Line #15 Webcomic/BlackRose


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_rose_9.png]]
2	-> ''There are two worlds. Theirs isn't strong anymore. The old world is dying. The handwavers can bend the earth, the sea, the mind -- even ''life'' -- with a gesture, a '''thought'''. But we '''Athelicans''' -- our power is in '''things''' so that even the weakest can be the strongest. The handwavers have never seen war like this. Or men like these...and when we've finished with the old world, all that will remain is a shadow of its pride. My sister and I are between worlds. That's why we need to get out. Everything I have to do, Aliyana, I will.''
3	-->--'''Arion''', issue one
4
5	->Fantasy is dead.
6	-->--'''Tagline'''
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8	[[http://blackrosecomic.com/new-readers/ Black Rose]] is a DarkFantasy / SteamPunk {{webcomic}} (originally introduced as an independently published comic) made by writers Christopher Arndt and Brandon Peat with illustrator Aaron Minier.
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10	Black Rose focuses on two siblings: Arion, who has just come home from his grueling term of duty in the Athelican military, only to find that bureaucracy has taken away the land grant he was promised for his eight years of service, and Aliyana, who grew into aristocratic life much easier than her rough and tumble brother. Arion wishes to take Aliyana out of Athelica, against her own desires.
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12	Athelica, a SteamPunk industrialized empire is encroaching on the land of Ishtakar, where magic (used by those known as Handwavers) is still in common use...but not for long, as the Athelican military's technology is giving them a significant advantage against the Handwavers and their MindControl abilities. But Ishtakar isn't going down without a fight, and Arion and Aliyana are caught in the middle.
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14	Black Rose released nine full issues online[[note]]The first six were previously released in print before the creators transitioned to a webcomic release model[[/note]]during the release of the tenth issue in April 2015. On November 15, 2018, the site updated with a [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190615151009/http://blackrosecomic.com/2018/11/15/state-of-black-rose-2018/ "State of Black Rose 2018"]] post.[[note]]While the creators intended on continuing the comic eventually, real life obligations got in the way of maintaining a regular update schedule[[/note]] While the website is inactive as of 2020, you can still [[http://blackrosecomic.com/2013/03/24/between-worlds read the comic]] through the Internet Archive. The official Facebook is [[https://www.facebook.com/blackrosecomic here]], along with its [[http://www.twitter.com/fantasyisdead Twitter]].
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16	[[SimilarlyNamedWorks Has no relation]] with either a 2013 [[FreewareGames freeware]] horror game ''VideoGame/BlackRose'', or another freeware horror game named ''VideoGame/TheBlackRose''. It is also unrelated to the 1992 [[Pinball/BlackRose pinball machine]] of the same name.
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18	The magic is also described as Handwaving in this series, which is also not to be confused with [[HandWave the trope]].
19
20	!! Black Rose contains examples of:
21	* ChekhovsGun: Deliberately set up in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190822081847/http://blackrosecomic.com/2013/06/14/soothing-surroundings/ issue 3]], finally used in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190525065752/http://blackrosecomic.com/2013/07/31/his-fathers-sword/ issue 4]].
22	-->[[http://aaronminier.tumblr.com/post/57543699053/if-youre-going-to-give-your-character-a-weapon If you’re going to give your character a weapon]], your character should use said weapon. What good is a [[{{Bowdlerise}} neutered]] ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} that can only cut loose in [[WhatIf “what if”]] or [[AlternateUniverse “alternate universe]]” storylines? Why should [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Leonardo]] cut up countless robotic foot soldiers, [[TechnicalPacifist but not slice Rocksteady’s fool hand off]]? [[ActualPacifist Pacifists don’t carry]].
23	** The armor that Airon and Aliyana stand near in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190511151441/http://blackrosecomic.com/2013/05/22/not-our-father/ issue 2]] makes a reappearance as Airon's future armor that belonged to their real father in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190525064858/http://blackrosecomic.com/2015/03/18/true-armor/ issue 10]]. A preview image from the "State of Black Rose 2018" post shows him actually wearing it.
24	* DarkFantasy: A grimy corrupted empire with SteamPunk technology versus an underdeveloped country where magic users are being wiped out, a lack of fantasy races other than humans, and more realistic leanings? Check.
25	* FunctionalMagic: Of the ''mentalism'' kind Handwavers use. So far, it's been used in the series for mind control, crop cutting, and raising the dead.
26	* LateArrivalSpoiler: While Airon's fate ([[spoiler: death]]) and Aliyana's resulting actions ([[spoiler: fixing said death with her handwaver powers]]) in issue 4 might have shocked some readers of the webcomic re-release of issue 4, those who had the print issue/book collecting issues 1-6 knew months before hand. Those who only follow the webcomic could still notice something was up when the cover and the description for issue 5 had both Airon and Aliyana appear just fine.
27	* MindControl: The version used in Black Rose is applied not only to humans, but to ''nature'' as well.
28	* MindRape: The Athelican army claims to provide help to Ishtakar's villagers to avoid this from the Overseers in exchange for produce. Whether or not they hold true to it instead of "vacating" said villages is another story.
29	* [[PrettyBoy Pretty Man]]: Arion, as described by Bjorn.
30	* PsychicAssistedSuicide: Attempted on soldiers by a Handwaver in issue one. A good portion of them nearly did it [[spoiler: but the attempt failed after the Handwaver was shot by a soldier who maintained control of their mind.]]
31	* RapePillageAndBurn: Implied to be what happens when the Athelican military "vacates" Istakar's.
32	* ShownTheirWork: "[[https://web.archive.org/web/20190525065746/http://blackrosecomic.com/2013/08/02/last-gasp/ Old matchlock pistols like Arion’s had absolutely horrific accuracy.]] That said, someone ''could'' [[BoomHeadshot still get a headshot]]."
33	* SteamPunk: Athelica, both the location and its military.
34	* WhamEpisode: In Issue 4, group of Handwavers make their attack on the Nelkan household, but there's at least one Handwaver unaffiliated with them that's on Airon's side: [[spoiler: Aliyana, who revived him after a murder attempt by said group of Handwavers]]
35	* WretchedHive: Arion comes home from his stint in the military to a country ripe with corrupt politicians and polluted air. War veterans (including Arion) are screwed out of many benefits and Arion is only ''slightly'' luckier than the rest of them due to his fighting skills bringing in a means of income.

Context Webcomic / BlackRose