FFT - ROUND of 16 - Nikolai Dante vs ABC Warriors - Heat 04

[rogue69]

ABC Warriors

[Southstreeter]

Dante

[Timothy]

Dante every step of the way.

[IndigoPrime]

It's not even close for me. I re-read ABC Warriors in the UC and it was a chore. Even the early stuff didn't hold up that well, but it looked superb and was quirky and stylish enough to see it through. But it after that point it's mostly diminishing returns and copy/paste – the comics equivalent of a repeating background on a cheap cartoon. The most recent runs were just poor.

Nikolai Dante didn't start out a classic and had the odd wobble, but otherwise held together very well across its lengthy run. It's a strip I want to re-read. Moreover, given that I was talking about the UC, it's the strip I was most happy to see fully collected in HC.

[Blue Cactus]

ABCs were among my favourites when I was wee, and that was mostly based on their incredible designs and their appearances in Nemesis, because my first taste of the weekly prog was a bin bag full of about 200 issues dropped off by my mum's friend, which were from the late 200s to the late 400s, ie right in between the Warriors' solo series. It would be many years before I finally read those. In fact it was seeing the Best of Monthly with the Black Hole in it that ushered me back to the prog after a few years away, and I adored it. I was absolutely stoked to read the robots were returning for Hellbringer (is that the 2nd Kev Walker series)? After that, I ended up looking forward to them less each time. I think Clint Langley is incredible, but by the later stages it just didn't hold my interest. The Tubal Cain stuff.. meh. Still love the idea of a robot with metal facial hair, mind.

Couldn't stand Dante at first. Smug self important show off shags his way around future Russia spouting incredibly annoying one liners? Bleh. By the end it was one of my favourite series ever. Reread it for the first time last year in the UC and it absolutely holds up as one of the most satisfying arcs Tharg has ever published. I still cringe whenever he says 'I'm too cool to kill', it is a HORRIBLE line and incredibly dated/naff. But man, what a story. Shout out for Kurakin too - she's great.

Dante

[Barrington Boots]

Smug self important show off shags his way around future Russia spouting incredibly annoying one liners?

This is such a good description of early Dante.

Now I have it in beautiful hardback I've started lending the softbacks out and I keep telling people to stick with it through the first book... But if Dante didn't start off such a nob, the rest of the story wouldn't be as good.

[paddykafka]

Nikolai Dante

[Blue Cactus]

Smug self important show off shags his way around future Russia spouting incredibly annoying one liners?

This is such a good description of early Dante.

Now I have it in beautiful hardback I've started lending the softbacks out and I keep telling people to stick with it through the first book... But if Dante didn't start off such a nob, the rest of the story wouldn't be as good.

Exactly!

[IndigoPrime]

But if Dante didn't start off such a nob, the rest of the story wouldn't be as good.

Yes. It is a story of evolution. The sheer contrast between his actions and the wider world throughout drive that story. You never know what's going to happen.

By contrast, ABC Warriors is on repeat. You know no-one's in danger unless Mills gets bored of writing them.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Dante. Because however great the ABCs were- and I'm one of those who loved it right through to the end- Dante appeals more to the adult me.

However, given the choice of 3 and 3/4 inch action figures to play with, it'd be the Warriors all day long.

SBT

[Blue Cactus]

Dante. Because however great the ABCs were- and I'm one of those who loved it right through to the end- Dante appeals more to the adult me.

However, given the choice of 3 and 3/4 inch action figures to play with, it'd be the Warriors all day long.

SBT

I would have looooooooooved this as a kid. Would still be very tempted today! A poseable Mess action figure, just imagine...

[Trooper McFad]

Nikolai Dante

[The Mind of Wolfie Smith]

nikolai dante

[Proudhuff]

Nikolai Dante.

[Dash Decent]

XYZ Nuns.

Oh, okay - Dante.