TWWR Round up 07/13/2026 – Is it a Battle for Survival or a Battle of Wits?

Last week I desperately needed off due to being tired. That little break helped a lot. I feel much better just in time for the weather to heat up all over again. The dog days of summer are doggedly persistent.

Africa | Page(s): 476 – 477 | Patreon

A stampede it is. The herd which we haven’t seen in some time have made it back to the crater. Unfortunately, they’ve collided with Bibi and Mondo, and the two smaller cats have to scramble not to get crushed. Forget hiding, they actually need to get away from the dozens of hooves bearing down on them. The perspective on page 476’s final panel is so well done. The overall composition is really dynamic. It feels like these characters are about to jump out of the page.

Mondo’s legs just aren’t long enough yet, and thankfully Bibi is there to snatch him to safety, with an added toss for good measure. I just hope our little serval kit lands on his feet away from the zebra, and that our caracal isn’t stomped in the process. For the most part, the herd hasn’t noticed the two cats underfoot. Like many on DeviantArt are commenting, this does give me major Mufasa vibes from The Lion King. I’m just hoping this scene doesn’t end as tragically.

What Lurks Beneath | Pages(s): 1010 – 1012 | Patreon

Speaking of scenes, I will be glad when this unpleasant scene with Gull is over. The old cat was already an arrogant bigot, and her promotion to advisor isn’t helping. Doubly so since Sturgeon was one of the few cats willing to stand up to her. Now that they have an equal rank, this senior feels like it is appropriate to mock and antagonize the queen’s sister, who could have easily been chosen by The Tide as queen herself. I do find it interesting that being compared to a bird, a songbird at that, is an insult. As if not having talons makes Sturgeon someone to pick on now. As a schemer and one who can see the bigger picture, she has better things to worry about than the mockery of an old cat.

I’m liking Wrasse’s role here. He breaks up this session by insisting that Gull leaves with him. He also gives Sturgeon one final look before leaving Trout’s cave. Is that a look of worry or concern? Honestly, I get the feeling that he’s fearful of what a cat he once reported directly to could do or is capable of, even with his new higher rank. Wrasse also finds Gull’s needling to be distasteful as he asks her why she’s picking a fight.

Gull’s reasons are petty and personal. She views Sturgeon as blasphemous, and didn’t appreciate being intimidated. She also thinks the queen’s sister needs to be humbled. Oh grandma. If only you knew the heavy burden carried on those young shoulders. I think Wrasse understands some of it. Gull will perhaps learn this the hard way if she tries her luck. I mean, Tusk already took one of her eyes. It wouldn’t be much effort for Sturgeon to take the other. Could this old cat come around in the long run? I just don’t think so. She’s dead set in her ways and is pretty closed-minded. Basically, the opposite of someone like Kelp who’s around the same age.

The Order of the Black Dog | Issue 30 Page(s): 14 – 15 | Patreon

After Melissa was “hatched” from the Black Idol sample in the facility, we get to see what she’s been up to as everything else has gone down. As expected in this universe, lots, and lots of tests. Scans, cognitive tests, and tons of observation. Both of these pages are silent, but we get the feeling that Melissa has been subjected to so much examination that she’s bored of it and the process overall. Some time has passed and her hair is much longer as well.

Her situation somewhat mirrors Julia’s in issues 18 and 19. The only difference here is that while Julia was partially transformed into the Black Idol, Melissa was somehow reborn, or reformed from a piece of it. Of course she’d be closely monitored even if she’s been given most of her comforts from home. I imagine the tiger-mix is also baffled to how she’s alive as she’s checking herself out. All this while Dr. Xijo watches her through a one-way mirror.

These pages bring up more questions than answers. How much time has passed between this scene and the last, especially if Mel’s hair is quite long now. A few weeks, months? Do people in the facility know that Mel is still alive? Does Julia know? Or is Dr. Xijo and his closest subordinates keeping this under wraps until they know more? Is Mel fully aware of what happened to her on the Lunar base?

Lost Scent | Page(s): 126 – 127 | Patreon

Tupli and Motte will not be picking up their conversation any time soon. As the Akita-mix decides that she’s going alone to the shooting star that crashed. Motte is surprised and concerned, but actually agrees to this and stays with PIG. The smart thing to do would have been for the girls to go together, preferably in the morning. But if these dogs made good decisions, we wouldn’t be here, or this would be a very different story.

Motte’s frustration in the final panel on page 126 makes me wonder if the Borzoi-mix will go after her, or if she’s just venting said frustrations aloud. Meanwhile, Tulpi has a nice adventure as she searches for the meteor fragment. It feels like she’s been traveling for a while and is contemplating something along the way. It’s a silent page, so it’s hard to know her thoughts. If I had to guess, it would her maybe brooding about the conversation she had with her traveling companion earlier, and perhaps how that would have gone if it weren’t interrupted. Or she could be thinking about what she might find at the impact site.

I suppose we’ll know next week.

Golden Shrike | Page(s): 366 – 367 | Patreon

I’m a little surprised by Eve’s interest in Iralee’s grief, and how it feels for mortals. The god of life definitely decided she was due for a little vacation and sightseeing while dealing with Antaras. I can imagine as a god, it’s tempting to be curious about how your creations live their lives, and what something that’s beyond your total comprehension must feel like. In other words, you can conceptually understand what grief and loss are like, but they’re something you can never experience as an almighty being beyond time and everyday concerns. I also admire Iralee’s gumption. She firmly pushes back against Eve’s question, noting that these are things only mortals can feel and that she ought to return to the sky.

Honestly, I would have expected a God-caller to be more reverential, but that’s what makes Iralee so unique. Perhaps that’s also why Eve finds her to be curious. She’s simply truthful about what she’s feeling minus the, well, formalities and possible groveling. Now I wonder if Eve ever spoke to Helevise or if she was able to even have a honest conversation. I got the impression the old doe felt as if deer needed to worship and fear their gods, rather than just acknowledging them. Because of that, she might not have been so straightforward with Eve. The way religion has been handled in Golden Shrike is fascinating. I love how none of the main characters are willing to prostrate themselves in front of the almighty, even if they catch a little flack.

By the end of their conversation, Iralee does just ask Eve to give Antaras what he wants by making an appeal to all the suffering mothers. Again, even with the god’s attempted display of comfort, I don’t think she’s going to listen. After all, what Eve really wants is to see Antaras suffer horribly, and she doesn’t care how many others are hurt because of it. This conversation might soften that stance a little. Although that reminder that the God-caller’s mother is dead is just cold. Not intentionally cruel, as the wiping away of her tears was meant to be a gesture of comfort. On a side note, the lick to Iralee’s eye made me chuckle.

I guess the fade to black likely marks the end of this scene. We’ll probably have to wait to see if Iralee got through to Eve at all.

Home | Page(s): 982 – 983 | Patreon

Solar Stag Tribe is written in such a frustrating way. They were supposed to be the good guys, the benevolent capital. However, they’ve always came off as self-serving, self-righteous, and incompetent. Bumbling bureaucrats, if you will. Then it was more or less stated than an internal struggle between Matriarch Ninmah and Baron Faekas was happening offscreen, leaving Ninmah terrified of her own tribe and ultimately taken away by Father for her own safety. So that effectively leaves Viscountess Lahmina and Faekas in charge of the tribe. I also got the feeling that Lahmina was business as usual, while the Baron was more aggressive.

Intentionally or not, thanks to many of the decisions of Solar Stag Tribe, supported by other tribes, they’ve always been antagonists. They did a genocide against the Forngryms, might have done the same to the Taiga Lions, and let the Meteor Tribe rape and pillage others for decades. Frustratingly enough, they took action against Southspear Tribe, even though that tribe isn’t portrayed to be nearly as bloodthirsty as the Meteors under Arenak and Ranach. Once again, through SST’s own actions and self-righteousness, they’ve always been bad news, even if that wasn’t Ninmah’s intentions. It seems like now that she’s gone, her tribe can be the worst versions of themselves with Faekas in charge.

The decision for them to attack the Asmundr pack is foolhardy because they’re wasting resources and dogs they should be saving for Ranach’s Rebellion. That said, I’m not really surprised. Again, the tribe was bureaucratically evil under Ninmah, and now with its Baron in charge, it has fully become bloodthirsty.

The bigger question is why are they attacking Asmundr. I’m pretty sure one of the dogs at Brightvale Tribe slipped away and told someone at Solar Stag. Perhaps Faekas feared that the group is off to join the rebellion and wants to cut off a potential problem before it grows larger. Especially since the snitch from Brightvale heard them mention they were going north. Again, SST might be better served by shoring up their own numbers before attacking a traveling group that’s nearly as large as their own tribe. However, the dogs in Home are unreasonable because the comic’s author rushes his world and character building.

As for the fight itself, I’m indifferent. These large set piece battles from Kique haven’t been exciting since the end of Asmundr. The battles lack any real buildup, and the payoff just doesn’t exist. The fights have been made worse with the introduction of knives. At least in Asmundr, a dog was just as likely to use their own fangs as much as a spear. And the spears at least made some sense because they allowed for a longer range. The knives though? They’re being wielded like swords, and it just looks dumb. Knife fights are bloody, brutal affairs, not neat little sword battles. And sickles are not the first go to for a weapon, unless you’re desperate. They’re for cutting grain and grass! A blade that faces the user isn’t great for a fight. I’m sorry, rule of cool can only go so far here.

I showed my husband this page, and he screamed in frustration at how dumb the knife fights are as a concept. So some interesting observations from someone who doesn’t read this comic:

• Why do the dogs have their knives facing in the same direction? Wouldn’t some of them naturally favor their left or right sides, similar to how people are right-handed, left-handed or ambidextrous?
• A dog swinging their head to block a knife strike is so much work, especially when they have to bend their necks at unnatural angles.
• It would make more sense if the gods of this story gave the dogs tools that actually complimented their natural weapons. Think of metal teeth they could equip on to their muzzles into or boots for their front paws with long metal claws.

I informed my spouse that these are things some fans have been suggesting for a decade now. However, Kique insists that weapons made for humans wielded by dogs are better. In universe, I’m just going to declare the Sky gods and the spirits that grant dogs weapons as lazy and unimaginative at best. The day a tribe asks for form-fitting weapons combined with armor that actually protects their vitals it’s all over for the other dogs.

But hey, at least the Rabisu and Zioqa can still use their natural weapons. The Rabisu actually have longer digits that can grip things like paws. Maybe all the dogs in the story should have those longer digits too.

Off for the week:

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

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