Mutants, warped from birth by Strontium 90 fallout in the last great war, can only find work as bounty hunters. Known as Strontium Dogs , these men and women enact justice throughout a cruel and unforgiving universe, a hard and dangerous life where only the toughest can survive. One such man is Johnny Alpha, a mutant with the ability to emit powerful Alpha-Rays from his eyes, whose ruthless efficiency is matched by his ‘norm’ partner Wulf.
Taking the strips from the much missed Starlord (including the annuals which appeared long after the comic bit the dust and a summer special tale), this introduces Johnny Alpha to the masses, a comic character who would go on (through 2000AD) to become a real British icon. Created by Wagner & Ezquerra, this benefits greatly from the former’s no-nonsense writing style and the latter’s dense work, which here includes flashes of psychedelic colour. With additional art from the likes of Ian Gibson and Brendan McCarthy, this is beautiful to look at and the reproductions are excellent. A real blast from the past for me (the only story I remembered vividly was the summer special one), this is hugely entertaining as it lays the groundwork for a protagonist who would go from strength to strength in 2000AD over the years. Very highly recommended.