I’m doing a little promotional work. Don’t worry, this is related to the webcomics I’m following and write about.
First, consider helping Renby out. They’re the comic artist for In The Lion’s Den. They’re finally leaving a toxic job situation and want to scratch a travel dream off their list before hunting for a new job. Supporting them through Patreon or Ko-Fi would be a huge help. As a bonus you’d get early access to comic pages plus interesting concept art. As a Patreon member, I can say it’s really neat to see how Renby puts pages together, as we get to see them from sketch form to fully rendered. Each step of the process is uploaded as soon as it’s done.
Arven is creating a plushie of Africa and has partnered with Teezr for a small pre-order run. The campaign functions much like Kickstarter. If 100 plushies are pre-ordered, the project will go forward and orders will be fulfilled. If it’s unsuccessful, everyone who pre-ordered will have their money refunded. As of this writing, the campaign sits at 53 orders with 11 days to go. If this interests you, consider ordering one, as they’re reasonably priced at $30 each. (And yes, I’ve ordered one.)
If you’re a fan of DoePrince’s work they have a short comic out called How Humans Court. This comic is actually finished, and will be uploaded on a loose schedule. The concept is a bit strange, but DP never disappoints. This new comic is also very welcome since Jet and Harley is on hiatus.
Africa | Page(s): 473 | Patreon
Mondo confirms that he knows Bibi isn’t well, and that Africa and Mosi can see it too. Bibi tries her best to comfort the kit, but her coughs are not reassuring. Not only that, but he has a good point about them all living as a family and surviving together. Doubly so since Mondo already lost his birth mother. I get that the caracal is comforting him. Even so, I’m worried that this is a promise she might not be able to keep because she’s sick and nature is harsh in general. I suppose I’d personally feel better if she, Africa, and Mosi could all link up and protect each other at least until she recovers from her sickness. That said, Bibi made it to adulthood, and she’s not one to give up easily.
Unfortunately, these small cats have the worst luck and that cloud of dust behind them in the last panel can’t be good. Is it humans in cars? Stampeding animals? Underground activity in the crater? I guess we’ll have to see!
The Order of the Black Dog | Issue 30 Page(s): 11| Patreon
Julia is asking all the right questions of the mysterious figure. Surprisingly, they provide answers. At the same time as they unleash a psychic attack on her! I was surprised to see a bird under the hazmat suit. Even as Julia fights the mind control the face of the figure shifts to Hedgeworth, then shifts again to him in his bug form. Unfortunately, our girl may not be winning this battle, as the mind attack seems to be working. I can only hope that the wolf’s incredible willpower comes into play on the next page.
I had assumed the figure in the suit was the hedgehog scientist. Boy was I wrong. I was not expecting to see Hedgeworth so soon. Especially as I had just reread the issues where he and the alien bug colony appear in the 1800s. I was right about him pulling the strings for the Kae-Kariin. Considering the short lifespan of the bug people, years, not decades, and certainly not centuries, I figure he’s somehow found a way to work the Black Idol into himself to extend his life. Or perhaps he swaps bodies, as he mentioned to Julia on the previous page that the body he was in didn’t matter.
Either way, I’m shocked that he killed the one Kae-Kariin who’d taken the name “Leister” in the 1800s, just to stop him from leaving with his kin. And maybe out of sheer pettiness. Then only to revive the other sleeping Kae-Kariin and use them to pull the strings for Earth governments from the shadows. All while Hedgeworth hid in even deeper shadows. Things must be too important if he’s come personally to retrieve the memories of the Kae-Kariin instead of sending an underling. Maybe Agent Jackson successfully killed them all in the facility.
Lost Scent | Page(s): 124 | Patreon
On Sunday the authors uploaded the wrong page to ComicFury. Page 135 instead of 124. I hadn’t noticed the page numbers, and I was so confused by the sudden shift in location and change of characters. Fortunately, by the time I came back to write about Lost Scent the correct page was up. I won’t spoil page 135 for you if you missed it.
I adore how Motte shares her criteria to fall in love and that while she won’t say it, she does have Morgan on the mind. However, her look in the second panel is of someone who knows she’ll likely never see the dog she had a crush on any time soon. I also love how Tulpi doesn’t let the moment pass and takes her shot rather aggressively. She wonders if traveling together and talking for three months would be enough time for a real connection to form. As the girls stare at each other, almost longingly, the moment and possible admission of feelings is interrupted by a bright light. It looks like meteor passing through, based on the reflection in their eyes.
If these two are to be a couple, it looks like we’ll have to wait just a bit longer.
Golden Shrike | Page(s): 363 | Patreon
You know what amazes me the most about this page? Eve was in earshot listening to Antaras and Iralee’s conversation. I’d be slightly annoyed if people talked about me like I wasn’t standing right there, but eh, I guess gods have their own priorities. So Eve just sits patiently in front of the God-caller, slight smile on her muzzle, waiting to be persuaded. I’m also in awe at how upfront Iralee is in pointing out that the star has been skipping out on their duty, and thought she would have liked Eve more. Even though the page ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, I’m doubtful Eve will take much offense. All of this seems to be a game to the God of Birth.
I am wondering if these two will have an honest conversation or will it just be Iralee talking while Eve listens. I’d love to hear a God-caller hear the voice of a god and have a reaction. As I’m pretty sure Eve said very little when Helevise was still alive. I also don’t think the doe is in any danger here, despite how unnerving Antaras is behaving. If he wanted her dead, she’d be dead.
After hundreds of pages, we finally get some backstory into Felidae. I have to wonder why Keirr or Aira never asked her about her origins, especially since her pelt is so different from everyone else in Whispervale Tribe. Short story even shorter, the Souther Jaro hails from Greyflag Tribe (which we’ve yet to *really* see), her family has spotted coats, and in order to facilitate trades between Whispervale and Greyflag, Felidae was offered up by her father. Fortunately, WT isn’t Meteor Tribe, so Felidae was actually free to go home whenever she wanted, but wanted to stay because she doesn’t get along with her father, and he seems to be a dick.
Though I do wonder if she were free to come and go, why not go and visit her sisters at Greyflag? Fraujar would likely let her. I’m guessing she hates her father more than she loves her sisters. As others have pointed out, Home has a thing with characters being mistreated or abused by their fathers. Let’s list them real quick:
- Arenak was terrible to Ranach
- Ranach sucks and doesn’t care about his pups
- Rogio and Iberion had an awful father that treated them harshly
- Kargo killed his rapist father
- Ferah’s father was also a rapist
- Jahla and her brothers had Ranulfr who was a child groomer and tried to force himself on Niita
Now we have Felidae, but calling her a main character is a stretch given how little she appears in this comic. That said, even though her father sucks, I did find her story interesting. Again it shows how Home has world building potential as dogs move around thanks to trade and deals, but this is never really expanded on. Maybe you could count Raun and a few others from WT staying with Nordgarde, but that felt more like a favor from Fraujar to Ronja rather than a true trade to strengthen an alliance.
On a final note, I want to address a yikes moment in this page. We have confirmation that Whispervale does indeed partake in inbreeding. It’s not as bad as the old Meteor Tribe, but why does this need to be a thing, especially with other dogs on the island? Why couldn’t Fraujar or the previous Jarl have gone to Solar Stag Tribe or other tribes to plea for new members in order to avoid incest? If they didn’t, or they were turned down, this could be a plot to explore. Because if you’re going to add incest to your story, there should be a worthwhile reason for it. In terms of the Meteor Tribe, it was to show how awful and desperate they were, especially under Arenak’s rule. Whispervale though? I’m not seeing the reason, outside of a desperation that seems unnecessary since they have a decent reputation as a tribe.
Off for the week:
In The Lion’s Den: The Scarlet Uproar | Page(s): | Patreon
On hiatus:
What Lurks Beneath | Pages(s): | Patreon
