It’s the last one of the week and luckily, Wagner is back on the typewriter. Satire, nice art and some corruption from Dredd make this a nice change from the usual. Over to Orlok…
DATELINE:
August 2099 (Prog 25).
WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?:
John Wagner is back on satire duty and Ian Gibson is there to work his magic.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT (IN ONE SENTENCE)?:
A snuff game show brings a crackdown by Judge Dredd.
IT’S CULTURAL, INNIT?:
Baby Bob Nicely says “Good game! Good game!” in an apparent homage to the late great Bruce Forsyth.
You Bet Your Life was an actual 1950s gameshow presented by Groucho Marx.
Morticia may be a reference to Morticia Addams.
ANY TEETHING TROUBLES?:
Mutant-Land is referred to rather than the Cursed Earth.
WHAT THE DROKK?:
Walter is a free robot and therefore subject to Mega City Law. After Dredd catches him watching the outlawed game show, Dredd mentions he could have the metal prick dismantled, Do different sentences apply to Walter, or is it a capital offence for any citizen to watch it? If so, how come Dredd lets Walter get away with it?
It’s also disturbing that Walter’s favourite show is one that features humans being murdered. He’s showing his true colours at last,
Dredd uses Walter’s receiving signal to track the source. Can’t Justice Department do this themselves?
The Big Meg is described as being “a vast metropolis of the 22nd Century” even though it is still the 21st century.
WHAT’S THE ART LIKE?:
It’s lovely to look at and the characterisation here is brilliant. Again, though, the colours are not quite there. There’s something quite disturbing about Walter apparently mounting Dredd with a cry to “open the box”.
HOW MANY LINKS?:
Quality dark humour and some lovely art gets this four links.
Everything Comes Back To 2000AD 
‘Nail this bum, and fast’ … ‘Walter mounts Dredd and shouts ‘open the box’.
Quality arse rape humour. Wagner and MacManus were sharing a flat at this point – I don’t think there’s any doubt who went topsies in that dynamic.