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NihilCredo posted:From the reviews and the Amazon sneak peek this doesn't seem like critical analysis, more like a companion book (author interviews, explanation of references, etc.). There's more critical analysis in it than you might think. I have a copy. If you prefer, there's also this. Morrison in particular has a few different people who really can't wait to treat him like he's a Big Important Writer, on a level that is usually reserved for dudes who've been safely dead for a decade.
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Dec 9, 2013 03:27
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Johnny Aztec posted:Does V even know Mind blank? At the time, V had three epic level casters chained to V's soul. Mind Blank is an 8th level spell, but V also has potential access to Anti-Magic field and as mentioned below Globe of Invulnerability, and maybe Transformation for the mauling up close option. Unfortunately these are all also spells that V has never shown to have used previously. There's one instance of copying spells, one overall duration of researching spells (mostly divination I think), otherwise I'm pretty sure V gets his/her spells at level up. Perhaps some battlefield control spells, something to obscure Laurin's line of sight or stunlock her instead? V does have Power Word Stun. e: Belkar and the Exterminator are below deck iirc, so that isn't an option.
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Dec 9, 2013 03:32
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I also wanna see The Incredibles recognized as a great work of fiction by someone besides superhero nerds and people who like Multiplex too much, but that probably won't happen. 
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Dec 9, 2013 03:48
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V should just fire everything he's got at Tarquin. If he falls off the ship Laurin has no reason to even be there.
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Dec 9, 2013 03:51
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"Huh, turns out V had grease memorized."
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Dec 9, 2013 04:07
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Bell_ posted:"Huh, turns out V had grease memorized." That'd be hilarious, but it's Conjuration, one of V's barred schools. (Is the other necromancy?)
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Dec 9, 2013 04:13
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Disnetegrate the railing.
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Dec 9, 2013 04:14
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sebmojo posted:While I don't disagree with you in the wider sense, I quite like those being the four words. They are the right words (they eliminate a stupid diversion) to the right person (Kubota was evil as poo poo with no redeeming qualities) for all the wrong reason (V had no idea who Kubota was and callously snuffed him out, showing how flawed his understanding of power was in a way that reflected his own weakness and lack of understanding). The action that the words represent leads directly to Darth V by estranging her from her team. And having them be spells is a witty twist (better than repeating 'I', imo, even though that had a meaning of its own). The bolded part is where I feel this interpretation falls apart. Rich uses the spell names as a shorthand for a spell's verbal components. With a few exceptions, you don't actually address a spell's verbal components towards the target. Hence V's not saying, "Disintegrate. Gust of Wind" to Kubota; he's just stating them out loud to cast the spells. Besides, it's also hard to buy this interpretation given that Kubota is a pile of dust/ashes for 3/4 of it, and thus technically no longer a "person" in any sense of the word. 
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Dec 9, 2013 04:16
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W.T. Fits posted:The bolded part is where I feel this interpretation falls apart. Rich uses the spell names as a shorthand for a spell's verbal components. With a few exceptions, you don't actually address a spell's verbal components towards the target. Hence V's not saying, "Disintegrate. Gust of Wind" to Kubota; he's just stating them out loud to cast the spells. AND YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR VIEWPOINT GOON SIRE wdarkk posted:That'd be hilarious, but it's Conjuration, one of V's barred schools. (Is the other necromancy?) Haley's still carrying Chekhov's wands that she filched from the Drow; Grease is actually a pretty good spell to put into a cheap wand.
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Dec 9, 2013 04:17
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sebmojo posted:Haley's still carrying Chekhov's wands that she filched from the Drow; Grease is actually a pretty good spell to put into a cheap wand. Ooo, that's a thought. I was wondering earlier if one of them was the Enervation wand.
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Dec 9, 2013 04:28
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Eh, I don't buy it. Yeah, the death of Kubota eventually led to V being on the island, but it was neither the staring point, nor the ending point of her journey, so just picking some random way point on this path is pretty weak. Yes, I get that it is just an interpretation, I just don't think it's a very good one.
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Dec 9, 2013 04:50
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greatn posted:V should just fire everything he's got at Tarquin. If he falls off the ship Laurin has no reason to even be there. Isn't V crazy low on spells right now? I wouldn't be surprised if "CASTER FIGHT" just turns out to be V trying to out-bluff Laurin/stall for time until Roy comes back with some health pots.
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Dec 9, 2013 05:13
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MechanicalTomPetty posted:Isn't V crazy low on spells right now? I wouldn't be surprised if "CASTER FIGHT" just turns out to be V trying to out-bluff Laurin/stall for time until Roy comes back with some health pots. No, Durkon is. You're forgetting that V spent much of this arc knocked out in a pit or lost in a maze. Aside from a few searching spells at the start of the day and the combat spells during the Army Fight, V's fresh. Arguably V's fresher than Laurin who's been wormholing all over the drat place, cast a couple of Disintegrates not to mention a bunch of those Psionic Blasts. Caster Fight is legit.
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Dec 9, 2013 05:19
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Yeah, V blew through hir spells that take out many low level enemies but still has the spells that take out individual high level enemies. Probably just as well since you wouldn't want to use area effect spells on a airship full of friendlies.
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Dec 9, 2013 05:23
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sebmojo posted:While I don't disagree with you in the wider sense, I quite like those being the four words. They are the right words (they eliminate a stupid diversion) to the right person (Kubota was evil as poo poo with no redeeming qualities) for all the wrong reason (V had no idea who Kubota was and callously snuffed him out, showing how flawed his understanding of power was in a way that reflected his own weakness and lack of understanding). The action that the words represent leads directly to Darth V by estranging her from her team. And having them be spells is a witty twist (better than repeating 'I', imo, even though that had a meaning of its own). I think the comic already covered this.
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Dec 9, 2013 05:34
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There is no right or wrong here. The prophecy is fulfilled either way, and both interpretations cast illumination on V's character development.
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Dec 9, 2013 05:41
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So how is Belkar going to improbably and indirectly cause V's death?
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Dec 9, 2013 05:46
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Brannock posted:So how is Belkar going to improbably and indirectly cause V's death? By dieing. Once he's dead he won't be there to defend V from a thing.
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Dec 9, 2013 05:53
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Brannock posted:So how is Belkar going to improbably and indirectly cause V's death? By leaving O'Chul behind, allowing V to survive the loss of his soul splices and, by having his world view shattered, to have the person he was to be, in a sense, killed. [Gets stabbed] Yeah, i really wasn't buying that one either... sebmojo fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Dec 9, 2013 |
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Dec 9, 2013 06:27
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MechanicalTomPetty posted:Isn't V crazy low on spells right now? I wouldn't be surprised if "CASTER FIGHT" just turns out to be V trying to out-bluff Laurin/stall for time until Roy comes back with some health pots. Its a tough call, there's evidence to suggest the IFCC when they returned V 'restored' V's health to full (was entirely undamaged on getting up), it could also mean V also got her spell allotment refilled as well. Though if we put that aside, that Day V cast in order: Overland Flight x4: 5th Level Spells. Some unknown Division spell: ?th Level Spell. Greater Dispel Magic: 6th Level Spell. Passwall x1, Quickened Expid...Retreat x1: (2) 5th Level Spells. Overland Flight x4: 5th Level Spells. Bugsby Grasping Hand 1x: 7th Level Spells. (That one is weird, its punching the wall which afaik is what the 8th level one is supposed to do?) Bugsby Grasping Hand 1x: 7th Level Spells. Stoneskin 1x: 4th Level Spells. Fireball 1x: 3rd Level Spells. Wall of Fire 1x: 4th Level Spells. Protection from Arrows 1x: 2nd Level Spell. Lightning bolt 1x: 3rd Level Spell. Overland Flight Again: 5th Level Spell. Chain Lightning 1x: 6th Level Spell. Hold Monster 1x: 5th Level Spell. Lightning bolt 1x: 3rd Level Spell. Prismatic Spray 1x: 7th Level Spell. Disintegrate 1x: 6th Level Spell.  Bugsby's... Something 1x: ?nd Level Spell. Probably the same hand.... If we assume these are all from the same day's worth of spells... Urgh... V is level 15 apparently. which means V can also cast At least one level 8 spell, presumably Mind Blank or one of the Hand spells. And V get bonus spells from Evocation, one iirc? I think V is almost if not completely out of 5th level spells, while chipping away at 3rd, 4th, and 6th. But every other spell level? We won't know until the next update.  e: removed duplicate.
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Dec 9, 2013 06:53
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Ah, yes, the moment every control freak dreads, yet often brings upon himself: the moment absolutely nothing is going the way they want or expect it to. There's been a zillion things going on that Tarquin hasn't anticipated and his entire game plan revolves around being able to anticipate everything. When it's down to screaming that the world isn't working the way it should and they're gonna force it to work "right," they are one foot in the grave already.
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Dec 9, 2013 07:05
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greatn posted:Disnetegrate the railing. Then Gust of Wind him over the side.
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Dec 9, 2013 07:08
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Hey y'all I completely agree with everything Rich said re: Tarquin.
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Dec 9, 2013 08:01
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V's definitely not casting overland flight over and over because it's target: you with a duration of hours/level. Those are probably just plain old fly spells.
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Dec 9, 2013 08:02
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Guys I just realized that I've been mentally hearing all of Tarquin's dialogue in the voice of Malcolm McDowell. How perfect is that? That and Mel Brooks as Xykon are the only real people whose voices I've imagined though.
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Dec 9, 2013 09:35
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Piedmon Sama posted:Guys I just realized that I've been mentally hearing all of Tarquin's dialogue in the voice of Malcolm McDowell. How perfect is that? Belkar is Eric Cartman. AH AM A SEXY SHOELESS GOD OF WAH Unrelatedly, did you notice how Elan started acting like a leader when he got on the airship?
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Dec 9, 2013 10:14
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sebmojo posted:Belkar is Eric Cartman. He was the first protagonist on board. That makes him the new ad hoc captain.
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Dec 9, 2013 12:46
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He also went through a training montage with them, they're as close as family now.
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Dec 9, 2013 13:34
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I'd say, there is still a pretty good chance that Julio will bite it. All genre conventions aside, it is simply just a possibility in any fight and Tarquin is a dangerous for, regardless of his idiosyncrasies.
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Dec 9, 2013 13:42
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That and Julio basically said "I'm dead the next time I show up" back when we last saw him. Of course, since a big part of the whole arc is about Tarquin being a delusional rear end in a top hat, narrative causality may not be in effect right now.
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Dec 9, 2013 14:10
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Gregen posted:V's definitely not casting overland flight over and over because it's target: you with a duration of hours/level. Those are probably just plain old fly spells. Not in the Ootsverse, V specified the fly spells would last the 'whole day' which Fly can't do. e: typo. Raenir Salazar fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Dec 9, 2013 |
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Dec 9, 2013 16:56
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Pope Guilty posted:Of course, since a big part of the whole arc is about Tarquin being a delusional rear end in a top hat, narrative causality may not be in effect right now. Well yes, but that is exactly my point. Narrative Causality is not the only danger to Julio here, he could simply kick the bucket because Tarquin and Lorin are still a pretty dangerous team. Just because you know about the important tropes doesn't mean you are safe.
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Dec 9, 2013 17:24
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I love that, on a meta level, Tarquin's been offered chance after chance after chance to just pack it up, call it a day, and come back for a final battle in the next book. He's such a meta character, it's fitting that there's a whole level of "dude, look at all the exit points you could have taken, but noooo, you had to keep on pressing the issue until there was no way the story would work without you dying here and now".
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Dec 9, 2013 18:24
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CapnAndy posted:I love that, on a meta level, Tarquin's been offered chance after chance after chance to just pack it up, call it a day, and come back for a final battle in the next book. He's such a meta character, it's fitting that there's a whole level of "dude, look at all the exit points you could have taken, but noooo, you had to keep on pressing the issue until there was no way the story would work without you dying here and now". Looking at it like that, I can see how actually stretching out the resolution of this arc works in this case (I have been complaining about how long it was). To an extent though it has changed by view of the last dozen strips from "Just get away from Tarquin already" to "Just loving die already, Tarquin".
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Dec 9, 2013 18:37
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Raenir Salazar posted:Not in the Ootsverse, V specified the fly spells would last the 'whole day' which Fly can't do. I don't remember reading that at all, is that from one of the books?
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Dec 9, 2013 18:59
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Alchenar posted:Looking at it like that, I can see how actually stretching out the resolution of this arc works in this case (I have been complaining about how long it was). To an extent though it has changed by view of the last dozen strips from "Just get away from Tarquin already" to "Just loving die already, Tarquin". I think this has been Rich's plan all along, string out Tarkie's death so that it's blindingly obvious it was his own drat fault because he didn't walk away. But I also think we'll only truly appreciate it when the arc is over with and we can binge through it in an hour instead of over half a year.
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Dec 9, 2013 19:31
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Every good villain makes a comeback even when he's believed to be defeated. Just wait and see if he isn't going to jump back up with a dagger in his heart for one last lunge at Elan.
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Dec 9, 2013 19:32
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My Lovely Horse posted:Every good villain makes a comeback even when he's believed to be defeated. Just wait and see if he isn't going to jump back up with a dagger in his heart for one last lunge at Elan. For most of the last few months people have been saying "oh man it's going to be so good when they meet Tarquin again and resolve this arc!" Not going to happen. It's all ending now and thank god because killing Tarquin now probably makes spinning this out worth it for a whole bunch of reasons.
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Dec 9, 2013 19:35
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Gregen posted:I don't remember reading that at all, is that from one of the books? The comic before the one I linked.  "I believe we can reach it in a day, if I cast Overland Flight on the two of you as well."
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Dec 9, 2013 19:36
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Remember, V has a Ring of Wizardry from their initial raid on Xykon's dungeon, so he has more spells on deck than you might think.
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Dec 9, 2013 19:38
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