Forum’s Favourite Thrill - Helltrekkers vs. Ten-Seconders Round 2 Heat 113

[Funt Solo]

Tricky. The characterization and story structure in Ten-Seconders is probably academically superior, but I didn't really get into it until the last series. The Helltrekkers, for all it's maudlin schmaltz hangs easily on the disaster-movie framing, and the core concept has become part of Dreddverse lore.

Or, to quote myself:

Although this tale, heavy on the melodrama, proved risible for a portion of the readership, the concept of Helltreks and radwagons became a staple motif of Dreddverse lore. Often seen in the background (in, say, Alabammy Blimps, and as the denouement of the modern classic The Heart Is a Lonely Klegg Hunter), or as the kernel of a wider investigation (as in The Raggedy Man and Ratfink), the concept was also used as the core structure for the Missionary Man fable The Promised Land.

[Tiplodocus]

Helltrekkers.

Whither Crustacea?

[Proudhuff]

Tricky. The characterization and story structure in Ten-Seconders is probably academically superior, but I didn't really get into it until the last series. The Helltrekkers, for all it's maudlin schmaltz hangs easily on the disaster-movie framing, and the core concept has become part of Dreddverse lore.

Or, to quote myself:

Although this tale, heavy on the melodrama, proved risible for a portion of the readership, the concept of Helltreks and radwagons became a staple motif of Dreddverse lore. Often seen in the background (in, say, Alabammy Blimps, and as the denouement of the modern classic The Heart Is a Lonely Klegg Hunter), or as the kernel of a wider investigation (as in The Raggedy Man and Ratfink), the concept was also used as the core structure for the Missionary Man fable The Promised Land.

This^^^
Both stories for me held more promise than they delivered, almost veered to 10 2nders as i think it would make a great PRIME series... while HT would make a great TWD spin off.

[moly]

Ten seconders

[Southstreeter]

Just read my Ten Seconders collection, bought a while ago in one of Tharg's big clearance sales. Disappointingly it only has the two series of three. Like many a strip before it (hello Atavar) it's fallen foul of being collected after series 1 and 2, leaving not enough to pad out a second book.

[broodblik]

Just read my Ten Seconders collection, bought a while ago in one of Tharg's big clearance sales. Disappointingly it only has the two series of three. Like many a strip before it (hello Atavar) it's fallen foul of being collected after series 1 and 2, leaving not enough to pad out a second book.

There is a complete edition but it is only digital:

https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/GRN595/ten-seconders-complete-digital-edition

[Colin YNWA]

Ohhh this one is turning into quite the tie. I think I know which way its currently going but from a quick eye scan it looks pretty close and last day votes could really have an impact here. Pop um in and I'll count it all up tomorrow morning.

[sintec]

The Ten Seconders

Just read my Ten Seconders collection, bought a while ago in one of Tharg's big clearance sales. Disappointingly it only has the two series of three. Like many a strip before it (hello Atavar) it's fallen foul of being collected after series 1 and 2, leaving not enough to pad out a second book.

There is a complete edition but it is only digital:

https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/GRN595/ten-seconders-complete-digital-edition

Or grab the Hachette edition which collects all 3 stories in a HC https://hachettepartworks.com/en-en/2000-ad-ultimate-collection/ten-seconders/

[AlexF]

After a re-read of Books 1 and 2 of 10 Seconders, I know know which way my vote is going. It's far from perfect, doesn't give nearly enough space to develop the main characters and their relationships (beyond Harris, the comic sidekick who is also miles away the best thing in it), and has some weird creepy romance stuff going on at the end of Book 1 that comes out of nowhere.

BUT it really does have some good ideas and decent, straightforward action-movie plotting. More than enough to overcome my general feeling that Helltrekkers just drags on too long with not nearly enough fun characters to follow. I will say that Helltrekkers had a far superior logo, and that's not nothing.

Anyway, it's The Ten-Seconders for me.

[Colin YNWA]

VOTING CLOSED

Arh damnit you lot... well as I said last day votes could swing this one and they did. Helltrekkers hung onto a narrow lead going into the last day, but two votes there pulled it back and in the end its a tie and gosh damn that leaves me with the casting vote....and this one is hard.

Ten Seconder's final book with astonishing art by Edmund Bagwell is fantastic and I really, really like it. It does however have a very rocky journey getting there. Book 1 is marred by muddy art that made it hard to follow and Book 2 rather loses it way with art changes really  not helping it. Helltrackkers is the very definition of old skool fun and is consistantly entertaining and so on that basis, however good that third book of Ten-seconders is

Helltrackkers

keeps on truckin' into Round 3.