run out of steam, and last weeks cliff hanger of Gruber holding a bomb is quickly wrapped up with a well-timed throw from Zack. Gruber's disguise is revealed, leaving the Gargoyles to seek revenge upon Gruber, who seemingly comes to an end in the fight. It's not the epic finish one might expect for a villain, and indeed it proves not to be the finish of him at all as the mastermind behind all these schemes against the Heroes resurrects him. This feels like another stepping stone issue, as we end the match against the Gargoyles and look forward to the next issue and a match against the Bushido Blades in Tokyo. I am curious to see how Tokyo is represented in this story, having spent a lot of time there myself, and if the artwork is as good as this issue then we will be in for a treat. This week started strongly and finished strongly, so even though it was flat there is still plenty to keep me interested in the coming weeks.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "..I just don't get it, Giant! How could that shattered schmuck just get up and walk away?"

Dan Dare takes an unexpected twist this week and is all the better for it. These comics are at their best when they cover new ground, and as the story escalates I am pleasantly surprised to find that things are not what I thought. After battling off giant robots to get to the Galactic Council to report the danger the Two of Verath present, Dan Dare is informed that Chairman Lo-Han is already well aware of the Mekon's plan, and is not the least bit worried. The matter is already in hand and he is planning for the Two of Verath to escape and return to the Mekon. As most people would, Dan Dare feels used and foolish for the efforts he made, and this gets worse by the end of the story as the Two of Verath escape upon a ship, a ship that Dan and Rok then board as well. The Chairman is informed, but again he sees it all as part of a master plan, the Two of Verath and Dan Dare will take care of the Mekon forever. I love where this story is going, with a bigger picture emerging and strings being pulled behind the scenes. Before it was the artwork doing all the heavy lifting, but now the story is beginning to come to the fore, and things are getting more interesting with every turn of the page. If it continues like this I will be more than happy to blog about it for as long as it takes.

 Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Living tissue target - 2 metres ahead. The flame gun will cremate target...cremate..."  

This week M.A.C.H. 1 draws inspiration from Howard Hughes, with John Probe's antagonist being Harold Howes, an eccentric multi-millionaire living in terror of the outside world. In his quest to prolong his life he is drawing energy from an array of athletes, who have sold themselves to him. It brings into question the morality of people willingly selling themselves, and I can't help but think of professional footballers as a useful analogy. With the Harold Howes character and this thought in my head, I find the story intriguing and rooted in something all too familiar, which makes Probe's interaction with his own computer all the more interesting. The action itself is par for the course, and there is very little in the way of surprise as Probe deals with his nemesis. It is the characters themselves that keep this story on track, and I rate it highly for both the characters and the world they are set in. An unusual M.A.C.H. 1 but a very good one. This is proving to be a strong issue throughout, and M.A.C.H. 1 holds up its part of the comic. 

 Rating: 8/10

Best line:  "I bought you all, I own you! Kill him!" 

As I started reading Judge Dredd I was initially disappointed. The first page seemed too straight forward and I felt I knew exactly where the story was going. As it turned out, I was right, but Judge Dredd had a twist in the tail that contained both the cleverness of the strip and the humour, making me fall in love with it all over again. Starting with a solar gun, and Dredd heading for the Weather Congress, the story writes itself, but once Dredd has confronted the villain named Gorilla the final twist takes hold with Gorilla taking the place of a monkey and being launched in a rocket to the sun. At this point, the story all falls into place, and I can't help but laugh at the cleverness of the writer, both with the villain's name, and his final fate. In some of the earlier issues, the humour was slightly off, but here it is sharpened to a well-honed point, and the darkness of Dredd's world is lit by this humour, and of course the solar gun. Not quite top shelf, but close enough for me.    

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line:  "Outamyway punks - I want the solar sniper!" 

Prog 21 final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Dan Dare

Best Line: "By stomm! The rocket's lifted off with Gorilla inside instead of the Chimp!"

Best Panel:

Prog 20

Out with the old and in with the new as they say. Last week we bid a fond farewell to Flesh, and this week I'm looking forward to meeting its replacement story. I can't even begin to imagine what the writers of 2000AD have in store for us, so it is with eager anticipation that I open this week's comic. 

Prog 20

9 July 1977

I don't have long to wait to see the replacement for Flesh as the issue jump-starts with the latest thrill - Shako. Already it has my attention with the heading "Shako! The Eskimo word for the Great White Bear. It means simply...Killer!" Okay, that's enough, I'm sold on it already. If the next few pages can live up to the opening then I'm going to be one very happy boy. Good news - the next few pages do indeed live up to this opening. A great white bear crosses paths with a crashed aircraft, a capsule to be recovered from the bear, and a group of men sent out is dispensed with. It all happens quickly, and I do love these stories of man versus beast. The panels in which Shako encounters men are the best, and I slow down my reading with every panel in which this happens. Shako looks like a humdinger from the start and as much as I loved Flesh, this looks like it may be just as good. Early days still, but the artwork appeals to my eye, and the final panel of Fulmuth and Buck Dollar preparing to go out and get Shako means I will definitely be back for more of this.     

 Rating: 7/10

Best Line: "Lousy fools! Get a plane, Dobie. No crummy bear gets the best of the C.I.A.!" 

For all of the excitement in this week's Invasion, I just don't the same kick out of it as I usually do. There are several panels of excellent art that I could easily come back to, but the story isn't as gripping as I've come to expect. It is a letdown, especially with the art looking explosive this week. Bill Savage and his men encounter Volgans on bikes, and after dealing with some Volgans in a cafe, Bill finds himself caught up in a net of Volgan riders. Some old pals of his come to his rescue on their bikes, making for the excitement in the story but without a real investment or payoff. The artwork carries the day for me and salvages this week's edition, and one can only hope that next week the story matches the artwork. Invasion has delivered plenty of times before, and I'm confident that I will enjoy next week's edition much more. 

Rating: 6/10

Best Line:  "Coming up, Volgs- bacon, beans- and buckshot!"

We've been on a roll recently with Harlem Heroes, and this week's is another doozy. Artie Gruber remains at the centre of all the action, which is great as his ugly mug makes for some splendid panels. We also have Louis reappear for the Harlem Heroes, which as far as the story goes is a welcome return. The story itself continues forward with the Heroes fighting among themselves until Louis arrives, his brain flying in on a self-propelled unit. It looks futuristic and sci-fi, which I like seeing on these pages. His arrival calms the players, and soon enough they trick Gruber into revealing himself. Thus, with a bomb in hand, Gruber threatens them all in the last panel, rounding out a short, but very worthwhile, addition to the ongoing story. Harlem Heroes was sagging a little early on, but these last few weeks it has greatly gone up in my estimation, and I find this week another worthy addition to the story. 

 Rating: 8/10

Best line: "And what do I find when I come to demonstrate my new toy? The proud, heroic sportsmen of Harlem brawling like alley-cats!"

Dan Dare is a story of two halves this week. The first half is great, Dan Dare trying to pilot an alien ship and let the fleet know that he's not the enemy. This he achieves by using the engine to send a morse code signal, which luckily one old spacer recognises. This is the high point of the story for me, and unfortunately, it goes downhill from here. The second half of the story deals with once he meets with the federation as they take an aircraft to the surface of the planet where the Two of Verath have been taken. With Dan Dare and company facing Big Brother Killer Robots armed with flame guns, their quest to reach the Two of Verath before the bomb is set off seems hopeless. Of course, this is par for the course for Dan Dare, but it lacks the thrilling edge of the other stories, and I'm beginning to feel we've seen something similar before. Here's hoping that the forthcoming action will once again raise the story to previous heights, but this week's edition feels like a filler.  

 Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Cremate...cremate...cremate..."  

Did the writers of M.A.C.H. 1, recently have a holiday in Japan? last time out we have John Probe fighting a Japanese soldier still fighting World War Two, and this week he is in Japan, defending the British Prime Minister from Japanese terrorists. At first, the story doesn't thrill me, and the first pages where John Probe saves the Prime Minister's life, and fights the head of the Japanese Anti-terrorist department are predictable and don't show anything we haven't seen before. However, things get much better later in the story when John is in trouble and it is the head of the Anti-terrorist department that does all the fighting and saves his life. It's an excellent reversal, and I enjoy the story for this unpredictable move. There are weeks where the story could have been lifted from any action film of the 70s or 80s, but little twists like this make all the difference, and even though it's a small thing it lifts the story above most of the others in this issue. The first half was average, but with this second part of the story, it gets a couple of extra points from me.    

 Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "Hang on, Probe, now it's Khan's turn. I'll show you what I can do..." 

Judge Dredd plays directly to me and my interests this week. In a story that we would now call meta, Judge Dredd is smashing an illegal comics ring trading old comics. In a fairly straightforward way Judge Dredd gets his man before in the final page we find out that the comics being traded are a comic called 2000AD from the twentieth century. It is all too clever but never becomes smug, and I think the balance is just right with the 2000AD reveal only coming at the end, although I'm sure most readers saw this coming before we reached that point. The idea is better than the story itself, and there isn't quite enough meat on the bones for it to be as fleshed out as I would like, but it is certainly most enjoyable, and I can appreciate it with the need for it to be earth-shatteringly important. Once again, it's the humour behind it all that comes through brightest, and it's another great ending to the world's greatest comic. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "That's a good one! You tow oughta try out for fibber's playtime!" 

Prog 20 final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Harlem Heroes

Best Line: "Fantastic stuff! No wonder those lawbreakers were charging a fortune for it!"

Best Panel:

Prog 19

A funny old week here, for most of the week I haven't had the time or energy to even think about what awaits me in Prog 19. I have woken today feeling rejuvenated, and now as the sun warms the outside world I am in my happiest of places with a cup of tea in one hand and the Prog in the other. Good times ahead, let's dive on in.  

Prog 19

2 July 1977

I get a kick out of the first panel of Invasion as it gives a historical nod to World War Two.  We see the V1 built by slave labour, only in this case it's not the V1 rocket, but rather the V1 highway, a high military highway covering Britain from North to South. I am immediately put in mind of Hitler building the autobahn in another reference to World War Two. I assume the V in V1 stands for Volgan, which I find clever and a nice touch. Last week I wrote of the anti-establishment feel of this story, and the comic in general, and that is once again central to the story here as Bill Savage connects with an underground resistance base manned by British soldiers. The angle is played up as Savage bumps up hard against army discipline, and the first half of the story mostly deals with this interaction before things come to a head and Bill assaults an office before heading out in search of some real action. This action he finds is the slaves building the V1, and Savages unleashes some of his frustrations on the Volgans, freeing the slaves and wiping out the Volgans using their own road-building equipment. I don't enjoy this as much as I should, it seems a little too on the nose, but another sip of my tea, a long breath, and I am back on board as Bill returns to the resistance base to collect his things, including the Brigadier's map, and some of his men. I like the idea of Savage leading a small band of men around Britain and in this last panel, I briefly consider him a Robin Hood-type character, fighting for those that can't fight for themselves. How this will play out, I haven't a clue, but there is just enough in this story to keep me on the hook for another week. 

Rating: 6/10

Best Line:  "Fair enough, Brig - you stay down here among the worms. I'm goin' up to keep the war goin'!"

"The morning after feeling! For seven days and nights the flesh eaters had rampaged through the trans-time base... gorging themselves. Now, their bellies full of human and animal flesh, they lay around...sleeping it off!"

What a great opening for the final episode of Flesh this week. I had forgotten that this final was upon us, and although I love the story this week, I turn the pages slowly and with a heavy heart knowing that this is the end. but, what an ending it is. After destroying the humans, and their base, Old One-eye staggers off to die. We follow her on this final journey. It is a journey of several days, and despite a couple of obstacles, she finally makes it to the Tyrannsoaurs' Graveyard. It is an impressive sight, and Old One-eye's final moments are beautifully captured. If this was the end, I would be more than satisfied, but there is one final twist that elevates this story further. Sixty-five million years later Old One-eyes fossil is discovered, dug out, and displayed at the Natural History Museum. The scientists are baffled by the human bones found within the skeleton, something that simply cannot be given that humans didn't exist at the time of dinosaurs, at least to their knowledge. The most dismissive of these scientists is Professor Gizzard, who hosts a dinner party within the skeleton itself. After delivering a rebuttal against the thought of man versus dinosaur he finds him trapped in the teeth of the skeleton where he becomes the final victim of Old One-eye. The comic works hard to reach this conclusion, that is quite a bit of work to set up this final scenario, but the payoff is great, and the captions of each panel make the story what it is and add a lot of weight to what otherwise could have been flimsy dialogue from the characters. Flesh has been a wild ride, and was the first strip that I brought into in 2000AD. This is a fitting ending, and one of the best of its run. The dinosaurs themselves have always been the main part of the story, and I am very pleased that we finish with Old one-eye rather than a human character.       

 Rating: 9/10

Best Line: "Children like to think of monsters and men fighting each other, but it's rubbish! This Tyrannosaur could never kill a man!" 

I enjoyed last week's Harlem Heroes immensely; this week's issue is a solid follow-up. With Artie Gruber wreaking havoc on the field, we left the last issue with a contact mine thrown towards Giant. We don't have to wait long to see the outcome of this in a dramatic first page and Giant leaves the ball for substitute Dale, who is immediately blown to bits. This ratchets up the on-field violence, and the Harlem Heroes prove themselves just as adept at playing hardball as the Gargoyles. We see several dangerous plays, all to the Heroes advantage, and once again I am finally won over by this on-field action. It looks great and propels the story forward while keeping it all about the team. Ginat is the moral compass of the story, and as he tries to keep his team on the straight and narrow tempers begin to fray, leading to disunity in the tea, disunity that the mystery man behind all their troubles is happy to see. Plenty of action, and with the gears of the bigger story continuing to revolve, this makes for a highly enjoyable few pages. 

 Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Quit buggin' me, Giant-- Or I'll lay one on you! " 

I like that in the first panels we see Dan Dare doing what he does best - flying a spaceship. As Rok points out, he is truly a great pilot. These first pages look good and capture what Dan Dare the pilot is all about as he expertly navigates his way through a rapidly closing door and tunnel to excite the hollow planet. It certainly is thrilling action, but the real danger comes in the following pages and every panel the Mekon appears in. As Rok and Dare scan the ship's memory banks they discover the Mekon's master plan to turn the Two of Verath into a living bomb to be captured and taken into the Galactic Council. I like how quickly this outlines the story to come, and brings the reader right into the story without drawing it out page after page. The rest of the story moves quickly, while we read what the plan is, the Mekon is already enacting it, and in the final panels, the Two of Verath are captured, while Mekon destroys the ship's memory banks, leaving Rok and Dare in an alien ship with no means of communicating with the federation. While not quite as good as previous issues, a lot of the story was laid out in this issue, and I think the next few weeks as it plays out will well be worth the ride.  

 Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Did I kill him? Probably not..he has the luck of ten thousand devils...!"  

Phosphate mining in M.A.C.H. 1, how topical.  M.A.C.H. 1 is ahead of its time in these first panels. However, I am reminded of the era it was written in a few panels later as a Japanese soldier is referred to as a "Nip," something my Japanese wife would be horrified by if she knew. Racist terms aside, this is a great issue of M.A.C.H. 1 as Simon Probes humanity battles his computerized self over the next few pages. Sent to an island to take care of a Japanese soldier still fighting the war 35 years on, M.A.C.H. 1 is not only fighting a man who is only doing his duty, much like himself but also representing big business as they turn an island paradise into a hell on earth. This makes for some internal conflict and a battle that Probe must win while fighting to do the right thing. The fight itself is surprisingly even, although Probe does eventually win, he doesn't kill the man, deciding that he did no wrong and was only following his patriotic duty.  However, in a war comic cliche, the Japanese soldier takes his own life, leaving Probe to ponder what it was all for. It's moments like this that lift this week's issue above some of the more awkward and cliched moments, and even though it's far from perfect I find myself reasonably happy with what I have just read. 

 Rating: 6.5/10

Best line:  "Okay, maybe I should have stopped him - but what happened only men would understand. Not a soulless computer" 

John Cooper handles the art in this week's Judge Dredd and his style is immediately recognisable in one of the first panels as some muggers assault a man in the street. This is a snappy issue of Judge Dredd, and the story is sleek and straight to the point, much like the artwork. A clean story, it tells two stories - one of the muggers that Dredd deals with by a seek heating bullet and the second half where he deals with the person who witnessed the crime but didn't stop to help. This is where we learn about how pollution-free Mega City-1 is as Dredd takes down his man for polluting the streets with his petrol-burning vehicle. It still has its sense of humor, I like that the man he pulls over has no criminal record, is named Nixon, and Dredd can only nail him with a pollution charge. This story has aged well, and one could easily imagine it being written today. The change in the artwork is refreshing, and the story itself is finely turned, making for a slightly different Dredd than I am used to, but one well worth reading. I don't think we could call this classic Dredd, but I enjoy it just as much.  

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line:  "Bright Moon tonight - a muggers moon! I'm going to have a busy night!" 

Prog 19 final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Flesh

Best Line: "It doesn't matter how you make our city dirty - pollute the air or leave a guy to die- the law will clean you out!"

Best Panel: