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Strontium Dog: Search/Destroy Agency Files #2
Strontium Dog: Search/Destroy Agency Files, Vol. 2
Following the Atom Wars in the 22nd century, many of the survivors were mutated by the Strontium 90 fallout. Unable to get regular jobs, forced into ghettoes and considered an underclass by the 'norms', the only work open to them was bounty hunting. One such S/D Agent is Johnny Alpha, whose eyes enable him to see through solid objects.
Collects:
- Portrait of a Mutant (Progs #200-#221)
- The Gronk Affair (Progs #224-#227)
- The Kid-Knee Caper (Progs #228-#233)
- The Moses Incident (Progs #335-#345)
- The Killing (Progs #350-#359)
- Outlaw (Progs #363-#385)
Collects:
- Portrait of a Mutant (Progs #200-#221)
- The Gronk Affair (Progs #224-#227)
- The Kid-Knee Caper (Progs #228-#233)
- The Moses Incident (Progs #335-#345)
- The Killing (Progs #350-#359)
- Outlaw (Progs #363-#385)
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Alan Grant
1,717 books144 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 20, 2016
This is the second volume of 2000 AD's b/w collection of the Strontium Dog material from the 2000 AD magazine (home of Judge Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock and many other brilliant British science fiction (and fantasy) series). The material is written by co-creator John Wagner and his oft-time partner in crime Alan Grant, and drawn by co-creator Carlos Ezquerra, with the exception from the final short story "Strontium Dog" (from 2000 AD Annual 1982, which is written by Gary rice and drawn Steven Kyte (and in all honesty is not too impressive, especially not by comparison).
If the first volume, which is also highly recommended for fans of British science fiction comics of the 70s and '80s, focused on short Strontium Dog stories, this one offers lengthier arcs and consequently more complex adventures for mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha and his Viking norm partner Wulf Sternhammer.
First out is the 19-parter "Portrait of a Mutant", which admittedly features Sternhammer very little as deals with Johnny Alpha's back story. It gives us a good insight into the world of Alpha, his origin, and the politics of one Nelson Kreelman and the war between his forces and freedom fighters in the mutant army. It also gives us the origin of the T-weapons (i.e. weapons based on time technology) favoured by Alpha throughout the stories.
This lengthy arc is followed by the by comparison short 4-parter "The Gronk Affair", in which poachers are threatening the lives and hides of Alpha and Sternhammer's alien sidekick, the Gronk.
In the 6-parter "The Kid Knee Caper", Alpha and Sternhammer team up with retired Search/Destroy Agent Kid Knee in search of the nasty criminal known as the Mutator.
In the 11-parter "The Moses Incident", Alpha accidentally kills an innocent child and what follows is a story of regret, and what that emotion taken to its extremes can lead to.
In the 10-parter "The Killing", Alpha and Sternhammer have entered a deadly competition, but not in order to play the game and win (i.e. by killing off all the contestants – and only ONE winner allowed), but rather to kill off all participants with outstanding warrants and collect bounty on them. All in all, a very classic 2000 AD story of this era.
The final long story (almost the final story) in the volume is the 23-parter "Outlaw". In this tale, the Search/Destroy Agents known as the Stix brothers frames Alpha and Sternhammer, while a new director of the S/D Agency is instated. His name is Norman King and not only is a mutant hater, but he most certainly have a secret agenda. It is a very good story and nicely ties in with the opening story ("Portrait of a Mutant") on several levels, the least of which not being Alpha's reunion with some of his companions from the mutant liberation war against Kreelman and his forces.
All in all, it is a good and fun read. The short chapters (about 5-6 pages each) are well structured and gives the narrative some pulse, even in the lengthier stories. If you like Judge Dredd or material from 2000 AD in general, you should definitely check it out. But that recommendation is equally true if you want to get a good glimpse of what the SF scene in British comics was like in the '70s and 80s. Warmly recommended!
If the first volume, which is also highly recommended for fans of British science fiction comics of the 70s and '80s, focused on short Strontium Dog stories, this one offers lengthier arcs and consequently more complex adventures for mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha and his Viking norm partner Wulf Sternhammer.
First out is the 19-parter "Portrait of a Mutant", which admittedly features Sternhammer very little as deals with Johnny Alpha's back story. It gives us a good insight into the world of Alpha, his origin, and the politics of one Nelson Kreelman and the war between his forces and freedom fighters in the mutant army. It also gives us the origin of the T-weapons (i.e. weapons based on time technology) favoured by Alpha throughout the stories.
This lengthy arc is followed by the by comparison short 4-parter "The Gronk Affair", in which poachers are threatening the lives and hides of Alpha and Sternhammer's alien sidekick, the Gronk.
In the 6-parter "The Kid Knee Caper", Alpha and Sternhammer team up with retired Search/Destroy Agent Kid Knee in search of the nasty criminal known as the Mutator.
In the 11-parter "The Moses Incident", Alpha accidentally kills an innocent child and what follows is a story of regret, and what that emotion taken to its extremes can lead to.
In the 10-parter "The Killing", Alpha and Sternhammer have entered a deadly competition, but not in order to play the game and win (i.e. by killing off all the contestants – and only ONE winner allowed), but rather to kill off all participants with outstanding warrants and collect bounty on them. All in all, a very classic 2000 AD story of this era.
The final long story (almost the final story) in the volume is the 23-parter "Outlaw". In this tale, the Search/Destroy Agents known as the Stix brothers frames Alpha and Sternhammer, while a new director of the S/D Agency is instated. His name is Norman King and not only is a mutant hater, but he most certainly have a secret agenda. It is a very good story and nicely ties in with the opening story ("Portrait of a Mutant") on several levels, the least of which not being Alpha's reunion with some of his companions from the mutant liberation war against Kreelman and his forces.
All in all, it is a good and fun read. The short chapters (about 5-6 pages each) are well structured and gives the narrative some pulse, even in the lengthier stories. If you like Judge Dredd or material from 2000 AD in general, you should definitely check it out. But that recommendation is equally true if you want to get a good glimpse of what the SF scene in British comics was like in the '70s and 80s. Warmly recommended!
October 2, 2020
I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book. There's still a dash of nonsense running through it, but the main themes are stronger this time.
I remember reading The Moses Incident as a kid, it was great to re-read it.
I remember reading The Moses Incident as a kid, it was great to re-read it.
September 13, 2018
Back then....
Just took a hop back to childhood.... artwork is what it was. Think my paper samling from then can now be konverted to the digital. But don’t try to explain to the kids 😊
Just took a hop back to childhood.... artwork is what it was. Think my paper samling from then can now be konverted to the digital. But don’t try to explain to the kids 😊
December 1, 2012
Contains 3 very good story lines with the brilliant book endings of "Portrait of a Mutant" and "Outlaw".
There really should be a movie series based on this.
There really should be a movie series based on this.
April 9, 2022
This collection opens with the epic (19 parts) ‘Portrait of a Mutant’, in which Johnny Alpha’s origin story is finally revealed. It’s a cracker, and goes a long way to explaining how Alpha would grow to be the stone-cold killer that we know and love. The story doesn’t pull any punches, literally, with scenes of domestic abuse and violence set against a backdrop of rising anti-mutant sentiment that reflects the persecution faced by Jews in Nazi Germany. The rise of right-wing despots, labour camps that morph into death camps, a plucky band of resistance fighters who battle against overwhelming odds, this story has it all, and contains many elements that seem even more timely now than when they were written. The plot satisfies on many levels, although it fizzles out somewhat at the end, being saved only by the framing sequences which bookend the story. Unsurprisingly, and in another steal from Star Wars, it turns out that father issues play a large part in Alpha’s story.
The Gronk is a timid, meat-eating alien that befriended our heroes and died at the end of the story in which he was introduced. Alpha and sidekick Wulf Sternhammer – who wears the original Gronk’s pelt as a mark of respect – soon hooked up with another member of the same race (they all have the same name) and ‘The Gronk Affair’ is a short but grisly tale that has the whole species being threatened by fur trappers.
‘The Kid Knee Caper’ is a straightforward Western with our intrepid trio on the trail of a shape-changing mutant. The next story, ‘The Moses Incident’, is a really grim tale revolving around the death of a child, and a tortured Alpha’s attempt to have him brought back to life by the evil sorcerer Malak Brood. Anyone who’s read (or seen) Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, or W. W. Jacob’s The Monkey’s Paw, will probably be able to guess how that all works out.
‘The Killing’ is a nice palate cleanser after the mental anguish and moral ambiguities of the previous story. It’s a great, though simple, idea: Johnny and Wulf enter a game in which all contestants have to kill each other. Almost every participant is a wanted criminal, and our intrepid bounty hunters go through them, over the course of ten lively chapters, like fat through a goose.
‘Outlaw!’ is the longest story in the collection, at 23 parts. It’s basically Portrait of a Mutant part two, with many of the old team reunited for a story that sees a return to the guerrilla warfare and political machinations of that story. Stix, just like the Gronk, had been introduced and killed in the very same story. Here it’s his twin brothers (who handily look and act exactly like their dead brother) pitted against Johnny and Wulf. There are a never-ending amount of Stix’s: in recent strips it’s a cousin working alongside Alpha.
With the exception of one unremarkable Annual story by Steve Kyte, Carlos Ezquerra is responsible for drawing all the stories in this collection (which also includes a covers gallery). Although his work can often look rushed, there’s no denying that he totally owns this character, and his bold layouts are never at the expense of clear storytelling. Everyone’s settled in nicely and this is a good, solid bunch of stories that were easily able to hold their own at a time when 2000 AD was enjoying its golden age.
The Gronk is a timid, meat-eating alien that befriended our heroes and died at the end of the story in which he was introduced. Alpha and sidekick Wulf Sternhammer – who wears the original Gronk’s pelt as a mark of respect – soon hooked up with another member of the same race (they all have the same name) and ‘The Gronk Affair’ is a short but grisly tale that has the whole species being threatened by fur trappers.
‘The Kid Knee Caper’ is a straightforward Western with our intrepid trio on the trail of a shape-changing mutant. The next story, ‘The Moses Incident’, is a really grim tale revolving around the death of a child, and a tortured Alpha’s attempt to have him brought back to life by the evil sorcerer Malak Brood. Anyone who’s read (or seen) Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, or W. W. Jacob’s The Monkey’s Paw, will probably be able to guess how that all works out.
‘The Killing’ is a nice palate cleanser after the mental anguish and moral ambiguities of the previous story. It’s a great, though simple, idea: Johnny and Wulf enter a game in which all contestants have to kill each other. Almost every participant is a wanted criminal, and our intrepid bounty hunters go through them, over the course of ten lively chapters, like fat through a goose.
‘Outlaw!’ is the longest story in the collection, at 23 parts. It’s basically Portrait of a Mutant part two, with many of the old team reunited for a story that sees a return to the guerrilla warfare and political machinations of that story. Stix, just like the Gronk, had been introduced and killed in the very same story. Here it’s his twin brothers (who handily look and act exactly like their dead brother) pitted against Johnny and Wulf. There are a never-ending amount of Stix’s: in recent strips it’s a cousin working alongside Alpha.
With the exception of one unremarkable Annual story by Steve Kyte, Carlos Ezquerra is responsible for drawing all the stories in this collection (which also includes a covers gallery). Although his work can often look rushed, there’s no denying that he totally owns this character, and his bold layouts are never at the expense of clear storytelling. Everyone’s settled in nicely and this is a good, solid bunch of stories that were easily able to hold their own at a time when 2000 AD was enjoying its golden age.
December 31, 2020
The second Strontium Dog / Johnny Alpha collection is a very good one and recommended for those new to the characters. Unlike the rather uneven first collection, this one features a bunch of very strong stories.
The first story, "Portrait of a Mutant", looks the origins of Johnny Alpha: born with mutant eyes due to a strontium-90 shower, discovering the power of his eyes and seeing things he wasn't aware of, like that he is the mutant son of a power-mad politician who has built up his popularity based on hating mutants. Locked up to keep him secret, Johnny escapes, joins the mutant army and now fights against his father to free all mutants. At the negotiated peace settlement, Johnny and other mutant leaders agree to exile and join the now formed Search / Destroy agency as bounty hunters.
"The Moses Incident" shows Johnny at his emotional worst when a boy is accidentally killed during a Search / Destroy operation. Feeling deep guilt at causing his death, Johnny has the boy dug up from his grave and goes to Malak Brood, a dark sorcerer with the power to bring back the dead. It would require a mother's love to free the boy and Johnny from Brood's influence.
"Outlaw" is an appropriate closure to the book. Johnny's father has escaped imprisonment (at the end of "Portrait of a Mutant") and now plots to destroy Johnny by framing him with murder, causing the Search / Destroy agency to put out a bounty on him. The friendships forged during the mutant wars are all that would save Johnny from certain torture and death at the hands of his father.
The first story, "Portrait of a Mutant", looks the origins of Johnny Alpha: born with mutant eyes due to a strontium-90 shower, discovering the power of his eyes and seeing things he wasn't aware of, like that he is the mutant son of a power-mad politician who has built up his popularity based on hating mutants. Locked up to keep him secret, Johnny escapes, joins the mutant army and now fights against his father to free all mutants. At the negotiated peace settlement, Johnny and other mutant leaders agree to exile and join the now formed Search / Destroy agency as bounty hunters.
"The Moses Incident" shows Johnny at his emotional worst when a boy is accidentally killed during a Search / Destroy operation. Feeling deep guilt at causing his death, Johnny has the boy dug up from his grave and goes to Malak Brood, a dark sorcerer with the power to bring back the dead. It would require a mother's love to free the boy and Johnny from Brood's influence.
"Outlaw" is an appropriate closure to the book. Johnny's father has escaped imprisonment (at the end of "Portrait of a Mutant") and now plots to destroy Johnny by framing him with murder, causing the Search / Destroy agency to put out a bounty on him. The friendships forged during the mutant wars are all that would save Johnny from certain torture and death at the hands of his father.
October 22, 2023
I now see that the strips I disliked in the first volume were included to set up characters who return in this one. This is really fun stuff, marrying pulpy SF to a bit of social commentary (the bulk of the book is a long storyline following the anti-mutant discrimination in the post-apocalyptic UK prior to the existence of the Strontium Dogs). Tremendously enjoyable.
March 25, 2021
A fantastic collection of stories. Portrait of a Mutant feels very relevant. Both the Moses Incident and the Kid Knee Caper are really quite melancholy and Outlaw is a cracking story where we meet an old enemy.
October 4, 2017
Such good stuff, really good stuff. Long nice epics with great Esquerra art. In this volume Grant found voice for Doggy and haven't lost it since. Good stuff
May 25, 2018
18/20.
May 25, 2018
Everything in this is a stone cold classic, simple as.
September 23, 2018
More good stories from Johnny Alpha.
August 8, 2020
Again, good comics but not as good as others from 2000ad
August 7, 2022
Some of the best Strontium Dog stories in here and Ezquerra’s artwork is phenomenal
November 30, 2024
Phenomenal. One of the best all round collections of Stront.
January 9, 2016
While volume 1 gave us a collection of short stories that were essentially "case of the week", it's clear that by this volume, Strontium Dog had really found its feet, containing two epic-length stories with "Portrait of a Mutant" and "Outlaw", with a variety of shorter stories in between.
I really enjoyed how a great deal of this volume went deep into the psychology of our anti-hero Johnny Alpha, with "Portrait of a Mutant" revealing the early years of his character, and even the shorter stories like "The Moses Incident" exploring what happens when one tragedy comes close to pushing him over the edge and making a terrible decision.
"The Killing" is pure fun, as Johnny and Wulf take part in a contest to be last man standing against a ton of other killers. "Outlaw" is a great story to end the collection with, as it's not only a great story of Johnny up against all the other bounty hunters but, without going into too much detail, deals with a few major loose ends, too.
Chances are, the stories you'd get in this volume are stories you've experienced a few times before, such as the "Battle Royale" style of "The Killing" or the classic "hero on the run" story with "Outlaw". But with great characters like Johnny Alpha, Wulf Stenhammer and other classic bounty hunters (I think "the Torso" is my favourite - great design, plus incredibly cool to have a badass bounty hunter who's only able to communicate through sign language), the gritty artwork of Carlos Ezquerra, and the writing of John Wagner & Alan Grant providing just the right amount of both thrills and depth, this is a really great, fun read.
I really enjoyed how a great deal of this volume went deep into the psychology of our anti-hero Johnny Alpha, with "Portrait of a Mutant" revealing the early years of his character, and even the shorter stories like "The Moses Incident" exploring what happens when one tragedy comes close to pushing him over the edge and making a terrible decision.
"The Killing" is pure fun, as Johnny and Wulf take part in a contest to be last man standing against a ton of other killers. "Outlaw" is a great story to end the collection with, as it's not only a great story of Johnny up against all the other bounty hunters but, without going into too much detail, deals with a few major loose ends, too.
Chances are, the stories you'd get in this volume are stories you've experienced a few times before, such as the "Battle Royale" style of "The Killing" or the classic "hero on the run" story with "Outlaw". But with great characters like Johnny Alpha, Wulf Stenhammer and other classic bounty hunters (I think "the Torso" is my favourite - great design, plus incredibly cool to have a badass bounty hunter who's only able to communicate through sign language), the gritty artwork of Carlos Ezquerra, and the writing of John Wagner & Alan Grant providing just the right amount of both thrills and depth, this is a really great, fun read.
August 22, 2014
Another good volume of Strontium Dog action. A 3 and a half. This one contains longer stories than Volume 1. The last third of the book is the 20-something part Outlaw arc. And the first chunk details Johnny's background.
It's slighty odd reading these early 80's comic strips as a 40 year old in 2014... I would have been 8/9 when they were first published (although I never read 2000AD as a boy). So what's it got going for it? Mainly, the situations Johnny is involved in challenge strong themes like prejudice, sadism, hunting and corruption. All mixed up with plenty of violence and hints of horror. Much spicier than the comics my 8 year old typically gets, that's for sure.
It's not as good as Dredd but still classic stuff.
It's slighty odd reading these early 80's comic strips as a 40 year old in 2014... I would have been 8/9 when they were first published (although I never read 2000AD as a boy). So what's it got going for it? Mainly, the situations Johnny is involved in challenge strong themes like prejudice, sadism, hunting and corruption. All mixed up with plenty of violence and hints of horror. Much spicier than the comics my 8 year old typically gets, that's for sure.
It's not as good as Dredd but still classic stuff.
September 1, 2014
Covering the stories printed between Progs 200-385, this collection gives a lot of background to Johnny Alpha and how he ended up as a bounty hunter. Pat Mills has been revisiting some of this history in recent 2000ADs, so it was interesting to compare the different emphases between the two tellings.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews