Grrl Power #472 – Bring a spike to a sword fight
If martians busted in and started ray blasting everyone, they might not wait for Irradon to give permission to retaliate, but sapient animates, i.e. the intelligent swords, the chatty mirrors, even the castle full of servants who got changed into boudoirs and clocks and candlesticks, haven’t always been treated as well as they could have. There’s definitely an anthropomorphic bias as well as an organic one, at least among organic anthropomorphic beings, which is probably unsurprising.
Still, a bunch of artificial ass holes shooting explosive silver crap around the room are probably going to get their butts rocked with or without Icon’s blessing.
I’ve commented before that people with artificial limbs in comics get a lot of abuse. It’s like swords and bullets are attracted to them. If your entire body was expendable you’d probably fight a lot differently that those fragile meat tubes who care about having all of themselves attached to all of the rest of themselves at the end of the day. Not that Dabbler hasn’t fought her share of space robots and zombies and what not, but after getting told to knock it off with the lethal attacks since teaming up with Arc-SWAT, she may need a moment to reconfigure her macro bar.
Given the diversity of her abilities, she really needs a macro bar macro bar. She’s definitely not one of those lame FPS heroes who can only carry 2 guns and a sidearm. Actually I’ve thought about how to put Dabbler in a video game since she seems like she’d be well suited for a 1st or 3rd person shooter. I think the best option would be the weapon wheel. You know, hold down the reload button to see a list of weapons, use the thumbstick to select one (or your mouse, if you’re civilized) then release. It’s a good way to compress a menu of things when you have a limited number of buttons. I figure Dabbler could have one for her guns, one for her attack spells, one for her defense and healing stuff, etc. Of course the real challenge in making a video game with her would be resisting the temptation to load her down with a ton of abilities that don’t offer distinct function. If she has a rocket launcher, does she need a fireball spell? Well, maybe if the fireball can be charged by holding down the button for a longer DoT or bigger AoE and the rockets can home on on where you’re pointing the cursor, otherwise you’ve just made a rocket launcher with two different particle effects and more crap for the player to keep track of.
So if you missed it on the previous page, I co-wrote a chapter of Marion G. Harmon‘s new volume of Wearing the Cape, subtitled “Team-Ups & Crossovers.” Guess who Astra (the WtC protagonist) crosses over with? :D It’s just one section of the book, but this is a canon story for Sydney and co. Here’s a like to the kindle version. The paperback will be available in the coming weeks.
I’ve made a dedicated blog post for the book, in case anyone would like to comment on it in one place instead of across multiple comic posts, cause I imagine I’ll mention it a few more times. :)
This page colored by Keith.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon, as soon as I get up. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like :)
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Fireball is magical fire/explosive damage, rocket launcher is mundane fire/explosive damage. Depending on what exactly you’re fighting, that little distinction could mean a big difference.
so if i have my techno wizard enchant a rocket it should create magic and non magic fire / explosive damage X2 if they are not immune to one or the other right?
Unless of course they are just immune to fire.
The magic can dispel immunity, the mundane can smash shielding.
Doesn’t have to be magical fire. Could be a magical ignition that causes a regular fireball.
I feel like “SHIV” should be the sound effect in panel 8.
These are shivs. Besides which his is a distinctly metal-on-metal sound, which is most apt.
I was going to say the shiv and shank were the exact same thing anyway, but chose to actually do a little research first. According to the internet there actually is a subtle difference! A shank is something that has been sharpened to form a knife, while a shiv is something sharp – like a razor blade – that has been attached to some kind of a handle – like a toothbrush – to form a knife.
Research? You did research? Don’t you know this is the internet, where one is allowed to express his or her opinion as if it were fact?
Sorry. It’ll never happen again. ☺
that had better be a FACT…
:D
Heh!
You forgot the “Jack”.
Yeah, when I read smash I thought it might have broken her barrier.
Don’t forget that after they take care of the three SWATomatons they still have deal with the boss-level one with the steel helmet. Maybe he is known to ICON.
Well, Maxi has dealt with two not-SWATatons, Dabbles and Icon are dealing with #3, that leaves Helmet free
Sydney should wrap helmet guy up in the hentorb and bounce him off her shield a couple times to see how he reacts.
Maxima has hit one, and disarmed that and another one. I would not conclude that as having ‘dealt with’ both, not just yet. Not if the first one gets up again!
Missed a bit in my edit ‘… and disarmed that and another one of their initial ranged weapons’.
If he gets up again I think Max will ‘dis-arm’ him, literally.
I HOPE someone recognizes helmet guy. That way, if they pull the helmet off and somebody identifies him, it gives Sydney a perfect opportunity to say, “And he would have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for us meddling kids!”
The convention is that the villain is always known to the audience…
Leon, is that you? Were sales dropping off fast enough, that you felt more publicity, from super-hero fights, was necessary? Why put Sydney in the position where she has to arrest you?
*howls in anguish*
OK that would work better if I checked the name before posting.
Leon —-> Joel
One of the tough bits about this fight is that they have to keep it indoors or expose much of the council to the outside world. That leaves the council confined to the proximity of the fight (except for those cowardly/practical enough to teleport away or otherwise escape).
This is beginning to smell more and more like an inside job, since the attacker apparently wants the council killed but not exposed (otherwise they would have exposed the council location, but it may be too early in the fight to make that determination).
Seems more like an assault intended to give someone a majority vote (and cast aspersions on humans) rather than to kill everyone.
I doubt it is Deus, since I think it would be more his style to simply approach council members individually and bribe/manipulate them.
What she appears to have in her hands seems to match the lead automaton’s gun in the last panel two strips ago.
Oops. This is supposed to be a reply to Ignoble‘s post below.
Good point. Also, if it were just about killing the council, the sensible thing would be to stuff massive bombs in the automatons and just have them blow up. (And use non-sapient automatons, of course.)
Run away? Why? ;-)
Because the airplanes need somewhere to land?
But they can always a whim away, a whim away, a whim away, a whim away…
Sounds a bit risky to land on a whim and a prayer.
As long as it’s not a wimple, then you will be in need of a prayer
Dave Dave Dave. Your looking at this the wrong way. Your looking at this like it’s guns vs magic when tooling for dabbler you should think flame spell then heat seeking rockets for the extra zing. She has amazing abilities at her disposal and your treating her like Steven strange vs iron man when you should be going doctor doom and letting fire and missiles rain with spells disintegrating everything else.
In panel one, we see a Crack.
Oh, stop laughing and get yer minds out of the gutters!
Anyway, I was wondering what caused that noise. My assumption was that she was cracking her knuckles before jumping back into the fight, but was she actually breaking a bad guy’s gun or perhaps was she breaking one of the bad guys? It’s a little hard for me to tell what’s going on there.
Looks like what was the lead automaton’s gun last panel two strips ago.
You can also see the not-SWATaton’s fingers in panel one
Agreed. That is creepy-looking evil manikin #2 being disarmed. Not to be confused with dismembered, disabled or discombobulated.
I think the word you are looking for are recombobulated, not discombobulated
:-D
When Icon speaks, I hear Peter Cullen.
That is awesome. He does kinda remind me of Optimus, too.
Sounds like someone’s Cullen his name?
I’d be a tiny bit disappointed if someone didn’t hear Cullen for that guy.
Who?
Voice of Optimus Prime.
Wow, Optimus has always been a giant Cybertronian who could curb-stomp a Minicon like me without even noticing, but to see a Human face behind the voice…
Wow…
Aww, lovely piece.
If you look closely at the handspike in the last 2 panels, they have designs on them (possibly anti-magic and/or reinforcement sigils or runes) which would explain, in addition to brute forcing a single point on a shield why that shield would crack. I have noticed that the center of dabbler’s shield did in fact shatter in the last panel. The spikes probably have some other nasty surprises to deal with specific races (metallic composition, etc…), as well.
The patterns on the spikes remind me more of damascus/pattern-welded steel than arcane runes, but it could go either way.
Yes, well… Sydney could only fit so many words into her warning SMS. Unfortunately, “enemy is loaded with magic” didn’t make the cut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcTm93YztSg
Another thought: The Veil Sigils have spells encoded into them for all of the Supernaturals, right? And one of them stopped functioning.
Could the Veil Sigil have been mined for information on the Supernaturals?
Indeed, and a clever thought.
I do not think it would have implications on this fight though. Because it would be written in an arcane programming language. So would be indecipherable to anyone who is not fluent in that. And if they are, then they are likely to already be privy to the kind of details found in there (but not necessarily all, so your point retains merit, even then).
Whereas, if it has been accessed by a human agency, then the magic sigils could presently be undergoing translation. Given the clear parallels to computer programming languages, and things, like mathematical equations, which might make that easier to interpret, it may well be possible to learn the meanings of various things. But that would take time.
Wanna know what grinds my gears? When a warrior, be it samurai, knight, archer, etc, wears his weapon on his back.
Anyone ever try to draw a sword while it’s on their back? It’s hard. It’s impractical. It’s a pain in the ass. That’s why you never see it in ye olde paintings. It might look kinda neat in theory, like cocking your gun sideways, but anyone who’s spent time trying to draw a sword will tell you drawing it from your back is really stupid.
Besides that, this Alphonse wannabe is really cool. Go kick some ass!
Reminds me of some of Rob Liefeld’s work, especially on Warchild. Have a look at this:
https://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1185172/warchild2.jpg
That’s at least four swords pointed down, and three more pointing UP. First of all, no one… not even Warchild… should be able to carry seven swords and a bow and arrows on their back. Second of all, why would the swords be pointing different directions? He’s in for a painful experience when he reaches over his shoulder and impales his hand on one of those swords trying to grab it…
Having said that, it’s probably less impractical when you’re an automaton that doesn’t have to worry about cutting yourself on your own swords, or throwing your shoulder out of joint trying to draw the sword.
” He’s in for a painful experience when he reaches over his shoulder and impales his hand on one of those swords trying to grab it…”
That’s what all the pouches are for. They carry band-aids to put on all the wounds he gets from his own weapons.
A-ha! That would explain a lot.
Since when did “Rob Liefield” and “realism” ever belong in a sentence together?
But I liked the Liefeld comics, so many strong female characters!
And teeny tiny male feet
I never said anything about not liking him, unlike perhaps Bill Hastcock, part one) and part two, just questioned whether his drawings were a wee bit unrealistic.
Depends on the length of the blade. Some swords *were* historically worn on the back but they were relatively short. If you’re wearing it on your back for the most part it has to come OFF your back before you can draw it. If it was done at all in history, which doesn’t seem to be much at all and when it was it appears to be more for transiting to a battlefield more than any thing else, ie. the same idea with slinging a rifle across your back, you aren’t planning on using it in a hurry. If you were you’d carry it some other way. Most people would have daggers anyway as a back up that they can get to in a hurry.
Best realistic attempt I ever saw at it was the recent Berserk movie, but it was less a scabbard than a hook and a tip cover on a strap.
But this guy’s magic so it’s a moot point.
But magic sword can speak. So how could it be a mute point?
Entirely possible that as earlier speculated the sheath can be unfastened and fall open to make that more practical. Or he wasn’t expecting to fight and as such didn’t have it in a practical location.
Actually, I’m thinking that maybe the most practical sheath (if it is to be worn on your back) should be built so the hilt points downwards, with a single strap that snaps over the guard to hold it in place. Unsnap it, and gravity causes the hilt to drop right into your hand. Also less painful for someone with a mobility-impaired shoulder joint than an over-the-shoulder sheath would be.
A little more time-consuming to re-sheathe because you’d have to re-snap the strap, but that’s okay… you want to be able to draw the sword quickly, not necessarily put it away quickly.
Nice idea, but how do you ensure the clasp is secure enough to prevent you losing your sword ten miles back when you went through that bush, but still allow easy release when you want it?
No, a more correct scabbard (a sheath is more for daggers and knives) for the back would either be made of soft flexible material that is only secured at the top or be ‘open’ the majority of it’s length except the tip to prevent stabbing yourself in the arse, that way you ‘pull down’ on the hilt and slide (very carefully) the sword forward
Artists draw swords all the time, but not all might say that. ;-)
Drawing a sword from your back is impractical mind. But carrying one is not necessarily so. In fact if you are a foot-soldier, with a two-handed sword, that may be the only practical way to transport it, when travelling. Especially if needing your hands free for other things.
It would require having an alternative weapon available for situations where a fast draw is required mind. As getting the sword off would require removing sheath, belt and sword, from the back, then unsheathing.
Exactly. The traditional thing to do would be to carry it on the back, but draw it by taking off the entire sheath, and removing it. Not fast by any means, but the back carry is for transportation, not quickdraws, particularly where two handed blades are concerned.
There may be some exceptions to that pattern, though. Shorter blades like the traditional ninjato can sheath and unsheath from the back quite comfortably… but they give up a lot of strength and utility to gain that advantage.
The sole exception being sasaki kojiro whose infamous for both carrying an extra long two handed blade and quick drawing from the back hence his famous ” swallow cut ”
It’s not impossible just impractical.
Never heard of him. Interesting. I’ll do a Google search.
Given that he was considered a master swordsman of his era, I think his final opponent was the more interesting character, picking out the more colourful elements of their duel. Although I do love that Sasaki called his primary weapon “monohoshizao” (“The Laundry-Drying Pole”).
However Miyamoto purposely arrived three hours late to their duel, on a remote island, in order to unnerve Sasaki. And to avoid being surrounded by the many students he had. He then proceeded to whittle a spare oar, from his boat, to make the weapon he would fight with. Sized to give him an advantage over his opponent’s large weapon.
Taking advantage when the setting sun blinded Sasaki, Miyamoto managed to win the fight. Then immediately jumped into his boat, and rowed away, assisted by the tide going out. To get away promptly, before Sasaki’s students could exact revenge!
Thing is though, that historically Zewihanders, Claymores, Nodatchi and other such really large and unwieldy swords usually didn’t HAVE a scabbard, they where usually carried over the shoulder like a club because it would take too long to sheathe or unsheathe it in any timely fashion due to their sheer size, if you had to cover it up you usually rolled it into some oiled leather and used straps to keep it closed and dry when it rained, and undid the straps and unrolled it again when the time came for maintenance or use.
Geez, were pre-gunpowder humans dumb? Why not just fit a sword rack in their car?
Of course if you’re traveling then you’d have your squire carry your things beast-of-burden style.
That aside, I’m referring to television, comics, and video games that almost always have the hero carrying his blade on his back like he’s a walking cliche. The Dark Souls games irked me whenever they did this. Admittedly I’ve never played them, just watched them, but I’ve seen it often enough that commenting on the cliche got a response from Plague of Gripes, one of the artists I follow on YouTube.
As for firearms, I prefer a cross draw pistol, but that’s just me ;-)
actually the Dark Souls Series is the most faithful out there in that regard as not a single great sword or ultra great sword have a sheathe even when the thing is strapped to your back, how it stays up, no idea, but since it’s not sheathed it can be used with speed even from the awkward position of pulling it up and over the shoulder, then as long as it’s drawn its carried club-style on the shoulder like a real life great-weapon would
Sounds like, for Dabbler as an FPS person, what you’d do is set her up with two ‘modes’. Magic, adn tech. Some foes are weak against magic, some are weak against tech.
And, then, generally, each Magic spell has a Tech equivalent.
While a sword on the back looks cool, it is technically impossible to unsheath a blade of that length. It’s way more practical to have it at the hip since you can draw it faster from there. I know you are trying for a bit of realism Dave, so I hope this helps in the future.
Icon being animated armor it’s likely that the sheath and sword are part of him and controllable, making that far more practical than otherwise, or that he just extends his arm a bit for the drawing process.
When traveling overland on foot or on horseback (for example), it was usually more convenient to wear the sheath over the shoulder. If walking or long-term sitting (on a horse, or a cart), a sword won’t be bouncing around or slapping the side of your leg.
In wide open areas, you could potentially see an incoming hostile with enough range to sling the sheath off the shoulder & back to the waist by the time they could get close enough to fight.
That’s not entirely true. If the scabbard is designed correctly, it should be relatively easy. I have an O-katana that has a 40″ blade. While I wouldn’t win any awards for quick-drawing it off my back, I could still do it. If the throat of the scabbard had a groove/track taken out of the cutting edge side of it, to maybe a length of 10″-12″, I could easily draw it in under 10 seconds.
On the other hand, in its current configuration, I can unstrap the scabbard/sword combo like a sling bag and draw it in under 10 seconds as well.
Large swords were normally carried on their owner’s shoulder or strapped diagonally across the back. They were just never designed for quickdraws when carried in a scabbard on the back. Most large swords were only carried into battle, where the owner had plenty of time to unsheath and prepare for combat. They also never wore plate armor either.
For a long blade, a back scabbard would not be closed all the way down–in fact, only a short length at the end of the blade would actually be sheathed. I would generally expect to see a wide strap (so the edges of the blade don’t lap over it) with less than a foot of sheath at the bottom. At the top, there should be hooks for the guard of the blade to settle into, keeping it from flopping out. (To further secure it, a strap or loop to go over the hilt might be a good idea.) To draw it, you would only need to pull it up a few inches, clearing the hooks and enclosed sheath, then pivot it over your shoulder.
Granted, if Icon’s is designed that way, it’s not obvious. We can’t see much of it, though–it could be open along the upper edge, allowing similar functionality, or he could have some magic-automaton solution like the sheath being able to eject the blade.
Yes, this, or soft flexible material to allow the scabbard to ‘bend’
I’m starting to wonder whether Dabbler isn’t suffering from the Worf effect… x)
If this starts to happen repeatedly, we can start calling it that. :P Besides, she had so much trouble against Heavenly Sword because her repertoire wasn’t designed for non-lethal engagements, not because she wasn’t strong enough.
That and she’s a literal “Jill of all trades, Mistress of none”. She has all these options true, but she’s not a true EXPERT at anything.
I don’t think its the Worf effect so much as the fact that her sword is like her least effective weapon but she’s still determined to use it.
um, yeah… it’s called “Practice Makes Perfect”… she NEEDS to get better with her sword skills, so she’s only doing what is needed… and what does she NEED?: to use the sword to get better at actually using it …
Practice however is usually best done in training, rather than life-or-death situations. Games may require experience to be gained via on-the-job training, on the battlefield, but armies do train troops for a reason.
So if the automatons are really tough in the first place why wear the mundane tactical armor? A disguise?
I would think primarily to make them that much tougher, although I would think your suggestion would have some merit as well. Not only would it make an opponent more likely to mistake them as human (at least initially), but subconsciously fight against them as if they were humans.
In this case, armor can serve multiple functions: A disguise, perhaps; If enchanted with protective magics, more resilient; At the very least, if there’s any kind of humanoid internal structure (or even electro-mechanical systems for a robot) the armor protects the structural integrity. Even in modern writings of sword-n-sorcery adventures, a wraith is usually depicted as a semi-corporeal spirit wearing heavy armor (usually enchanted for further protection).
Think of it as ablative armor that can be cheaply replaced when destroyed vs expensive automaton repair.
the tactical gear also hides the features of the automatons, making it impossible to spot weak spots in their design.
Like most multi-limbed entities, their joints are still the weak point
True enough, not sure if head-removal will work or not though.
Depends on if the controls are WiFi or require cable (may not ‘kill’ it, but may stop the body)
since when does Dabbler use guns? I’d go with a third-person action-rpg/shooter feel (maybe something like Fallout where you can switch viewpoints?)
Dabbler has loads of guns. She has oodles of weapon technology at her disposal.
Dabbler’s got a rail gun,
Dabbler’s got a rail gun,
Her dog day’s just begun,
Now the automaton’s should be on the run.
Dabbler’s got a tangler gun,
Dabbler’s got a tangler gun,
When Silent Shadow’s on the run,
It’s a heck of a lot of fun!
You left out the “at certain parties” part.
No, that would be the Tickle Gun, the one she was tinkering with on Day Two (just before Daphne ‘volunteered’ herself to test the prototype :D)
It could also be the tickle gun, but I was mirroring what Dabbler herself said about it: “This one’s a lot of fun at parties. Well, certain parties.” See Yorp’s link above.
Why does Dabbler suddenly have lips?
Okay so she’s had lips since, like, #443, but my question stands. And they’re way more pronounced this time. It’s freaking me out.
The closer the character appears, the more detail DaveB puts into the drawing. I’m sure if we ever saw a closeup of a character being bitten by a weaponized mosquito trying to infect the person with super-Ebola, we would see the person’s arm hair in the panel*.
(* for terrestrial mammalian non-supers who are supposed to have arm/body hair)
(And PlatypusMan, because platypus)
perhaps she made herself up a touch after-all she was flirting with a tech guy and the other succubis earlier in this section.
I would not say that I am freaked out by Dabbler’s lips. But comparing the above to my favourite page of Dabbler’s, I must say that I too much prefer her without them. The more human features that get incorporated, the less alien and exotic she feels. Becoming more like over-made up cos-play, than feeling like a non-human.
This from someone who enjoys fuller lips, normally.
She’s got lips,
And she knows how to use them….
She’s got 2 sets even.
??? But I’ve only seen one.
=OP
I always envisaged her with three.
So, she is like Nadia from “Blooming Faeries”? o_O
Dunno. I got part way through that, then google managed to loose my open pages, when it crashed. Although, thanks to you reminding me of the name, I found the website easily now, it does not appear to have a way of going to a mid-point in the archives. I am simply not patient enough to find my way back to the same spot, by going through every page I have already read before.
So I have no idea who that is, or what her properties are. Nor am I likely to find out.
Nadia (formally Aidan), has twin vagina’s (before becoming Nadia, Aidan had two dicks, because magic, and faeries, malicious tricksy faeries)
I think a tendency to waste time creating a hundred different variations of the same basic attack is a pretty good character flaw for dabbler to have. Everyone needs a few interesting imperfections or you end up with a chorus of identical angels. I can totally see Dabbler wasting endless hours creating intricate arcane tech to change the colour of her sword’s power attack glow.
Dabbler, dear, seriously. Get your bustier fitted. You don’t have 4 boobs anymore, you don’t need to squish out around your top.
She’s a succubi. She’s likes to squish out around her top.
So do quite a few other people. Math, for instance, probably approves quite enthusiastically.
Why would Math even be wearing her top, much less squishing out around it?
Surprised Dabbler is the cutest!
Second strip in a row proves this!
I agree that she’s been looking adorable recently.
Forgive my picking of nits, but Dabbler wasn’t in the last comic. Perhaps you mean that this is the second strip out of the last three to prove it?
I do love her surprised. But she is incredibly cute when coy and cheeky too
So…am I the only one who immediately went to: “There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in the world…”
Yes gods forbid anything happen to Dabbler’s beautiful, round, firm, heaving, slightly sheened with sweat…. wait, what we’re we talking about?
Is the automaton trying to puncture Dabbler’s chest or to free her from that vile corset ?
Both?
Is that Damascus steel, or is it covered in tiny runes?
Why not both?
Its Runes. Last time we saw the sword come out was at the start of the dinner fight & we got a close up then. As a side note, the sword was specifically made of a metal that enhances magic, and was made by Dabbler anyway. (Most likely using her super tech abilities, so not actually damascus steel, more likely some super strong & durable space age metal instead.)
Believe MugaSofer is talking about the hand-spike
If DaveB has an enhanced sense of irony, the intruders will win the battle then manage to take each other out with a series of badly thought out high-fives.
Does anyone else think we might be seeing a new orbs ability here after seeing the magic shield get shattered? I personally am thinking one of those Orbs has to be a healing type since otherwise Dabbler might be in trouble. (not to rehash the entire “what must the other orbs do, but the only 2 things missing from Halo;s ability spectrum are some kind of healing plus some kind of magic/tech interaction.)
(Yes, Halo has orbs that let her create or work around every type of power set in some way, so dont go all nitpicky about it) >.>
Healing is a ‘bad power’. The only way for us to see it in action is for Halo and other characters to get hurt!
It is also terrible for dramatic story telling. Any suspense or feeling of peril, on behalf of the characters, vanishes when a powerful healer is always to paw.
i would agree healing can be a very Deus Ex Machina type of power, but it would honestly depend on how its applied – the orbs have specific powers that can simulate most power types, so healing wise it might just be stasis, or quick wound closing or something.
Also, all of the orbs require active usage, so if it is heals of some kind, it would “lock” one of Halo’s orb choices at that time – a chaotic enough fight or a long “cast” time means it wouldn’t be that helpful directly, only good for cleanup afterward
Good points. Do bear in mind that the latter point is why they have the Super Doc. They can get beat up as dramatically as they like, in a mission, but can be back to health after a day or two back at HQ. Yet there is still the risk of permanent injury, such as with Heatwave’s lost toe.
Well the rocket launcher could be loaded with different types of ammo that do different things, and she may only be able to get a limited number of shots on it in her hammerspace, to replenish those shots might be rare pickup items in the game.
While the fireball would only really do 1 or 2 things, explode and set the targets caught in said explosion on fire. And would be limited by her mana pool, which may be easier to replenish then the omega god cannon rocketlauncher she keeps in hammer space.
… just my 2 cents on the idea of putting dabbler into a video game as the main playable protagonist.
Dabbler does have limits, but hammerspace room is not one of them. ‘Hammerspace’ is only Sydney’s term for it. The effect is actually achieved by teleporting objects from Dabbler’s lab. Which she could just fill up with munitions, if she wanted to. The limit being that she makes all her ammo herself. Combine this with her impatience and she never makes too many of any one type.
Plus the author also feels that a limited supply of ammo makes the character more interesting. Otherwise she would just develop one good all-purpose ammo and use that all the time. As opposed to being put into interesting situations, where she has to improvise with something not built-for-purpose, regarding the problem at paw.
Alien techies probably have access to Von Neumann’s factory, if they can manage interstellar travel. Dabbler’s lab could be:
* The size of a planet (including all the underground bits).
* Include automated production of anything previously designed.
* performing automated, unattended genetic algorithm style redesign and testing of various widgets to meet specific needs as best as possible.
* Have enough capacity to churn out enough actual TnT to let Dabbler run through a ‘megaton a second’ worth of the stuff for months on end.
Possibly, rather than probably. We do know that intelligent robots are not represented in the Council (barring joke cameos). So it may well be that there is a galactic-wide moratorium, on developing such.
That and much of my comment was based on statements made by the author. So is broadly accurate (albeit paraphrased and with some interpretation, on my part).
But that doesn’t meant there aren’t any
True. But it makes it less likely that anyone on Earth would have self-replicating robots, if there are no robots at all. The galaxy is a big place though, and could well have a myriad of things, out there, which do not impinge on Earth, or the aliens who frequent it.
As for Dabbler, in particular, she is obsessive about making sure that humans do not get their hands on ultra-tech. So I feel it extremely unlikely that, even if she had come across self-replicating technology, she would risk bringing it to Earth. All it would take is for a single item to fall into human hands, and they would have the capability to create an unlimited number of copies!
Bear in mind that Dabblers main technique for safeguarding technomagic is to teleport items back to her lab. But if her laboratory security is compromised (and that is entirely possible with the number of diverse super powers on Earth), then anything in it can be studied, stolen or tampered with.
Let us assume a further fail-safe is that every item is rigged to self-destruct, if removed from the laboratory, without Dabbler’s cybernetics giving it a countermand. That works well for most items. But a self-replicating machine (or an all-purpose Star Trek type replicator) could be reprogrammed to make versions which did not have that security feature.
Whether that is villains or a government agency, humanity would then have unlimited technomagic, far beyond their ability to control or utilise wisely.
Just meant, that just because they aren’t on The Council, doesn’t mean there aren’t any on Earth
And Dabbles seems mostly concerned about her own tech getting in the hands of grubby little hyu-mons
And… now it seems like am arguing for the sake of being pedantic
This in when you use that one not really practical spell that you have, but never get to use. Like Grease, why not cover the floor in animal fat and watch them slide!
Because both Archon and Council members might suffer from luposlipaphobia.
Eh, worth it. The point is valid though. Think about it. When building automatons to storm a super council meeting do you make sure they can defend against fireballs, super strength, fangs and claws, lasers, or something slippery on the ground?
To clarify for anyone who needs clarification:
Luposlipaphobia
In Dabbler’s case, she probably has MANY uses for making things…..slippery.
I suspect the “crazy crocheting” you are seeing is the front-lacing of Dabbler’s corset. Compare the previous shot of surprised Dabbler.
The shield itself looks intact to me. No cracks. No indication that the spike has penetrated the shield.
The only thing that might look off are those four or five polygons that could be taken as fragments of runes. But the spike is not past those either, or either the perspective is wrong, or they were never hit by a stabbing motion. (You don’t slice with a spike, right?)
+1
-1
The part of the shield that looks broken is clearly above the lacing, and so is the spike
Again, “SMASH” is not a sound-effect typically used when stopping an attack or thrust
“those four or five polygons” do look rather like broken shards though. Possibly they are a central part of the rune patterns. But, despite your good argument, the combination of those, with the sound effect, is making me think the shield smashing party might be right.
*hangs head gloomily*
It’s a thought personally hoping to be wrong
could it be BOTH?? that would also help explain the expression on her face as yes, the surprise she got that he/it even HAD the spike, but it could also be an expression of: “OMG that actually poked THRU my shield!!”
If dabbler ever has a video game I want there to be a boob hypnosis crowd control ability. That works on everything. Men, women, chairs, chthonic horrors of the outer dark… everything.
Dabbler looks great in this page, tons of range on her expressions.
How do I fav the last panel?
The way you just did. :-)
I should also congratulate Kieth on another well-coloured page!
Problem with the book! Specifically in the GrrlPower story! And I don’t have the author’s email!
When Viewed on the PC Kindle Program.
Please pass this on to the author!
The book looks fine with “black text/white screen” or Sepia, so I’m guessing the letters in parts of it are hard coded as “Black”
Marion G. Harmon is a fellow Grrl Power reader, and has been checking in here. So there is a good chance she will pick this up directly.
There is a dedicated comments page, for the book though, where you can ensure that it is spotted a lot more easily, than in the general comments here.
You will be pleased to know that the issue has already been reported there, and a fix is going to be uploaded.
*swishes tail, to SWAT any bugs*
Yah!
It’s also probably reveals some insight the the process between the two authors of “Who wrote what parts?” which is kinda neat.
No! Not the cleavage!
This is exactly why I make it a point to never shake hands with a creepy mannequin.
They didn’t roll high enough for their attack rolls luckily it wasn’t nat 1’s
She needs to start dis-arming them as in chopping off hands and arms and legs as fast as possible.One key to fighting multiple opponents is the quick take down and/or damaging them as fast as possible.
That appears to be easier said than done. Even with two skilled swordspeople on the task!
And with Icon being most likely a lot stronger than a normal human to boot.
Dabbles is one of those ‘hacken slasher’ types, and as been shown, twice, that is not any good against either someone who actually knows how to use a sword or can take the blows
Until Dabbles has had proper training, she should stick to frottage for her ‘sword play’
I was wrong about what they were.
Wait, was that automaton on the last page bleeding?
There is an ongoing debate on what the bloody hand print means
The red hand gang think it was a bloody handprint from an animation magical ritual. Whereas the NCIS agents deduce that Maxima can gibbs-slap so hard that she can make a dummy bleed!
Then there is the Lone Ranger, who recon’s it is a bloody hand print from one of the guards outside struggling.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/65/6e/6a/656e6ad11248193008cfdddca694e9d1.jpg
this is why the handprint
Wilson is looking for revenge? o_O
Oooooh, Icon’s a sentient automaton and that why he’s allowing them to use deadly force to attack the regular automatons.
You missed the introductions?
Indeed. Although he may consider that they are sentient. His assistant certainly queried that they likely are. However, even if the are, retaliating with lethal force is appropriate, when under deadly attack. The risk to the Council, at large, is too high to pull their punches! Plus any sentient is responsible for their own actions, be they living or unliving. They made a choice to attack, with deadly force, so must pay the price.
Besides it would not go down well, politically, in pleading for clemency, given that the payload, in the buckshot cartridges (silver, iron and likely white phosphorous) would be deadly to many council members but is of no risk to living armour and golems. So he is making sure to distance himself, from any accusations that it is his own faction behind this attack!
Actually, some of that payload might be able to disrupt whatever MAKES Icon sentient.
If birdshot can penetrate his armour. Which, unless it is magically boosted, seems unlikely. But the payload has been optimised to have wide effect, so we should not rule it out.
Ooo, just figured something (yeah, slow as frozen molasses through a dead weasels sphincter in Siberia), but Dabbles waited until Icon gave the “Okay” before attacking, because she’s a member of the council, she may not be the Succubae representative, or the non-Earthican, but what about the other parts of her?
The “I’ll allow it” is just a spoof offa Miles Lane, from Celebrity Deathmatch, the knight is most likely just a living armor who is part of the council, who is agreeing with the “destroy them” stuff
‘The knight’ definitely is living armour, and is in fact the leader of the sentient automata faction. The Who’s Who panel is your friend.
Zack Tilly: he is on The Council (he gets to sit at the Big Table), as opposed to the Peanut Gallery, and Dabbles waited until he (or she, or neither) gave the go ahead, unless it was just co-inky-dinky that she didn’t start when Maxi did (or, again, last page happened just too fast for her to join in until now)
I’m a 66 year old retiree who grew up on comic books. But I had to stop buying them when the price went OVER 15 cents each. But I’m still a comic nerd at heart and my daughters turned me on to finding online comics where I can read all sorts of comics for free. A few days ago I found “Grrl Power” and “Binge read” it all the way to the present page, and I’m “Sold on Sydney” and her Orbs (Oops, sounded dirty)
Just a general comment, I tend to get bored and skip over pages when they slow down and get too “Wordy”, like a lot of the stuff with “X” and the recent story-line with Count Chocula and his friends. I still love the comic & the art, but I just wondered if that bothered anyone else ?
Welcome
It’s a bit of a mix: some people get bored with the non-action, and some get tired of the action, personally feel DaveB has done a great job of mixing the two
To reach their own. We’re glad to have you here. :D
If you were reading this in comic book format, these exposition pages would be very important, but only take up a few pages. Because the author is doing this all practicaly solo, the explanations that are so important (so they dont have to be done later, or each time) feel alot more drawn out in the 1 page a week format.
Two pages a week :P
Welcome to the community. Please note we have strict guidelines about not allowing magma or lava to drip on the carpets, in case you need to blow your top. But please avail yourself of any of the welcome snax .
A fair number of folks did get impatient at the lengthy exposition. Even so I would say the majority came out in favour of it. There is a lot of humour. not to mention other subtle hidden stuff, on each page, to keep the entertainment going, for those who do not skip it.
Plus those pages do have a lot of geek stuff, that gets very interesting, in its own right, when you are trying to piece together how the whole world, and all the powers work. Getting the same information, as the protagonist has, allows you to figure it out, and make predictions, alongside the heroines.
Granted that is not everyone’s cup of tea. But the more you get into the comic, the more rewarding such can be. Especially when debating it here.
is the knight guy their leader or something?
You mean Helmet dude? Or Knight in Shiny Armour?
Helmet Dude may simply be the lead attacker (but not the one to create or send them), KiSA is Icon, and he is (currently?) the representative for Sapient Automatons to the Council (whether he speaks for all is something yet to be determined)
The giant knight in gold/silver armour is another member of the council, his is the 2nd sword lodged in the arm of the thing in swat gear.
Anyone who has both an introduction, and a speaking part, can be found in the Who’s Who panel. So we can see that the big one, with the sword, is actually the leader of the intelligent golems, enchanted armours and other automata. Icon had his introduction, some time ago, when Sydney entered the chamber. The guy, next to him, saying “?”, we can deduce is a designated assistant.
The villains have been most rude, and have failed to introduce themselves. So we can only speculate about them.
What? You don’t recognize Irradon? The representative for extra-planetary visitors to Terra? o_O
Ooh, I did not. Mind you, as he had a speaking part, I did check the Who’s Who, and concluded that he could not have been a character who already had an introduction, as he was not listed.
;-)
Wouldn’t actually count being confused as having a speaking part
A ‘?’ could be vocalized as being something along the lines of ‘huh?’
And just remember how long it took for Dabbles to get added, it what may have been her last living appearance
oh, now I get it, I thought he was just a dude wearing armor so I didn’t get the joke
What you need is general attack icons. Select AOE and she’ll pull out one of 5 Rocket or Plasma launchers, fireball spell or an energy pulse spell. Select directed damage and she’ll pull out a pistol or pop off a lighting spell. Hit Suppression and she’ll summon ice shards, an LMG or an assault rifle. Stun and she’s got a sleep spell, different lighting, a taser or a tranq rifle etc.
+1
OK, small details check, for things not mentioned yet:
1. The chamber has a Gothic vaulted ceiling. If this is above ground, in a building, it must take up several stories. However the implications are that they are in the basement levels. But I cannot see there being too many others, if that is the case. Unless they are using magic or super technology to support the building above, given the large voids below.
2. Icon has leather palms, on his gauntlets, for improved grip (but they are not gloves, as the backs are bare of any leather). Likewise his joints seem to be of similar material.
3. There appears to be a tier of boxes above even the ones we have seen already. Or maybe it is even a different type of structure, as it gives the impressions of having a sloped roof above. See the three coloured banners, in panel 7, between Dabbler and Icon.
Although I am only guesstimating that they are at such a height, from the angle of the shot, and how high up those boxes seem to be. I cannot see anything to give a definitive match to prior scenes. For instance we cannot even say how panels 2 & 4 relate to 7, without guessing that they have the same ceiling height.
4. There is something weird going on with Dabbler’s waist, in the final panel. She has some kind of green and black scales (or garment texture), yet I cannot see anything similar in the last scene we saw her full body.
If you mean that area under her arm and at the back of her top, I believe that’s just a bit of decorative black lace. The green bits are some of Dabbler’s stripes showing through.
Yups, you can see a bit of it in panel five
The reason couldn’t see it on that page where she was sciencing with faux-Blade is because both of her right arms are in the way, and she is so far away to get a good look anyway
And/or, possibly, that part of the corset is front-side only.