* In panels 4 and 5, the ogre (unclear which is Olgon and which is Urlson) speaks in “normal voice”, not in “monster voice.”
* The ogre knows which one is Charles / knows his name. While technically it may have been able to figure this out from listening to Amy and Dallas, it seems more likely that the ogre already knew Charles (and probably the others) pre-battle.
Ah, you’re right, I whiffed on this one. I didn’t realize the hand on Charlie’s shoulder was Emma’s, and just connected the comments in what seemed to me to be a bit condescending / cocky in tone to line up with (but be uncharacteristically well-spoken for) the ogre-kin.
Looking through it all again with this direction, it’s much clearer that those balloons are Emma’s. Derp me.
Looking back at it again, I think I got thrown by the combination of a few things:
* Emma’s massive fist and bracelet are pretty similar to the ogres’ at a quick glance. The main differences are the coloration (which I probably subconsciously assumed was a difference of lighting) and number of fingers (Emma has three, the ogres have four, but I didn’t realize this until I went back and looked closely).
* As of that *very* specific moment, Emma hadn’t been introduced to the scene yet, visually, and somehow I didn’t retroactively make the connection once she appeared in the next panel.
* Before knowing the full context, Emma’s dialogue sounds dismissive and condescending, and since it’s directed towards a “baby wizard” I had assumed it was related to the ogres’ anti-wizard attitude rather than Emma’s usual blunt-to-coarse demeanor.
* It’s been a looooong time since I’ve seen Emma, so my brain just wasn’t primed to make that jump.
Obviously now that I know the answer, it makes much more sense. Teach me to try to read comics after a long day of screaming into the abyss at work.
I was clued it wasn’t the ogre mainly by character orientation – all those seeming to prepare to resist the ogre were facing to the reader’s left, those fleeing heading right. Word balloons emerged from the right, indicating new speaker. Also, color of balloon background and text indicated less threatening voice.
Also, the manner of speech and characterization is different from what we just saw the ogre-kin say on the last page it appeared. I don’t think it knows enough words in any language for Clypeus to be in its vocabulary.
Well analyzed Landwalker. I read through in exactly the same way. Without Emma having been introduced yet, I attributed the words to the ogre, albeit being a bit confused as it didn’t sound right for the ogre.
I went back to re-read once I got the the reveal panel.
Yeah, I gotta admit my first thought was that it was the ogre screwing with him and was very confused lol. But yeah, rereading it’s definitely Emma. I just wasn’t aware of any other massive entities in the area on first reading that panel lol.
I’d ask what that means Emma really *is* but I imagine we’re going to find out here soon. My first instinct is Rakshasa but her hands aren’t backwards.
These things already took down three heavy hitters, but it was all because they got the drop on them. Let’s see what we get from Emma since she’s prepared.
Here we see Felis Primus, Emmaline, in her natural habitat. Having discovered a predator approaching her bonded allies, she has enabled what many thaumaturgical experts refer to as ‘My House, Bitch’ protocols.
The predators, Ogren Asinus, are far too lacking in intelligence to know the correct response is immediate retreat. Thus, we have the rare opportunity of observing Emmaline perform enthusiastic additions of new orifices for these predators, either following or preceding their imminent defenestration.
It is recommended that observers retreat to minimum safe distance and don their protective outerwear; you are in the splash zone.
Oh… and Clypeus is latin for “round shield” and is also the name of the piece of chitin on an insect’s forehead. I’m guessing Emma’s steering Charlie towards casting a protective spell.
And there’s SO much that I’m trying to wrap my brain around.
– If Lee was in the limo with Dove back in season 5, that was before Clive met his new patron. Which means he had to get the cash somewhere else and I can’t nail down a character with that kind of cash that would have been able to supply Lee with money back then that was also pissed at the group.
– There’s the sudden reappearance of Donny and Mel.
– When Charlie ran into Donny and Mel, he ran off to the bathroom where he talked with Larry. After Charlie left the bathroom, Larry was on the phone with “someone”. Someone he seems to be working with to, as Larry put it, “set things in motion”.
– And then there’s the comms block. All the attempts to talk with the North Pole aren’t working. Either something’s blocking on this end or something’s happening at the Pole. That one might be Clive though.
– And lastly, there’s the comment Brian made when he reintroduced Donny back around May… he didn’t want to leave things dangling. There’s one big dangling plot line that I’m aware of that hasn’t been touched yet… Klaus. The last we saw him, he was bound up and being tormented by Krampus after Klaus had possessed Krampus. And at that time, Brett was saying he only has half the mantle and Klaus has the other half until he can be convinced to give it up but that Brett was just going to get by with just half for now. I think the time may be coming for Brett to get the full mantle. *maybe*
Well, last time we had a badass declarative final panel, Jeanie proceeded to eat masonry and door and furniture on the next page. I’m hoping it’ll be reversed this time.
So Emma is a cat! Only a cat truly understands that we don’t own them, they own us and merely choose to allow us dignity by playing the pet. Every cat owner knows this truth.
It would have been fitting to say in many of the recent pages (pretty much since “I’m a wizard?!â€) but I’m officially saying it now.
Ahem.
Then things started happening very fast.
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Oh, it’s Clobberin time.
!!!
PLAYER 1 has entered the game!
Observations:
* In panels 4 and 5, the ogre (unclear which is Olgon and which is Urlson) speaks in “normal voice”, not in “monster voice.”
* The ogre knows which one is Charles / knows his name. While technically it may have been able to figure this out from listening to Amy and Dallas, it seems more likely that the ogre already knew Charles (and probably the others) pre-battle.
Very curious.
That isn’t the OGre-kin speaking.
It’s Emma. Look at the wrist-bracer, then look at the wrists on Emma’s full-body reveal.
You really missed the mark here, Landwalker. Follow the narrative balloons. That is Emma talking as she puts her hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
Ah, you’re right, I whiffed on this one. I didn’t realize the hand on Charlie’s shoulder was Emma’s, and just connected the comments in what seemed to me to be a bit condescending / cocky in tone to line up with (but be uncharacteristically well-spoken for) the ogre-kin.
Looking through it all again with this direction, it’s much clearer that those balloons are Emma’s. Derp me.
Looking back at it again, I think I got thrown by the combination of a few things:
* Emma’s massive fist and bracelet are pretty similar to the ogres’ at a quick glance. The main differences are the coloration (which I probably subconsciously assumed was a difference of lighting) and number of fingers (Emma has three, the ogres have four, but I didn’t realize this until I went back and looked closely).
* As of that *very* specific moment, Emma hadn’t been introduced to the scene yet, visually, and somehow I didn’t retroactively make the connection once she appeared in the next panel.
* Before knowing the full context, Emma’s dialogue sounds dismissive and condescending, and since it’s directed towards a “baby wizard” I had assumed it was related to the ogres’ anti-wizard attitude rather than Emma’s usual blunt-to-coarse demeanor.
* It’s been a looooong time since I’ve seen Emma, so my brain just wasn’t primed to make that jump.
Obviously now that I know the answer, it makes much more sense. Teach me to try to read comics after a long day of screaming into the abyss at work.
I was clued it wasn’t the ogre mainly by character orientation – all those seeming to prepare to resist the ogre were facing to the reader’s left, those fleeing heading right. Word balloons emerged from the right, indicating new speaker. Also, color of balloon background and text indicated less threatening voice.
Also, the manner of speech and characterization is different from what we just saw the ogre-kin say on the last page it appeared. I don’t think it knows enough words in any language for Clypeus to be in its vocabulary.
Well analyzed Landwalker. I read through in exactly the same way. Without Emma having been introduced yet, I attributed the words to the ogre, albeit being a bit confused as it didn’t sound right for the ogre.
I went back to re-read once I got the the reveal panel.
Don’t feel too bad. I made the same assumption at first until I looked more closely.
And nobody was expecting Super Emma.
Yeah, I gotta admit my first thought was that it was the ogre screwing with him and was very confused lol. But yeah, rereading it’s definitely Emma. I just wasn’t aware of any other massive entities in the area on first reading that panel lol.
I’m in the same boat as Darkening. But the slight initial confusion made the reveal even more surprising and badass.
It got me too, but man does rereading it to make sure make me appreciate it even more
oh. boy. GO EMMA!
Good job, Brian.
THUNDERCATS ARE LOOSE!
F*** yeah, Emma!!! Kick those monster butts!
I have so many questions, but I so delighted.
I’d ask what that means Emma really *is* but I imagine we’re going to find out here soon. My first instinct is Rakshasa but her hands aren’t backwards.
These things already took down three heavy hitters, but it was all because they got the drop on them. Let’s see what we get from Emma since she’s prepared.
Here we see Felis Primus, Emmaline, in her natural habitat. Having discovered a predator approaching her bonded allies, she has enabled what many thaumaturgical experts refer to as ‘My House, Bitch’ protocols.
The predators, Ogren Asinus, are far too lacking in intelligence to know the correct response is immediate retreat. Thus, we have the rare opportunity of observing Emmaline perform enthusiastic additions of new orifices for these predators, either following or preceding their imminent defenestration.
It is recommended that observers retreat to minimum safe distance and don their protective outerwear; you are in the splash zone.
Reading that in the voice of Werner Herzog is simply sublime.
GOD I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU FRIGGEN WRITE BRIAN!
Emma “watchin her stories” is just about purrfect.
Just have to say… this wasn’t that far off after all.
https://d20monkey.com/comic/category-e/
Great flashback
Dude – I really hope when this is all over you are able to roll this (and the rest of the arcs) into Volume 2 (&3?). Because this is amazing.
The tag for the comic spelled Emma wrong, it’s BadAss
Love the 3 eyes.
in pondering now “When SAM was young did he wield the narriative and Emma came in to existence?”
Charlie’s teacher explained that she was put in place to protect him because he can wield the narrative
Yes, I know, but was that done by SAM? If you need a guardian and can wield the narrative, words can summon your own guardian.
SUPRISE ROUND IS OVER! EVERYONE ROLL FOR INITATIVE!!!
Oh… and Clypeus is latin for “round shield” and is also the name of the piece of chitin on an insect’s forehead. I’m guessing Emma’s steering Charlie towards casting a protective spell.
And there’s SO much that I’m trying to wrap my brain around.
– If Lee was in the limo with Dove back in season 5, that was before Clive met his new patron. Which means he had to get the cash somewhere else and I can’t nail down a character with that kind of cash that would have been able to supply Lee with money back then that was also pissed at the group.
– There’s the sudden reappearance of Donny and Mel.
– When Charlie ran into Donny and Mel, he ran off to the bathroom where he talked with Larry. After Charlie left the bathroom, Larry was on the phone with “someone”. Someone he seems to be working with to, as Larry put it, “set things in motion”.
– And then there’s the comms block. All the attempts to talk with the North Pole aren’t working. Either something’s blocking on this end or something’s happening at the Pole. That one might be Clive though.
– And lastly, there’s the comment Brian made when he reintroduced Donny back around May… he didn’t want to leave things dangling. There’s one big dangling plot line that I’m aware of that hasn’t been touched yet… Klaus. The last we saw him, he was bound up and being tormented by Krampus after Klaus had possessed Krampus. And at that time, Brett was saying he only has half the mantle and Klaus has the other half until he can be convinced to give it up but that Brett was just going to get by with just half for now. I think the time may be coming for Brett to get the full mantle. *maybe*
Interesting that both the Japanese and the Romans names the head of an insect after armor or vice versa
Not gonna lie, ive got an awkward chubby now.
Well, last time we had a badass declarative final panel, Jeanie proceeded to eat masonry and door and furniture on the next page. I’m hoping it’ll be reversed this time.
Go Emma!
I haven’t commented here before but dang. (Insert EXCITED YES YES YES FLAILING EXCITEMENT GIF here)
Wow. Nobody can whip up complex battle plans on short notice like a gamer can.
SOMEONE IS GETTING *ALL* THE TUNA TREATS
So Emma is a cat! Only a cat truly understands that we don’t own them, they own us and merely choose to allow us dignity by playing the pet. Every cat owner knows this truth.
Her sam indeed!
It would have been fitting to say in many of the recent pages (pretty much since “I’m a wizard?!â€) but I’m officially saying it now.
Ahem.
Then things started happening very fast.
GOT damn!
Oooooooo! This about to get double-good!
She’s got a BOARD with a NAIL IN IT!
Good catch.
…and nice touch Brian.
Well…looks line the cat’s out of the bag now.
That was so bad… but I did smirk