[596]oh... you have a, uh, large wolf with you.

So whatever Jack saw in Zimcity was worse than a horrifying, demonic wolf? And he gives a quip about the flowers, too. Very nice, Jack.

Also, Rey's and Annie's expression at the end is golden.

It's not zero reaction- Jack does sweat a little and he's clearly disturbed, but he doesn't show it very much.

I accept we have different opinions, but I have to disagree with your interpretation.

Jack's reaction isn't as strong as the guys from the train station, but it is a very significant change when compared with the last comic.
Sweating nervously and walking backwards before he feels comfortable enough to return to his more amiable personality.

And really, because of her background, this is not the kind of situation that would surprise Annie much.
The room wasn't even on fire.

I would have to agree with walkingdust there. Jack definitely reacts. This seems like kind of an abrupt chapter ending to me.

Also I feel like a better title for this thread would be "nice flowers." Is there some place these titles come from by the way? Or are they just randomly picked by first poster?

I actually kind of agree. I wouldn't talk about "zero reaction", but the resolution of this situation is a bit of an anti-climax (there actually wasn't a resolution. Jack just walked away).

On another note, though, Rey looks awesome. I said something similar about Coyote a while back: This serves as a reminder that Rey isn't just a mischieveous little doll-demon.

And Annie has the most priceless "Uh-oh, this is not good" look int he last panel. ;D

Coyote choses those titles, and sends them to the first poster in their sleep, before they even know they will be the first poster!

poor jack

I just remembered Rey's reaction to Zimmy in "Two Strange Girls". Is Jack carrying some residual trace of Zimmy's "demon" aura- or whatever it was that made Rey react that way to her?
Of course Jack's behavior was offensive to the over-protective Reynardine the Great, but previously Rey had expressed pleasure in scaring people in Annie's defense. In this instance was he prompted to a more negative reaction by a sense of what is wrong with Jack? Certainly Jack's bi-polar tendencies through this conversation- jovial to menacing to fear to cheeky- could be interpreted as a sign of some etheric tampering in his psyche. I wouldn't expect simple trauma to so easily explain how he was able to regroup and deliver that last line with a smirk. To say he's not easily scared of anything after ZimCity does not explain that he was initially fazed by Rey's appearance before he flipped the switch to cheeky taunting. And I think that was an unusually antagonistic reaction, unless there's something more going on behind the eyes than sleepless nights.

Edit: Sorry Callidus, you posted while I was typing. I didn't mean that to be a direct refutal to your theory. I don't mean to give him some special villainous status in the story or attribute special abilities to him. I just think he's more messed up than we know, yet.

I don't see anything bipolar about jack's reaction, if we assume he's seen worse than rey in birminghell, understands that he's endangering his life by continuing his interrogation, and is simply acting in self-preservation when he backs away.

The fact that he comes back to his normal snarky personality when the danger is apparently defused isn't really all that unusual either, and is at worst a coping mechanism for stress (stress being a normal reaction to having your life suddenly threatened).

A damn fine chapter. Not really a self-contained story or part of any particular arc, the kind of things we don't often see here at GC.
It touched on quite a few of the ongoing stories: Annie's medium training with Jones, Parley and Smitty; Dr. Disaster and his proud march into complete dementia; Reynardine's complicated relationship with Annie; Annie's role as successor to her mother; the mysterious origin of the Court; the Jeanne mystery; and, of course, the strange world of Zimmingham and the second appearance of Jack.
But for me, the highlight was here in the forum: the discovery that other people are actually using the word I coined back in chapter 19: Zimmingham. I may seem a loser, becayse I am, but it's an extremely gratifying feeling. Thank you, Yin. You've made me feel special.

Um.
<.<
>.>
You're welcome?
I used it because it sprang to mind. It was a logical description of the place.

...

Oh, what the heck, let's have a Gunner-hug.

Well... Uh... That was weird....

What I really like is that Annie didn't scold Rey. (Although I can't vouch for sure she won't in the next page).

After all, what Rey did was to protect her from a totally flippy boy. Albeit in a very unsubtle and (some thought) overdone way.

In any case, it works! I totally <3 Rey

Last panel: Here's what I think they're thinking:
Annie: "What's going on with Jack?"
Rey: "Better keep an eye on that boy."

Hello? Bonus page?

With the exception of Dobranoc Gamma