Tharg's 2020 in Review - Best 2000 AD strips (non-Dredd)

[norton canes]

Hi, and welcome to the new, fully-integrated-into-Tharg's-2020-in-Review version of the annual best non-Dredd (and Cadet Dredd) 2000 AD strip of the year thread.

Please rank your favourite three 2000 AD strips from 2020, choosing from the list below. Your top choice will be awarded three points, your second choice two points and your third choice one point.

According to my calculations there are 28 strips in the running this year. I've taken the list from the strip breakdowns on the 2000 AD shop pages, so please let me know if I've missed anything.

I've included all the strips from the year's Regened progs: Finder & Keeper, Anderson Psi Division, Pandora Perfect and Department K, Gronks and Rogue Trooper. I've grouped Future Shocks, Time Twisters and Terror Tales together, but included the 3riller 'Saphir' as a separate strip. And unlike previous years, I've included strips that had jut one instalment, in the year's Christmas special. Hope that's all OK.

I'd be grateful if you could only vote using this format (although obviously feel free to add comments!):

1. [Favourite strip - name of strip as in list]
2. [Second favourite strip - name of strip as in list]
3. [Third favourite strip - name of strip as in list]

No reverse orders please as it invites mistakes on my part. Also no joint rankings, thanks. My Excel skills are being tested to the limit as it is!

A reminder of previous years' results: 2019 | 2018 | 2017

Will Brink finally be knocked off its perch? Get voting!


3rillers: Saphir
Anderson, Psi Division
Aquila
Brink
Deadworld (Visions of Deadworld)
Department K
The Diaboliks
Durham Red
Feral and Foe
Fiends of the Eastern Front
Finder & Keeper
Full Tilt Boogie
Future Shocks/Terror Tales/Time Twisters
Gronks
Hershey
Hook-Jaw
The Order
The Out
Pandora Perfect
Proteus Vex
Rogue Trooper
Sinister Dexter
Skip Tracer
Sláine
Stickleback
Strontium Dog
Survival Geeks
The Zaucer of Zilk

[norton canes]

I've just noticed that technically there should be another title added to that list, but doing so probably constitutes a spoiler 

Anyway...

1. Fiends of the Eastern Front
2. The Out
3. Feral and Foe

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

In 1- The Out
In 2- Brink
In 3- HookJaw

SBT

[abelardsnazz]

1. Deadworld (Visions of Deadworld). The creeping dread Kek and Dave have created won't leave.
2. Fiends of the Eastern Front. You can't keep a good bunch of vamps down.
3. Sinister Dexter. Nor a couple of wisecracking hitmen.

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

1) The Out
2) Fiends of the Eastern Front
3) Stickleback

Honourable Mentions: Brink, The Diaboliks, Feral and Foe, Full Tilt Boogie, Proteus Vex, Sinister Dexter, Skip Tracer and Survival Geeks

[sintec]

• The Out
• Fiends of the Eastern Front
• The Diaboliks

The Out was the knock out this year for me. The plot constantly kept us guessing where this was going and what and playing with expectations of what kind of story it was. Harrison's art captured some brilliantly bizarre alien landscapes and characters and really added a sense of wonder to the story.

Fiends played with all those familiar fantasy trope to spin up a backstory for Constanta. Trevallion's art was a wonder to behold throughout, his witches and dragons were superb.

Diaboliks was a an excellent horror romp and I loved the stark black and white art.

I hope we get more of all 3 next year.

[broodblik]

1. Proteus Vex
2. The Out
3. Fiends of the Eastern Front

Just want to add it is a pity I could not find a spot for Hook Jaw.

[Magnetica]

Dabnett clean sweep for me:

1 Brink
2 Feral and Foe
3 The Out

[Colin YNWA]

Really tough call this one but

1. The Out - Its not often a new story has such an impact
2. Proteus Vex - Its not often a new story has such an imp... oh...
3. Hershey - Its not often a new(ish) story has such an impact for all the wrong reasons for some - but you know what in and of itself I loved this one.

HM - Hookjaw - Its not often... okay I'll stop it, Fiends, Full Tilt Boogie. Oh and the only reason Brink isn't no. 1 is only about 1/4 appeared this year... and I still thought about it!

Christ I need a lay down after doing all those Reviews in one go - that was tough (well in a not really world tough, but nerd boy decision list making way...) AND there's a few more to come over the next few days...

[AlexF]

1. Full Tilt Boogie
2. The Diaboliks
3. The Out

[BPP]

1 - the out
2 - diaboliks
3 - proteus vex

The prog was great this year.

[Aaron A Aardvark]

1.  The Out
2. Brink
3. Deadworld

[TordelBack]

I thought this was one of the best years for non-Dredd strips in some time, possibly since the end of Dante. So it's really difficult to pick just 3, I'd be a lot happier ranking a Top 10: so many strips were on a par that it seems terrible to leave them out. As it is, I'm going to make my life a bit easier and exclude Brink from my personal consideration,  as 13 of the 20 parts of Hate Box ran in 2019, and I gave it my No. 1 then. Anyway:

1. The Out
2. Hook-Jaw
3. Proteus Vex

There was no question for me about The Out being No. 1: it was just page-after-page of lightly-written densely-drawn novelty and humanity, constantly keeping me guessing.
Hookjaw was the surprise of the year for me - this year's Max Normal, the strip I never knew I wanted - perfectly structured, brilliantly paced and lovingly drawn. A clever premise and a downright thrilling 2000AD tale.
I hummed and hawed quite a bit more with my 3rd place vote: really it could easily have been Fiends, The Order, Stickleback, Feral & Foe, Full Tilt Boogie or Survival Geeks.  I eventually plumped for Proteus Vex because it just squeezed in the start of a second run that made me realise how interesting I found it all, even when parted from Flint.

Outside of that lot, I greatly enjoyed Finder & Keeper, Dept K,  Pandora Perfect, the Deadworld shorts, the first part of Durham Red and, despite its scheduling nightmares,  Sinister Dexter.

Basically it's been a very good year for me, in this respect, if in no other.

[DrRocka]

1- The Out - by a mile, this kept me going through the darkness.
2- Hook Jaw - odd, but fun
3- Survival Geeks - I warmed to it in the end.

An odd year in the prog for me, but I'm bloody glad it was there throughout. Styrofoam cups to all the droids!

Honourable Mention: Damage Report. It's the little things that often count the most.

[I, Cosh]

I've also ruled out Brink for being last year's best story, so here goes.

01. Full Tilt Boogie. Space Opera fun with beautiful art, a complete story and a funny cat.

02. The Out. Space Opera fun with beautiful art and a funny bag.

03. Diaboliks. Wasn't at the same level as Absalom or Caballistics but time to get there and it was really great to see Dom Reardon back.