Goblins IX: For that, you shall DIE!

[Traab]

Yeah, the orc's train of thought seemed to be:

1. My Sense Motive tells me it's a trap.
2. I should go anyway.
3. ???
4. Get self killed.

Another thing, this trap seems plain sadistic. If you don't intend for them to leave alive, just execute them. Tricking them into thinking they're free is just extra work and mean.

Well you have to consider the sheer number of goblins that orc would likely kill if they tried to straight up kill him. Also, yeah, that made no sense, "I know this is a trap, I know you will try to kill me, Hey! When did that giant spiked log get here?"

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Well you have to consider the sheer number of goblins that orc would likely kill if they tried to straight up kill him. Also, yeah, that made no sense, "I know this is a trap, I know you will try to kill me, Hey! When did that giant spiked log get here?"

In retrospect, the trap does work in translucent orc's case. But the goblins implied that they used it on the other slaves too, who would have been relatively easy to execute.

[TheSummoner]

What about K'Seliss?

Yeah, obviously Mr. Fingers did that particular job for them, but if they had one slave like him, it's not unreasonable to think there may have been a few more.

As for how he fell for the trap... Maybe he was expecting a more direct attack?

[Lost Demiurge]

Despite his good sense motive, in the end he fell easily in the trap...

Good sense motive, yes.

Reflex save? Not so much...

Besides, this got him away from the possibly badass leader, and the hordes of archers. The ones who escorted him don't seem to have a lot of bows handy.

[Doc Kraken]

He had a good comeback ready for the mouthy goblin. Guess he didn't want to waste it?

[Giggling Ghast]

Another thing, this trap seems plain sadistic. If you don't intend for them to leave alive, just execute them. Tricking them into thinking they're free is just extra work and mean.

It's a lot funnier the other way, though.

[Emperordaniel]

New... comic is up?

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Whether it's part of the continuity or not, I liked seeing Young and Beautiful again

[Jayngfet]

Yeah, the orc's train of thought seemed to be:

1. My Sense Motive tells me it's a trap.
2. I should go anyway.
3. ???
4. Get self killed.

Another thing, this trap seems plain sadistic. If you don't intend for them to leave alive, just execute them. Tricking them into thinking they're free is just extra work and mean.

The goblins want to feel like they're smart. If they were ACTUALLY smart they'd save all that energy for something actually useful or put the slaves to work on some other project. They aren't actually intelligent, they just want to think they are so they're doing what they assume smart people do.

[Draconi Redfir]

Hah, Thunt's honeymoon is on my birthday. What a great birthday present

[Maryring]

My guess. Biscuit takes one of those large poles and rips it out of the wall, causing it to crumble and fall down, sending the group into reach of the switchbeast. Lots of goblins die horribly, (no relation to the goblin named Dies Horribly), superorc continues to be super and mildly creepy with that translucent hair and lips of his. *sagenod*

[teratorn]

New one.

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Way to go switchbeast, kill that abomination.

[Emperordaniel]

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Alright, that is one scary creature right there.

I hope the first panel of the next comic shows Biscuit slicing the thing in half (though I have a feeling that the goblins will shoot him in the back or something instead).

[Giggling Ghast]

I kinda wish he'd gone with a more traditional monster. This thing just seems weird, albeit very powerful.

[The Glyphstone]

This does not look good for Biscuit.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Not gonna lie, I have no idea what's happening of late. I have no idea what hte monster looks like, and I can't follow the combat at ALL.

[LoneStarNorth]

Not gonna lie, I have no idea what's happening of late. I have no idea what hte monster looks like, and I can't follow the combat at ALL.

The monster is called a switchbeast, named after a switchblade I guess. It's a big blue thing with six stumpy limbs. But it's covered in yellow slits, out of which pop thin pieces of bone. The numerous pieces of bone hook together outside the thing's body to form longer limbs, giant claws, and big ol' tusks. That's why it looks different every panel so far.

Biscuit gets swatted aside, then chomped on. His legs are in the thing's mouth and he's about to try and chop its head open.

[Ubiq]

Thanks to that roar, I can't help but imagine it sounding like a train.

ClickclickclickclickROOROOOOOO!

[Marnath]

It's cute.

[Radar]

It's cute.

Somebody failed their sanity check?

I have to say, that Thunt has a penchant for unusual monsters.

[VariaVespasa]

Hah, Thunt's honeymoon is on my birthday. What a great birthday present

Now lets see you try to wrap it! :P

[Draconi Redfir]

why would i need to wrap it? i'm the one who's supposed to doing the UNwrapping :P

[Flickerdart]

Not gonna lie, I have no idea what's happening of late. I have no idea what hte monster looks like, and I can't follow the combat at ALL.

Yeah, the order of the panels seems to be at random.

[Draconi Redfir]

i don't see where you guys are having problems, i'm able to read it just fine.

[Psychonaut]

i don't see where you guys are having problems, i'm able to read it just fine.

Panel-by-panel thought process:

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Panels 6-7:

That appears to be Biscuit's left hand in panel 7, but I'm not really sure how it got there given his stance in panel 6. I guess it's supposed to be that he let go of the axe and it flailed back around to his other side?

Panels 7-8:

Is the switchbeast (a) hitting Biscuit and sending him flying? In that case, it would seem that he got hit with great momentum given how far away he landed, but the switchbeast's position in panel 5 - when we last saw the arm that's doing the hitting - would make that very unlikely unless it first drew back its arm, which we aren't shown.

So maybe it's (b) grabbing and throwing him? This fits the way its limb is positioned in panels 5 and 8 better, though it seems like an odd thing for it to do unless it likes playing with its food or something.

Also, what action is the "THWOOM THWOOM THWOOM" supposed to correspond to?

Panels 8-9:

1. I guess the switchbeast ran up to Biscuit between panels (maybe that's what the "THWOOM THWOOM THWOOM" represents?)? And Biscuit rolled over onto his back between panels too?

2. I'm not even sure exactly what part of the switchbeast we're seeing below the "CRUNCH" there in panel 9. I guess it's the mouth, but it looks very different compared to previous panels if so.

3. Where'd the black on the switchbeast come from all of a sudden? Magical darkness?

4. How did those three slashes appear on Biscuit's chest? His expression and exclamation suggest that he's taking a hit in that panel, but it wouldn't make sense for those to appear as a result of a bite. So maybe (a) is correct after all and the slashes result from the switchbeast slapping Biscuit aside in panel 7? Though they seem awfully shallow for a smack that sent Biscuit flying several feet if so.

Panels 9-10:

Wait, did Biscuit get out from under the switchbeast/in its mouth, get to his feet, and jump up to attack it from above between panels? (Until you notice that Biscuit is bleeding in his stomach, it's very easy to read this panel this way.) Also, unless the previous panel was actually upside-down* or Biscuit somehow flipped over again, shouldn't the background be the ground instead of the sky?

* I believe that it's meant to be, in retrospect.

I think I can see what Thunt was going for now, but only after going through everything I've written above in my head. It's definitely not immediately conveyed by what's drawn, IMO. If I'm reading it correctly now, I suspect the main things throwing people off are the perspective/motion lines in the 8th panel (which make it appear as though either the beast is much further away than it's meant to be or its limb is raised from smacking/throwing Biscuit rather than because it's running towards him, depending on what Thunt meant to convey) and the unannounced, unintuitive flip of panel 9.

[The Linker]

That's most assuredly a raised-arm-and-hit in panel 7. Throwing someone doesn't make a 'thwapp' sound.

The thwooms are the monster's footsteps as he runs after Biscuit. He's running in panel 8.

For the last two, the monster has chomped down on Biscuit and raised him up into the air. Biscuit is in the exact same position between panels -- he's literally still in the switchbeast's mouth in the last panel. All he's done is grabbed his axe and raised it over his head.

That's why the background is all dirt in the second-to-last panel. It's a view from above.

[Psychonaut]

That's most assuredly a raised-arm-and-hit in panel 7. Throwing someone doesn't make a 'thwapp' sound.

Yes, but a pre-throwing violent grab might.

As for the rest, I got it by the time I posted that (aside from the raising Biscuit into the air part, which is just another thing that's not made very clear in the transition between those two panels); I was mainly using my thought process when first reading it to explain why it might not be the most intuitive comic for some.

[smuchmuch]

I'm not a big fan of the comic for diverse reasons but i'll say one thing for it, I do find the monsters designs are definitively very awesome. I loved the fingers horror thing and I like the switchblade beast.

As for this strip , I find it prety clear, personaly.
Orcs tries to attack. monster grabs his arm before he has the chance, throw him away then catch up, bites him at the waist and raise it's head in the intent of snapping it's prey in half and swallow him in one bite while the orc raise his weapon to atempt a last chance hit.

[Marnath]

Thunt is apparently going to alter a panel to fix the flow of this update.

[Draconi Redfir]

pannel 1: Biscuit looks at monster.

pannel 2: Monster looks at biscuit.

Pannels 3+4: Monster reveals some fancy tusks and other accessories.

Pannel 5: Monster roars at Biscuit.

Pannel 6: Biscuit raises his axe to attack.

Pannel 7: Monster swings it's arm into Biscuit’s side/back from the left, causing his hand to reflexively let go and flail out behind him limply. Biscuit is sent flying.

Pannel 8: Biscuit lands several feet to his previous right, monster's left. By this point the monster has begun approaching him once again after a short offscreen turn.

Pannel 9: Monster noms on a tasty biscuit.

pannel 10: Biscuit, having kept his axe gripped in his right hand, raises his axe while his legs are still within the monster's mouth and is about to swing it down on the monster.


Simple.

[Occasional Sage]

This does not look good for Biscuit.

Perhaps Thunt's way of writing out the bit-character-who-becomes-surprisingly-popular-with-fans? The heroics would mollify them some, I suppose.