Not much to add here except that I stumbled upon a two new comics on DeviantArt. I guess the algorithm is good for something, especially after I filtered out AI submissions. The two comics are Cursed Lights and Vapnthjofr Saga. I’ve caught up on the former, and the latter is, well, a saga that is already over 900 pages long. It’s going to take a while to read through this one. I will say if you felt the Norse mythology in Home was sorely lacking, especially with the sudden shift to Sumerian mythology, Vapnthjofr Saga might be of interest. All the characters are anthro, so them using weapons makes sense. Though characters with claws and teeth still use them on occasion.
As for Cursed Lights, I really dig the art style and how anthro characters transform into feral forms. The concept of shifting from an anthro form to a feral one (or vice versa) isn’t new, but this take on it is quite interesting.
Anyway, on to the regular round up.
Africa | Page(s): 432| Patreon
A scene change and we’re back with Bibi and Mosi. I’m really glad Bibi is at least trying to talk the young leopard about him hissing at Mondo. She might be able to reach him in a way that Africa can’t. By that I mean, Mosi’s resentment toward his mother for raising the serval cub is still strong, even after learning that Africa was the one who put Sabra down. It might take a third party like Bibi to break through to him, as she doesn’t have a vested interest in Mondo. (Well, beyond being a kind person.) Of course, a few talks aren’t going to undo Mosi’s own internal trauma. Deep down inside I’m sure he knows Mondo isn’t at fault for anything, but he still can’t help but project all the bad Sabra has done onto her kitten– even down to blaming him for making Bibi sick.
On a lighter note, the comedic timing between the caracal comparing Mosi to a springhare only for one to go running by them made me laugh. Overall, the facial expressions on this page are amusing, even as these two bounce from subject to subject during their talk.
What Lurks Beneath | Pages(s): 915, 916, 917, 918 | Patreon
Unexpectedly, Sturgeon is having a difficult time convincing Hake to go back and talk to Trout. I’m pretty sure everyone saw this coming except for Sturgeon. I know she has good intentions in wanting to talk the queen into not letting the Daisys starve, but again this is way too much to ask of Hake. Not now. Tusk has been gone for what, two or three days? His heart is still freshly wounded, and his anger at Trout is still burning as strongly as ever. Those flames won’t be doused by an appeal to familial bonds.
I was curious about reader reception to these pages and most of them agree with Hake. Though Arual and some readers have pointed out that Sturgeon is emotionally stunted, and often put up with horrible things from Thresher while pushing her own feelings aside. So she’s surprised when Hake is unwilling to do the same, even to help the Daisys. The problem is, Hake (and Trout) were spared the harsh training in order to be a monarch, so they’re unable to do what Sturgeon does. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a mercy that they were spared, but I do think their big sister should have prepared them better for the throne just in case things spiraled out of control. You know, like the present day.
I do like how Sturgeon makes an appeal about the Daisys to Hake, and this calms him down, but he still won’t go back. Even if he did, who’s to say he won’t be jeered by the Family or that Trout won’t send him away for good?
It seems like a better plan needs to be formulated, hopefully one that doesn’t end in violence. After all, wounding Skua won’t do any good now since Trout has Gull and Wrasse as advisors.
The Order of the Black Dog | Issue 29, Page: 17 | Patreon
Things are going off the rails now. The pieces are finally clicking into place for me. When Rodney and Natasha made contact on the moon with the mysterious being wearing a spacesuit, I thought it might be a being other than part of the Black Idol. The wispy smoke and the lack of tentacles made me suspect it was something or someone else. In hindsight, the fact that they were wearing a first generation spacesuit should have been a dead giveaway. That being who approached Rodney and Natasha on the moon? It was Krizman the entire time. I looked through the pages where the group on the Lunar base died, and he’s the only one who just went missing, and didn’t have his spacesuit torn open like the others.
I’m guessing he’s keeping an eye on people from Earth as a guard or to tempt them into willingly coming under the Black Idol’s thrall without ever being touched, much like the fox and tanuki did on the moon’s surface. Seems like they were instantly reverted into being pieces of the idol once they took their helmets off, but their bodies weren’t transformed, allowing them to act as agents for the idol without being a part of it. This is the only explanation that makes sense to me.
So the Black Idol was extremely prepared and not only had double agents in the form of doppelgänger aliens, but regular people who are under its thrall without having their bodies transformed. At least not yet, as Natasha has partially changed states. Unless a miracle happens, Melissa and Idowu will be killed and their bodies assimilated. Now that Rodney has destroyed the device Melissa was hooked up to, I don’t see any way out of this for them. Unless this is where Kenazil shows us her full might, after being summoned last minute by Melissa?
Golden Shrike | Page(s): 322| Patreon
I was expecting some deer to die, but I’m shocked that ALL the Grasslanders died. Yes, that includes Oudia even though her lifeless body hasn’t been shown on this page. It’s an eerie thing to see them just frozen solid, their eyes glassy and blank. Hell, even the deer on the middle panel that died while sitting up is disturbing. They just couldn’t keep their core body temperature from falling to a critical level before they were frozen. What an awful way to go.
Worse, I feel bad for the Northerners who couldn’t do anything to really help them, given how fast the storm came upon them. I guess all that’s left to ask is if Antaras was praying, and if this is where he traps Loss and Eve. I’m thinking that will be a no because the rings play a role in the trapping, and he doesn’t have them yet. So perhaps when or if the rest of the March goes forward, he and Usma go off on their own trying to find a way to help Oudia. If it stays freezing cold for a number of days, her body should be fine. If she froze to death there’s no way the fawn survived either.
I’ll just leave with these last thoughts. We now have Antaras’ backstory regarding Usma, Oudia, and the person he used to be. Now we just need to know how he captured Loss and Eve, and what his ultimate plans are. Something tells me it’s not as simple as waiting for his fawn to be born and then releasing the captured gods. I mean having control over who lives and who dies is probably one hell of a drug.
Marduk is still going on about how Father had no plan and no vision. The funny part is that aside from making the Asmundr pack “worthy” and wanting them to worship him, I don’t know what Marduk’s plan was either. I’ll say it once more, he just sucks as a villain. Perhaps his frantic words are pure projection from this comic’s author, as Kique had no real plan for this character after his second co-writer’s departure. I don’t really care that the gray alien dog was turned into a villain, I just wish he’d actually been a compelling antagonist instead of a petty asshole who occasionally made some good points about Father. As much as Kique would like readers to image he’s the big bad responsible for all that befell the Shield Wolves, and the planet of Solar Stag, I just can’t see it. There’s no real foreshadowing, no real buildup. Just a reveal because readers didn’t see Marduk as all that evil and then this fight.
I suppose Jahla having the crest of the gods was supposed to be a shocking moment. I’m just baffled. Thakir had it, but his just occurred when he was way younger. Now Jahla gets a crest, and it’s an entire deus ex machina to get around the problem of Marduk’s overpowered obelisk. She has the crest and the death monument no longer affects her. Even more than that, she’s able to overpower the gray dog where Kainan was easily lifted and strangled. I suppose if I had to be charitable, an Akiulfr is probably stronger than a regular dog. Still, I thought Marduk was supposed to be supernaturally powerful despite his emaciated-looking frame. I’m guessing the same telepathy that broke Romé’s neck no longer works on her either. Unless he easily throws her down in the next panel, none of this will make much sense.
Somewhere along the way, there might have been a chance to let Thakir shine and help with his own crest, but Kique just can’t let the poor guy do anything cool.
On hiatus:
In The Lion’s Den: The Scarlet Uproar | Page(s): | Patreon
Lost Scent | Page(s): | Patreon
It doesn’t seem like the deer in the middle panel is dead‚ she’s just probably rising from the snow. We can see she has a fluffy coat so probably a northener to show the audience they are the only ones who made it (with several trauma)
Oh, yeah, I can see that. I admit I was going back and forth with the panel and couldn’t decide if this poor deer was alive or not. I went between her getting up, or just being frozen in place. But you might right considering her fluffy coat. Also, yeah there’s going to be so much trauma in the form of survivor’s guilt.
NVM doeprince said this one is dead. Two northeners died
Dang. Yeah, I think I did read about that on Tumblr. I guess the difference was they didn’t have body warmth to share with anyone.