El Goonish Shive

Catching up... I'll give Grace a minor bit of slack for that penultimate panel (which, combined with the last panel, is really letting on more than she should), given that Grace misses some of the implications of what she says on a social level. That said, well, she kinda revealed Sarah's line of thought there.

Also... huh, for all that discussing what Sarah knows is crossing a line, Grace actually handled that one appropriately - framing it solely in regards to what Sarah knows about Grace. It took way too long, but Grace finally learned one thing about what's fair to share and with a minimum of agonizing.

I like Sam. I'm really left wondering What Could Have Been if this storyline had been more about him. Yes, I know what I previously noted about how Shive has been hit-and-miss when it comes to expanding the roles of side characters (oh, first appearance Ashley, what happened to you?). Even with that said, Sam so far has been one of the most solidly done characters Shive has had in a while.

This looks like this story is going to wrap up soon. So... I guess we're about to see more of Luke and Floppy Guy (yes, I remember his name is Camdin, but flopping was way more prominent than his name was).

Was that NP even nessacary? The plot hasn't moved at all, it just tells us stuff we don't really need to know.

It was necessary for what Shive wants. Reasons to draw vaguely risque and questionable art.

If that's all NP is now the I'm severely disappointed. We've kinda just been drifting away from the original funny strips parody and sometime canon plot lines into just fan service since Goonmanji 2.

I really hope we get something other than another fan service arc after this one is over.

Anyone notice Shive seems to be using they/them pronouns for Mall!Elliot in the commentary?

Also, Grace saying "Sarah is lovely girl" with such barely constrained fury you half expect her to follow up with "And if you hurt her I will fucking END you".

I noticed!

Actually, in a previous NP commentary, Shive said he wanted to draw something simple and quick, so he could get NPs out on time instead of always during the day, so there was a purpose, just a process purpose rather than a story purpose.

Same.

Shive also said he wanted to focus more on the transformations than the puzzles, which is a specific matter of the way this arc is going.

Yes, that's why the more recent puzzles have the instructions written on the walls.

So now (contrary to an observation of mine from earlier in the arc) they are like Skyrim puzzles!

(For those who haven't played Skyrim: in some dungeons, you're faced with three pillars and have to turn them, one by one, so the correct animal image faces you in the correct sequence. The specific animals needed, and the required sequence, appear overhead, in the same chamber or nearabouts, as plaques.)

And even if you can't find the code, there's no penalty for being wrong and only three pillars. It ain't exactly a difficult code to brute-force.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Feb 12th 2019 at 9:22:20 AM

...the Babadook?

...who says this isn't a "real" LGBT comic?

Nah, just creepy smoke dude

ohhai plot

NP NanaseCraft50

Getting on with it.

Oh, wow, even Shive was bored of this NP plot.

Also, on the main comic... yeah, I don't like Camden.

Who else is thinking it's Hanma?

Welp, I hope for Camdin and Grace's sake that he's virtually invulnerable in that form so she doesn't reflexively snap that noodly bastard like a twig.

NP... okay, how does the dog/fox thing work? Nanase gets transformed completely into a dog, Sarah just hears barking on the other end, and deduces that she has to balance human and dog traits to give Nanase opposable thumbs again? (at the expense of her own thumbs, making it considerably harder to work the scales?) Because damnit, that could actually have been hilarious.

Edit: No wait, fox is better because they don't bark, it's a totally different sound and would take Sarah at least a minute to work out that the bloodcurdling screams from Nanase don't mean "Help I'm being eaten by dungeon wolves"

Edited by PapercutChainsaw on Feb 13th 2019 at 5:03:14 AM

Man, now I wish that's what happened.

Smoke.

So this is either Pandora reincarnated, or Dan wants us to think they're Pandora reincarnated so he can... something...

The commentary last time made it pretty clear who 'smoke' is.

End him, Grace. There's no reason to keep him around or listen to him. Just do it and be done with him.

I think Grace can tell he's not enough of a threat to justify that. That said, there are two ways this could go down really excellently.

1. Really, all Grace should have to do is say, "Subjective and also private. It's really none of your business . We'll be on our way now. I suggest you do the same. Bye."

And if he really is that much of a dumbass to not take her calm demeanour as a huge red flag, she might have to pull out her phone and add. "If you continue to harass us, I will be recording your behaviour and reporting you to the authorities. You know, the ones who deal with creeps like you?" (Bonus if Sam picks up on her tone and uses his acting skills to play along.)

Or alternatively,

2. Sam just pulls some pepper spray out of his pocket and fucks that fucker up.

Would pepper spray work on smoke? Would it embed his very being if he turned back?