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2000 AD => General => Topic started by: Colin YNWA on 26 January, 2022, 06:33:43 AM

Title: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Colin YNWA on 26 January, 2022, 06:33:43 AM
Well if Week 1 was a gentle phasing in of quality from Round 1 with some pretty ropey ties, Week 2 hits us right between the eyes with the other end of things. This is the week that if I'd been feeling a little fast and loose with the draw I could have opened with. There's some mouth watering ties and some decisions that will make your eyes water. THIS is what Round 2 is all about...

Ohhh interesting this one. Armoured Gideon was one of the middle of the road thrills (personal opinionTM) thrills that were elevated in the early 90s by the dross they had around them. That said they deserve massive credit for keeping the Prog readable during these rough times. Balls Brothers, well it's Wagner innit... but when you look at the Wagner thrills it's not a particularly well remembered one. I think this tie is very finely balanced and I'm excited to see how it plays out:

Armoured Gideon - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=GIDEON)

Vs

Balls Brothers - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=BALLS)

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 Saturday 29th January  and the winner gets a place in Round 3 (of 9!!!).

What on Earth is ALL of this? (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=48011.0)

For those that need 'um and can be bothered to follow 'um there's some simple rules (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=48011.msg1070150#msg1070150)

Any questions, just ask as ever - and have FUN!
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: broodblik on 26 January, 2022, 06:34:27 AM
The classic one Armoured Gideon not the mud one
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: AlexF on 26 January, 2022, 08:01:24 AM
Armoured Gideon easily. Sure, sometimes it gets lost in its own jokes, and there's only so many laughs to be had from Satanists named Nigel living in Croydon, but the ideas in that first book, and the glorious, glorious demon/robot art from Simon Jacob is wonderful.

Balls Bros too has glroious art - some fo Walker's best ever - but it's all in service of so very little.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: abelardsnazz on 26 January, 2022, 08:15:29 AM
What's not to love about Armoured Gideon? Giant robots, demons, human protagonist's bemusement, Simon Jacob's art...

Armoured Gideon all the way. It must be coming in the Hachette collection, surely....
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: broodblik on 26 January, 2022, 08:53:56 AM
Hopefully we can get the rest of Armoured Gideon released as an other digital only (sorry you hoarders of paper artifacts) release
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Timothy on 26 January, 2022, 09:22:51 AM
Armoured Gideon
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Tomwe on 26 January, 2022, 09:38:36 AM
Armoured Gideon
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Blue Cactus on 26 January, 2022, 10:31:55 AM
Armoured Gideon for me too. A good fun thrill with lovely art.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Link Prime on 26 January, 2022, 10:57:38 AM
Los Testículos Hermanos may as well be hanging off the crotch plating of Armoured Jerubaal in this here match-up.

Armoured Gideon all the way to The Edge.


Quote from: abelardsnazz on 26 January, 2022, 08:15:29 AM
It must be coming in the Hachette collection, surely....

Here's hoping.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: IndigoPrime on 26 January, 2022, 11:08:11 AM
Armoured Gideon. And, yes, I really hope this is part of the Hachette extension. Cut out the iffy collector series and it should all fit OK.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: norton canes on 26 January, 2022, 11:19:35 AM
Ah no I loved the one with all the characters from the back progs. Armoured Gideon - especially the one with all the characters from the back progs.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Link Prime on 26 January, 2022, 11:22:47 AM
Collector displeased that new Collection omits The Collector.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Southstreeter on 26 January, 2022, 03:22:35 PM
Always enjoyed Armoured Gideon.

Balls Brothers was awful. Even the greats are fallible sometimes. Who on Earth did it beat in round 1? Surely wasn't given a bye?
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Funt Solo on 26 January, 2022, 03:47:06 PM
The Balls Brothers  - Only Fools and Horses meets Marshal Law. It was probably strictly better than I Was a Teenage Tax Consultant - and, in that way, you can argue that the writer was improving over time. I suppose writing in a shed with an old scarecrow to bounce ideas off wasn't as productive as using another human being. Unless Alec Trench had come to visit?

Armoured Gideon was in no way perfect - and, in fact, not really the main character of the strip - because the protagonist was the photographer. But it was such a great robot design. Also: The Collector was an entertaining meta-metastasization, navel-gazing at the hobby.

Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: NapalmKev on 26 January, 2022, 08:09:22 PM
Armoured Gideon.

Cheers
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: The Mind of Wolfie Smith on 26 January, 2022, 08:55:00 PM
armoured gideon
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Huey2 on 26 January, 2022, 09:49:39 PM
Balls Brothers
Great characters, genuinely funny and fantastic art. Genuine highlight of the prog at the time it was running.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Magnetica on 26 January, 2022, 10:29:16 PM
Armoured Gideon
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Colin YNWA on 28 January, 2022, 06:30:04 AM
Well I didn't think it'd be as one sided as this but at this point there is only one winner here. I'll count up and confirm in the morning so you have a chance to add to the vote before then.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: IndigoPrime on 28 January, 2022, 08:28:03 AM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 28 January, 2022, 06:30:04 AMI didn't think it'd be as one sided as this
As much as I like Armoured Gideon, I think it helps that Balls Brothers was objectively a bit shit. Nice enough art, but not a Wagner high point, to say the least.
Title: Re: Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Armoured Gideons vs. Balls Brothers Round 2 Heat 13
Post by: Colin YNWA on 29 January, 2022, 07:05:50 AM
VOTING CLOSED

Well that Wagner chap had better buck up his game - he got trounced here. Wasn't expecting this to be quite this one sided, not that I disagree. What do we learn from Ball Brothers, well not much except even John Wagner and Kev Walker can't make a Bottom parady of Marvel Comics work. Armoured Gideon, well maybe I've under estimated it in calling it a middling thrill elevated by the bunkum around it? Either way

Armoured Gideon

will be annililating (it hopes) in Round 3