The Law In Order: Smoker’s Crime

With the current Prog so bland that they are literally putting white sheets on the cover now, Orlok takes another trip down memory lane. Next up is Smoker’s Crime, a curious tale of robbery, throat cancer and cultural misappropriation…

DATELINE:
July 2099 (Prog 23).

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?:
Gerry Finley-Day produces another stinker. Mick McMahon does his best with the art.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (IN ONE SENTENCE)?:
Dredd’s investigation of a gang of some smoking bank robbers leads him to a cigar store.

ANY LAW LORE?:
Lawmasters have a built in street scanner.
Anti-Smoking laws are in place as a nice precursor to the way modern society is cracking down on the evil shit.

ANY TEETHING TROUBLES?:
The Big Meg is apparently still on the imperial system, using yards as a unit of measurement.

WHAT THE DROKK?:
If smoking is only allowed in the smokatorium, why is it sold outside of it? Wouldn’t it make more sense to only sell in the one place it can be legally used to cut down on the misuse?
The totally silent alarm is labelled in a Bat Cave sort of way.
Caribbean is spelled incorrectly at one point.
The store Indian smacks of another time but even then (the 70s), the process had been largely discontinued with the figures being seen as collectors’ items of folk art. I know the art is a reflection of the time but this really seems anachronistic.

WHAT’S THE ART LIKE?:
Some really good art throughout but again the colours have yet to settle down.

HOW MANY LINKS?:
Two links for this one since the script is weak and only some nice visuals from McMahon lift this out of the toilet. The whole thing is sloppier than a blowie from Stephen Hawking.