Book 2 – Page 100

[balder]

New One is up.

[ShieldOfAthena]

Why, yes, of course it is.

[Chevalier]

So Slately changed capitals, thus closing the portal, but is still waiting on Charlie's bounty to promote Tramennis to heir...why the snub, and do we think Tramennis still gets promoted somehow? And will Parson get upstairs to talk to the double king before a) the turn ends and he disappears or b) he perishes in flames?

[Ditto]

No, Tram has already been promoted. Note the giant gem that Slately received via his crown's hatmagic several pages ago, which poofed when he pronounced Tram the heir. I'm not certain exactly what Charlie's part in this was, but it wasn't the money just then.

[Chevalier]

Right, thanks for the reminder about the gem. Why is Slately contacting Charlie, then?

[ShieldOfAthena]

Right, thanks for the reminder about the gem. Why is Slately contacting Charlie, then?

Because trapping Parson in Jetstone by switching capital sites is Charlie's plan. But we, as readers, know the plan is more likely to benefit Charlie somehow than it is anyone else. So the question is, what is Charlie's plan that he has suckered Slately into going along with by fear mongering on page 89? Still one of my favorite visuals, how Charlie slowly morphed the king to a pawn.

[BCCroaker]

Parson is now focused. Brilliant

[joosy]

bah, now that rules Sizemore out. One way to get out of this if this goes to Inferno level is to control the garrison, get Stanley to switch capitals and then let Sizemore and Wanda and Maggie through (assuming none of them have gone back through to GK). That would leave Slately alone outside of his side's capitol with no heir, no casters, no chief warlord, no archons and no dwagon relay to Jetstone (assuming most of the archons and dwagons were used in the attack) - a tempting target for another coup, I believe.

I hope Sylvia gets taken to the woodshed for this. Loved Jack's commentary throughout (e.g. "The Clue reference and "To see the pretty flames?" heh)

There also goes my theory that Sizemore was going to be forced through an enemy's portal thus alienating him further in the GK, having Parson break his word to him and create a bigger rift between them. Now the only way to get Sizemore there on this turn (that I can think of) is to have Stanley switch portals.

[drachefly]

get Slately to switch capitals

You mean Stanley.

I'm not certain exactly what Charlie's part in this was, but it wasn't the money just then.

He was waiting for Charlie to give the word. Didn't want to close the portal too soon, right?

[Vorteks]

Note the giant gem that Slately received via his crown's hatmagic several pages ago, which poofed when he pronounced Tram the heir. I'm not certain exactly what Charlie's part in this was, but it wasn't the money just then.

I'm pretty sure the money in the hat was the bounty Charlie paid for the archons. I don't know if he was magically bound to keep his word, but he probably would have needed to provide the means to promote Tramennis to heir before Slately would have considered the rest of the risky venture. Plus, Charlie is pretty concerned about his reputation. He would have made good on his bounty promise for that reason alone.

On the other hand, I'm not sure what Charlie's role is in what's going on now. Does Slately need Charlie before he can switch capitols for some reason? Maybe for more money? Maybe Charlie was waiting to make sure Parson was actually through the portal before contacting Slately. Don't want to trigger the trap too early, after all.

I certainly wouldn't put it past Charlie to double-cross Slately and just leave him hanging. But I get the feeling he still plans to use Slately for something. Otherwise, it'd be easier to just ignore his call rather than answer and tell him to "please hold".

[Urf]

Jillian has yet to make a reappearance.

[The Shadow]

Heh. Nice subtle sound effect on the portal, there. Didn't notice it the first time.

"WASS" - which, Google tells me, means "We Are So Screwed".

[bladestorm]

Not a lot of action in this comic, but it sets up so much for the next few comics in a row, kinda like a calm before a storm.

Charlie still needs Slately for something. The opportunity is too great to not take full advantage of it. Slately is soon regardless of what he does, so he can be completely reckless, and Charlie can push him in any direction needed. Jetstone is not gonna keep this city for another turn. It may go to GK, or it may burn to cinder and ash.

side thought though... could Ace make some flame resistant clothing that would grant the fire resistant ability? A firefighter outfit and use the LFN golems as mobile firetrucks Flintstone style?

[LTDave]

"itsa twap!"

[Housellama]

Heh. Nice subtle sound effect on the portal, there. Didn't notice it the first time.

"WASS" - which, Google tells me, means "We Are So Screwed".

The graphic for the portal closing is a heart monitor flat-lining. WASS could also represent the sound effect of the alarm noise when a patient's heart rate goes to zero.

Translation: And now you're dead.

[the_tick_rules]

When did he switch the capital?

[0beron]

bah, now that rules Sizemore out.

And more importantly, WANDA. As I mentioned quite some time ago, without Wanda there in the aftermath, this battle could prove a crippling blow to GK because it'd be the first that they are unable to replenish the army with Decrypted.

[Lor]

When did he switch the capital?

My take on this is that the discussion between Charlie and Slately takes place while Parson is still in the MK. "Please hold".

Once Charlie gets word that Parson has moved, he initiates a thinka-text-message -- "Now"

And that to extenuate the "WASS", Rob chose not to stretch it out and show it scene-by-scene.

[Zeku]

I liked the Clue reference in 7. I like the larger panels too.

For a while now I've wished that we would get some BIG panels however, with people and objects drawn LARGE, maybe even using up most of the page, but divided very thinly right through the art, so the words can still be ordered sequentially. This is the only thing that Jamie did "better" than Xin, though I suspect it had a lot to do with the reduced narrative density, and the sloppier, faster tone of his art.

Grats on page 100.

[the_tick_rules]

Maybe. I wonder what he was calling Charlie to do? Wasn't switching the portal site the end of the plan?