[216] Story Discussion - A Simple Trick

[mrw]

Well now...

This is a fascinating development! So ol' Reynardine did feel bad and he's gonna make up for it. A little trick up his sleeves...

I totally did not see this coming. (Someone on yesterday's comments page did though - congrats!)

Also, I notice Reynardine's Antimony "branding" has reappeared.

I can see why you wanted to draw this one, Tom! Nice!

[Yin]

Le gasp OoO Reynardine has gotten even cooler.

[La Poire]

That's totally awesome. I wish I had a demon-possessed toy under my command.

The antimony mark can't be a physical marking on the toy, as it stays hidden most of the time, it seems to me the mark must be on Reynardine himself rather than the doll, and therefore only appears when we see him rather than just the doll, if that makes any sense.

[neal]

...Reynardine is SO FARKING AWESOME. I'm... its... he's... DEAR GOD HE IS SO COOL.

Ok, I don't really have anything else to say. I had assumed that the antimony symbol appeared only when he desired it to, but I suppose it makes sense that is appears when he is using his power or showing himself.

[todd]

Another development that I certainly hadn't expected, but was a lot of fun to see.

And I've got to compliment you, Tom, on being so good at holding back from doing this moment until the time was right for it.

[Ben²]

For some reason, I expected an old-fashioned person like Antimony to ride side-saddle.

[Aspen d'Grey]

Oh. Awesome. Oh Bloody Awesome.

This made my day, Tom.

[La Poire]

aspengrey said:

Bloody Awesome.

Damn right.

[owl]

Dude. 0.0

[aidan]

indeed. word, even.

[Deleted]

This comic embodies my fondest wish.

I want a giant wolfie to ride down long hallways.

[UbiquitousDragon]

Awesomeness-ness. I always did like Reynardine in wolfie form! I think he truly does like Annie, it's just he's really cranky!

[fjodor]

I guess in the last panel on the previous page he was thinking whether he was going to reveal this particular trick. Reynardine probably wants to get to robot just as much as annie does. If it's not to find out why robot attacked him, it could be that he wants to destroy what's left of him for good.

Apart from that, Reynardine makes the greatest wolf since Jack Nicholson.

[todd]

Come to think of it, we did get a foreshadowing of this back near the end of Chapter Three, in the scene where Reynardine first possesses Annie's wolf-doll. It briefly appeared more wolf-like at that moment.

[Don the Ninja]

Here's a question I've found myself asking about just about any artist I come across; is Tom familiar with/a fan of Hayao Miyazaki? I know wolf riding isn't unique to Princess Mononoke, but having the heroine ride a giant white wolf is more than a little reminiscent of the film.

[owl]

mrw said:

Also, I notice Reynardine's Antimony "branding" has reappeared.

Perhaps it becomes visible when he does magic/uses his powers?

[neal]

dontheninja said:

Here's a question I've found myself asking about just about any artist I come across; is Tom familiar with/a fan of Hayao Miyazaki? I know wolf riding isn't unique to Princess Mononoke, but having the heroine ride a giant white wolf is more than a little reminiscent of the film.

It would be very hard to NOT be familiar with Miyazakin in this day and age. However, I can also think of four or five novels that also have their herione on a giant white demon wolf. While this is a sign that I read too much fantasy, it is also means that Tom was definately not nessecarily influenced by the talented Mr. Miyazaki.

[pudgimelon]

Before anyone starts raving about how "cool" Reynardine is, let's all try to remember that he's a murdering psychopath who tried to kill Annie, and most certainly did kill Sivo.

I bet Sivo was pretty cool too, so just because Reynardine is being helpful now (mostly because he has too), that doesn't mean he's reformed.

[owl]

Who says murdering psychopaths can't be cool? ;D



What?

[neal]

We said "cool", not "A nice dude". The coolest characters are usually the ones who would gut you if they needed to. Or wanted to. Or were bored.

[mrw]

I guess it depends on your definition of "cool". I don't particularily find anything cool about coldblooded psychopaths, so I gotta agree with Pudgimelon there.
However, transforming into a wolf and letting the heroine go for a ride, now that's cool.

So speculation has been raised as to whether Reynardine is actually warming up to Annie a little bit or just continuing to be self-serving, i.e. he's thinking "let's get this over with" - and riding Reywolf is faster than waiting for Annie.

I'd like to believe he's actually feeling sorry for her a little bit, but nagging logic tells me otherwise. He's a known killer, and she has him trapped, even if it's his own fault. She doesn't let him have any fun and keeps him locked in a box most of the time. He's probably pretty darn bitter and would just as soon do away with her if he could. So he's probably letting her ride just to lessen his own boredom.

[Yin]

I can name at least four characters off the top of my head who are both cool and murdering psychopaths.

[neal]

He's... hmm. I don't think his character has been explored enough. He's been called a demon, which I assume is a proper label, which makes him ancient. Also, I assume that the whole "murdering the host" thing is involuntary: Why would he stay shackled and tortured for years when he could easily end his suffering by leaving Sivo alive? I can't see living through that much misery out of spite. So, assuming that: He needs a body to live, but kills his hosts, and he's ancient, what seems like cold blooded disregard for life could be the adaption he has made, mentally, to being forced to kill hosts he leaves after thousands of years of getting used to this fact. Of course, he isn't in any way noble from the get go, and is self serving, else he'd not switch bodies around. But... I think perhaps "cold blooded murdering psychopath" is a bit strong.

[moony]

lothorus said:

For some reason, I expected an old-fashioned person like Antimony to ride side-saddle.

Well she is in a bit of a hurry, possibly there wasn't enough time to think lady-like. xD

[todd]

Reynardine reminds me of times a little of Spike in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" after he got that chip in his head and couldn't attack humans any more - the same sense of a "de-fanged" psychopathic killer who can't do much more than make sarcastic remarks. Though I hope that we won't see an Annie/Reynardine relationship - for one thing, the fact that she's a human girl and he's a stuffed wolf toy (which can, at times, become an actual wolf) would make that too creepy.

[aidan]

neal said:

Why would he stay shackled and tortured for years when he could easily end his suffering by leaving Sivo alive? I can't see living through that much misery out of spite.

I think that's what all the "no eyes" signs are for all around the large animal holding cell. The older folks have been making sure he had no way to jump to a new body (thus killing Sivo, dooming someone new, and making a possible escape).

Though there are still unexplained pieces of that. Eglamore doesn't seem to have his eyes covered, is he protected in some other manner? Why doesn't Reynardine jump to Antimony in their first meeting, etc.

[UbiquitousDragon]

aidan said:

neal said:

Why would he stay shackled and tortured for years when he could easily end his suffering by leaving Sivo alive? I can't see living through that much misery out of spite.

I think that's what all the "no eyes" signs are for all around the large animal holding cell. The older folks have been making sure he had no way to jump to a new body (thus killing Sivo, dooming someone new, and making a possible escape).

Though there are still unexplained pieces of that. Eglamore doesn't seem to have his eyes covered, is he protected in some other manner? Why doesn't Reynardine jump to Antimony in their first meeting, etc.

Now why hasn't anyone thought of that before? That's a really good point. I like that theory! (For all it's plot hole )

[david]

aidan said:

I think that's what all the "no eyes" signs are for all around the large animal holding cell. The older folks have been making sure he had no way to jump to a new body (thus killing Sivo, dooming someone new, and making a possible escape).

Zimmy, Reynardine... Eyes everywhere. Did you notice that Annie is one of the rare characters being drawn with an iris around the pupil ? (Zimmy -- after the storm, of course -- and the "scary girl" of Mort also are). It's certainly not significant, but still. And as far as I know, we never see Annie's parents eyes at all.

[Ben²]

The photo featured in Chapter Seven: Of New And Old features their eyes pretty clearly.

Surma's eyes are much the same as Annie's. I gotta agree with you, though, it's likely not significant, just a stylistic thing.