Sponsored by 2000ad in Stages (https://2kstages.github.io/index.html) - see links below.
Charley's War - more info (https://downthetubes.net/british-comics-reference/british-comic-characters-and-strips-profiled/charleys-war/)
VS
Strontium Dog - more info (https://2kstages.github.io/AtoZ/StrontiumDog/Johnny&Wulf.html)
What if we'd bent the rules? If Strontium Dog is our favourite series in Tharg's Thrillporch is there another strip that could have toppled it from British comics history? Well I'm proposing there is and it's Charley's War. We're not just talking about this parts that appeared in the Meg. In these rule twisting ties its no holds barred. We're talking the entirety of Charley's War here. Is it better than Strontium Dog?
b]To Vote[/b] 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 Thursday 6th October and the winner gets a place ... well nowt this is just for fun.
What on Earth is ALL of this? (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=48011.0)
Hold on I thought all this nonsense was over? Well yeah but... see well I've explained that (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=48876.msg1091470#msg1091470)
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!
Charley's War
Charley's War
Charley's War
Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog
Charley's War. No question. It trumps just about anything else too. Reading it again fairly recently, I was shocked at how good it still.was and how much some storylines affected me. It really is the best.
SBT
There are not many titles that would give me pause up against SD, maybe Dredd...and Charley's War. I love all of CW, definitely one of the best war comics ever.
However, to be a bit dramatic, if I had to leave my home in a hurry, never to return and only had time to grab one complete series to reread forever, it would have to be Strontium Dog.
I just don't have the history with Charley's War to make this close. I read the bits that were reprinted in the Megazine, and admired them plenty - but haven't been moved to buy a collection. For all that CW is telling a fascinating tale fillled with historical detail, presumably hyper-accurate, the way it's told is very much 'boy's adventure comic from the late 70s', and that's just not my favourite format. Part of why I like 2000AD so much is that it broke that mould, and pushed into a longer form, more cinematic comics language.
Strontium Dog all day long.
For pretty much the reasons given above by Alex, I'm also going for Strontium Dog.
Two fantastic strips but Stront edges it. Also for reasons given by Alex.
Exactly what Alex said. So: Strontium Dog.
Charley's War. I have been reading this digitally (am now on the third and final volume) and it has been consistently great.
SD is of course brilliant too but CW is set in the real world and has comedy, tragedy, violence, politics, and genuine historic points that are not taken about so much (e.g. the allied mutiney, field punishment number 1).
The whole thing is such a remarkable achievement by Pat & Joe.
Charley's War
We're heading towards peace talks here and when they are concluded we will have a winner and the spoils will be shared. Get your vote in now it could well make a difference.
VOTING CLOSED
For me Charley's War takes this in part for the reasons some don't think its all that. It deals with all the political, horrorific, utterly human things it does so honestly and blisteringly while being a boy own adventure. At the time that must have been was mind blowing (I was a little too young to appreciate it beyond the adventure) and in retrospect become an act of such genius. It juxaposes the naivety and gung-ho innocence of the war as adventure mindset with the cold, hard, terrifying reality. Just an astonishing thing to read.
Strontium Dog, with its own boy own adventure elements, all be they developed, at its best can match Charley but the series is inconsistant and its best now seen often enough (always, well almost always good when not excellent) and so I'm a little surprised by this. Though this is of course a 2000ad crowd and so it shouldn't be a shock to say
Strontium Dog
takes this
Yeah but Strontium Dog was just more fun to read. And for me that's what comics are all about.