Durham Red: The Bitch

[Dash Decent]

Durham Red: The Bitch

Paperback, 144 pages, 16th September 2014

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Wasn't Bitch a Strontium Dog tale? Is this a reprint of that or a collection of Durham Red stuff?

[Dash Decent]

Simon & Schusters webpage says:

HER BITE IS MUCH WORSE THAN HER BARK!

In the far future Strontium-90 fallout has created a race of mutants, outcasts from society, despised by the 'norms' and given only the dirtiest job – bounty hunting. Johnny Alpha is one such mutant, working for the Search/Destroy Agency, hunting down the criminals for the Galactic Crime Commission.

When former US president Ronald Reagan is taken prisoner by a group of alien freedom fighters, Johnny reluctantly teams up with the bloodsucking femme fatale, Durham Red, to get him back. With ten million creds on the line, this job will be more difficult than most and Johnny Alpha will have to keep his x-ray eyes peeled on friend and enemy alike if he is to complete the job in one piece!

[IndigoPrime]

So that's the 128-page tale from Progs 505–529, already collected in the UK in search/destroy #4. Curious, but then I imagine the Ronald Reagan aspect will be good for US PR.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

So that's the 128-page tale from Progs 505–529, already collected in the UK in search/destroy #4. Curious, but then I imagine the Ronald Reagan aspect will be good for US PR.

Yeah, s'what I was gonna say.

[Dash Decent]

I really like the colours they've used on this, but the the title spoils it a bit - it looks like it's been written with correction fluid.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

Now that looks the business.

If Sexy Exquerra lady + former President in major supporting role isn't the right equation to break Wagner & Carlos's greatest creation on that side of the pond then let the missiles fly & God can sort 'em out.

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

This is an awesome story, but I hate that it's being presented as a Durham Red strip and not Strontium Dog.

The idea that Durham might be a better fit for US audiences than Johnny Alpha is going to die pretty quickly, especially as this bears little resemblance to her genuine solo appearances anyway.

[TordelBack]

I've never really liked Bitch - I think it was one too many Time Job stories for Johnny and Wulf, and the Reagan parody is just that bit too crude to be funny: they appear to have been transplanted into an episode of Spitting Image rather than the past.  Given Reagan's eventual decade-long battle with Alzheimer's, I think the humour struggles even more nowadays.  Ezquerra's Red is great of course, but as noted, doesn't bear much relation to the character's subsequent much longer career.

Still, worth a shot!

[TordelBack]

Wulf's not in it, is he?   

Silly Tordelback. 

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

the Reagan parody is just that bit too crude to be funny

On re-reading Bitch a couple of years back, I thought the humour stood up. The scene where Johnny, Durham and Reagan are all in the shower together is so eye-wateringly mad, it's hilarious.

[TordelBack]

On re-reading Bitch a couple of years back, I thought the humour stood up. The scene where Johnny, Durham and Reagan are all in the shower together is so eye-wateringly mad, it's hilarious.

That is certainly the highlight!

[Skullmo]

the Reagan parody is just that bit too crude to be funny

On re-reading Bitch a couple of years back, I thought the humour stood up. The scene where Johnny, Durham and Reagan are all in the shower together is so eye-wateringly mad, it's hilarious.

Agreed, I read it again arfet 15 years this year and it was excellent.

As to Red's later  (non Wagner/Grant) career I am not going there.

[JayzusB.Christ]

I really like the colours they've used on this, but the the title spoils it a bit - it looks like it's been written with correction fluid.

A pub owner said exactly the same thing today of the chalkboard I'd just spent hours painting for him. I have to do it again 

[PsychoGoatee]

Now that looks the business.

If Sexy Exquerra lady + former President in major supporting role isn't the right equation to break Wagner & Carlos's greatest creation on that side of the pond then let the missiles fly & God can sort 'em out.

I appreciate apocalyptic humor as much as the next guy, but I just never see a country get more flack on this global internet thingy than America on the 2000AD forum. Government is one thing, our citizens are going to be nuked if an 80s reprint doesn't sell?