Post by todd on Sept 23, 2007 1:14:28 GMT
In a little over a week, the "summer holiday" period will end, and "Gunnerkrigg Court" will begin to tell about Annie's second year at the school.
I've learned quickly how full of surprises this webcomic is, enough that I have decided not to make any outright predictions or speculations about what kind of adventures Annie will have (with one exception). I certainly think that the content will be unexpected (beyond the fact that it should continue to deal with Annie and Kat's explorations of Gunnerkrigg and encounters with the bizarre, as well as exploring their characters as well, and those around them, such as Reynardine). But, based on the first fourteen chapters, we can engage in a few general speculations.
We already have several questions and mysteries to look into, for a start. One of these, the whereabouts of Anthony Carver (and why he left in the first place), will not be on the list below, since we know that Annie's not going to hear from him for at least another two years. But there are many other matters to investigate:
1. What is the connection between Reynardine and Surma?
2. What crime did Reynardine commit that led to his imprisonment (the one that he alludes to when he mentions "breaking their laws" to Coyote)? (His possession of Sivo is one possibility, but I suspect that it was something else, something that neither we nor Annie know about yet.)
3. Why does Coyote want Reynardine to return to Gillitie? (It's got to be something big, if he was ready to go to the length of having Robot possessed for the purpose - not to mention that I suspect that that was his real reason for the recent embassy to the Court and that the forest-folk's grievances were just an excuse.)
4. Why did the school staff have Robot's wooden arm planted in the orchard room?
5. Who is the Ghost Girl? Why did she attack Annie, and how did she get across the river (which she shouldn't have been able to cross)? What is the significance of the cut she gave Annie (a cut that only manifests itself under the influence of something like Zimmy's reality-distorting powers)?
6. Who are the Tic-Tocs working for? We know now that it isn't the school. (The person behind them might be sympathetic towards Annie, since they saved her life, but even that's only a guess.) What is their agenda (or the agenda of their master)?
7. Why does Annie wear make-up? (I don't think that she's using it as a beauty aid; she has never shown any interest in attracting boys, and doesn't think that it's necessary to look pretty, judging from her comments to Kat in Chapter Thirteen. My own suspicion is that it's connected to Surma also wearing make-up when she was Annie's age; maybe both of them, being "weirdness magnets", used it as a means of protection against otherworldly enemies. It's worth noting that the two times that Annie is in danger from a paranormal attack - Reynardine trying to possess her in Chapter Three, and the Ghost Girl's attack in Chapter Eight - is when she's not wearing her eyeshadow; is there a connection?)
8. And, of course, what is the real purpose of the school?
I doubt that all of those questions will be answered during Annie's second year - maybe none of them will be, or if they are, it'll be in a way that only raises more questions. But I suspect that they will be explored as the story proceeds.
We do know that Annie will be spending some time with Parley and Smith and taking classes with them. That's likely to be a major thread for the second year. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I think that Smith won't mind Annie's presence, but Parley will - which could lead to some friction. But that's all that I'm willing to predict.
I've learned quickly how full of surprises this webcomic is, enough that I have decided not to make any outright predictions or speculations about what kind of adventures Annie will have (with one exception). I certainly think that the content will be unexpected (beyond the fact that it should continue to deal with Annie and Kat's explorations of Gunnerkrigg and encounters with the bizarre, as well as exploring their characters as well, and those around them, such as Reynardine). But, based on the first fourteen chapters, we can engage in a few general speculations.
We already have several questions and mysteries to look into, for a start. One of these, the whereabouts of Anthony Carver (and why he left in the first place), will not be on the list below, since we know that Annie's not going to hear from him for at least another two years. But there are many other matters to investigate:
1. What is the connection between Reynardine and Surma?
2. What crime did Reynardine commit that led to his imprisonment (the one that he alludes to when he mentions "breaking their laws" to Coyote)? (His possession of Sivo is one possibility, but I suspect that it was something else, something that neither we nor Annie know about yet.)
3. Why does Coyote want Reynardine to return to Gillitie? (It's got to be something big, if he was ready to go to the length of having Robot possessed for the purpose - not to mention that I suspect that that was his real reason for the recent embassy to the Court and that the forest-folk's grievances were just an excuse.)
4. Why did the school staff have Robot's wooden arm planted in the orchard room?
5. Who is the Ghost Girl? Why did she attack Annie, and how did she get across the river (which she shouldn't have been able to cross)? What is the significance of the cut she gave Annie (a cut that only manifests itself under the influence of something like Zimmy's reality-distorting powers)?
6. Who are the Tic-Tocs working for? We know now that it isn't the school. (The person behind them might be sympathetic towards Annie, since they saved her life, but even that's only a guess.) What is their agenda (or the agenda of their master)?
7. Why does Annie wear make-up? (I don't think that she's using it as a beauty aid; she has never shown any interest in attracting boys, and doesn't think that it's necessary to look pretty, judging from her comments to Kat in Chapter Thirteen. My own suspicion is that it's connected to Surma also wearing make-up when she was Annie's age; maybe both of them, being "weirdness magnets", used it as a means of protection against otherworldly enemies. It's worth noting that the two times that Annie is in danger from a paranormal attack - Reynardine trying to possess her in Chapter Three, and the Ghost Girl's attack in Chapter Eight - is when she's not wearing her eyeshadow; is there a connection?)
8. And, of course, what is the real purpose of the school?
I doubt that all of those questions will be answered during Annie's second year - maybe none of them will be, or if they are, it'll be in a way that only raises more questions. But I suspect that they will be explored as the story proceeds.
We do know that Annie will be spending some time with Parley and Smith and taking classes with them. That's likely to be a major thread for the second year. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I think that Smith won't mind Annie's presence, but Parley will - which could lead to some friction. But that's all that I'm willing to predict.
