Sideshow Vote II: Simply the best – Takedown 4

[broodblik]

Welcome to the fourth knockout round where we will choose our favorite story arc.

We already have five story arcs that has qualified.

Whom is the next to do a takedown? The best Nemesis book is naturally The Gothic Empire (Book IV):
-   Yay, you are spot on
-   Nay, surely you are mistaken it must be .................................

[Funt Solo]

Nopers! While I have a soft spot for Book III, and the sudden appearance of Mek-Quake, Book IV suffers even more from changing artists, Nemesis wandering around in human garb and the crossover with ABC Warriors, which (while fun) makes this a watered down Nemesis tale. It's quite tempting to go with the wonderful horror of Redondo's spider planet, but that's a bit more like Torquemada Book I.

So, of course, it's the outright weirdness of Book I that's the winner - where Nemesis is still an unknown quantity to a great extent. This is where the magic lives.

[Colin YNWA]

Similar to Funt Solo I'm very tempted to go for Redondo's spiders and Book 3 is a real tour de Force but yeah its

Book 1

for opening a world of wonder in such a creative style.

[Magnetica]

I'm going to say Book VI for those scenes at the end of the Earth and Talbot's wonderfully gothic art.

Do love Books I, III, IV and V as well though.

[AlexF]

Unfathomably tough this one. It's definitely between Books I and IV for me. And not coincidentally, these are the first two I had access to. Book IV I had the Titan collection so it as a super-satisfying complete read; Book I had most of in the Monthlies but could definitely tell there were bits missing especially the opening episodes.

I guess Book I hs the advantage of being the one that sets the scene and has an amazing ideas + characters per page rate, and by gosh Termight is an amazing place. Book IV has Bryan Talbot being all moody and delightful and I loved seeing the ABC Warriors show up one by one, and of course there's that hit of Kev O'Neill madness, at perhaps the height of his not giving a toss mad ideas phase.

Do you know what, I've talked myself into agreeing that yes, The Gothic Empire IS the best Nemesis.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

I love Nemesis for all the same reasons everyone else does. But for me, peak Nem was Book II- because that was when it had the most profound effect on me. The spiders! That page with the trapdoor spider getting his victim! Sheer horror of a kind you never see in 2000AD today.

SBT

[Huey2]

Tough call. Pat Mills is always at his best when he is creating something new and Nemesis has the advantage that for most of the books it's reinventing itself in a new bizarre setting.

Most exciting at the time? Gotta' be Book IV. After Kev O'Neill's " Will they ever return? - Probably not" statement from the Titan Books, the realisation that it wasn't just the Ro-Busters cast that were coming back was great and each week couldn't come soon enough. Bonus points for killing Happy Shrapnel off off-panel in a non-heroic death - 2000AD could be brutal at the time.

Most potent imagery? Gotta' be Book VI. I used to live near Pat's old stomping ground of Colchester. about a half hour drive from there's a clifftop which was being steadily washed away by the sea ( There's a church and other buildings completely swallowed up by the sea now). I don't know if this was the inspiration for Book VI but I found it impossible to visit without picturing those scenes. Career best artwork from Bryan Talbot too.

Best?  Book III. " Gaze into the fist of death" is awesome but I'd say the image of Nemesis surfing on a spear he's using to skewer Terminators is not only better but also something you could only see in comics. Nemesis also gets to play the evil genie role well. Some great Uncle Baal stuff! Mek Quake! And career best artwork by Kevin O'Neill.

[broodblik]

You have until Monday to decide whom your Nemesis is

[broodblik]

Voting Closed

Nemesis Book 1 alien himself into the finale