This weeks Strontium Dog

[malkymac]

I have to admit I had a little lump in my throat at the end of it - fairly took me by surprise that one did!

[paddykafka]

Aye, me too. Feral was always one of my faveourite 2000ad characters and i'm actually a bit miffed with Wagner not just for killing him off, but for doing so in such a brutal and decidedly unheroic fashion. The whole incident just seems so out-of-character for Middenface to leave Feral to such a savage fate, never mind the crime for which the character was being punished for in the first place. And yes, I know the story is a re-imagining of previos events, but still and all, it left me with a sour taste. Has put me off the story to be honest.

[Richmond Clements]

The whole incident just seems so out-of-character for Middenface to leave Feral to such a savage fate, never mind the crime for which the character was being punished for in the first place.

I'm not so sure. While Middenface has a code of honour, it's not like Johnny's. Middenface's is much more direct and black and white than Johnny's, I think. He'll happily leave someone to die if he thinks that they somehow 'deserve' it, whereas Johnny will always strive to do The Right Thing, becasue he needs to prove- both to himself and everyone else- that muties are people too.
As Middenface said, Johnny would have found a way to really save Feral and make everything all right again.

[Dog Deever]

I loved every minute of it- the humiliation of the character being turned into a disfigured, fat, useless bastard is almost great enough- then his final burning to symbolically purge the memory of his awful existence was the icing on the cake. Man, I hated that piece of shit character with a vengeance, but obviously not as much as Wagner did!
Hat's off John Wagner, Feral got exactly what he deserved and I loved it. Death to the 'false continuity'. Now, just get those sorcerers to raise up Johnny and 'job done'...

I see McNulty as being a flawed hero type character, a bit like Dude in Rio Bravo. He's not above being a bam when people deserve it, as RAC says. It's a rough attitude, but he is a weegie, he's prob'ly nicked Feral's hubcaps an aw!

[bluemeanie]

I thought it was a bit harsh especially after 3 or 4 progs seeing him slogging his guts out to try and get Alpha brought back to life.
He got the kind of death you'd expect someone who betrayed him to get, not someone who tried to do the right thing, even if he failed.

[Richmond Clements]

not someone who tried to do the right thing

Ah, but he didn't do the right thing, did he!
He stole the body, then backed out a the deal that would see Johnny brought back to life, and after than buried the body and spent the next X number of years lying about it.

He got what he deserved!

[TordelBack]

I'd point out that in that oddly poetic way beloved of omnipotent supernatural beings everywhere,[spoiler] Feral now actually has given his life as part of the effort to bring Alpha back, thus fulfilling his part of the offered bargain with the Stone Wizards. You just know they'll see it that way.  [/spoiler]

As for Middenface, this was one of the most interesting things the character has ever done, and an excellent counterpoint to his youthful soldiering days.  Like Anderson, Middenface is more Grant's character nowadays than Wagner's,[spoiler] so it's fitting that as Wagner utterly destroys one of Grant's characters [/spoiler]he simultaneously develops another into something much more complex.  Could those last three pages have appeared in any other comic?  Utter failure, guilt and self-loathing on that scale, from a hero?  

It also highlights Wonderful-Life fashion what a universe without Johnny is like, how he elevated his friends beyond their enforced role of hired killer by his example. Even just in the recent stories, who went after Blood Moon and then threw the money away?  Who welched on the deal with Galactic when it was the right thing to do?  [spoiler]Middenface is right, Johnny would have found a way to get Feral out of there. [/spoiler] But only Johnny would.  

[flip-r mk2]

So you wouldn't be up for drawing a Feral strip for Dogbreath then Dog.

filip

[Alski]

Glad he's gone. Best ep so far of this strip, it actually made me give a toss.

[Mardroid]

I'd point out that in that oddly poetic way beloved of omnipotent supernatural beings everywhere,[spoiler] Feral now actually has given his life as part of the effort to bring Alpha back, thus fulfilling his part of the offered bargain with the Stone Wizards. You just know they'll see it that way.  [/spoiler]

Possibly, but they probably shouldn't. [spoiler]It wasn't intentional on Feral's part so probably won't count.[/spoiler]

As for Middenface, this was one of the most interesting things the character has ever done, .....  Could those last three pages have appeared in any other comic?  Utter failure, guilt and self-loathing on that scale, from a hero?  

[spoiler]I actually suspect it was Matson's idea although he went along with it, so no doubt he shares the blame. He isn't thick but she seems to be the brains of the two and I think there's a hard spine under that soft exterior. That certainly doesn't negate your point concerning Middenface's guilt and self-loathin. It shows something about the character that he was willing to own it, forcing himself to watch the execution.[/spoiler]

[TordelBack]

Sneck, I've just realised that Middenface is being positioned to offer his life for Johnny's. We know it can't be Precious, because it's her memoirs that are the source of the tale, and after this week's events how can he not do what Feral wouldn't?.    Don't do it y'bawheid!  

[House of Usher]

Radiator twigged that on July 31st.

[radiator]

I asked John Wagner a while ago if The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha is just the first book of a larger arc, and he said that while he didn't want to reveal too much,[spoiler] there are still going to be things left unresolved at the end of the current run.[/spoiler]

[TordelBack]

Radiator twigged that on July 31st.

Curse you subbies!  I forgot I hadn't read the spoilered bits of the Prog thread this week...

[Emperor]

[spoiler]I think there's a hard spine under that soft exterior.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]There would need to be as it has the weight of an extra boob to support (I know one girl who had to have breast reduction surgery because of her back).[/spoiler]