V
Full Member
I just think it's a pity that she never wore these again.
Posts: 168
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Post by V on Jun 11, 2021 7:01:58 GMT
Well, there's no way they are not up to something, Annie. With what Eglamore's saying, I'm worried that the degree to which they are closed may border with being detached from reality. Also, not much sign of Aata lately. Coward must've chickened out. |
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Post by shinkaii on Jun 11, 2021 7:02:17 GMT
"Everything they do is for the good of the Court" yeah that's not really comforting, Beardboy.
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Post by bicarbonat on Jun 11, 2021 7:16:50 GMT
"Everything they do is for the good of the Court" yeah that's not really comforting, Beardboy. A "guillotine & gallows" CV, if ever I've heard one. |
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Post by silicondream on Jun 11, 2021 7:30:31 GMT
If I squint and turn my head right I can kind of imagine Eggles not being wrong about essentially everything, but it's dang hard. Being Number One is tough.
And that means I must be missing something. Who's the biggest Eglamore fan on the boards? Can you explain why Eglamore is actually the wisest and best dude in the Comic? I don't care if you made it up three seconds ago, I just want to believe.
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Post by theonethatgotaway on Jun 11, 2021 7:38:41 GMT
Shadow men, meet Shadow people! They're also pretty shady...
edit: their, they're, their
edit: their, they're, THERE
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Post by merry76 on Jun 11, 2021 7:41:53 GMT
If I squint and turn my head right I can kind of imagine Eggles not being wrong about essentially everything, but it's dang hard. Being Number One is tough. And that means I must be missing something. Who's the biggest Eglamore fan on the boards? Can you explain why Eglamore is actually the wisest and best dude in the Comic? I don't care if you made it up three seconds ago, I just want to believe. He starts to look like I do IRL (wrinkles and all, beard pattern) - but I dont see him as super wise. He botched up in the past quite badly, so I dont think he has a claim on being inerrant anyway.
In his defense in this instance however, he probably has seen some sh*t in the past. He probably had encounters with the shadow people, and his reasoning here is sound. Provoking another attack isnt wise, unless you know exactly how to win. Which they most certainly do not right now. Loup isnt impervious (Coyote saw that much in advance), but I doubt they do know how to get the upper hand. Tom probably doesnt pull an easy loss for Loup like that.
Mind, doing whatever is good for someone might easily be an atrocious act against someone else. Such as imprisoning someone who tends to be violent before he has done any actual violence. Attacking a country because they might attack you. The list goes on, and in a direction that isnt fun... And maybe he has not yet seen them doing anything atrocious (which is very possible, they seem to be a secretive lot).
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Post by flowsthead on Jun 11, 2021 7:56:45 GMT
If I squint and turn my head right I can kind of imagine Eggles not being wrong about essentially everything, but it's dang hard. Being Number One is tough. And that means I must be missing something. Who's the biggest Eglamore fan on the boards? Can you explain why Eglamore is actually the wisest and best dude in the Comic? I don't care if you made it up three seconds ago, I just want to believe. Is he wrong about a lot of stuff? Does he even have a ton of opinions besides on Tony? I feel like That Guy is just a generally good person who is mostly in over his head when it comes to Forest stuff, and like most of the people in his generation, overly favors the Court. Tony brings out the worst in him, but otherwise I don't think he's particularly smart or stupid. He's almost unremarkable. |
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Post by aline on Jun 11, 2021 8:19:51 GMT
If I squint and turn my head right I can kind of imagine Eggles not being wrong about essentially everything, but it's dang hard. Being Number One is tough. And that means I must be missing something. Who's the biggest Eglamore fan on the boards? Can you explain why Eglamore is actually the wisest and best dude in the Comic? I don't care if you made it up three seconds ago, I just want to believe. Is he wrong about a lot of stuff? Does he even have a ton of opinions besides on Tony? I feel like That Guy is just a generally good person who is mostly in over his head when it comes to Forest stuff, and like most of the people in his generation, overly favors the Court. Tony brings out the worst in him, but otherwise I don't think he's particularly smart or stupid. He's almost unremarkable. I don't think he's in over his head on Forest stuff except compared to Annie. His job is to be a protector so he tends to be more wary of threats when it comes to the Forest and he is overprotective of Annie, but considering how often she almost gets murdered I wouldn't say it's completely unwarranted. He seems to be on more familiar terms with Forest creatures than anybody inside the Court except the actual mediums. His trust in shadow men acting for the good of the Court is grounded in his own experience, to him they're sorta shady colleagues but want the same things he does in the grand scheme of things (possibly that belief is because he doesn't know any details). Annie as Forest Medium is invested in both the Court and the Forest and Jeanne's story has colored her (and our) vision of exactly how far people can go for "the good of the Court". But Eglamore doesn't know about all that. |
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Post by flowsthead on Jun 11, 2021 8:38:05 GMT
Is he wrong about a lot of stuff? Does he even have a ton of opinions besides on Tony? I feel like That Guy is just a generally good person who is mostly in over his head when it comes to Forest stuff, and like most of the people in his generation, overly favors the Court. Tony brings out the worst in him, but otherwise I don't think he's particularly smart or stupid. He's almost unremarkable. I don't think he's in over his head on Forest stuff except compared to Annie. His job is to be a protector so he tends to be more wary of threats when it comes to the Forest and he is overprotective of Annie, but considering how often she almost gets murdered I wouldn't say it's completely unwarranted. He seems to be on more familiar terms with Forest creatures than anybody inside the Court except the actual mediums. His trust in shadow men acting for the good of the Court is grounded in his own experience, to him they're sorta shady colleagues but want the same things he does in the grand scheme of things (possibly that belief is because he doesn't know any details). Annie as Forest Medium is invested in both the Court and the Forest and Jeanne's story has colored her (and our) vision of exactly how far people can go for "the good of the Court". But Eglamore doesn't know about all that. I don't necessarily disagree with anything you've written, I've just always gotten the feeling that even with his protectiveness of Annie, he still doesn't really understand the capabilities of the Forest creatures. He's wary of threats, but his wariness mostly seems reactive, and I feel like he has a general assurance in his capabilities that ignores the power of someone like Coyote. The fact that he also had to be saved by Idra from wisps points me in that direction. And really, too much of the Court underestimates Coyote. If the Norns, who can access time, are saying that Coyote is a higher power, it's ridiculous how causally the Court treated him. |
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Post by aline on Jun 11, 2021 9:51:44 GMT
I don't necessarily disagree with anything you've written, I've just always gotten the feeling that even with his protectiveness of Annie, he still doesn't really understand the capabilities of the Forest creatures. He's wary of threats, but his wariness mostly seems reactive, and I feel like he has a general assurance in his capabilities that ignores the power of someone like Coyote. The fact that he also had to be saved by Idra from wisps points me in that direction. Oh. I see. I didn't get the impression he ignored the power of Coyote, or was so overconfident he thought he could actually stand up to him. When Annie was almost killed by Ysengrin, he got her out of there as quickly as he could, he didn't try to battle it out with gods. He's a normal human with a few tricks up his sleeves who tries to keep other people out of harm's way and I always had the impression that he owned that. He's still a Court dude though. Compared to a Forest dweller like Idra he's out of his depth for sure. I also wouldn't say that he's the most strategic thinker. Not, as Pratchett would say, the sharpest knife in the drawer. |
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Post by Draxiss on Jun 11, 2021 11:43:56 GMT
I'm confused. Who is that person Annie is speaking to? Tom didn't inform us.
(I don't know why, but something's oddly striking about that angle for Eglemore in the second frame. Actually, there's something distinctly different about the art style of this entire chapter that I can't put my finger on, unless it's just my tired brain playing tricks on me.)
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Post by ohthatone on Jun 11, 2021 11:52:15 GMT
On Jimmy Jims: I get the feeling he's a generally a good dude but for as long as he's been in the comic, We probably know the least about him. He loved Surma, hates Tony, and...? That he carries a general respect for the forest speaks well of him (see: when he greeted <snuffle>).
I trust he believes what he's saying, but I get the feeling he doesnt ask many questions.
It would be interesting to see what he was like when first on the job- I imagine he would have had to accompany surma in the forest a few times.
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Post by todd on Jun 11, 2021 12:45:14 GMT
And really, too much of the Court underestimates Coyote. If the Norns, who can access time, are saying that Coyote is a higher power, it's ridiculous how causally the Court treated him. Probably because Coyote's a talking animal, and the Court has trouble seeing past that. And, yes, I'm not too easy about the "good of the Court" part myself; they might very well treat it as meaning "as long as the institution known as the Court survives, it doesn't matter how many individuals get harmed or killed in the process". And while I agree that they don't want another attack from the Forest, the Court's schemes towards the Forest have backfired before; they might backfire again on this occasion. (As in, an attempt to deceive Loup miscarries, and he's so outraged that he orders an all-out assault.) |
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Post by ctso74 on Jun 11, 2021 13:49:42 GMT
Annie: "'For the good of the Court'? I see. That makes everything better." *thinks of Jeanne*
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Post by DonDueed on Jun 11, 2021 14:43:04 GMT
I'm curious about the pit in panel 1. Is it a part of the Annan Gorge that never closed up? (Seems a bit out of place if so.) Is it a hole that opened up when the gorge closed, or a sinkhole that developed since then? Or just a random hole in the ground? It must be relatively recent, since there are tree roots poking out of the sides.
Seems like it's more evidence that Loup isn't really in control, or at least not as much as he thinks he is.
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Post by pyradonis on Jun 11, 2021 15:14:10 GMT
Everything Section 31 does is for the good of the Federation.
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Post by Gemminie on Jun 11, 2021 16:18:42 GMT
As the Shadow Men fiddle with the Readings Thing on the Court side of the border, Parley, Annie, and James cross to the Forest side. Although Shell in the foreground is drawn in full color, the three anonymous agents are drawn entirely in gray – I'm assuming this is a stylistic choice on Tom's part and not an indication that they're actually entirely gray featureless people.
As they walk, Annie asks James about the Shadow Men. He confirms what we've been told before: they answer directly to the Court itself and are a division unto themselves. They operate secretly, and not even James knows what they're up to. Annie's worried about what they're doing. James asserts that everything they do is for the good of the Court, and he is confident that they don't want another attack. But both he and Annie are giving them the side-eye. Well, not Annie. Annie's giving them the full-on frowny eye.
And then there's that last panel. We see fully 6 gray Shadow Men walking toward and across the border, leaving the Readings Thing there on the ground, and there's even an open briefcase. (What if it rains? Your lunch will get ruined, Shadow Man Agent 13! What are you thinking?) James says that, in a conversation we weren't privy to, they promised to keep out of the way, and he thinks that it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on them, meaning that even he doesn't trust them 100%.
But if they agreed to keep out of the way, what precisely did they agree to keep out of the way of? They and James must have worked out some sort of plan for the lake water handover, but if the SM's end of the plan is to stay out of the way, that means the rest of it is all James, or James/Parley/Cvet. I mean, Annie's part in the plan is obviously to give Loup the lake water, but then there's the rest – whatever unknown thing the others will do. I doubt this will be "OK, here's your sample of Coyote pee, Loup, enjoy, bye!" For one thing, Coyote might pop out of Loup's head again, saying and doing unexpected stuff as one expects from Coyote. For another thing, Loup might try to keep Annie with him, since from his point of view she's basically been on loan from the Forest until she gets the gifts back, which means now she's done and can come live with him forever, yay! And then there's whatever the Shadow Men are up to. This little visit is all kinds of fraught.
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Post by Gemminie on Jun 11, 2021 16:29:30 GMT
I'm curious about the pit in panel 1. Is it a part of the Annan Gorge that never closed up? (Seems a bit out of place if so.) Is it a hole that opened up when the gorge closed, or a sinkhole that developed since then? Or just a random hole in the ground? It must be relatively recent, since there are tree roots poking out of the sides. Seems like it's more evidence that Loup isn't really in control, or at least not as much as he thinks he is. It didn't look like a pit to me; it just looked like an escarpment. After all, Loup grabbed the dirt with tree roots and yanked it together; quick and dirty landscaping like that is going to leave some jagged edges. And he hasn't bothered to smooth things out in the time he's had, either; what's he been doing with himself in there? |
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Post by fia on Jun 11, 2021 18:17:02 GMT
The Shadow Men are the Court's C-I-gray
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myzelf
Junior Member
Posts: 83
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Post by myzelf on Jun 11, 2021 23:23:37 GMT
Are they literally grey, or is that a sort of visual metaphor?
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Post by maxptc on Jun 11, 2021 23:50:37 GMT
Are they literally grey, or is that a sort of visual metaphor? I think it's done that way so we don't attach to any more random background characters. |
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Post by lurkerbot on Jun 11, 2021 23:59:31 GMT
1) I believe Antimony addressing James as "sir" here is her most deferential treatment of him we've been shown to date. Is this perhaps a sign of her recently-increased self-confidence, maybe coupled with a new appreciation that treating authority figures more respectfully might be useful? 2) Contrast James' view that the Shadow Men's secretive actions are for the benefit of the Court with his opinion that Anthony's deep interactions with the Court make him untrustworthy. I think James' strong personal animosity towards Anthony overrides his objectivity in how he generally feels about the Court's cryptic nature - why are the Shadow Men's intentions acceptable while Anthony's activities are unacceptable despite them both being involved in covert Court operations? |
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Post by DonDueed on Jun 12, 2021 2:19:24 GMT
I'm curious about the pit in panel 1. Is it a part of the Annan Gorge that never closed up? (Seems a bit out of place if so.) Is it a hole that opened up when the gorge closed, or a sinkhole that developed since then? Or just a random hole in the ground? It must be relatively recent, since there are tree roots poking out of the sides. Seems like it's more evidence that Loup isn't really in control, or at least not as much as he thinks he is. It didn't look like a pit to me; it just looked like an escarpment. After all, Loup grabbed the dirt with tree roots and yanked it together; quick and dirty landscaping like that is going to leave some jagged edges. And he hasn't bothered to smooth things out in the time he's had, either; what's he been doing with himself in there? Well, I can see how you could interpret it that way, and there is a little cutaway hillside in the background that suggests a similar landform type. But to me, the exposed roots make it look like a rather recent hole rather than an escarpment. Maybe we'll get another look at it on a subsequent page.
I've been wondering about Loup's uncharacteristic patience too. He was all "get me the water or else", then we've had a lot of goings-on including the Shadow Men seizing and studying the water for who knows how long, and not a peep from Doggo. Has he trapped himself in his own time freeze or something?
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Post by ditchboyus on Jun 12, 2021 2:56:26 GMT
1) I believe Antimony addressing James as "sir" here is her most deferential treatment of him we've been shown to date. Is this perhaps a sign of her recently-increased self-confidence, maybe coupled with a new appreciation that treating authority figures more respectfully might be useful? I remembered her calling him "sir" in the last panel of this page, and I imagine other examples might be found:
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Post by lurkerbot on Jun 12, 2021 15:42:28 GMT
1) I believe Antimony addressing James as "sir" here is her most deferential treatment of him we've been shown to date. Is this perhaps a sign of her recently-increased self-confidence, maybe coupled with a new appreciation that treating authority figures more respectfully might be useful? I remembered her calling him "sir" in the last panel of this page, and I imagine other examples might be found: Ah, good find. I would submit, however, that Court Annie's subsequent interactions with James in that chapter were somewhat less than cordial and respectful (although one could argue that James started it here in Panel 7). Compare with the current chapter in which Antimony's and James' conversation (at least so far) comes across to me as less adversarial and rather more natural. |
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Post by Runningflame on Jun 12, 2021 23:17:16 GMT
I'm confused. Who is that person Annie is speaking to? Tom didn't inform us. That's the Court Protector, Mr. Thorn. You probably didn't recognize him because he's trimmed his beard and started wearing a black toupee. |
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