Rich draws some really magnificent boobs. Not gonna lie, I consider that one hell of a bonus with this comic. In fact, he does the entire female form (all species & races) pure justice, and always a joy to behold. Ain’t gonna complain about any of the guys either.
That said, I’d have forgotten this space years ago if the characters and story weren’t fantastically engaging. Really one of the best webcomics on the Interwebs, a gem I always recommend whenever given the chance.
Thank you, Rich! Don’t think I’ve said that recently, and I sincerely feel it every time (and all the time in between). I just try to space them out a bit so Thanks have meaning instead of getting stale.
I have to chime in with praise for what Rich has accomplished. There’s not many comics I read where the character designs are so easily identified and consistent, which is no mean feat in a crowd scene of drow or goblins. The stories are also compelling. When I start reading from the beginning, I get sucked in and can lose hours. These are characters you can really care about, with their own internal lives and motivations and inner conflicts. I know Ranna’s flaws will be her demise in the great tradition of Greek tragedy (without the goats, though in this comic nothing is certain), but it’s going to be a fun journey to see how it happens.
See t! This is the sort of comment that makes the whole thing worth doing. These comments overshadow the negative ones. Like you, Ponyguy trusts me to take this where it needs to go.
Well, first, we are not two pages into it. It started with this whole cult of Ranna thing waaaay back. ;o)
Then: I don´t like the … uhm … let´s call it "japanese style" of the villains. It´s the main reason, why I never got hooked to anime and manga. The villains are absolute overpowered and they almost always get down by some cheesy deus ex machina.
I like villains with flaws other than megalomania that can be exposed by his enemies. Right now, Ranna and her Rannites are overeverything. The Rannites fight against every effing realm in this world and do not only win, no, they just seem to have infinite soldiers in their ranks. This must be the biggest army in the entire multiverse! And they managed to assemble this army without ANYONE noticing, not even the gods!
Speaking of: Then there is this long-almost-dead goddess who seems to be sooo powerful, that she can devour other gods with ease and not one other god steps in to fight her because plot-onium.
It´s really way over the top for me. Black Mountain gone, Arachne now dead, everybody on the run from some Uber-villains … yeah, I liked the lovestory of Gren and Bob more. Or the villains who stayed in one area, causing trouble in one realm/kingdom. It was more down to earth. And it was the heroes efforts, that stopped the BBEG. Except the Jone-story, which was annoying for the same reason: an unstoppable villain (not even by gods and thousands of undead warriorheroes) who were brought down by some completely unexcpected twist … nah.
Now I´m waiting for the deus ex machina to show up. Will not make a guess to what it will be, but my hopes are not so high.
t! And these sorts of comments are important for me to hear as well. I like to write epic, and it’s tough to get it to feel right [and impossible to please everyone with them at all], but I need to hear that some readers prefer the smaller, more intimate stories as well. Gives me incentive to come up with more of those, which in turn makes my Epics more Epic.
Thank you, Sashael, your input is vital and appreciated.
Good! Now there’s a basis for discussion.
Where are you getting the idea the Rannites have an infinite amount of soldiers? Richard’s made it clear enough that they’re winning because of superior firepower, rooted in two procedures that potential adversaries (1) may not have the ability to recreate, and (2) are unlikely to pursue owing to the hideous cruelty involved.
It has been made clear in this comic that the gods of this universe are concerned with matters that affect their own dominions/mandates and precious little else. It is less likely that the gods failed to notice the amassing of the armies than it is that the gods did notice but have seen no reason to get involved. This applies equally to why they don’t care about other gods getting eaten: Not their pig, not their farm.
Next time you want to use a disparaging term like "plot-onium" you may want to think the potential reasons through more carefully first. And then still avoid it.
The Black Mountain is gone because Richard has long-term plans for the story, and the Mountain doesn’t fit into them. Magic is on the decline as well. This world does not stay static. Arachne has revealed her greatest secrets now; whether she lives or dies, the bulk of her story is finished. If we’re going to read a comic in which people grow old, get married, and have children who likewise age, we have to accept changes we don’t desire as well. I’m not thrilled that Maula’s going gray, for example, but it’s not a failing of the comic that I’m going to miss her when she’s gone.
Your point about the conclusion of the Jone story is a good one. By the time she stabbed a god in the foot, I’d lost interest in what could possibly kill her. The actual finale worked better than most things would have for me, *because* it was random, but mostly because it was funny. I don’t see him going to that well twice.
t!
And people have every right to dislike these things. The comic has been the story of the Black Mountain from the very beginning, and you have *no right* to tell people that they can't be sorely disappointed with the story changing on such a fundamental level, and comparing this to trivialities like Maula's hair colour? That is grossly insulting to the intelligence of anyone reading.
it’s just a matter of time before the Heroes arise and stand against the Darkness. Yes, some will be lost but in the end Balance shall be restored and Ranna sent into the Eternal Void.
The problem with upsetting the balance is that there can be no life or thought at either end of the spectrum. Too much Chaos & everything flies apart; the only constant is "change" so there can be no form or substance. Too much Order equates with substance & stability, but because there can be no change, it also equates with stagnation.
Any universe that can be recognized (at least by humans) can only exist in an overlapping zone of interaction between the two forces, with no examples of either extreme anywhere…Indeed, the Balance between the two Forces is the only thing that allows anything to exist.
I totally agree with this. To balance good with evil is a terrible, destructive idea. This ultimatly is part of my ‘message’ (if my comic can be said to have messages.)
If you put Good & Evil in context with the universe/multiverse/whatever, Good is best defined by those who seek to maintain some level of balance between Order & Chaos, whereas Evil would be those who try to tip the balance to either extreme end.
In a nutshell, it’s Good to keep the universe perpetuating through balance, Evil to end the universe through dissolution or stagnation.
The idea was that Ranna somehow overpowered her way back sometimes before "Mountain Quest" so that way back when Celena tried to pray to Ch’Thier, she got Ranna instead.
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I get the feeling it’s divinely unhealthy to contain the power of ten gods at the same time…
I’m a woman, and I cannot stop ogling those boobs. Send help.
Rich draws some really magnificent boobs. Not gonna lie, I consider that one hell of a bonus with this comic. In fact, he does the entire female form (all species & races) pure justice, and always a joy to behold. Ain’t gonna complain about any of the guys either.
That said, I’d have forgotten this space years ago if the characters and story weren’t fantastically engaging. Really one of the best webcomics on the Interwebs, a gem I always recommend whenever given the chance.
Thank you, Rich! Don’t think I’ve said that recently, and I sincerely feel it every time (and all the time in between). I just try to space them out a bit so Thanks have meaning instead of getting stale.
Thanks 3Xp4t! That’s the sort of commentary that makes this comic all the more a joy to work on. Thank you very much!!!
What’s that? Send more boobs?
Oh I don’t mind of seeing few six-packs. Muaha!
I don’t think you entendre where that offer could end up. Is likely to end up.
My first thought: Fang makes an appearance (which he is long overdue for, anyway). WITH his new girlfriend.
Honestly, that would be the ultimate endgame for this arc. *whistles innocently*
Well, those are the breasts of a goddess.
I get a few divine inspirations from them…
Gettin’ kind of an evil vibe off this one.
Don’t want to jump to any conclusions, or anything. So, I’ll withhold judgement for a bit and see how this plays out ….
I have to chime in with praise for what Rich has accomplished. There’s not many comics I read where the character designs are so easily identified and consistent, which is no mean feat in a crowd scene of drow or goblins. The stories are also compelling. When I start reading from the beginning, I get sucked in and can lose hours. These are characters you can really care about, with their own internal lives and motivations and inner conflicts. I know Ranna’s flaws will be her demise in the great tradition of Greek tragedy (without the goats, though in this comic nothing is certain), but it’s going to be a fun journey to see how it happens.
See t! This is the sort of comment that makes the whole thing worth doing. These comments overshadow the negative ones. Like you, Ponyguy trusts me to take this where it needs to go.
Thank you, Ponyguy. You’re awesome too.
Don´t like this storyline. Hope there´ll be a better one not too far in the future.
What don’t you like about it?
Why not?
Do you have ANYthing helpful to say?
t!
Is it the burrowing worms?
… we are two pages into it? 😮
Well, first, we are not two pages into it. It started with this whole cult of Ranna thing waaaay back. ;o)
Then: I don´t like the … uhm … let´s call it "japanese style" of the villains. It´s the main reason, why I never got hooked to anime and manga. The villains are absolute overpowered and they almost always get down by some cheesy deus ex machina.
I like villains with flaws other than megalomania that can be exposed by his enemies. Right now, Ranna and her Rannites are overeverything. The Rannites fight against every effing realm in this world and do not only win, no, they just seem to have infinite soldiers in their ranks. This must be the biggest army in the entire multiverse! And they managed to assemble this army without ANYONE noticing, not even the gods!
Speaking of: Then there is this long-almost-dead goddess who seems to be sooo powerful, that she can devour other gods with ease and not one other god steps in to fight her because plot-onium.
It´s really way over the top for me. Black Mountain gone, Arachne now dead, everybody on the run from some Uber-villains … yeah, I liked the lovestory of Gren and Bob more. Or the villains who stayed in one area, causing trouble in one realm/kingdom. It was more down to earth. And it was the heroes efforts, that stopped the BBEG. Except the Jone-story, which was annoying for the same reason: an unstoppable villain (not even by gods and thousands of undead warriorheroes) who were brought down by some completely unexcpected twist … nah.
Now I´m waiting for the deus ex machina to show up. Will not make a guess to what it will be, but my hopes are not so high.
t! And these sorts of comments are important for me to hear as well. I like to write epic, and it’s tough to get it to feel right [and impossible to please everyone with them at all], but I need to hear that some readers prefer the smaller, more intimate stories as well. Gives me incentive to come up with more of those, which in turn makes my Epics more Epic.
Thank you, Sashael, your input is vital and appreciated.
Good! Now there’s a basis for discussion.
Where are you getting the idea the Rannites have an infinite amount of soldiers? Richard’s made it clear enough that they’re winning because of superior firepower, rooted in two procedures that potential adversaries (1) may not have the ability to recreate, and (2) are unlikely to pursue owing to the hideous cruelty involved.
It has been made clear in this comic that the gods of this universe are concerned with matters that affect their own dominions/mandates and precious little else. It is less likely that the gods failed to notice the amassing of the armies than it is that the gods did notice but have seen no reason to get involved. This applies equally to why they don’t care about other gods getting eaten: Not their pig, not their farm.
Next time you want to use a disparaging term like "plot-onium" you may want to think the potential reasons through more carefully first. And then still avoid it.
The Black Mountain is gone because Richard has long-term plans for the story, and the Mountain doesn’t fit into them. Magic is on the decline as well. This world does not stay static. Arachne has revealed her greatest secrets now; whether she lives or dies, the bulk of her story is finished. If we’re going to read a comic in which people grow old, get married, and have children who likewise age, we have to accept changes we don’t desire as well. I’m not thrilled that Maula’s going gray, for example, but it’s not a failing of the comic that I’m going to miss her when she’s gone.
Your point about the conclusion of the Jone story is a good one. By the time she stabbed a god in the foot, I’d lost interest in what could possibly kill her. The actual finale worked better than most things would have for me, *because* it was random, but mostly because it was funny. I don’t see him going to that well twice.
t!
And people have every right to dislike these things. The comic has been the story of the Black Mountain from the very beginning, and you have *no right* to tell people that they can't be sorely disappointed with the story changing on such a fundamental level, and comparing this to trivialities like Maula's hair colour? That is grossly insulting to the intelligence of anyone reading.
it’s just a matter of time before the Heroes arise and stand against the Darkness. Yes, some will be lost but in the end Balance shall be restored and Ranna sent into the Eternal Void.
I adore Panel 15. It’s a great piss-take on a tropic concept. But of course it’s also a sign of (portentious drums) Hubris!
t!
While I am absolutely not on Ranna’s side, or that of evil in general, I am perfectly fine with the "balance between good and evil" dying in a fire.
It’s an evil concept, when you get right down to it.
The problem with upsetting the balance is that there can be no life or thought at either end of the spectrum. Too much Chaos & everything flies apart; the only constant is "change" so there can be no form or substance. Too much Order equates with substance & stability, but because there can be no change, it also equates with stagnation.
Any universe that can be recognized (at least by humans) can only exist in an overlapping zone of interaction between the two forces, with no examples of either extreme anywhere…Indeed, the Balance between the two Forces is the only thing that allows anything to exist.
Okay, balance between Chaos and Order I can handle. Good and Evil, not so much.
I totally agree with this. To balance good with evil is a terrible, destructive idea. This ultimatly is part of my ‘message’ (if my comic can be said to have messages.)
If you put Good & Evil in context with the universe/multiverse/whatever, Good is best defined by those who seek to maintain some level of balance between Order & Chaos, whereas Evil would be those who try to tip the balance to either extreme end.
In a nutshell, it’s Good to keep the universe perpetuating through balance, Evil to end the universe through dissolution or stagnation.
So… was there any explanation why Ch’Thier couldn’t wake up before? It seemed like that plot thread was left dangling without any explanation.
The idea was that Ranna somehow overpowered her way back sometimes before "Mountain Quest" so that way back when Celena tried to pray to Ch’Thier, she got Ranna instead.
I can hear in my head Ranna in panel 15 talking in a singsong voice about the balance.
Good work
Hmm… I think I see a chink in Ranna’s evil personality armour…
*pets white cat while looking mysterious*
I wonder which gods she ate.
Scorpio and Grumsh are two at least.