Covering the week of 05/18/2020 to 05/23/2020
After a very long hiatus and debating on whether this site should be renamed, I’m back. I thought about a format that would work best and I realized none of the comics I’m reading are updated on Sunday. So getting an article out between Sundays and Tuesdays will be my target goal. I’m still committed to induvial articles especially when those articles are related to Home and all its problems. I’ll be skipping the comics that are on hiatus for time’s sake.
Home (Pages 593-594):
Romé’s major plan to free Jahla from her prison is to distract everyone else. This plan has him lure a bunch of water buffalo type creatures back to Ravencrest. Yes, the tribe members often beat him up, but that’s because of his lack of respect for authority. Even so, sending buffalo to destroy the village just because he doesn’t get along with the tribe is a bit too much. All for a wolfdog he just met who also happens to be from Earth. Is it any wonder his tribe hates him?
On these pages it’s also revealed and was super obvious that Romé was the mysterious howler. It’s kind of his fault that Jahla is there to begin with, though she is the one who thought it was a good idea to look for this mystery dog. What gets me about the reveal is that she never asked who the howler was when she previously talked to him. I complained about all of this in stand-alone article.
Last thoughts, the anatomy and poses on page 594 are really wonky. I’m also grossed out by the size and visibility of Romé’s sheathe. These highly visible sheathes are damn near an obsession of Kique’s. Also, why is Jahla digging at the center of the wall to escape instead of at the base? Why are her paws folded so strangely while she digs? Has this author never seen a dog dig before?
The Realm of Kaerwyn (Issue 16, Pages 37, 38, 39):
Issue 16 of Kaerwyn is dedicated to finding a way for Endmion to return Niixa Iiroz from her service as a demi-god to a regular person living on Kaerwyn. In order for that to happen, Lorelei infiltrated Niixa’s homeworld of Errux to find a scholar who could tell them more about the gods of that world. Lorelei successfully brings back scholar and a few books to Endy. Of course the Xarax-Hil is confused until the introductions start. The group learns that the raccoon-like alien is actually Neek’Rhael Iiroz, Niixa’s father. In turn he’s surprised to learn that Endy has the sign of the Destroyer branded on his hand. You can bet the next few pages will be exposition heavy.
In terms of this reveal, I’m surprised to learn that Niixa’s father is actually alive. He was said to have been assassinated in issue 9, page 72. This means that someone lied to Niixa and family, or her father actually managed to escape and go into hiding as a scholar for years. It would also explain why Lorelei had to fight through throngs of would be assassins on Errux in order to bring Neek’Rhael back to Kaerwyn. I already have so many questions about why this guy is alive and was content to live in exile while his bloody-thirsty brother ruled their society. However, my questions will probably go unanswered as the focus is on freeing Niixa.
The Order of the Black Dog (Issue 21, Pages 28 and 29):
These pages mark the end of the Stargazers issue. This issue was a break from the heaviness of the last few issues of The Order of the Black Dog. As Sami the fox wakes up in a church dedicated to The Farmer King, it’s revealed by the pastor and his assistant that he has no memories. The issue ends with him staring up at the sky, much like he’s done for much of this one off issue. No word on what happened to the folks at the police station.
While Rebecca Raptor could be right and this issue is a one shot, I wouldn’t be surprised if were connected to the greater story in some way. This author is very good at foreshadowing events chapters ahead of time and even random events are skillfully tied to the overall narrative. However, I’m going to just look at this issue as a standalone until proven otherwise. For some reason Sami is either a long lived fox or is immortal. He’s been around since the start of humanity and has seen the growth of civilization until modern times. The cobra that constantly chases him around seems to wipe the majority of his memories. Only major events like the first contact between Earth and Mars, other Contact Days, or early civilization memories remain.
I do believe his memories are wiped whenever an authority figure is close to getting him to remember more aspects of his long-lived life. For whatever the reason, the snake (whose true form is an insectoid) keeps this fox in check. Could Sami be a god disguised as a mortal? An alien from another world? Or a mortal made immortal? All we know is that he’s involved with the Earthling’s perception of Mars and has moved from country to country throughout the centuries. To be honest, it’s impossible for us to know what Sami really is and we may never really find out even if his story ties to the larger narrative.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to getting back to the main story discovered in issue 20 about the people of Earth and their connection to the Black Idol.
Africa (Page 184):
The newest page of Africa is intensely satisfying for so many reasons. One, the plot is finally moving along. To be fair, it has been moving along with the zebra Kafil teaming up with the dastardly leopard Chui to murder Abasi, thus having the younger zebra take control of the herd. Chui gets a herd that won’t be as well protected out of the deal, while Kafil gets to be the leader he thinks he deserves to be. Anyway, from the time of this murder to Africa finally returning to Ngorongoro Crater is fantastic. She says goodbye to the dying Nadira from a distance before being chased off by Paa. She then turns her attention to Chui who wonders why she’s back after swearing to never return. Africa tells Chui she knows he cheated in their contest and is here to take back her land.
The battle is well drawn and the poses are very dynamic as Chui drops in on Africa from above and she successfully throws him off of her. Going in for the kill, she breaks what is probably his tracking collar. The collar is how Chui keeps others weary of him, especially when it beeps. It’ll be interesting to see him without an ace up his figurative sleeve. More pressing yet, if Africa kills or drives him away, will his broken collar bring in humans as they investigate the tracker? If that’s not a plotline, another thought comes to mind. If Africa loses this fight to Chui will her cubs take center stage? I’ve always gotten the impression that Mosi will somehow find a reason to take on Chui when he becomes an adult. I could be misreading this, but Avren has made so many parallels to him and the evil leopard. It would be a shame if nothing came of those parallels.
Golden Shrike (Page 82):
Golden Shrike has been a pleasant read and the latest page is no exception. After parting ways with Riptail and Cutlass, siblings Nero and Runi arrive at a large gathering of deer with Kasko. All we know is the gathering is held once a year, lots of different types of deer are present, except for the Marshlanders, aka the sibling’s species. Since the siblings have never left their small world everything is a spectacle in their eyes. Kasko explains the different species of deer. When he gets to his kind, one calls him out by name and Kasko is less than thrilled. Perhaps this guy is a relative or an old friend?
On one hand, it’ll be interesting to see the gathering’s reaction to Nero and Runi since Marshlanders are a rare sight. On the other hand, there is an ominous feeling in the air voiced among the Northerners Usma and Antaras. Caller Helevise’s and her call to action could potentially be dangerous. It’ll be fascinating to see how the boisterous Nero will take that speech, if he’s not already overwhelmed by so many unfamiliar ways of life at the gathering.
The Caretaker (Chapter 5, Page 25):
Chapter 5 of The Caretaker has been pretty enjoyable. Simon just needed to get out of that damned deer-infested forest and into the city. Of course his trip goes awry when the Bootstomper gang members find him. He barely gets away from the gang thanks to being followed by the doppelganger. Unfortunately, his problems only get worse when he realizes the doppelganger is actively waiting for its chance to eat him. With an informative phone call to Rick he manages to get away safely from the creature. Only after another helpful talk with Rick he learns the beast isn’t going to leave him alone. He then calls and implores Samuel for help permanently getting rid of the doppelganger.
It is nice to see Simon actually learning from his prior mistakes and being careful. Unfortunately, this man has the worst luck in the world as the Bootstompers have blamed the murder of one of their members on him. (It was the doppelganger who killed and ate the gangster.), Worst yet, a murderous beast views him as a threat. While Samuel gives him a workable solution, that means Simon will have to venture deeper into the mansion filled with creepy creatures. Given all the near death experiences he’s had, I’ll be surprised if he actually manages to off the doppelganger without incident.
Chakra: Battle of the Titans (Page 444):
In the newest page of Chakra the tables have been reversed for the villainous Junnibi. Several pages ago, he captured C.Y. with one of his tails and stabbed her with the Destiny Sword. Instead of dying, she tapped into Shiranui’s power and transformed into Nijibi. Guess who just found himself bound by a set of tails and screaming in horror as he’s stabbed with a sword? You only get one guess and it’s Junnibi.
Kuma’s transformation into Junnibi, the demon fox and Ajna’s transformation into Nijibi were all part of the same prophecy C.Y. had in a vision. (See page 144 for the entire prophecy.) Junnibi represents the black fire and pain while Nijibi represents the holy gates. Both transformations were a result of being stabbed by the Destiny Sword. While Jackal never imagined that an evil being living inside of the sword would steal Kuma’s body and result in Junnibi, C.Y. had a similar experience. By stabbing her with the same Destiny Sword, Junnibi allowed Shiranui to share a body with Ajna and ultimately transform into Nijibi when the other heroes gave her their chakra.
If Junnibi was a savvier villain versus being a manipulative asshole, he might have thought twice about using the Destiny Sword. Not that it matters since Nijibi completely shattered that sword before stabbing the demon fox with her own. I don’t think this will be the finishing blow. Even with the majority of his tails cut off and the Destiny Sword gone, I’m sure he has a few tricks left. Or it could be my desire for one last outright display of power from both these titan-sized beasts as Chakra winds down.
Roar Howl Run (Pages 90, 91, 92, and 93):
There’s a showdown between Temis’ youngest children, Arcas and Ata. Arcas has just explained that he needs help dealing with a murderous boar disciple named Calydon. Temis refuses, explaining that her son needs to take care of his own territory. Not wanting to fight the boar or argue further with this mother, Arcas goes to leave when Ata stops him and admonishes him for not fighting. She’s a rabbit who wishes she was born a bear like Temis and is disgusted that an actual bear with strength is shying away from a fight. He roars to get her to move and she “roars” right back at him. This impresses the bear and he takes up his mother’s offer to stay a few days. While Ata sleeps the bears discuss how bear-like the rabbit already is and how she doesn’t know her limits. Arcas has accepted Ata’s offer to talk to Calydon since the boar might listen to a rabbit. Even so, Arcas wishes the other hunters in his forest would band together to stop the boar while Temis regrets not being able to meet her grandchildren.
Roar Howl Run has picked up for me in recent pages. I didn’t like how slow the start was, but I did like how author Songdog based this story on Greek mythology. Ata and Temis are loosely inspired by Atalanta and Artemis. In the myth, Atalanta was the one to wound the Calydonian boar which made other hunters angry at her. Again, this comic is loosely based on the myth, so events will be changed, but I’m curious to see how Songdog handles them. If Ata lost her challenge to Pomenes the rabbit disciple, there’s no way she’s taking on a boar disciple. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ata gives Arcas and maybe fellow hunters a paw in a surprise attack if the planned talk goes awry. On a final note, I really like the subtle changes in the artwork. Compared to the start of Roar Howl Run, Temis is looking much more bear-like with those signature lips whenever she talks. Overall, the art has also been a lot cleaner. The changes are small, but the improvement is noticeable.
