Kickstarter Discussion Thread - How the Paladin Got His Scar (SPOILERS!)

[Aedilred]

Thanks for sharing your experience in detail. I find it really interesting how different our experiences were. For instance, I liked the ettin encounter precisely because of its verbosity. The length of the attempt at sophistry was absurd and funny to me. And the times when they sat around and talked about right and wrong really resonated with me, because I think about that stuff a lot. I really appreciate you showing your point of view, as it highlights how one work can be many things to different people.

Thanks; I'm glad we've been able to have a civil discussion at least

It did seem to start lagging in a couple places, including the sequence with the ettin. I think it was supposed be symbolic of the "if you say it's wrong, but willingly go along with it anyway, do you really think it's wrong?" theme; but that was kind of complex to set up and drag the fight along with.

I got the impression that the intention of that scene was at least in part to parody a particular trend in internet argumentation deployed by certain groups. Most notably, I think, the ettin's final line is telling. Given the much-discussed decision on Rich's part (acknowledged even within the comic text) to cut down on casual misogynistic insults thrown around by characters it's hard to read the choice of words there as anything but deliberate. And from what we know about Rich's views on such matters, such an interpretation would appear entirely consistent with them.

If I'm right about the intention there, then I have no more love of such types than he does, but having picked up the parody about four or five panels into the ettin's appearance, I felt like much of the rest was belabouring the point and could have been tightened up rather.

Such lulling may have been the intent of Saha's fakeout death. I'm pretty sure Zhou's was simply parodying the "gravestone as implied death for the ending" type of scene.

I imagine so too, but having seen Hot Fuzz more times than I care to think about, not to mention Winter Soldier and that Sherlock episode I feel like the "gravestone as implied death" scene is these days used as parody more often than not, so it didn't work all that well for me, the "ominous" five panels leading up to it feeling like something of a waste.