Prey (1982) Review

 

Prey is somewhat lowkey, but I do love the location and atmosphere.

WRITTEN BY

Jerry Paris, who was previously credited for assistance on Treachery. Someone's moving up the ranks! He also provides the art. 

PLOT

With Scorpio heavily damaged after a recent meteor storm, Avon and Vila are forced to bargain with a crime boss on Telkos for replacement parts. Unbeknownst to them, the disgraced warlord Valkac has hunted them down for vengeance... 

ANALYSIS

I've always thought of the Avon era of Blake's 7 as the period of the show where the crew transition from freedom fighters to space pirates. Now, obviously that's not exactly how it went down(in fact, Series D contains much more fighting against the Federation than Series C), but the fact that Avon is such a mercurial and selfish character means that by definition, the crew serving under him have to be more open to deliberate criminal activity without noble reasons. 

Under Blake, it often seemed like the crew were a family, or at least a group of good-hearted friends akin to Robin Hood's Merry Men. But this romantic element seemed to completely die out with Cally and the Liberator, leaving behind a detached, distrustful group of mercenaries, who know that they're only truly safe when everyone around them is dead. It's a huge reason why the space western vibe of the series hits its climax in Series D. 

When we see Avon and Vila stalk through the streets of Telkos, paranoid over every corner and about to cut a shady deal, that Mos Eisley "wretched hive of scum and villainy" atmosphere just shone through so well. It's become a nasty universe, where every man has to look out for himself and every scrap is precious. I find that to be a very evocative and relatable kind of setting, and I think even mediocre stories become much more interesting when looked through those lenses.

For example: Prey. It's practically a nothing story, bringing back a lame villain from the previous comic strip and having him display just as much incompetence here as he did there. But when I allow myself to enjoy the sci-fi noir world around Avon and Vila, its decrepitude and uncertainties, it becomes more than that. It's a reminder that the Federation are hardly the only enemies out there. Every shadow could hide another Valkac, ready to slit the crew's throats for treasure or petty payback. 

CHARACTERS

Not much to really say here. Some typical Avon/Vila banter. Obviously the attention is on the return of Valkac, in a rare display of solid continuity for the comic series. The only problem is that Valkac is just an evil thug and has never displayed any semblance of personality beyond that of a cave troll who attacks anything that pisses him off. I wonder if he'll ever actually show up again for a final showdown. 

I found Pellorim Vac Vanner to be a vaguely interesting character, in that he's basically a kinder Jabba the Hutt(so, Jabba the Hutt as played by Declan Mulholland). It's always cool to see Avon's previous criminal contacts and get some hints about his life pre-B7. I wish there was more of him in this, and less Valkac.

NOTES

*This comic was originally published in the Blake's 7 Marvel Monthly issue 10.

*Avon refers to the bracelet communicator as a "wrist con". Maybe it's supposed to be com?

*It's a bit unclear what exactly Vanner is supposed to be giving Avon. At first I thought it was just unnamed contraband, but it appears to be merely parts to repair Scorpio from the unexpected storm that hit it on the way to Telkos. Which means that the actual reason for the ship having come there in the first place is never explained. 

*Vila deciding not to bring his ("lazer") handgun with him out of fear of shooting his foot off is some next level idiocy. It's like Space Fall all over again. 

*For some reason, the Federation troopers don't have their iconic green circular thingamajigs around their helmets.

*I kinda love how traditional Vila is in that his idea of a good time is "wine, women and song". He'd feel right at home in medieval times. 

INFORMATION!

*Valkac is found on Fangal Minor amidst the wreckage of Federation battle cruisers and rebel ships, after the battle we saw at the end of Treachery. 

*Avon appears to have encountered Vanner on several previous occasions, and is on fairly good terms with him. 

BEST QUOTE AVON QUOTE

AVON: "Did anyone ever tell you, Vila, that you are as spineless as a Chakani worm?"
VILA: "I tell myself every morning... it keeps me out of trouble."

CONCLUSION

Bad comic, but it's a neat snapshot of a really good era. So I can forgive it.