TWWR Round up 12/23/2024– A Short One Before the Holidays

Have a very merry Christmas and happy holidays all around. If you’re not celebrating any holidays, I hope you enjoy time off to relax and take care of yourself.

This week’s round up is shorter than usual, as three comics I’m following are currently on hiatus. I also haven’t decided on a replacement comic to fill the gap that To Catch a Star left behind. I’ve decided I won’t be going with SleepySundae’s newest comic, The Dragon Slayer, though I am following this Greek mythology adaptation. For the replacement comic, I’ve narrowed my choices down to What Lurks Beneath, Tofauti Sawa, or Follow Your Heart.

Dear readers, do you have a preference regarding the choices above?

Africa | Page(s): 401 | Patreon

Looks like I didn’t really have a reason to be worried about Faida. She tossed off and humiliated her attacker fairly easily. As she states herself, she’s the clan’s matriarch for a reason. I love that even though her shoulder is badly bitten, Faida is still ready to rumble. Nuru looks a bit shocked that her attempted power grab didn’t go as intended. I can only wonder if she’ll back off seeing that the matriarch isn’t as weak as she assumed, or if she’ll try again. If not immediately, then perhaps in the future.

As for the hyena that bit Faida, how’s that swamp soup taste? Humor aside, this brings up a greater concern. Faida may be old, but she’s certainly not weak. Even so, she can’t rule forever. To repeat the point, I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of Nuru’s scheming. Another possibility is that Faida’s downfall could come as she leads the clan into battle against Bes and his pride. I could easily see Nuru or someone else cutting a deal with the lions to get rid of their matriarch, similar to Kafil and Chui’s underhanded deal. Either way, I doubt the seeds of rebellion can be easily crushed when they start to bloom. Interesting times are ahead for the hyenas.

 

Lost Scent | Page(s): 71 | Patreon

I’m still not completely sure if Tulpi is telling the truth about needing to cross the strait to meet up with her lost brother. After all, it was Motte’s idea for them to return to her home. Even so, The Selkie seems interested in helping the pair. The girls being able to pay is another matter entirely since they’re flat broke. I wonder what they could even begin to offer the Labrador mix.

Before those negotiations can even get started, Tulpi and Motte may have more pressing concerns. As a commotion in the background is both startling and somewhat funny. Someone is making a ruckus in The Zone. Motte has noticed and is visibly shaken, and The Selkie has picked up on her discomfort. I can only wonder if these are the dogs Motte was intent on running from earlier. Tulpi seems oblivious as she continues her story.

So will our traveling duo (trio if you count PIG) strike a deal to get across the strait or will whatever is raising hell in the background get to them first? Unfortunately, we won’t find out until January 12th. For a quick PSA, if you read the DeviantArt version of Lost Scent, the description says Sunday, February 12th for the next update. However, the ComicFury version says Sunday, January 12th. Since January 12th does fall on Sunday in 2025 and is only two weeks away, I’m inclined to believe the CF description has the correct date. Typos happen.

 

Home | Page(s): 887 | Patreon

We have a change up in scenery as the story moves from Havenreach Tribe to the Asmundr pack territory. Again, it feels like Kique doesn’t know how to make Marduk evil, so he demands that the pack carves a statue in his image. Which is exactly what they’re doing. I guess the guy wants to be worshiped and recognized that badly by a pack of senior dogs from Earth. It’s not really the stuff of nightmares, and is a bit baffling for this character. He was a human-like gray alien, had his mind transferred into a canine body, he chose to live among Father’s favorite pack as a dog, and now wants to be God. Why did Marduk bother giving up his original body?

Because this is what happened when a co-writer had one vision for the character, and after a falling out Kique changed the story arc completely. He wants to snub this alien dog who was originally supposed to be a good guy by making him evil. Yet his brand of evil is so uncompelling and poorly thought out. He might have just been better off killing Marduk instead of moving forward with whatever this arc is supposed to represent.

Meanwhile, Rhov has just revealed to Kainan that Feaf is pregnant, and the most the Rifle can manage is a weak smile. His facial expressions don’t match his dialogue at all. You’d think that an impossible pregnancy would be more shocking, but Kainan just takes the news as if Rhov was coming back from the store with a nice treat for his father rather than the revelation being mind-blowing. Worse, he just accepts the explanation without any concerns. I feel like Kainan from Asmundr would at least be suspicious, but here he doesn’t even bat an eye. Again, no one asks if Rhov and Feaf even wanted to be parents. They just accept the news with mild surprise and move on.

The only purpose straight couples in this comic have is to pump out babies. Even for couples who hopped in bed and shouldn’t have been able to conceive children. No one’s worried, confused, or angry. It’s pretty much the standard “I understand.”

I gather the reason Rhov is upset is that he doesn’t want his pups (or cubs) born while Marduk is around. That said, he doesn’t have any plans aside from fretting about the alien dog. Why has no one asked the former Sky God if they could leave? A scene where he forbids the pack from leaving the territory would make so much more sense. Right now we as the audience are being told the pack can’t leave while others are free to enter and exit Asmundr territory. I keep bringing this point up because it has never been clarified in Home.

On hiatus:

The Order of the Black Dog | Issue 29, Page: | Patreon

Golden Shrike | Page(s): | Patreon

In The Lion’s Den: The Scarlet Uproar | Page(s): | Patreon