Strontium Dog: Two-Faced Terror!, Part 1

NAME
Strontium Dog: Two-Faced Terror!, Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
Starlord No 12

DATELINE
29 July 78

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Strontium Dog Book 1 and Strontium Dog Search/Destroy Agency Files 01

SYNOPSIS
Johny and Wulf get their man and, tired of being challenged, they go after another.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First 6 page Strontium Dog strip.

INFORMATION
The Spice system is at the edge of explored space and contains the planets Paprika and Coriander. Paprika has a town with a bathhouse, a sauna, a hotel and a police office. Out of town is an area called The Big Dusty. Passengers can wait five days for a shuttle to visit Paprika.

Rajus Minor is another inhabited world.

There is apparently considerable cachet in having killed a Strontium Dog. No Strontium Dog ever lived to die of old age.

JOHNNY ALPHA
He and Wulf catch Spiro on Paprika and take him into custody. The local Police Chief attempts to induce him to arrest Billy Joe, Johnny declines and the Chief gives him the 50,000 credit reward in case he changes his mind. Johnny is challenged by four gunmen, he tosses a coin and while they are distracted melts their guns with his blaster.

WULF STERNHAMMER
He and Johnny catch Spiro on Paprika and take him into custody.

OTHER CHARACTERS
SPIRO
He is wanted on Rajus Minor. Johnny and Wulf catch him on Paprika and take him into custody. The have him locked in the police office awaiting a shuttle due in five days.

BILLY JOE
He lives on Paprika and has a price on his head on 50,000 credits. He collects Strontium Dog badges.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Johnny: "Maybe you kids don't know how fast I am. Watch this coin -" [He shoots]
Kid: "H-He's melted our guns!"

WORST LINES
Wulf (while pushing Spiro into the lap of a very surprised bather): "You forgot your bath!"
Johnny: "Nice work, Wulf. Come on, Spiro - you're all washed up!" [He squeezes a sponge over Spiro's head]

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: T.B. Grover
Artist: Ezquerra
Letters: Peter Knight

REVIEW
This begins as the most explicitly Western Strontium Dog story yet: the local sheriff, the dustbowl and street shootout. The format shifts slightly as Johnny and Wulf catch up to their quarry almost straight away and spend the rest of this part trying to avoid the challenges and almost reluctantly take on the 50,000 credit bounty of Billy Joe. The Police Chief giving Johnny the reward as an incentive and Johnny's coin toss are te definite highlights.

Next Week: 'Alpha's Dead!'