The Sticks Awards: BotQ 576-600

[Nazzo, the 102nd]

Hi, and welcome to The Sticks Awards - The Best of the Quarter!

The Sticks Awards are given to the best strips of all times, chosen by the polls here in the Playground. Read the The Sticks Awards Results Compilation (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34791) thread for more details and previous results.

To vote, simply post your favorite strip of the current 5 on the thread. You have 5 days to do it (changed by popular claim).

The poll will close on September 16th, 8:00 PM forum default time.


The Best of the Quarter 576-600

578 A Slick Getaway (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0578.html)
584 Improbable Causes (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0584.html)
587 What to Expect When You're Expecting Assassins (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0587.html)
595 Trial of the Century (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0595.html)
598 To Say a Few Words (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0598.html)

[Silverraptor]

I'm going with 595. He had it coming to him.:smallamused:

[Somniloquist]

598 brings a tear to my eye.

[Kurald Galain]

595, for being the most shocking plot development in a long time, in several ways. Also, V being badass, and the final proof that a smug snake (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SmugSnake) is several ounces short of a magnificent bastard (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagnificentBastard).

[Janmorel]

584. Take that, Probability!

[David Argall]

Let's see...578 has more jokes, but 584 has the best line... hard to say...

Well, I'll go with 584...

[Trobby]

Aww man...this one is HARD. Well, I'm not much for the "Daring" escape via pukeslide, so that's ruled out. Screwing with Probability is fun, but there's so much more than that here, so that's out too. And as much as seeing Diago get his comeuppance was epic, I wouldn't rate it as the "best" moment out of all of these, so out that goes.

So let's see...Mommy kicks ass, or Elan is the best boyfriend ever? Hmm...

Well, Elan's moment is endearing, but nothing is quite so awesome as seeing a pregnant woman down a potion, grab her assailant's sword, and kick their asses single handedly, so congratulations, Kasumi. This one's for you.

#587

[Bibliomancer]

584 For the reference to the Discworld novel "Guards! Guards!" and nearly every Discworld novel since then.

[Gift Jeraff]

584 may be my favorite of the bunch, but I'm going to have to go with 598 to make up for Therkla's death not making it...

[Joerg]

595. For me, it's BotH as well. Every single Kubota strip led up to this magnificent solution, which was nevertheless a big surprise. And it further showed V's instability and 'freed' Quarr to bring V and the IFCC together.

[SlightlyEvil]

For me, it's between 595 for putting V on the path toward hir best arc to date, and 598 for being so goddamn emotional. I have to go with 598, because that one always brings a tear to my eye when I read it.

[Kurald Galain]

584 For the reference to the Discworld novel "Guards! Guards!" and nearly every Discworld novel since then.

That trope is older than you think! (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MillionToOneChance)

[Killer Angel]

well, 587 is really very good (fear the baby-making, life-taking machine!).
595 is even better (Disintegrate. Gust of wind). it's made by EPIC stuff.

but 598 is really touching and emotional. Sorry, V. my vote goes to Elan.

[ZFR]

I don't think any of the 5 deserves BotQ, but I'll go with the last one 598

[Kaytara]

Ooh, tough one. 598 is all touching, heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time, but kind of slow for me.

584 is really good. It has good dialogue, a huge devil appearing with a hilarious little 'pop' sound, Elan showing his genre-savvy and V's quote at the end. Plus, it has some close-ups of V in his next stage of deterioration, which too was very, very shocking to see at the time.

On the other hand 595 is a single-page comic that, with just a single event, accomplishes so much. It gets rid of a villain in a satisfying and meaningful way that is not just cutting off loose ends - like any good plot twist, it creates more plot hooks than it resolves. It sets up the conflict between V and Elan while establishing their characters. It showcases V's deterioration and instability. It both frees up Qarr and makes V a tempting target for Qarr. It ultimately sends V off on his solo adventure.

So, for shock impact and satisfaction, as well as exhibition of pure storytelling skills....

My vote goes to 595.

[Vargtass]

595, for the excellent closing line...

[Olorin Maia]

584Though I know that I'm wasting my vote and 595 is going to win. Sad day.

[Jackson]

All great, but I'd have to go with 598. I tend to prefer the poignant ones. These are all so good it's hard to decide purely on merits.

[The Blackbird]

598

Makes me go aw, plus Elan speech.:smallbiggrin:

[Nights1stStar]

595 V as a smarter version of Belkar is just fine with me.

[dps]

Sick Belkar was hilarious--578.

[Inkling]

I vote 587. You gotta love the effect of hormones.

[squidbreath]

587 What to Expect When You're Expecting Assassins


She's a goddamn baby-making, life-taking machine!

[Red XIV]

Another great selection. I'll go with 595.

[sam79]

598 for me.

[MoonBeam]

Definitely 598.

[Sylian]

595, The Trial of the Century! :smallbiggrin:

[The_Void]

Tough choice. 598 is touching, poignant, and the turning point in Elan's character development. However, 587 is pure awesome, no two ways about it.

Hmm.... 598. Just.

[Chronos]

587, for the godddamn life-taking, baby-making machine

[Niesra]

578! For the belkar humor (ps: all five kick ass)

[petersohn]

I was thinking between 587 and 595. I decided to go with 587, just for the good old habit of voting for the loser.

[Auron]

Hmmm, I have to say 595. Removing a villian the chaotic way. :smallwink:

[Assassin89]

587 because angry pregnant Kazumi is pure awesome.

[Needle]

578 or 587 is a hard choice, but I'll stick with 578 since that level of deliria Belkar demosntrated was all over the strip, not just the finisher as Kazumi did.

So well, that's the tiny difference between my votes.

[Lira]

My vote is for 595.

[Acero]

578, easy:smallwink:

[warmachine]

587. The monologue by Kazumi beats the rest.

[war_illithid]

Took me a while to decide between 584 and 587 but in the end I think I have to go with.....

587

[hajo]

578 A Slick Getaway (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0578.html)
584 Improbable Causes (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0584.html)
587 What to Expect When You're Expecting Assassins (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0587.html)
595 Trial of the Century (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0595.html)
598 To Say a Few Words (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0598.html)

All of the candidates are excellent - the choices are getting real tough, but
I vote 595 - "resume saving the world".

[Shmigor]

There are several gems among these strips: my final decision was between 595 and 598. 595 has some awe-inspiring magic out of nowhere by V, but I'm gonna have to go with 598 for its great dialogue and the last panel.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

578 or 595... 578 or 595.... 578 or 595...

Gahh... ok, #595. To this day it's so refreshing.

[Ceric]

584 Improbable Causes

[JoseB]

My vote goes to 587. Kazumi is simply too awesome there.

[waterpenguin43]

595 Kubota got what he deserved, if only it had been done sooner...

[Aaron]

Ooh, tough one. 598 is all touching, heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time, but kind of slow for me.

584 is really good. It has good dialogue, a huge devil appearing with a hilarious little 'pop' sound, Elan showing his genre-savvy and V's quote at the end. Plus, it has some close-ups of V in his next stage of deterioration, which too was very, very shocking to see at the time.

On the other hand 595 is a single-page comic that, with just a single event, accomplishes so much. It gets rid of a villain in a satisfying and meaningful way that is not just cutting off loose ends - like any good plot twist, it creates more plot hooks than it resolves. It sets up the conflict between V and Elan while establishing their characters. It showcases V's deterioration and instability. It both frees up Qarr and makes V a tempting target for Qarr. It ultimately sends V off on his solo adventure.

So, for shock impact and satisfaction, as well as exhibition of pure storytelling skills....

My vote goes to 595.

...wow... you just took the words right out of my mouth. I'll also vote for 595, cause it ended one story arc and started a new one in just 3 pannels. Kazumi comes in second, however.

[Ledeas]

587


Lots of fun puns...

her egg got breached.

allready meantion "Life taking, baby making machine"

Stunning the first ninja with a pillow

[El Eriko]

I vote for 595.

[DBJack]

595, simple

[Silverraptor]

Attention.
The polls are now closed.

Please wait for the results to be calculated by Nazzo, the 102nd.

Any votes after this will not count.

[Morgan Wick]

At first I thought this round was going to give me a headache for 584 performing the way I thought 587 would. Turns out 587 just takes a little time to get going in the morning, and if any round was going to produce three 10-vote strips it was this one. (And this round produced some defenses of 595 strong enough I don't think I'll be underestimating it in future rounds.) The only thing that surprised me, really, was that 578 ended up strong enough to challenge 584 for second-last at the end.

Time for the Morgan Wick Best of the Sixth Hundred Preview:

:vaarsuvius:504: That's a Surprisingly Common Reaction (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0504.html)
First round (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106308): 37.14% (13 votes; won runoff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106687) 14 votes to 505's 11)
Second round (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122635): 37.73% (20 votes to 520's 16)
Strengths: Probably the funniest strip of the four for the 404 gag, although see below for one problem with that. Also part of the start of the V start of darkness, a major theme of the book.
Weaknesses: Very talkative and not terribly important, especially compared to 595; it has enough goods to have reached this point in a weak quarter, but it probably falls down here. Had to escape the first round in a runoff against a strip, 505, that I doubt would have any chance in even an average quarter, or even, I suspect, this one.
Praise for #504 "That's a Surprisingly Common Reaction":
"Think I'll go for 504, if only for the 404 error. Wait... :smallbiggrin:" -Nazzo, the 102nd, first round
"...it explains why V is obsessed with having better magic." -Aaron, first round
"I vote for 504, though, because of the way it characterized V's obsession (it's rather ominous) and the 404 punch-line." -Niesra, first round
""NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BigNo)" -Optimystik, first round
"You can see V's start of darkness building." -DBear, first round
"Because it's the start of V's story and has a great joke." -Joerg, first round
"I think I'll go with 504 for the text on the "404" screen. (Pronounced correctly! :smallbiggrin:)" -Zed the Sharp, first round
"504 for the big "no!"" -Zanaril, first round runoff
"With V's exposition on his motivation, the 404 scrying error which I envision in games even today, and the Big No punchline, it was just a wonderful strip in general :smallsmile:" -Optimystik, first round runoff
"...for the character exposition on Vaarsuvius' part." -osyluth, first round runoff
"Great punchline and gave good reasoning as to why V was being all weird." -Vizen, second round
"But what sucks now is that because I have Vista, I don't get that error screen anymore. :smallfrown:" -[TS] Shadow, second round (possibly the only post you will ever see missing the 404 screen)
"404. Er, I mean 504." -Kurald Galain, second round
"[H]as an epic reply from a failed spell....Well, let's try to add a V to the quarters I guess :smalltongue:" -Needle, second round
"...usually I'd go with 520, but I've quoted 504 and it fits the events of this week nicely for me." -The Blackbird, second round
"The others had drama diluting the funny too, but this one careened headlong into Narm (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Narm) territory." -Optimystik, second round
"504, because there is so much truth in it." -El Eriko, second round
"Big plot point ending with a web joke on a webcomic!!!:smallbiggrin:" -Aaron, second round

:xykon:542: In Azure City, Shark Jumps You! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0542.html) (This is actually a picture of O-Chul, still alive, a thousand years from now.)
First round (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110055): 57.89% (22 votes to 543's 9)
Second round (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123389): 43.18% (19 votes to 550's 12 and 538's 11)
Strengths: Time waits for no man, unless that man is O-Chul. O-Chul doesn't sleep. He waits.
Weaknesses: O-Chul doesn't need plot importance, posing for a museum, actual OOTS members, or even a whole lot of humor to kick your ass.
Praise for #542 "In Azure City, Shark Jumps You!":
"O-chul has a constitution of 542. Contains high amounts of awesome!" -Kurald Galain, first round
"I like the dialogue in 544, but O-Chul's stunt is simply too awesome." -Kaytara, first round
"The "escape" of O-chul is EPIC, and I know it will rightfully win..." -Killer Angel, first round (while voting for 541. O-Chul doesn't need you to actually vote for his strip to praise him.)
"Gotta admire the guy with VERY high constition score." -Silverraptor, first round
"Man, that guy is made of steel. :smallbiggrin:" -The_Void, first round
"542 due to the lampshading in the title, and being one of the more action packed comics." -Assassin89, first round
"I vote for 542 because of Xykon using a cantrip to take out someone dipped in an acid tank" -Illven, first round
"But O-Chul in 542 is just way too goodass to vote for anything else." -Chronos, first round
"O-chul is established as a badass." -Cleverdan22, first round
"the only comic that makes me like paladins." -enarch3t, first round
"It just steals the thunder from all the other strips so easily. With a minimum amount of words I may add." -Griever3216, first round
"O-chul's stunt was amazing! How much HP does he have?" -liooil2000, first round
"I vote for the awesome escape (attempt) of 542." -Zed the Sharp, first round
"542, the comic which debuted O-Chul's awesomeness." -Nights1stStar, second round
"Bah. O-Chul fans. At least they're right." -Foryn Gilnith, second round
"I love action scenes with little talking." -FireDrake, second round
"O-Chul will certainly win this thread. He conquers them all." -Onyavar, second round (while voting for 538. O-Chul doesn't need you to actually vote for his strip to praise him.)
"O-Chul wins forever. Also Xykon had a great ending line." -The Blackbird, second round
"I'll have to go with 542 for awesome Xykonness." -TerrickTerran, second round
"542 can't win if fewer people vote for it, no matter how awesome it was. So my vote is 542 for for the title most of all. Imagine squeezing in two completely different pop references in just a few words." -Forbiddenwar, second round
"542, for the epic sharks in acid" -phobiandarkmoon, second round
"I just can't deny O-chul's badassery." -Cleverdan22, second round
"Because of Sheer O-Chul badarsery." -Hann, second round
"[W]hile Order of the Stick can really shine during funny moments, it shines even brighter during awesome moments. When Order of the Stick gets dramatic, it is GOOD, and that O-chul strip is certainly an example of that." -Cleverdan22, second round, in response to David Argall's claim that "this is a comedy and O-Chul being dramatic should be ruled out"
"When O-Chul falls in water, O-Chul doesn't get wet. Water gets O-Chul." -unknown (O-Chul doesn't need anyone actually saying it)

:belkar:568: A Sign That You Have a Problem (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0568.html)
First round (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114277): 60.00% (30 votes to 567's 9)
Second round (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123982): 45.23% (19 votes to 565's 9)
Strengths: Plot-important for the Mark of Justice activating, and funny for "Lickmyorangeballshalfling". Not to mention the only strip with Belkar in it at all.
Weaknesses: Doesn't really consist of much, and the plot importance is mostly peripheral, considering what eventually happened with the Mark. I'd argue it's inferior to the one preceding or even the one following within its own group of five.
Praise for #568 "A Sign That You Have a Problem":
"568 for creative civics. Also the turning point for Belkar's character, this is when he began to be interesting." -Optimystik, first round
"568 was just priceless." -PId6, first round
"...one of my favorite strips period." -TerrickTerran, first round
"568 with the power of the Mark of Justice." -Silverraptor, first round
"568 it was close but you cant beat it:smallbiggrin:" -Someonenonotyou, first round
"568 for unexpected awesomeness from the Oracle." -Mauve Shirt, first round
"Hehe.. orange balls" -Random NPC, first round
"The kobolds standing around bemused is a nice touch." -warmachine, first round
"Lick my orange 568, halfling." -Chronos, first round
"Great plot twist!" -Zed the Sharp, first round
"'Welcome to the village' :smallbiggrin:" -hajo, first round
"...568 is just too laugh-out-loud funny to not vote for. "Lickmyorangeballshalfling" indeed. :smallbiggrin:" -The_Void, first round
"568 is made of pure awesomeness" -Talshor, first round
"'No, seriously, give 'em a good once-over!' LOL:smallbiggrin:" -Koragi85, first round (technically after the bell)
"Nothing beats the Village of Lickmyorangeballshalflin. :smallbiggrin:" -Killer Angel, second round
"#568 was a classic moment." -Ghastly Epigram, second round
"Belkar totally had it coming." -Joerg, second round
"As fun as it is to tune in to see Belkar stab things, it's even more fun to see him get his commeupance." -Nights1stStar, second round
"A great moment of comedy :smallbiggrin:" -Lord Zordrath, second round
"Lickmyorangeballshalfling still cracks me up." -[TS] Shadow, second round
"Due to plot and the setup for this. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0610.html)" -Bibliomancer, second round
"It has some decent competition, but that town just about killed me." -David Argall, second round
"...if you had all-knowing future-seeing powers at YOUR disposal, you would do it too. (Minus the orange)" -Introbulus, second round
"Oracle, you magnificent bastard. I was waiting for somebody to do something like that." -Somniloquist, second round

:vaarsuvius:595: Trial of the Century (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0595.html)
First round (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120185): 41.50% (22 votes to 591's 15)
Second round (unofficial count): 34.04% (16 votes to 598's 11 and 587's 10)
Strengths: Plot importance galore for V's descent to madness, and started one of the more inane "four words" theories. Also reduced one of the major plots of this entire hundred to nothingness, basically boiling it down to this single strip (and the Therkla subplot, which did not produce a single BotH strip unless you count 484), though if you like karma... Came out of quite possibly the strongest quarter of them all, and one of the strongest groups of five, both of which produced two other 10-vote strips yet this strip still dominated the group of five.
Weaknesses: May split the V vote with 504; a fairly lackluster strip with a lot of talking followed by V just firing a couple of spells. Maybe you like your badassery understated... but that isn't even V's CMoA in that group of five (591 is).
Praise for #595 "Trial of the Century":
"Kubota had it coming and even though Therkla's death is tragic, it just didn't ring the same bell as karma killing Kubota." -Jagos, first round
"...it moves the plot along and takes V further on his road to Raistin." -DBear, first round
"Disintegrate. Gust of Wind." -Altaria87, first round
":vaarsuvius: Now can we PLEASE resume saving the world?" -Hawkeye, first round
"All that Kubota said and did throughout his storyline was a buildup for this superb moment." -Joerg, first round
"It was so... refreshing." -The Vorpal Tribble, first round
"The only character in the story I really hate is Kubota, so I'll go with 595. V was a jerk, but he deserved it." -petersohn, first round
"Much as I liked Kubota, he deserved it." -cnsvnc, first round
"...the trial of the centaury is appartenly one sixth level spell" -Illven, first round
"Sadly, "disintegrate, gust of wind" is the winner. I hate you, V." -Killer Angel, first round
"...V solving a big problem with one sixth level spell. :smallbiggrin:" -Aaron, first round
"...it marks the downfall of Vaarsuvius." -El Eriko, first round
"He had it coming to him.:smallamused:" -Silverraptor, second round
"...the most shocking plot development in a long time, in several ways. Also, V being badass, and the final proof that a smug snake (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SmugSnake) is several ounces short of a magnificent bastard (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagnificentBastard)." -Kurald Galain, second round
"Every single Kubota strip led up to this magnificent solution, which was nevertheless a big surprise. And it further showed V's instability and 'freed' Quarr to bring V and the IFCC together." -Joerg, second round
"For me, it's between 595 for putting V on the path toward hir best arc to date, and 598 for being so goddamn emotional." -SlightlyEvil, second round (who went with 598)
"595 is a single-page comic that, with just a single event, accomplishes so much. It gets rid of a villain in a satisfying and meaningful way that is not just cutting off loose ends - like any good plot twist, it creates more plot hooks than it resolves. It sets up the conflict between V and Elan while establishing their characters. It showcases V's deterioration and instability. It both frees up Qarr and makes V a tempting target for Qarr. It ultimately sends V off on his solo adventure. So, for shock impact and satisfaction, as well as exhibition of pure storytelling skills.... My vote goes to 595." -Kaytara, second round
"595, for the excellent closing line..." -Vargtass, second round
"V as a smarter version of Belkar is just fine with me." -Nights1stStar, second round
"Removing a villian the chaotic way. :smallwink:" -Auron, second round
"'resume saving the world'." -hajo, second round
"Kubota got what he deserved, if only it had been done sooner..." -waterpenguin43, second round
"...it ended one story arc and started a new one in just 3 pannels." -Aaron, second round

For the second straight hundred my opinion of the last quarter's winner changed after sizing up the strengths and weaknesses. Let's get one thing straight right off the bat: 504 is definitely the runt of this group, and was always going to be. It's the best of a rather weak quarter, especially compared to the others, and especially considering both of its major constituencies are better served by other strips: its humor by 568, and its V-plot importance by 595. The biggest runt at BotH since moving to the current format has been 306 with 6 votes, 6 behind third place, and 11.11% of the votes, and I think 504 has a chance to challenge all those marks, especially the total votes and percentage. Frankly, I think 568 is going to place a distant third as well; it'll rope in the Belkar vote and the funny vote for "Lickmyorangeballshalfling", and it has substantial plot importance, but its plot importance really pales in comparison to 595. (In fact, it's a bit like 504 in that it has exactly two major strengths. The splitting of the funny vote with 504 is part of what will hold 568 back.)

That leaves 542 and 595 to square off as favorites for the win, and oddly, I have a feeling O-Chul 5:42 will stop saying I just kicked your ass, even if it wins. I'm going to take a weird split position: while I think 542 is the favorite to win, I think this could be the point that the David Argalls of the world, with their objections at 542's peripheral nature to the actual plot of OOTS, may catch up with it and help nudge 595 to the victory, and I might just place my bet on it. If 542 wins, it'll be because 568 will take anti-542 (and plot) votes away from 595 (judging by Argall's specific "OOTS is comedy" complaint, I smell him voting for 568). It's going to be a surprisingly close race to the finish, I think, between 542 and 595, between badass O-Chul and badass V.

[Nazzo, the 102nd]

Official results. On to the great finals!

578 - 4 (8.69%)
dps; Niesra; Needle; Acero

584 - 5 (10.86%)
Janmorel; David Argall; Bibliomancer; Olorin Maia; nightmaj

587 - 10 (21.73%)
Introbulus; Inkling; squidbreath; Chronos; petersohn; Assassin89; warmachine; war_illithid; JoseB; Ledeas

595 - 16 (34.78%)
Silverraptor; Kurald Galain; Joerg; Kaytara; Vargtass; Nights1stStar; Red XIV; Sylian; Auron; Lira; hajo; The Vorpal Tribble; waterpenguin43; Aaron; El Eriko; DBJack

598 - 11 (23.91%)
Somniloquist; Gift Jeraff; SlightlyEvil; Killer Angel; ZFR; Jackson; The Blackbird; sam79; MoonBeam; The_Void; Shmigor