Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Zenith vs. Harry Twenty Round 2 Heat 20

[Colin YNWA]

If anything , were you to ask me - and I'm sure you all would - I'd suggest that Week 3 of Round 2 is even stronger than Week 2. Some really big guns, some real contenders for the semis, even possibly taking the title, they won't all be like this!

Another tie that will get the TV execs rubbing their hands together with glee. A popular classic will fall here. Zenith must have a shout at the Quarters, even possibly the semis? But Harry Twenty is sure to offer stiff early competition. Could we be in for a shock here?:

Zenith - more info

Vs

Harry Twenty - more info

Just reply in this thread naming your favourite thrill of these two series 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.

Match ends early on the morning of Friday 4th February  and the winner gets a place in Round 3 (of 9!!!).

What on Earth is ALL of this?

For those that need 'um and can be bothered to follow 'um there's some simple rules

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

[broodblik]

Zenith, personally I believe this is Grant Morrison's greatest work ever (I struggle to really enjoy most of his other work). I also really like Harry Twenty and lets give GFD the credit for a great one-off series.

[Trooper McFad]

Zenith

[Huey2]

Zenith.

[Rogue Judge]

I'm going to be the minority here, but I'll vote for Harry Twenty.

I bought all the Zenith HCs a 4-5 years back and read them for the first time and they really didnt do much for me BUT I know why...I got into 2000AD to escape Marvel/Superhero comics at the time and, although a unique take on the superhero genre, its not what I was looking for from Tharg. Give my future cops, bounty hunters and whet talking dogs, not flying teenagers. 

I found Harry, however, to be part of the early fun 2000AD stories that I just enjoyed.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Zenith.  I also think it's Morrison's best work.  It's a masterpiece.

[Timothy]

Zenith. Obviously.

[abelardsnazz]

I have a large soft spot for Harry 20, but Morrison and Yeowell created a masterpiece.

Zenith.

[GoGilesGo]

I'm with Rogue Judge in the minority here.

I recently re-read the whole of Zenith and it sort of left me cold. Some truly great moments but it just does not hold together as well as Harry Twenty. The stakes where high in both but boy oh boy, I'm can still viscerally remember the dejection I felt when Old Ben revealed his true identity.

Bonus points for some of the most pun-tastic names every to grace the Prog.

[Barrington Boots]

I also think Zenith is Morrison and Yeowell's greatest work, although the last book is the weakest imo.
No contest.

[credo]

I also think Zenith is Morrison and Yeowell's greatest work, although the last book is the weakest imo.
No contest.

I also have to go for Zenith, which is utterly, utterly brilliant. I can see why some judge Phase IV as the weakest, but I think that's partly the lapse in time between Phases III and IV, leading to a slight tonal change. It's still a fantastic, definitive end to the story, and I absolutely love his jumping on the baggy/rave bandwagon.

[AlexF]

Harry 20 for me. I think it's mostly down to when I read all this stuff for the first time.
Harry 20 in the Best of.. reprints in big chunks, SUPER satisfying, a real page-turner of an adventure with clever minute-to-minute plotting (and never mind the physics), and probably the first epic-length 2000AD story I read.

Zenith I read bits of the second half of Phase III when it was in the Prog and couldn't follow a word of it. Zenith himself was barely in it! Phase IV was the only one I read 'live' and as a result I rather like that book - but fundamentally I feel betrayed by Zenith as a story that claims* to be the cynical adventures of a superpowered bratty popstar, but is actually a rather nasty horror story about elder gods invading Earth.

I'll concede that Zenith, overall, is a better-made comic but in this kind of contest I'm voting with the team that gave me the most fun!


*OK, so it never literally claimed this, that's on me for making assumptions based on... some covers maybe? Don't know really.

[rogue69]

Harry Twenty

[IndigoPrime]

Zenith by a country mile. Harry 20 for me was a strip I always thought I was fond of, but when I went back to it felt its time was gone. It was fine, but my memories were fuelled by nostalgia. Zenith is still really great in many ways. The only downsides were having book IV in colour and not having Yeowell illustrate the few side stories.

[Dark Jimbo]

...fundamentally I feel betrayed by Zenith as a story that claims to be the cynical adventures of a superpowered bratty popstar, but is actually a rather nasty horror story about elder gods invading Earth.

It probably felt different in the 80s, but these days the more original Tooth story - by far - would actually be the superpowered bratty popstar. We've not had another since Zenith, but post Edginton and Rennie you can hardly move some days for bloody Elder Gods invading Earth.