OOTS #635 - The Discussion Thread

[Darius Midnite]

You went beyond epic with that strip. You somehow managed to combine lethal drama with stomach cramping humor.

[ishnar]

Oh wow Rich. The top panel really has a lot going for it. The energy waves in the background and long hair give a submerged look which really brings out a shark feel to V.

If there is anything disappointing about this comic, it's that I liked the long hair look so much that I was disappointed in panel three where half of V's hair vanished and it went back to normal length. Long hair is a vanity thing usually so it seemed a fitting mod since V basically just committed one of the most vain acts possible.

[RedMike512]

Very exciting. There's so many possibilities as to where this goes from here. I'm really looking forward to the next couple strips.

[DrivinAllNight]

I so approve of this latest strip :), not that any one needs my approval, but it is there none the less

[Tundar]

Rich, you... you cartoonist!!

That was absolutely awesome. So many things boiled down into one page.

And poor V, his taste for this much power will be his downfall. But he does look badass, that's for sure!

[iceguy]

I haw only one thing to say: awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe
awesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomeawesomea wesomeawe

[Tyrmatt]

"Nor past nor future now the soul employ,
The present only constitutes our joy."

Oh dear oh dear...

[HandofShadows]

Great strip. It will be VERY interesting to see how things turn out.

[Ancalagon]

Awesome. "Taking 40 levels of badass" ;)

[Z-dan]

Holy flurking shnizzle...
That... that was... *is literally speechless*

Fortunately I'm not type-less But all I need to say is that I don't care whether he's a guy or girl either any more... I would

[Alces]

The imp nailed it: temptation masterclass. Except, on this plane we call it "sales". I want these three fiend guys working in business development for my organisation, but I don't think we can afford anyone that good (non-alignment reference - good sales people are always evil).

I just loved how they immediately went into post-meeting analysis. "Went well"... "chips in"... they've just sold a totally new solution for the first time and are more concerned with how the process will pan out rather than anything else. Now, if only the Outer Planes Anti-Trust Commission could rumble them for collusion. I mean, the three largest and dominant providers of evil collaborating on an exclusive, powerful consumer product? That's bound to result in price-fixing.

[Holammer]

Roy turning into a woman did not make him grow any hair. V Turning into a soul-spliced behemoth of ultimate arcane power... Here it actually did!

[Weiser_Cain]

I really didn't need to be reminded of pedophiles...

[Oxymoron]

Zomg Omg! Waaaaaay Cooooooooooooooool!

[Majutsukai]

Why does everyone jump to One-Winged Angel first? I was thinking that E Nomine's Schwarze Sonne (the latin parts of it, at least) was much more fitting.

OWA is a good song, but it's overdone sometimes.

[SatyreIkon]

Awesomeness. A fall from grace if ever I saw one! And definitely an improvement in costume!!!

I could not help wondering... with his nearly-divine but not quite divine power, will V play a major part in the defeat/control of the Snarl?

As we all know from Shojo, "Some have theorized that gods are [...] more vulnerable [...]" to its powers, so maybe a mortal with comparable power will be able to smash it - or at least bring it under control... which would explain the "higher purpose" for the fiends providing aid for V.

[Taekwondodo]

I don't care about the whole gender thing, Evil V is Hawt .

I have to agree with you there! He/ she should let hir hair down more often, it looks good. Also black is so hir colour!

[Mollusk]

The reason for the joke is obvious: elves are typically portrayed as being very androgynous beings and V is being played up as the exaggerated stereotype. Therefore it can be very accurately said that V does not, in fact, have a gender for all intents and purposes. More accurately, V's gender is "Elf", because when it comes to elves, no one can tell the difference anyways. And that's the joke.

But who would have thought that a genderless being could be so deliciously hot? Evil V, I want you!

[Sunday]

you know, theorestically this could end all gender debates with the simple arguement:

female mage = skimpy clotheing
greater powerful female mage = allot more skimpier clothing
greater evil powerful female mage = practically no clothing

or in the very least a greater increase of cleaverage xD

but none the less the page is awesome! I just adore the first panel ^_^

[Z-dan]

- Third: The Ominouuusssss Latin reminds me of Liberi Fatali (FF VIII) more than anything else. It just fits!

OK, I just re-read the strip whilst listening to that track... And yup- couldn't agree more. Especially if you listen to the song starting at the previous strip, and ending at the end of this one

[Khatoblepas]

I like the juxtaposition between the pathetic neutral V (with scratches, rimmed eyes, and matted hair, barely able to stay functioning), and the new V.

The new V is almost superhuman in hir appearance. Smooth, pale skin, perfectly coherent (in terms of composure, anyway), and far more charismatic than V ever was. New V has PRESENCE. Hir robes seem to have been washed and repaired, decorated, and hir hair is now flowing free.

I think the loss of the headband, which V so recently had, as well as the free flowing hair, symbolises the unleashing of inhibitions, while the pointed teeth and inhuman eyes belies a more feral, untamable V.

Very, very nice character design, if that was intentional. More than just turning the robes black. V is going to be dangerous, and if hir appearance is anything to go by, he isn't actually herself at the moment. Maybe vestigially, but this isn't V.

I look forward to seeing new V in action, and if he transforms back, the further contrast between the charismatic and hyperpotent V, and the pathetic, frail evoker V.

(By the way, if V had Cha 8-9, and needed charisma to cast his spells spontaineously as a sorcerer, a +12 is very reasonable, and could explain why V looks so damn cool.)

[warmachine]

If real world psychology has any meaning in OotS, many schizophrenics are influenced by the voices in their head. Vaarsuvius is likely to do something he'll later regret.

[AslanCross]

Is it just me or do I imagine the choir singing the nonsense faux Latin to the tune of One Winged Angel? It kind of...fits.

[Karuma]

Hey, one of the voices said "Kill everyone who has ever slighted you." Do you think that means V will kill Belkar?

If anything I think Belkar is the only one who can pull V back while Roy stays dead.

[homeosapiens]

Sameone already said it - those fiends know Sabine, and AFAIC the reasons they told V might be actually true. The whole neutral man gone bad thing might be as Quarr said just point for them. Not a really important one(as the blood and television entertainment ).

[jamroar]

Hmmm. I can't help but wonder what's going to happen when Aarindarius sees someone as obviously evil as V pop up on his territory...

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Could V end up killing his old master in a magical duel? I reckon that'd be almost WORSE for him than killing his family...

Hmm, what if

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Fiendish Versusuvius pops in just as the ABD falls to Aarindarius and elven heroes, having been detected the last time she was skulking around the village, her inevitable attack anticipated and well prepared against?
In V's splice-induced euphoria, might he attack his family's saviours for upstaging him or in frustration for having sold his soul for nothing?

Also, am I the only one getting a Watchmen "Tales of the Black Freighter" vibe from this?

That might also be possible, if the Oracle had foresaw this turn of events and cared to warn the ABD accordingly as a draconic servant of Tiamat.

[Grail]

No one noticed the title?

Yeah, I was just about to give props for that - one of the coolest songs of all time. Nice touch indeed.

[Darius Midnite]

"Destroy anyone who has ever slighted you..." Belkar is out on S*its Creek now. Proved Vas listens to the voices.

[Michaelart]

When Raistlin went from neutral to evil his robe suddenly went from red to black (its also pointed out in the title of the comic, though apparently thats also a song reference).

Well, Raistlin's robe didn't turn black suddenly... he just decided to wear the one that Astinus left for him in his room at the Library of Palanthas.

Awesome comic, by the way!

Now I bet we will switch to Elan and Durkon.

[Grail]

I'm not an evil fanboy, so this comic isn't badass, or cool, or anything to me though. the title was the best bar none, but the rest of the comic was kinda meh!

Good luck to those people who get all gooey when evil comes along though. I'm sure this will rock their socks.

I would like nothing more to see V fail to save his/her family. That would be beautiful, and make this comic completely worthwhile IMO. Maybe save the souls of the kids, but not their lives. V is now, and has been for some time, my least favourite character (of the title characters). I could think of nothing that I'd like more than for complete failure and fall to evil at the same time.