The Stick Awards II: Second Edition (BotH [#0401-#0500]) [FINALS]

[Porthos]

Welcome to The Stick Awards II: Second Edition! :smallsmile:

The Stick Awards are handed out to the best strips of all time as chosen by our fellow Playgrounders.

Over the next few days, we're taking a bit of a break and finishing up The Best of the Hundred Tournament for Comics #401 - #500 as we take the time to decide which of the strips really are the best of best.

For full details about the Stick Awards, and any questions about them, please check out the main thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283609).

To read more about the original Stick Awards, created by Nazzo, the 102nd, please read his thread here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34791)

To vote in this thread, simply state which comic of the five listed is your favorite. Bolding the number of the comic (Like this) helps it stand out.

Voting, which only lasts five days during the Best of the Hundred Tournament will close on July 31st, 4pm EST. Any votes made after that will NOT count toward the totals.

The winner of this Best of the Hundred final will go on to the Best of the Thousand tournament if and when we reach Comic Number 1000.

In the second semi-final, :miko: 464 - Not for Everyone (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0464.html) consoled the rest of the fallen strips around it, promising that it would visit as many of them as it could once it was done with its own task of competing in the finals.

Meanwhile, :miko: 406 - A Moment of Truth (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0406.html) decided that if the judges weren't going to vote it as the best of its semi, then it would just force its way into the finals in the most direct and cutting way it knew how.

Finally, the judges that survived that onslaught took one look at :roy: 496 - Responsible (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0496.html) and couldn't bear to not see it be reunited with long lost contestants and thus it was invited to the finals was well.

Five hunderd strips we have reviewed so far, and one hundred of them more recently. Of that latter, only one shall be deemed worthy of joining the previous four in the Best of the Thousand. Which shall it be? That's what we're here to find out as we finish up this Best of the Hundred by voting in....

................THE STICK AWARDS II:
BEST OF THE HUNDRED TOURNAMENT (401-500)
...................(Finals)

406 - A Moment of Truth (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0406.html)
449 - Land of the Rising... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0449.html)
464 - Not for Everyone (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0464.html)
496 - Responsible (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0496.html)

[Angelalex242]

Narratively, this is rather obvious.

496 is part of Don't Split the Party. The other 3 are part of War and XP. War and XP in general needs to be honored properly, and this, I feel, is the time to do it.

406, Miko's fall, and 449, Lord Soon's Rising, are buildup points...

to 464, the culmination of everything Miko's fall and Lord Soon's rise have created. 406 had Miko, 449 had Lord Soon, but only 464 has the denouement of both. It is the climax of War and XP, whatever else may have happened in the book. Yes, it went on for a few strips after that, but nothing nearly so dramatic happened thereafter.

Besides, for all of Miko's madness and Lord Soon's badassery, nothing compares to the interaction of both in their final moments on the Prime Material Plane. Yes, their...Lord Soon also had to return to the Celestial Realms just then as well.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Well, looks like only one of the ones I voted for in the semifinal made it here, but I can't say I'm disappointed by this group. Despite the fact that I voted for 406 over 449 in Semi #1 and voted for none of th things from Semi #2, I think the winners of Semi #2 best those of Semi #1. And, of those two, I find #464 to be the better.

[Gift Jeraff]

#449 of course.

[Sylian]

406: A Moment of Truth - It may face some fierce competition, but A Moment of Truth gets my vote for having the most substance. It showcases the different outlooks of Shojo and Hinjo, the fall of Miko, and it had great pacing, too.

[nogall]

easiest vote so far: 449

[Bird]

464, a moment of thoughtful, poignant reflection on a divisive character amongst the explosions and bellowing.

[LadyEowyn]

406: A Moment of Truth.

[Cartographer7]

449, though I almost went for 496.

[zinycor]

for me 496 is the weakest here, it's very emotional and all, but it's simple exposition, it's saying: "Well, here is a detail about Roy's Backstory you didn't know", it's very well done, but I can't really compare to the others.

449, was a great setup for the battle that xykon will endure now, it shows the tenacity of the paladins which goes beyond death, but it isn't the fight itself, it's just made to be a cliffhanger, can't really compare to the other 2.

464 it's a great strip, lots of feelings, watching miko on her last moments is really sweet and defintely she thinking about windstriker on her last moments was a very tear dropper. But, for me, it's only the natural conclusion of the events on 406.

My vote goes for 406 because it's just brilliant, we see shojos schemes come to light, Hinjo judging him, Miko judging him, we see how miko's character has evolved in such an horrible (yet amazing) way, "everything i did, i did for my people" it's such a baddass final line.

I think the others strips are great, but 406 was just too great, don't really see how the others even compare.

[thatSeniorGuy]

I'm actually going to change my preference from last time and go with 464. Other people raised a few good points, such as it being a very emotive send-off for a ... discussion-raising ... character.

[ChristianSt]

I will once again put my vote down for 496 - Responsible. The only other strip I would consider putting over would have been 490, which isn't a valid option ;).

[FLHerne]

#406 is just another Miko-paranoia strip, and if I wanted to vote for Miko hacking at an important occupant of that throne I'd go for #462 instead. :smalltongue:

#496 is cute, and it's good to see Roy get something out of all his dedication for once, but I don't really 'get' it.

Which brings it down to Soon quotes:
"Arise, my children. Only the honor of a paladin is unbreakable - even by death itself."
vs
"Redemption is a rare and special thing, after all. It is not for everyone."

#449, for the best dramatic line in the comic and the awesome mood-whiplash after #448. :smallbiggrin:

[Emperordaniel]

A tough selection, indeed - but in the end, I shall join the ghost-martyrs of the Sapphire Guard in one final blaze of glory, and vote for 449: Land of the Rising...

[oppyu]

496

There is some wickedly tough competition, but 496 hits me right in the feels every time. I mean, I've been lucky in that I haven't lost anyone that way, but that strip just gets me thinking about what I'd do if my brother... yeah, like I said, right in the feels. It's relatable, you know? Epic ghost martyrdom, Miko's send-off, Miko's trip to crazy town, they're all compelling. But 496 just tells a very real story that could and often does happen to anyone in the real world.

I'm tearing up right now and this has to be the sixth or seventh time I've read that strip.

[Angelalex242]

464:4
449:5
406:3
496:2

Scoreboard.

Holy hell this is balanced. Nothing is pulling ahead of anything else.

[Killer Angel]

406

As a stand alone, it's stronger than 464, with an epic crescendo. And it's more significant, from a storyboard PoV, than 449 and 496

[Meph]

464, with bitterness.

[137beth]

This is much tougher, but I think I'm going to go with 464. If you had asked me as they were coming out I would have said 449, as it is much more exciting. But looking back, 449, and indeed much of the third book, is there primarily to lead into 464.

[NobodyWasTaken]

Hmm, this is tough. I guess I'll go with 406.

[Timy]

Well well well, it is a strong final !!

And yes, 496 don't stand a chance in my book.

But the other 3...

But my vote will go to 449 !

[Angelalex242]

464:6
449:6
406:5
496:2

Scoreboard.

It's such a close final because it's Miko vs. Soon vs. Miko&Soon.

[Emanick]

After changing my mind twice, I think ultimately I'm going to go with 464: Not for Everyone. I can't tell whether it's the most dramatic strip of the lot, but it is the most thought-provoking, and that's good enough of a tie-breaker for me.

[Mike Havran]

I have yet to read better OotS strip than #449

[137beth]

464 and 449 are neck-and-neck! But maybe Soon, one of them will Fall behind!

[declinator]

While 496 still moves me to tears every time I read it, I'll vote for :miko: #464 as the best strip in this century. It's the conclusion of a long character arc, and a fitting resolution to Miko's actions.

[littlebum2002]

449

The look of surprise in Xykon's eye socket's is priceless.

[Angelalex242]

,464:8
449:8
406:5
496:2

Scoreboard.

Every time one of them pulls ahead, somebody else votes for the other one not 15 minutes later. What's up with that?

[Jasdoif]

It's gotta be 406 for me.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

,464:8
449:8
406:5
496:2

Scoreboard.

Every time one of them pulls ahead, somebody else votes for the other one not 15 minutes later. What's up with that?

Wow, things are pretty close between those two. Poor 496 hasn't got that many votes.

[Codex]

I'll place a vote for #464.

[FLHerne]

Wow, things are pretty close between those two. Poor 496 hasn't got that many votes.
It's cute, but doesn't really change anything (the key event and its repercussions happened in the past and were already affecting things). It fills in a bit of Roy and Eugene's past, and that's about it.

Up against #406 (major plot swing), #449 (AWESOME!) and #464 (great end to the most controversial character) it never really had a chance. :smalltongue:

[Torrasque]

Boring plot strips like always :P
Ill vote for 406, at least that one got Shojo in it.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

It's cute, but doesn't really change anything (the key event and its repercussions happened in the past and were already affecting things). It fills in a bit of Roy and Eugene's past, and that's about it.

Up against #406 (major plot swing), #449 (AWESOME!) and #464 (great end to the most controversial character) it never really had a chance. :smalltongue:

I think the strip is far more important than its relevance to the plot.

[oppyu]

I like #496 because it's almost separate from the plot. The other strips are dramatic and all, but ultimately they're fantastical events set in a magical world with energy spirits and McGuffins and a paladin who lampshades a way people play a game I've only ever heard about through mean-spirited jokes about nerds and, well, this comic. Fun and all, but often emotionally alienating. #496 is a dude dealing with the guilt over the death of his kid brother. Little magic, no violence, just feels. The way Rich handles these quieter beats is where I really think he shows his quality as a storyteller.

[Bird]

I like #496 because it's almost separate from the plot. The other strips are dramatic and all, but ultimately they're fantastical events set in a magical world with energy spirits and McGuffins and a paladin who lampshades a way people play a game I've only ever heard about through mean-spirited jokes about nerds and, well, this comic. Fun and all, but often emotionally alienating. #496 is a dude dealing with the guilt over the death of his kid brother. Little magic, no violence, just feels. The way Rich handles these quieter beats is where I really think he shows his quality as a storyteller.
Funny; the meeting-your-dead-brother-in-a-literal-afterlife thing is more blatantly "magical" to me than anything Miko was ever involved with. I suppose it does depend on your frame of reference.

The quality of the Giant's quieter beats is part of why I picked 464. Though I readily agree that 496 is a fine page, also.

[Angelalex242]

464:9
449:8
406:7
496:2

And it's still anybody's game. Except 496, because dead babies just don't measure up to Miko and Lord Soon.

[zinycor]

I like #496 because it's almost separate from the plot. The other strips are dramatic and all, but ultimately they're fantastical events set in a magical world with energy spirits and McGuffins and a paladin who lampshades a way people play a game I've only ever heard about through mean-spirited jokes about nerds and, well, this comic. Fun and all, but often emotionally alienating. #496 is a dude dealing with the guilt over the death of his kid brother. Little magic, no violence, just feels. The way Rich handles these quieter beats is where I really think he shows his quality as a storyteller.

the events on 406 are not magical at all, in later comics we find out that miko loses her powers and shojo can' be resurrected, but as for #406 alone, it isn't a fantastic setting, they were arguing about a betrayal, which ended on an homicide.

On the sibject of violence, I think violence can be great literarie resource, if used well, which i think this strip does as the homicide is seen as something terrible and unexpected.

I just can't like 496 that much, because for me it's just exposition to further develop roy, which is great and all, but i wouldn't compare to events that we actually see develop and happen.

having said that, these are all great strips on an awesome comic :smallbiggrin:

[Porthos]

Well, this is, as I predicted, a classic 12 round heavyweight fight. Sadly, it's SO close on the scorecards, that my vote could tie it all up. And I'm not about to have a runoff here. :smalltongue: So, sadly, no voting for 449 for me today.

So that puts it between 464 and 406 for me, as 496 is wonderful, but not wonderful enough. 464 is moving and powerful. Still quoted to this day. But, damn, 406 is and was shocking as all hell. We're not talking about just jumping off the slippery slope, but yodeling the Goofy yell while one does it. I think, sometimes, the power and shock of that strip gets overlooked with the passage of time. It was, and probably is, one of THE most shocking strips of all time in The Order of the Stick. The only other one in the same ballpark is the revelation of Girard's family being struck down by Familicide.

It's not enough to win this Best of the Hundred, but it needs to be remembered I think. Tying for second best is praise enough for that, IMO.

And with that....

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED!

:miko: 464 - Not for Everyone (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0464.html) is the winner of this Best of the Hundred tournament! It now moves on to the Best of the Thousand tournament.

Full Results are as follows:

.............THE STICK AWARDS II:
..BEST OF THE HUNDRED TOURNAMENT
......... (401-500 | Finals)



Comic Number
Votes Received
Vote Percentage





406

8

29.63





449

8

29.63





464

9

33.33





496

2

7.41



Please join us as we we return to the regular rounds of the Stick Awards II where we cover strips #501-#510, in this thread here. :smallsmile:

PS:::: I'd like to thank everyone for all of the commentary that went on as this classic fight went down. Hopefully we'll see more of it in the future. :smallsmile:

[zinycor]

well 406 got a nice second place :D and 464 was my second favorite so am fine :D

thanks for the tournament it's been fun!