El Goonish Shive

It's been a while. I don't think he has any nail clippers.

On the other hand, I believe Pandora has been shown with claws several times in her more monstrous aspects.

Yeah, I'm inclined to think that claw is Pandora more than Magus.

NP 607

Ok, getting somewhat noticeable now.

I mean, depending on just where shapeshifting is on the list of immortal powers, that could be dang near anyone. That said, house money is on Pandora there.

Interesting, though... Jerry has already ferreted out Pandora, Voltaire, Helena, and Demetrius, despite the fact that only Voltaire has played his hand to the extent that everyone knows about him (and even then, it appears Pandora is still not up to speed on him and his involvement). I think Jerry might be Weak, but Skilled.

Comic 2340

A simple question.

NP 608

Oblivious Wand Waving: Part Deux continues...

"Minor spoiler, I know, butt"

Oh, Shive...

Random forced drama moment with a relatively irrelevant character wasting not one, but two comics for what is likely to be no good reason.

Not that I don't understand the problem, Shive needs to transition a few characters from where they are to where they should be on a very tight schedule. Still doesn't make this any less awkward.

edited 26th Apr '17 4:16:39 AM by stevebat

I still want this to be Pandora but keeping her blacked out makes me wonder.

I can now see why Shive is more comfortable with a glacial pace. All these jump cuts are making me dizzy. Fats or slow, the pacing is awkward.

I found the comic kinda funny at least.

@25132 Looks like he caught that typo.

@25133 I mean, if it wasn't a dramatic buildup followed by an immediate scene shift, would it really be a Dan Shive work?

Oh, right, still my beef with Dan Brown, too.

@25135 I mean, there's also the theory that you could do something fast-paced but not leave it hanging when it builds to a crescendo. I hear some authors do that.

The problem is Dan picked exactly the wrong arc to go fast-paced. This one in particular has too many players scattered on too many places. It's also tackling too many plot points at once:

• Susan and Diane being or not being sisters, them sharing magic affinities and stuff
• Tedd's true nature
• Dan's Author's Saving Throw for Pandora in order to develop her by shifting the blame to this new immortal whose name I just forgot
• Adrian's relationship to his mother
• New Jerry's adventures
• Magus and his quest to regain his body
• Sirleck's plot
• Arthur's plot
• The resolution of the excess magic energy subplot
• I forgot-his-name immortal plotting to sabotage Tedd's destiny
• and I'm sure I'm still forgetting something about Sarah?

The card tournament would have been easier to streamline, did we really need to take a year off for Larry's character development? Wouldn't a shorter NP arc have done the same while leaving time for Sarah's and Justin's dates?

But in this arc? it is too ambitious. All this plotlines could have easily been solved with smaller and more focused arcs instead of a mega arc that is going too fast and cuts whenever things are getting interesting.

edited 26th Apr '17 9:03:37 AM by Kaitroper

I actually wouldn't call it an Author's Saving Throw. It was established way back when Hobo Beard attacked the martial arts dojo with his army of flame guys that the person who gave him his magic mark was not the same person as the one controlling him and making him attack.

Pandora was later revealed to be the one giving out the marks. That meant someone else was the one actually controlling the summoner. It's not an Saving Throw, it's just Shive picking up a plot thread that was left floating around in the abyss for years due to the glacial pace of the story.

...also, as an aside, Pinkie Pie makes me want to give you a hug.

edited 26th Apr '17 9:05:52 AM by TobiasDrake

Sarah's plot is the whole "Wants magic" thing and her marks power to simulate reality.

After Dex was defeated, Noah and the others searched him. In addition to his magic mark which gave him his summoning spells, they found this thing around his neck, which was used to control him and boost his power. The last time we saw the pendant, it was being left in Grace's care.

Now, it's possible that Pandora both marked him and gave him the pendant. Noah speculates as much here, although he also openly admits that his ideas are at last partly rooted in what would be more convenient.

From an artistic standpoint, however, that would be a very strange choice. There's no reason to give Dex two separate MacGuffins unless they aren't meant to be directly connected to one another.

That said, calling it "established" may have been too strong a wording on my part, due to reciting from memory. It was ambiguous.

edited 26th Apr '17 9:52:13 PM by TobiasDrake

Thanks.

I definitely remember we were speculating at the time that it seemed too obvious. Pandora's crazy and everything, but giving her minion a sign that says "minion of Pandora" is weird even for her.

Updoot

holy shit

> needs "a low-profile host with no connection to this one"

> picks the dude's butler

edited 28th Apr '17 2:43:06 AM by SalFishFin

Maybe he's planning to surf a bit to get to his preferred long-term host.

Yes. His preferred long-term host is Magus.

edited 28th Apr '17 4:21:01 AM by Medinoc

Could also be that something happened that forced his hand.

Yeah, the butler's probably a temporary host to get him to where he wants to be. Also, holy f*cking shit, this page goes to some dark places. Sirleck feels very disjointed from the generally silly tone of the series. Like he's an immigrant from a much darker, more horrific tale.

Even Shive seems horrified by this page down in the blurb.

I am genuinely impressed that he was willing to go there. We're actually getting to see a person be unambiguously victimized in a horrific fashion by Sirleck.

edited 28th Apr '17 6:13:21 AM by TobiasDrake

Oh snap, will the butler survive that, or does getting snatched immediately make you braindead?