El Goonish Shive

Mhm. There's still the issue of how the energy build-up will be fixed, since Pandora has indicated that she's not allowed to do it directly and instead has to get somebody else to do it.

So is this arc in shaggy dog territory yet?

Explanation in NP which I think more or less boils down to "Pandora wants someone with powers that can transform the world and Ashley has great desire, but her nature is to heal and preserve". It kind of reminds me the aspects of the Three-Faced God in Chronicles of the Kencyrath where certain characters have been chosen to destroy, to create, or to preserve (the main character is the chosen avatar for destruction, with everything falling apart as she interacts with it, but necessarily so that things can be rebuilt (the series is the origin of the quote often misattributed to Sagan of "That which can be destroyed by the truth should be").

If Shive did not want people to think the conflict was due to some black and white sense of goodness, why would he write pretty much that in the last comic? He could have put self control or decency (something that stops most people from acting out their fetishes on an unsuspecting public and isn't all that amazing) or something that didn't invoke Incorruptible Pure Pureness on a already disputed character. Maybe I just don't get what he's trying to say.

I think that he thinks that the reason people reacted negatively to Pandora gushing over Ashley's goodness is that we didn't understand why that would be an issue.

But we understood it just fine. What we didn't like was that Ashley basically just dropped in for a cameo to remind everyone how perfect she is.

@23648 Well, I don't know if the focus being off of the core cast is such a bad thing for this mini-arc.

I mean, looking back, I've personally had issues with several of them for a bit. Elliot has a Romantic Plot Tumor developing, Tedd is too frequently depicted as the specialest of snowflakes, Grace is cloying, Nanase's troubles have been sidelined to make her a bit too perfect for my tastes of late... taking a break and looking at more interesting and dynamic characters has been a bit refreshing for my palate.

For the plot direction in general, I think (though this is just my theory) that Shive is trying to set up taking Tedd down a peg or two. One of the biggest complaints I personally have about Tedd is that he's too often Perfectly Right, and nobody should ever doubt how Perfectly Right Tedd can be. Well, maybe he isn't. Maybe this plotline is to show just how wrong Tedd can be, how screwed up things can get when Tedd won't admit to being wrong, and just what consequences can come from that. Heck, maybe it will even show us what could make Lord Tedd happen. All centering on the idea that Tedd's pride is a serious flaw that could seriously damage lots of people. I like the idea of that development, so I'm kind of hopeful about all of this development.

In this case, Pandora is kind of the warning to Tedd - she's what he could be if he doesn't rein in his pride and his tunnel vision on what he wants. She's the villain now to show what villain Tedd could be without changing his ways.

@23652 Not even close (unless you're talking about the NP). It's setting the table, really.

@23655 I think it's pretty clear at this point that Shive knows that there is a contingent that doesn't like Ashley, but he has absolutely no idea why this contingent doesn't.

Pandora seems to think that the ability to share emotions is boring and cannot be used for great ill. She is wrong.

the same could be said for healing but let's be honest, it takes a certain sort of sadism to find dark fun in the ability to heal papercuts.

edited 23rd Aug '16 6:10:12 PM by stevebat

Story, 26th of August

I didn't expect Pandora to contact her to solve the clog issue. Also, she's quite hilarious when she talks of serious topics so cheerfully.

Me neither. But I think I see where Shive is going with this.

I guess that's the person to go to if you're in Pandora's situation. Who else is potentially going to react well to you?

Also, anyone else hear that last panel to the tune of "Do You Believe in Magic?" by The Lovin' Spoonful?

edited 26th Aug '16 7:14:39 AM by 32_Footsteps

Neat! Sarah gets to do stuff!

I hear the tune of "Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?"

edited 26th Aug '16 7:32:37 AM by TobiasDrake

Same.

Yeah, no other way to read it.

Remind me, when did these two meet?

This arc.

This comic's plot has more hanging threads than a wool sweater in a lion's den.

An example of a Kudzu Plot, then?

One of the best examples that I know of, yes.

I have compiled an index of loose plot threads over at the EGS forums, if anyone here's interested.

On one hand, Question mark is definitely not NP material, but on the other hand, it saved us three months of exposition.

I do enjoy Sarahs expression in panel four, a good Oh, Crap! expression is always fun.

Speaking of NP, wanting to be Braixen is good taste, if a bit cliched for someone into that kind of thing.

edited 26th Aug '16 3:18:36 PM by stevebat

I just noticed that Pandora is dressed like Anna.

Also, page.

Got stuck trawling through NP, isolated this expression that weirded me out to see on Grace.

Was that an Imagine Spot?

No. She was naming a third character in a row after Tedd in Chrono Trigger and decided to be flirty about it.

Context

NP wherein we get a potential. Apparently

Comic 2232

What.

WHAT!?

WWWHHHAAAAAAATTTT!?!?

edit: So this make Susan x Diane ok now? Quick, to the fan fic factory!

edited 29th Aug '16 12:49:33 AM by Daremo