[2000] CARVER!

[haspen]

And that's what we get for page 2000!

Congratulations for achieving this spectacular milestone, Tom! Not many a comic continues/survives long enough to see two thousand pages!

[youwiththeface]

Jimmy Jims ain't wrong.

[madjack]

Well I'd like to say I called Eggers being upset with this idea, but he doesn't seem as concerned with Annie's safety as he does with calling out Anthony. Hmm. Not sure that's the best motivation, given the circumstances.

[snowflake]

"And that was wrong of me, James. Also, I'm still not sending her".

Literally all Tony needs to say.

Though this conflict is obviously just a symptom of old resentment boiling to the surface, or James would switch focus to Jones and the reasons she allows Annie to go.

[liminal]

Eglamore! So that's where Tony put his wrinkles...

[fjodorii]

Eglamore suspects there is a hidden agenda that Tony isn't showing? (because it's ... um well, hidden?)

[aline]

Jun 13, 2018 7:06:50 GMT madjack said:

Well I'd like to say I called Eggers being upset with this idea, but he doesn't seem as concerned with Annie's safety as he does with calling out Anthony. Hmm. Not sure that's the best motivation, given the circumstances.

Yep. Although considering what James thinks he knows about Anthony (shady guy / deeper than most in the Court etc.), it is correct from his perspective to question Anthony's motives. 

Still, his perspective is deeply skewed. It would be nice if he could manage to update his assessment of Carver senior sometime in the future. 

[Nepycros]

Have we got our editing department working around the clock to shop Eglamore's fingers on the last panel? No?

Then what are we even paying them for?!

[madjack]

Jun 13, 2018 7:18:57 GMT fjodorii said:

Eglamore suspects there is a hidden agenda that Tony isn't showing? (because it's ... um well, hidden?)

Jun 13, 2018 7:19:49 GMT aline said:

Yep. Although considering what James thinks he knows about Anthony (shady guy / deeper than most in the Court etc.), it is correct from his perspective to question Anthony's motives.

Still, his perspective is deeply skewed. It would be nice if he could manage to update his assessment of Carver senior sometime in the future.

That would explain his attitude pretty well.

[arf]

If Eglamore was sporting a beard at this moment, it would be bristling. (a bit of ape studies trivia I picked up via the clean shaven Prof. Dawkins.)

[noone3]

Jun 13, 2018 7:34:06 GMT Nepycros said:

Have we got our editing department working around the clock to shop Eglamore's fingers on the last panel? No?

Then what are we even paying them for?!

I guess that's just what you get for wielding sword in strong magical field all day – shovelhands.



Edit: Well, Parley would soon be able to palm her BF's eyebrows

[kefka]

I like Eglamore less and less every time he opens his mouth. I wonder if that's what happened to Surma.

[Sky Schemer]

I am sensing some tension here.

[faiiry]

Unpopular(?) opinion: I have in fact NOT been eagerly awaiting the inevitable Tony/Eggs fight scene, and now that it's happening I just want it to end.

Also, Eglamore looks older with every panel. Also also, what are the chances that Annie is listening on the other side of the door right now? Also also also, I think James needs to be reminded that A) Annie isn't his daughter, and B) Annie isn't Surma. But with that being said, I think Scrambled Eggs' reaction to this whole thing is the most realistic so far. Carver and Jones are allowing Annie to waltz off into horrible danger and they're being awfully glib about it. Over Easy is the voice of reason here. The aggressive, shouty, yelly voice of reason. But still.

For some reason I felt like Eglamore is going to angrily blurt out some secret/plot twist on Friday. Either that or he's going to pick a fight with Anthony, and either Tony is going to surprisingly manage to kick his ass across dimensions, or Annie is going to burst onto the scene and save her dad with some fire. I have called it.

[speedwell]

Jun 13, 2018 8:01:23 GMT arf said:

If Eglamore was sporting a beard at this moment, it would be bristling. (a bit of ape studies trivia I picked up via the clean shaven Prof. Dawkins.)

I literally just put down that book.

I also notice that James isn't getting all up in Jones's business. He's not listening. He's not thinking. He's just reacting on his "Anthony is a [meanie]" hormones. Someone needs to tap him on the shoulder and remind him he's a ninja.

[fjodorii]

If they start a fight my guess is that Jones will stop it. But I think it's more likely we'll get to see a plot twist

(like
1: "...I don't know what you're up to Tony, but I won't let you use Annie for whatever mission the Court gave you!"
2: "...you know what she will have to face when she goes to the Forest, and I'll be damned if I let you pretend to her you don't know. it is YOUR responsibility to tell that there will be a [insert pretty horrible things that you should not let your kid be exposed to here]...")

so, is it Friday yet?

[machiavelli33]

Not gonna ask Annie first, Jimjam? After all of the agency she's taken over the things she's done, all the good and bad things that she's done that YOU'VE SEEN her choose to put herself into, you're still not gonna take the notion that the quiet firehead troublemaker decided to firehead troublemake some more? No? Just gonna use her and Tony as a vessel for your old baggage, huh.

Well.

Nobody said being an adult was any less like being an older teenager. If we never have the chance to properly examine ourselves (the way, say, Tony has), then we never have reason to change. James' behavior here is a really good example of the power of old feelings, and how deep and formative they can be.

If any of you are ever looking for ways you can improve parts of yourself, and wonder why it is that you behave in certain ways you might not like - try looking to the past. Seeds planted there are often the reason why you're eating the fruit you are today.

[todd]

Though Eglamore made a couple of good points, I still think Antony's got the right idea. Annie's the one person in the Court who can reach Ysengrin, the only person with any hope of calming him down. She offers the one piece of hope (however slender) of getting this quarrel settled through diplomacy.

Maybe Ysengrin is too far gone by now (after the effects of eating Coyote) to listen to her - though at least, by sending up the Forest's signal, he's shown himself willing to speak* - but I think he's even less likely to listen to anyone else.

* Of course, Ysengrin's intent might be only to have an audience where he lays down his demands in an "unconditional surrender" tone.

[avurai]

Jun 13, 2018 12:03:24 GMT machiavelli33 said:

Not gonna ask Annie first, Jimjam? After all of the agency she's taken over the things she's done, all the good and bad things that she's done that YOU'VE SEEN her choose to put herself into, you're still not gonna take the notion that the quiet firehead troublemaker decided to firehead troublemake some more? No? Just gonna use her and Tony as a vessel for your old baggage, huh.
.

Egoamore never said that Annie didn’t want to, only that Anthony thought it okay to agree even after having shown to vehemently disagree previously. Anthony’s change of tune is noteworthy. And, if you aren’t interpreting it as him allowing Annie further agency, reads as shady as hell. To go from “you must never leave this place” to “you go in there”, from an outsider perspective, reads as “Now that it is convenient for the Court, whose orders I followed to seal you off from the Forest in the first place, I agree that this far more dangerous scenario is one which you should jump right into. Because it helps the Court. All glory to the Court. Everything benefiting them is something I prioritize over you. For The Greater Good~For the Greater Good~”

Let’s all just recognize that if we started this chapter with only the information that Eglamore had, we’d all be at least a little panicked. Yes? We got to see that last page, James didn’t.

[pyradonis]

Good thing that Eglamore is here now! But who is the big guy yelling at Tony?

[Nnelg]

That furious look suits Eglamore poorly. It makes him look older than Tony.

[ohthatone]

2000 pages! Congratulations Tom!!
my brain keeps inserting James holding up two fingers in that last panel. I would totally expect him to give Tony the two finger salute
I'd like to think James is mature enough not to try and slug Tony (or physically threaten him) but if he does I really hope to see some Tony-Fu and he walks away saying "I have matters to attend"
(of course, I pretty much hope for this every time I see these two together)

James isn't entirely wrong, but I'm not sure exactly what he's accusing Tony of. He's mad at him for not letting her go in the forest. He's mad at him for letting her go in the forest.
Being a non-parent, I guess? Again, not wrong. wonder what James's solution would be.

[ohthatone]

Jun 13, 2018 12:56:46 GMT avurai said:

Jun 13, 2018 12:03:24 GMT machiavelli33 said:

Not gonna ask Annie first, Jimjam? After all of the agency she's taken over the things she's done, all the good and bad things that she's done that YOU'VE SEEN her choose to put herself into, you're still not gonna take the notion that the quiet firehead troublemaker decided to firehead troublemake some more? No? Just gonna use her and Tony as a vessel for your old baggage, huh.
.

Egoamore never said that Annie didn’t want to, only that Anthony thought it okay to agree even after having shown to vehemently disagree previously. Anthony’s change of tune is noteworthy. And, if you aren’t interpreting it as him allowing Annie further agency, reads as shady as hell. To go from “you must never leave this place” to “you go in there”, from an outsider perspective, reads as “Now that it is convenient for the Court, whose orders I followed to seal you off from the Forest in the first place, I agree that this far more dangerous scenario is one which you should jump right into. Because it helps the Court. All glory to the Court. Everything benefiting them is something I prioritize over you. For The Greater Good~For the Greater Good~”

Let’s all just recognize that if we started this chapter with only the information that Eglamore had, we’d all be at least a little panicked. Yes? We got to see that last page, James didn’t.

I do agree with your last point and maybe your previous point as solely from James's perspective, but wouldn't it behoove the Court more to not let Annie go in and diplomatically end things? So they can keep up the illusion of the Forest being Very Dangerous?

[madjack]

Do they want the illusion of the Forest being dangerous though? I think its more the Court want them to stop bothering them and go away.

[todd]

Jun 13, 2018 13:56:02 GMT madjack said:

Do they want the illusion of the Forest being dangerous though? I think its more the Court want them to stop bothering them and go away.

It's possible that the Court might not want to settle the quarrel by diplomacy - at least, not when someone who's had a good look at the forest's perspective like Annie is the diplomat - because it might require making concessions to Gilltie Wood, the kind of concessions that the Court doesn't want to make.

But I don't think they want an actual war with Gilltie Wood, either. I think they just want the forest-folk to stay on their side of the Annan Waters and leave the Court alone.

[ctso74]

Man, Eggs needs to cut back on the coffee. It looks like he's about to give himself a hemorrhage.
I agree with others. With the information that he has, Eglamore has an honest point, but his actions seem to be coming from a bias towards Tony, rather than Annie's safety. It's hard to blame him, but he might want to chill a little bit.

[keef]

Congratulations Mr Tom Siddell !

Jun 13, 2018 13:59:29 GMT todd said:

It's possible that the Court might not want to settle the quarrel by diplomacy - at least, not when someone who's had a good look at the forest's perspective like Annie is the diplomat -

Well, she is the forest's diplomat, she should at least be able to tell the court what it is Ysengrin wants. And the only way to do that is by asking him.

[bgb16999]

I think Panel 3 might be the first time we have seen Tony look genuinely scared.

[Runningflame]

Umm... did Jones just disappear in panels 6 and 7?

[bedinsis]

Huh, nothing special for page 2000? Oh well.

I wonder what Tony will answer. Probably something that someone unrelated to Annie could say, and with about as much passion.