Sponsored by 2000ad in Stages (https://2kstages.github.io/index.html) - see links below.
Strontium Dog - more info (https://2kstages.github.io/AtoZ/StrontiumDog/Johnny&Wulf.html)
VS
Halo Jones - more info (https://2kstages.github.io/AtoZ/BalladOfHaloJones/data.html)
And so fate has stepped in to make sure my predicted final will not happen. Somewhere in the forum PM lands there is a sealed envelope which has my prediction that this would be the final. I always knew fate might intervene and so it has. We'll now never know if Halo Jones would have beaten the other quarter finalists... well I assume... I mean that assumes my prediction that Strontium Dog is unbeatable is correct? For Halo we'll find out now...
Form book - Thrills vanquished to date (in order of round met earliest to latest):
Strontium Dog: Angel Gang; Absalom; Ant Wars; Slaine; Bad Company
Halo Jones: Timehouse; Numbercruncher; Mind of Wolfie Smith; Shakara; Fiends
QUARTER FINAL - will feature just one thrill a day. I'd like to pretend this is to give these epic thrills more space and time to be commented on... but really it's to buy myself a bit of extra time to plan what comes next!
To Vote 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 3rd September and the winner gets a place in the Semi Finals.
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!
Strontium Dog.
Cheers
Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog!
Strontium Dog
Strontium dog
Halo Jones
SBT
Strontium Dog.
Halo Jones blew me away when I read it and when I re-read it. It's a genuineuber-classic with fantastic artwork and there's been nothing quite like it before or since.
Strontium Dog
The Adventures of Vince Scampi and Co
Strontium Dog
As classic as Halo Jones is, it can't compete with the sheer volume and quality of Strontium Dog.
Strontium Dog
Halo Jones
Much as I hate to do this to Halo it's got to be Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog
Stront
halo jones, obviously.
Stront
Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog. There's just so much of it of top quality that a 3 series thrill is never going to beat it. The only thing that can take it down is a high quality thrill that has run for many years.
I think the highs of Halo top the highs of Stront - the trouble being there are so very many more for Stront. Sorry, Halo - bit if you have to go out, there's no shame in being beaten by the best - Strontium Dog takes it.
There are several strips I'd happily vote for in favour of Strontium Dog, but Halo Jones isn't one of them. I always like it a lot on a re-read and it's a vitally important strip in several ways; but I don't love it these days. Perhaps it's like an album I've listened to too much, or one that impacted me years back but that no longer has the same clout.
Strontium Dog is a bit like that too, to be fair. As I noted elsewhere, I was surprised when going through it I the UC that I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. The earlier stories were weaker than I expected, but the reboot stuff was a little better (bar Life and Death, which I still think was a misfire). So while Strontium Dog does get my vote here, it's not by much. While the strip is probably the tournament favourite, there's a good chance I won't be voting for it again.
Tougher than Tough!
The Stront has given us so much, including national icon Middenface McNulty, but Halo broke the mould of what was and is expected of a comic so its Halo Jones for me
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a great movie (perhaps even in the top ten of rom-coms), but The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is in the top five.
So: The Ballad of Halo Jones is the superior beast in this contest.
I find it fascinating that Halo Jones isn't putting up as good a fight against Strontium Dog as Kingdom is against Nemesis.
What I can't work out is that the quality of the favourite in the respective ties OR do folks think Kingdom is better than Halo Jones...
....hmmm...
The idea I've been tinkering with for a bonus round solidifies (and buys me more time!)
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 31 August, 2022, 08:15:34 PM
I find it fascinating that Halo Jones isn't putting up as good a fight against Strontium Dog as Kingdom is against Nemesis.
What I can't work out is that the quality of the favourite in the respective ties OR do folks think Kingdom is better than Halo Jones...
....hmmm...
The idea I've been tinkering with for a bonus round solidifies (and buys me more time!)
Aren't you meant to be watching the football right now, rather than posting on the 2000AD Forum?
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 31 August, 2022, 08:15:34 PM
I find it fascinating that Halo Jones isn't putting up as good a fight against Strontium Dog as Kingdom is against Nemesis.
Strontium Dog just tips the scales way over - there's a lot of love for it. Halo is old school, Nemesis is old school, Kingdom is new school. SD is
both schools. Everyone loves the work of Carlos Ezquerra. Everyone loves the work of John Wagner. SD has both, consistently, with just a few blips. Dabnett's well loved, but not to the same extent, because he doesn't have the extreme pedigree. Moore and Mills are both controversial figures. For everyone who thinks Moore is a comic's wizard of the highest order, there's someone else that just thinks he's a deluded mump. Mills generates his own controversy, and has somewhat made a career of flaying various Thargs with his vitriol.
Also: Strontium Dog is sometimes very good. Personally, I think it spent a lot of time just being okay - whereas Halo Jones did something special. If it was a vote on action storytelling - I'd vote SD. But SD falls down when it tries to get overly dramatic. See: The Moses Incident. And boy does it need some stronger editorial control. Ragnarok doesn't need 21 episodes, and neither does Rage. Even if you disagree, you *know* that Bitch doesn't need 25. Tharg's on vacation here.
Quote from: Magnetica on 31 August, 2022, 08:24:40 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 31 August, 2022, 08:15:34 PM
I find it fascinating that Halo Jones isn't putting up as good a fight against Strontium Dog as Kingdom is against Nemesis.
What I can't work out is that the quality of the favourite in the respective ties OR do folks think Kingdom is better than Halo Jones...
....hmmm...
The idea I've been tinkering with for a bonus round solidifies (and buys me more time!)
Aren't you meant to be watching the football right now, rather than posting on the 2000AD Forum?
RADDDDDIIOOOOOOOOOOO - come on you RED MEN (fingers crossed no VAR....)
Quote from: Funt Solo on 31 August, 2022, 09:01:57 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 31 August, 2022, 08:15:34 PM
I find it fascinating that Halo Jones isn't putting up as good a fight against Strontium Dog as Kingdom is against Nemesis.
Strontium Dog just tips the scales way over - there's a lot of love for it. Halo is old school, Nemesis is old school, Kingdom is new school. SD is both schools. Everyone loves the work of Carlos Ezquerra. Everyone loves the work of John Wagner. SD has both, consistently, with just a few blips. Dabnett's well loved, but not to the same extent, because he doesn't have the extreme pedigree. Moore and Mills are both controversial figures. For everyone who thinks Moore is a comic's wizard of the highest order, there's someone else that just thinks he's a deluded mump. Mills generates his own controversy, and has somewhat made a career of flaying various Thargs with his vitriol.
Also: Strontium Dog is sometimes very good. Personally, I think it spent a lot of time just being okay - whereas Halo Jones did something special. If it was a vote on action storytelling - I'd vote SD. But SD falls down when it tries to get overly dramatic. See: The Moses Incident. And boy does it need some stronger editorial control. Ragnarok doesn't need 21 episodes, and neither does Rage. Even if you disagree, you *know* that Bitch doesn't need 25. Tharg's on vacation here.
Excellent analysis.
For me the weakest Strontium Dog stories are the epics; I think you have hit the nail on the head it's when they drag on too long. But it's all relative....they are still in the top bracket of 2000AD stories.
As for Dan Abnett - he's putting up the strongest showing of any writer in this tourney with 3 strips still standing and is guaranteed at least one semi-finalist. For me he is pushing Wagner as the best ever 2000AD writer. But as good as his strips are, I'd still put Dredd (hmmm any one remember that one? ) and Stront ahead of his best.
Talking of Dredd - I wonder if any of the Thargs has ever considered giving it a break? I'm not saying it's a good idea - just wondered if it's been thought about.
Halo Jones, I think.
Disagree that Rage is too long; agree that HJ has more of an Eternal Sunshine magical quality.
Quote from: Funt Solo on 01 September, 2022, 01:40:33 AM
Talking of Dredd - I wonder if any of the Thargs has ever considered giving it a break? I'm not saying it's a good idea - just wondered if it's been thought about.
Didn't that nearly happen in the wake of the '95 film?
Strontium Dog
Its not even close. I thought it would be close but its simply not. I really thought Halo Jones would run Strontium Dog to the wire but no. There seems nothing will stop the strip. I'll put Ms Jones out her misery in the morning.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 02 September, 2022, 06:30:55 AM
I'll put Ms Jones out her misery in the morning.
Number four cartridge?
Strontium Dog
She got out.
I'll have to go Halo Jones - not a sentence wasted.
VOTING CLOSED
Well is this the competition right here. Not simply that Johnny and co beat Halo Jones, that was always the most likely result, there are others that might offer the challenge I guess (I thought it would be Halo and I was so wrong!). No rather its the scale of the result. The absolute crushing nature of this has surprised. The votes that acknowledge Halo Jones but didn't feel like a struggle to decide. The fact that Strontium Dog was able to get into the 20+ club on this vote. It doesn't bode well for those few still standing.
Strontium Dog
Doesn't even need to go to cartridge 4 to get to the semi-finals.