TWWR Round up 01/08/2024– Out With the Old, In With the New

I’m back after a short break. I hope you guys had a fantastic Christmas and New Year’s.

First, some housekeeping. Now that Repeat is finished, I’d like to rotate Lost Scent into my coverage starting next week. I’ll also be adding Shadowed Fates once I’m able to catch up to the newest pages. A new year seems like a great time to explore new comics.

Africa | Page(s): 353 | Patreon

Safari is very much on his last legs here as he ventures into the swamp. When he cried out for water back at Hyena Hill, I thought he might be heading to the water tank where his sister met her end. Reddog F.13 correctly pointed out that he was heading to the swamp. Given that Safari is now seeing his sister, means he might not be around much longer. Her presence might be leading him to the afterlife, or he may be fully delirious. He’ll likely just keep walking until he drowns or encounters another predator. It’s likely Faida’s hyenas didn’t follow him to the swamp, but there are crocodiles around. One did take down the elephant in the swamp some time ago. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t see an old cheetah in a trance as an easy meal. I’m worried that Mondo’s efforts to save his uncle might be in vain.

Repeat | Page(s): 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261| Patreon

Repeat has finally finished. I did like the ending. Escaping the cycle with more violence wasn’t the answer. It was having Sol share their emotions with Lun, and then having Tilter guide the moon through those emotions. It would be fair to ask why this solution wasn’t proposed sooner. I believe it was because Sol had to grow and experience a multitude of other emotions. It took more than being raised in a loving pack. It took meeting wolves like Babble and Tilter to help them see a new perspective and to be reminded that there are other ways to solve problems outside of resorting to violence. The was plan thought of by Sol and Dawn, and seemed to hinge on them losing, Lun being restrained enough for Dawn to merge with them, then being guided by Tilter– the same way the young wolf guided Sol. It’s a nice reminder on how small acts of kindness can lead others to a better place. Part of me also finds it amusing that if the Dusk hadn’t been taken out by Honey by accident, this plan might not have gone so smoothly.

I really liked the idea of all the surviving main characters going on their own personal journeys to grow and see the world– this includes the Dawn and Dusk being granted their own freedom. The wrongs Lun has done will eventually fade from the memories of wolves, including the terrible practice of burying wolves with mismatched eyes. All the wolves hurt by the feud will likely never forgive the moon (and that’s okay). Redemption for this character will come not from being forgiven, but by no longer hurting anyone, and simply living their best immortal life. The same can be said for Sol, as they also hurt and killed others. They’ll likely continue to live on and remember the wolves who touched them in life. Without being killed in the cycle, they can keep those precious memories forever.

Repeat ultimately sits in a weird place for me. I didn’t like it as much Doe of Deadwood or A Flightless Bird, but I enjoyed it more than Roar Howl Run. It is a comic that had an intriguing start, a middling middle, and a strong ending. The more I think about the comic, the more I feel getting to see more of Lun’s perspective would have really helped. For much of the comic, they were a black box of violence and dedication to the cycle. For the most part the audience had to infer that Lun went through very few (if any) reincarnations and Sol had multiple forms because of their tendency to lose their fights. In short, the moon was clever, and the sun was kind of dumb. The sun became attached to mortals and their power was to invigorate anyone or anything that listened to their song. While the moon’s power was drive others insane and to control them. I suppose with those powers, it’s not surprising Lun never attached themselves to anyone before they had an empathy transplant from Dawn.

At the end of the day, this comic explored the age-old story of the sun and moon fighting. Having them represented as wolves tossed down to earth because of their quarrels was a nice twist. Although I guess we’re also to infer that their heavenly bodies just rise and set without issue after being separated from their warring personalities. Which brings me the topic of world-building, or the lack of it within this comic. It would have been fantastic to know more about the other gods and how they affect regular mortals outside of Sol and Lun’s cycles of violence. We know Bor has many children, but do other gods have a purpose in this world? Bor exists because of Sol’s actions. Is there a god of water? Air? What about other heavenly bodies?

I get this story was supposed to have a tight scope and focus only on the sun, the moon, and the wolves they directly effected. Still, knowing a bit more about the world would have been a boon to this story. It strikes me as odd that we have two gods and their servants causing such a ruckus, and Bor is the only other god to intervene. In contrast, Doe of Deadwood managed to explore its world and the nature of demons all while staying focused around the main cast. All I wanted was that type of world-building in this comic.

Repeat had its own peaks and valleys in terms of story and plot, but it was mostly a hopeful story.

If you’re curious, Songdog has started uploading their latest comic, I Didn’t Know on ComicFury. I’m going to carry the hopeful message from the ending of Repeat and go on my own journey to explore other works by other authors. I won’t be checking out IDK beyond the few pages I’ve already read. The story seems intriguing and friends like it so far, but I’ve had my fill of SD’s works having followed them since 2018. For me, A Flightless Bird was the absolute peak in terms of their story telling, and I haven’t enjoyed anything nearly as much. This includes collaboration comics such as Rabbit on the Moon. Couple that with last year’s blowup on DeviantArt, and Repeat going on hiatus for nearly a year, and I think I’ve had my fill of controversy from an artist’s work I haven’t been enjoying as much. For those of you intending to follow SD’s newer works, I hope you enjoy them very much!

To Catch a Star | Page(s): 423, 424, 425, 426| Patreon

It feels like To Catch a Star is starting to enter its final arc. Sleepy confirmed this comic would wrap up sometime this year in her 2024 teaser. We finally see Backlash meet with Danger, and the meeting is not quite what I expected. The topic of Ray was brought up, but the subject of his death was avoided. I suppose this is because Danger is way more interested in finding a better way to live than relaying the information of his demise to Backlash. The reveal itself will likely come from Takedown as the younger wolf realizes his older brother’s violent and malicious tendencies. For now, this conversation between leader and former pack member could be the impetus that gets the white wolf to find her own way in the world, or to join the trio on their own quest. Better yet, perhaps she’ll leave with Tussle and Sweep as those two ladies deserve to find a better pack as well.

As Backlash tells his leader everything he’s learned during his journey, Shadow and Lupi wait for him in the distance. For the first time Shadow asks Lupi for their opinion on the journey. She brings up an interesting point that with very few exceptions, they’ve just gone with the flow. The only time we heard an adamant “no” was when Backlash suggested they go with the Supernova to collect the stars. We finally get to hear Lupi’s own thoughts, and despite the wild ride the sun wolf simply wants to be with Shadow and Backlash. They’re happy, and I suspect they appreciate being treated as a normal wolf instead of a deity or a thing to be killed over and over. To them the journey is more important than the goal of collecting stars.

On another note, it’s amazing how little we got to see of Lupi’s true thoughts throughout much of this story. There’s so much going on with their decision to choose the name “Lupi” for themselves, the mythology of the sun and the moon in this world, and that strange dream where Lupi appeared as both a Nova and a Dusky. Add to that, the fact that the Supernova are holding on to the moon wolf, and there’s still so many questions that need answers. I’m just crossing my fingers that it all wraps up satisfyingly without the ending being rushed like in White Tail.

The Order of the Black Dog | Page(s): Issue 27, page 26| Patreon

On the cusp of preparing to summon Kenazil Julia and Melissa take a break to share an intimate night together. There’s not much else to this page, other than a bit of downtime. It could be a bit of passionate calm before the storm of unleashing the Black Dog. The significance here is that after spending so much time unwilling to touch Mel, after The Black Idol incident, Julia is finally comfortable around her girlfriend again. A few issues ago, she couldn’t stand to be physically touched without thinking about the idol. Now, Julia’s able to move forward. I suspect once Kenazil is unleashed, the girls are going to need each other more than ever.

It feels like the issue is coming to an end. I’m just curious if it will leave us on a calm moment or a cliffhanger. It can go either way, as The Order of the Black Dog has always been a slow burn at times. As for this page itself, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the lighting, or the lack of lighting. The scene is too dark, and it’s difficult to make out what’s happening. It’s pretty clear the girls are getting it on, but I had to rely on the page’s transcript for better details. Again, I’m not a fan of the switch from full color to limited colors. Yes, the author has given her reasons, and I fully understand them. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t lament having full color when this comic has been full color for well over a decade now.

Golden Shrike | Page(s): 251| Patreon

We have yet another page filled with ice-breaker games as a way of the group getting to known Boneslav better. The fact that Nero, Runi, and Kasko deserted their herds has been known for much of this comic. (Though I would argue Nero and Kasko were actually banished, while Runi is the only true deserter here.) The characters themselves have never really sat down and discussed the implications of leaving their herds, especially after confrontation. Nor do they seem ready to actually talk about it, especially Kasko. He wouldn’t have come clean if it weren’t for Nero and Runi forcing the truth out of him. So that makes me wonder how Bonslav sees his traveling companions. Unlike them, he was sent off by the herd on a mission and everyone gave him their blessings. It must be odd to travel with a bunch of deer who are more or less outcasts.

I’m also curious as to what the quiet stonekrovn will reveal to the others. Will he keep it brief, or will he actually reveal a bit more about himself? Does he even feel comfortable with his traveling partners? Or is he feeling secure in his knowledge that he’s the strongest of the group, and that no one’s a true threat?

Home | Page(s): 831| Patreon

We finally learn of Ronja’s big decision. In the end, she’s not going to merge the Meteor Tribe with another tribe, nor will she dissolve the tribe. They’re going to be relocating and renaming the tribe. Since page 832 is out, there’s no point in sitting on the name for a week. It’s been renamed Nordgarde, which reminds me of Tess Garman and Teagan Gavet’s Nordguard graphic novel. (Honestly, a vastly superior comic about dogs. And look they realistically use tools because they’re anthros!) But I’ll talk about the new name and location of the tribe next week, because I’d like to focus on page 831 for this particular roundup.

About five to six days have passed since the attack (I counted), and Ronja is only now making her decision. To me this decision feels like it has come hundreds of pages too late. I honestly think the Meteor Tribe should have been relocated either after the second rebellion OR once Ranach was banished. At that point the viscountess knew about the tribe’s problematic history, and there was no good reason to hold on to the past and try to reform it. The males who wanted in could have stayed, while those who wanted out could have joined Ranach, like Ulfr ultimately did. Ronja probably would have gotten a more favorable reception at the Tinget had the MT already been renamed and relocated.

There was also a moment where we thought Ronja would join with Whispervale Tribe, and keep her rank as viscountess, but under Jarl Fraujar. I wouldn’t have minded that either. It would have been a fantastic way to merge several plot lines at once, and have some of the Asmundr pack get back together. I.e, Ronja, Keirr, and Roamer would all be in one location. For whatever reason, Kique does not want this to happen, so we have more artificially forced drama. So let the relocation happen. Given Ronja’s anger in the fourth panel and Fraujar’s words, I get the feeling Nordgarde won’t be garnering a peaceful reputation. It’s just going to be a warrior tribe, sans the kidnapping and sexual assault that defined the Meteor Tribe’s infamy. (I guess, that’s an improvement.)

I will say, I do appreciate the fact that this page uses nice colors. The sky and atmospheric lighting look good. It shows you this author can put out nice looking pages when he tries, but he rushes pages out because they look mostly “good enough.”