I have a fancy new side banner thanks to MaxwellFury. It appears on the side bar near the bottom of this site on desktop, and at the end of your scroll on mobile. With gen AI gobbling up everything, I have my own stance regarding the technology. I don’t use it at all. I loathe the tech for various reasons. Mainly because of how much stolen work it was trained on, how it seeks to replace workers and creatives, how it makes the spread of propaganda and disinformation so much easier, and how it consumes so much energy. Even with all that theft and claims of replacing people, its output is bland as hell. Speaking of creatives, Fury is open for commissions of various types. Check him out.
Next week is Easter Sunday, and I’ll be out for the day with my mother. After that, it’s my regular livestreams on Twitch for Damage Control Blog. I might have to run the stream later than normal, which will likely cut into the time I normally spend writing for this blog. So there’s a 50-50 chance there might not be an update next week. We’ll see if I’m able to get some work done during the week.
In comic news, there’s somewhat of a big update. Arven is taking a break for the entire month of April. Africa won’t be updated until May 6th. You can read her entire announcement here. The break also includes Patreon. Burn out is real, and every artist deserves to work on a schedule that doesn’t run them into the ground. I hope Arven enjoys her break, and that it is restful above all else.
The Order of the Black Dog returns for its final issue next week. The issue itself will be about 44 pages long. The cover is up, and it is stunning.
Africa | Page(s): 467 | Patreon
Bibi is looking rough. Mosi has a keen eye and notices she’s not well. I think all of us in the audience are with him in his concern about the caracal making the jump. Unsurprisingly, she’s having none of it. I was worried about her making the jump, but it looks like she’s going to clear the gorge. Part of me wonders why she’s so intent on the parent swap despite being ill and needing the rest. I suppose her guilt about helping Chui runs that deep, even though she’s redeemed herself many times over. I also think part of her is doing this for Mondo, as having a cat of a similar size teaching him how to survive is good for the serval. Yes, Africa is his mother, but Bibi is the cool, helpful auntie.
Speaking of the kids, Mosi is walking toward Africa as she’s about to land. Clearly, he’s looking forward to seeing her. However, Mondo just sits and looks pensive with his ears pinned back. I wonder if he’s feeling reluctant because his mother is gone for the day, or if seeing Mosi puts him in a fearful mood? Or perhaps he’s still dealing with the revelation of Africa killing Sabra, and that he’s never gotten his feelings out about the entire thing. His leopard mother did apologize to him, but maybe he’s hoping to talk to a third party like Bibi. He almost opened up to her last time, before they were interrupted by the wild dogs. I’m thinking Mondo is probably going to be in a mood until he figures out what he wants from himself, and what his relationship to Africa should be. That conversation will likely have to wait, as Bibi still needs to finish crossing the gorge.
We’ll worry about all that in May and beyond.
What Lurks Beneath | Pages(s): 994 | Patreon
It’s a short update this week, at least for this round up. Auklet is not happy that Sturgeon took too long, and that Thresher might recover if he gets his meals from someone else. It doesn’t help that while both cats are in agreement that the king needs to die, Sturgeon thinks she has plenty of time. Meanwhile, Auklet knows about the coming new moon. I believe that’s what he’s alluding to in the final panel before he stops himself. The bigger question is if he’ll tell his niece this information or not.
I can’t see why he’d hide such vital information from her. He knows she can keep a secret, as she’s been poisoning her father for months now. I guess the real question is, if he tells her the truth, how will Sturgeon take it? As I mentioned last week, we know the genocide doesn’t happen as something happens to Auklet because he is absent from the present, and Thresher steps down to serve The Tide. Past events in this story might be on the verge of catching up with the present sooner than later.
In The Lion’s Den: The Scarlet Uproar | Page(s): 83-84 | Patreon
It’s flashback time! It’s not like Kay has anything better to do but reminisce while trapped in a jail cell. The first curious detail is that despite being considered royalty, she was actually brought up in an orphanage with other cats with diamond head markings. Why are so many cats from the old guard without parents? Do their parents abandon their children? Do they die in war? Or are they just bred and dumped off to the state to be raised as good little royals?
Their conditions don’t look terrible, and the clothes they have on seem to be of decent quality. At least they’re free of tears and tatters. This page raises so many questions for me. I’m also wondering if life as a royal was as good as it seems on the surface. Their monarchy certainly wasn’t good for the citizens, which is why the current fascist government is ruling over the city state after a rebellion took place.
Golden Shrike | Page(s): 352 | Patreon
I admit, I was not expecting to see Iralee. Did the God-caller follow Antaras and Eve, or was she in the area after parting with that other herd? Either way, this scene is tense. Antaras’s expression is hard to read, but the look in his eyes is chilling. He’s shocked, but maybe also calculating the feasibility of having Iralee take Helevise’s place. As if whatever plans he had involving a God-caller might now be salvaged.
I doubt whatever he says can soothe her anger, and she already knows how he’s broken the world. Depending on what she says, and his own desperation, this could end in disaster for Iralee. Antaras has killed deer for less, and if he deems her a danger to whatever his plans are, I can see him getting rid of her too. Honestly, no predictions from me. Will Antaras leave her be, even after being rejected as Helevise’s replacement, or will he kill her because he views her as a threat?
We now know why the Matriarch is abandoning the island. Ninmah can’t keep her tribe under control and Faekas is undermining her leadership. Worse, she can’t even reason with them because of the rebellion brewing. It’s crazy to think that Solar Stag Tribe might give her up to maintain peace when their own actions have caused this. I could only see it working as a gambit to save their own hides, but I doubt that would assuage the anger that’s been simmering for years.
This is a problem of Ninmah’s own making. For whatever reason she’s decided to take an extreme hands-off approach to her tribe. Maybe if she’d revealed herself to everyone when they first landed on Aedra, and worked to maintain good relationships with dogs and cats willing to try, we might not be here. Maybe the issue with the rampaging wolf wouldn’t have been so bad if she had worked to calm fears and tensions. Maybe if she had pushed harder against the decision to have the Forngrym banished to the frozen edges of the island, and advocated for their integration. Maybe if she worked hard to make the dogs see the Taiga Lions as equals instead of a group to be feared at worst, and bounty hunting tools at best. Maybe if she’d protected other tribes from the tyranny of the Meteor Tribe and thieves of SouthSpear Tribe, there wouldn’t be resentment. I could go on and on with my list of failures for her leadership.
Instead of at least trying to reign her tribe and baron in, she’s fleeing at the first sign of trouble. Again, I do think someone else should be leader because she’s done such a terrible job, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that she’s not even trying resolve things before leaving. Utu/Father isn’t helping. Worse, he’s coming to rescue Ninmah, yet he’s also insisting that Jahla needs to stay on the island and stop Rohgir. He’s Father. He could easily come back and tell Rohgir to knock it off, or have Ninmah step in and stop whatever’s happening on the island. They have experience and power, but Jahla and the rest of the Asmundr pack have to fix their mistakes? How is that fair? It’s her aloof leadership that led this island to being more violent and bloodthirsty despite the supposed guiding light of the capital.
As for Father, he claims he has no time for the dogs he cherishes and left them to fend for themselves on the island. All for the sake of the very same humans he saved the dogs from. I don’t think guiding the humans is a bad goal, but why create a bunch of dogs with human-level intelligence if you’re just going to abandon them on another planet? All while Ninmah gets to talk with Utu frequently and gets a free ride out. Everyone else must fend for themselves. Marduk had a point.
But hey, Argeirr gets his own hare familiar. I’m sure we’ll forget Niala exists in no time.
Off for the week:
On hiatus:
The Order of the Black Dog | Issue Page: | Patreon
Lost Scent | Page(s): | Patreon
