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FINAL!!!! - The Killing v Rage - Bolt-01 Cup

Started by Colin YNWA, 19 October, 2021, 06:29:38 AM

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Colin YNWA

YES - it's here, what all this over complicated nonsense has boiled down to. What qualifying, play-offs (what the chuff was going on there???) and all those groups where no one knew which they had or hadn't voted for, all of that was for THIS.

The two Strontium Dog stories, featuring Johnny Alpha that are the most popular - EVER - battle it out to determine which rules supreme. I've learnt from this there is little point predicting these things, so I'm just going to sit back, watch and see what happens as we celebrate these two magnificent thrills.

As ever all you need to worry about is which of the following you prefer:

The Killing - more info

VS

Rage - more info

Just reply in this thread naming your favourite of these two stories at the beginning of your post (or use Bold tags so I can spot it easily) and say what you like about these wonderful stories after that.

EXTRA TIME - Just to make sure we have planned for extra time and penalties this one ends early on the morning of Saturday 23rd October and the winner ... well they lift the Bolt-01 Cup

... there's a spreadsheet to make following easier... if you fancy. If not, don't worry just VOTE!!!!

I've tried to explain the finals here.

What on Earth is ALL of this?

Why on Tharg's Earth head are we doing this?

Any questions, just ask as ever - and have FUN!

Oh and my 'More info' links... well I don't say how much more and they get pretty wonky at times!

broodblik

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Rogue Judge

#2
Rage

Other favorites that I would have been happy to see win include: Incident on Zeta...The Killing...Ragnarok Job...Shicklgruber Grab...Portrait of a Mutant.

However, I'm happy to see Rage win as Bubba took Wulf away from us in Ragnarok but we received the most satisfying revenge story ever as a result of Johnny's Rage. Also, I love the designs of Bubba's crew, the humor, and Western elements as always.

Edit- Thanks again Colin for running this fantastic contest, we appreciate you keeping track of all the "complicated nonsense" and keeping us on track, it all comes down to this!!

The Enigmatic Dr X

Lock up your spoons!

The Bissler


Barrington Boots

I'm voting for The Killing too. If I could only read one SD story and it was one of those two, I'd go with that.
You're a dark horse, Boots.

Magnetica


AlexF

I re-read a bunch of late-period Stront for this Tourney, but didn't bother with the classics because I feel I know them well enough... but maybe I don't? Is it cheating ot go an read both these stories before voting? At the moment my heart says Rage but my head says Killing, and I'm generally more of a head than heart kind of guy (which is how you end up deciding that Origins is better than Tour of Duty, y'know).

Good final!

broodblik

After this tourney I have to re-read The Killing. I can not remember it being on off those that you have to read but due to its popularity I will have to give it a go again.
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

GoGilesGo

I just re-read Rage in time for this match up. Fantastic pacing all the way through, peppered with some astonishing moments. Yes, 'Because I hate you' but even better is the split panel 'At Last!' thought, then spoken aloud through gritted teeth when Johnny finds the tattooist that will lead him to Bubba. In many ways a perfect story.

But...

The whole notion of S/D agents ruthlessly working The Killing is a masterstroke. Add to that the incredibly array of characters, the despots edging towards their nemesis, the Osmongs, the ceremonial sacrifice (if you were a barber living on Zed, surely you'd take a year's sabbatical just before your 44th birthday) and you approach perfection.

and then there is that ending.

When I first read this, aged 15 I thought Alan Grant had missed a trick. He should have had Johnny throw the time bomb at Wulf and pretend to kill him, then he would get to collect the bounty AND the jackpot. Decades on (older? wiser?) I fully appreciate the power of Wulf's parting line

"Ve hunt men for money ja, but we only hunt der guilty. Killing for the sake of killing - Ve do not do this. Is sick."

The Killing

Trooper McFad

Citizens are Perps who haven't been caught ... yet!

Timothy


credo


DrJomster

Fascinating voting, a wave of support for Rage only to be followed by a tsunami in favour the killing. It's actually the killing for me too. It lodged its way firmly into my brain all those years ago and is still a great read today.
The hippo has wisdom, respect the hippo.

Dark Jimbo

Portrait of a - Oh. Alright, then, The Killing instead. By virtue of being a more complete self-contained tale, it just edges out Rage; which has some cracking story beats and set pieces, but also a few longeurs and dead-ends. Damn close, though!
@jamesfeistdraws