Well That was Unexpected Thread III: I Throw Comics at the Wall, You See What Sticks

[ti'esar]

Well I just figured out a way I can introduce Stands into WTwU Though even then, it's just thoughts so i'm not saying one way or another whether they will be a thing. It won't be for a while though.

Awww, man, just when I was finally becoming able to recognize all of the references in this comic.

Also, good news! I've figured out how the overarcing plot works! It only took me 740 comics to do so!

That was sudden!

I'd say something about hoping this development doesn't affect WTWU's characteristic improvisational whackiness, but I'm sure you knowing the overarching plot arc doesn't translate into knowing every detail in advance. Plus I think at this point it's too woven into some of the characters (looking at you, Brother-Custodians) to go away anyway. So this sounds like a good thing.

For the record i've never forgotten about that running gag, there just hasn't been an occasion in a LONG time to use it.

Ooh, let's see, I can spot: Khorne, one of his daemons, a Hyptian, a Magebane soldier, the kobold maid, Pony Powers, a Hypt Dragon, Toby the Tyranid, that Magos from Comic 663, some Pokemon or other, and a couple of other things I can't make out.

As for the rest of the comic - I want to speculate baselessly on the identity of the sorcerer who Savaddor is talking about, but the timeframe's all wrong for the most interesting guess.

Although I feel like the attitude Ser and the prof are taking here is a bit off: if this Gwiratho's otherwise normal life as an AI is dependent on keeping his original body alive, then it makes perfect sense to do so - it's not some weird thing done only out of a sense of obligation like they're making it out to be.

[Keios]

Also, good news! I've figured out how the overarcing plot works! It only took me 740 comics to do so!

So, what's your estimate for WHEN the audience will figure out how the plot works?

[Emperor Ing]

So, what's your estimate for WHEN the audience will figure out how the plot works?

You'll figure it out by Comic 1480. Don't worry, I have that planned out perfectly. 98% of Harvard Law Professors and United Nations Climatologists agree that my proposal will make complete sense.

Comic 746

Really those last three panels are just to set up a joke I thought up for 747. And no, it's nothing related to planes (unfortunately.)

Questions? Comments? Critique?

[ti'esar]

"Teleportation. Unexpected but irrelevant." Man, the Superintendent just gets more overconfident every time he shows up, doesn't he?

I found the dialogue in the third panel a little difficult follow - the balloons flow a bit oddly - so I'm not quite sure where the party's heading now and if the attack on Hypt has been postponed or is just being attempted in another way.

[Emperor Ing]

The Superintendent knows his place.

Comic 747!

Questions? Comments? Critique?

[ti'esar]

The Superintendent knows his place.

I dunno, his repeated assumptions that the Custodes are a manageable problem are at least as insane as his desire to exterminate all organic life on Aios.

Speaking of insanity, this comic was probably the weirdest in quite a while. The Superintendent does indeed seem to have learned his skills of disguise from the local master of the craft - goofy hats have always been an essential part of Rand's disguise skills.

And hey, it's the Apprentice! I never found him all that interesting, but the guy had been missing for almost 200 comics now. I have to say, he looks much creepier in the new art style.

[Keios]

I can't tell if he's serious (or as serious as Custodes get), or if he's trolling The Superintendent.

I also don't know which one is better.

[Emperor Ing]

And hey, it's the Apprentice! I never found him all that interesting, but the guy had been missing for almost 200 comics now. I have to say, he looks much creepier in the new art style.

I haven't done enough with him, yeah, but I want him and Powers to play a much larger role in the post-Hypt arc. Hopefully give the Apprentice some fleshing out.

I'm also not satisfied with how he looks in the new art style. I'm reiterating on his design, but yeah. I want him to be scary.

However, High Lord Levinary (the grey-skinned guy who was with the Custodes when they were introduced) looks AMAZING in my new art style. I can't wait to give him more screen time! He was actually part of Comic 745's SAPIENT!! panel.

Speaking of that panel, here's everyone, listed in counter-clockwise order starting from the center-top:

Toby the Zoanthrope
A Hypt Dragon
Bloodletter (Lesser Daemon of Khorne)
High Lord Aron Levinary
Magos Biologis
Pony Major Powers
Kobold Maid
Custodes Genesect
Magebane Mook
Omega
Arceus
Hyptian
Khorne

Also, Comic 748

Q? C? C?

[ti'esar]

Whoa, that freaky skull-faced thing by the Khorne daemon that I couldn't identify was High Lord Levinary? That's going to be even harder to get used to than Powers; I always thought he looked kind of goofy (in a good way) before.

Meanwhile: Savaddor, blaming people for your capability to read their minds is not classy. Stop that. Has he always been able to do that, or is it an effect of where they are now? (Actually, where are they now? Inside Hypt, or still on their way to the material location of this Professor Iddex's servers?)

The robot thing looks cool. I've been hoping this arc would show us more Hyptian models than the basic robots and the Hypt Dragons.

[Emperor Ing]

I made Levinary a while ago, and i'm VERY pleased with how he turned out. Unfortunately i've been sitting on his template for a while.


I always imagined him appearing sickly and decrepit. Although it's not unusual for ordinary humans in the 40k-verse to live upwards of 200 years (provided they aren't cannon-fodder Guardsmen) Levinary would be strongly pushing it, requiring extreme cybernetic and bionic enhancement just to maintain a clean bill of health. Even so, he is still a very formidable combatant, armed with some of the best weapons in existence in the Imperium, including a C'tan Phase Sword (that looks suspiciously like a Newcron Hyperphase Blade. I swear I came up for the design before Newcrons were a thing.)

Comic 749 is up! No Levinary yet, but...

Questions? Comments? Critique?

[ti'esar]

I think Levinary's credentials were well-established when he one-shotted an Arcane Incarnation... even if he immediately lapsed into monologuing afterwards.

Comic 749 is up! No Levinary yet, but...

Questions? Comments? Critique?

Ah, Kaylethia. Never change, except into a dragon.

Speaking of changing, the professor seems to be pulling a whole bunch of new abilities out of his pointy hat lately, so does that mean they are in Hypt now?

If not, he was totally selling himself short when he complained about feeling overshadowed by Team Rand earlier. That was kind of cool.

[Keios]

Big "robot" against big "robot", never a bad idea.

Throw in a giant monster or two and you're set.

[Emperor Ing]

Needs more giant lasers. Always needs more giant lasers. I wonder if I can combine the giant lasers into rocket-punches.

Comic 750.

Q? C? C?

[ti'esar]

No, Rand. Don't, Rand. Did we learn nothing from the cookie incident back in Chapter Three?

Why has his magic been grey lately, anyway? I don't think this was the first recent comic where it was that way, but I also don't remember anything triggering the change this time.

Is it just me, or is this chapter developing a pattern of fights against giant robots ending in peaceful anticlimaxes?

[Keios]

Is it just me, or is this chapter developing a pattern of fights against giant robots ending in peaceful anticlimaxes?

Who said it's ended? This is merely a coffee break, a right for which the union fought long and hard.

[Emperor Ing]

Well I got some silly ideas. Don't worry this is leading up to something. Silly.

751. I know it's really unusually late but i've been busy. Family reunion is going on right now as well.

Questions? Comments? Critique?

[ti'esar]

Even for the Custodes, flying through a giant - but still small next to the robots - cup of coffee by accident seems a bit unlikely. I think that Hyptian spider-bot's odds calculator is off.

Speaking of off... am I misreading, or is there a hint in there that even the Hyptians that are following the Superintendent are being duped or reprogrammed somehow?

In the relatively minor details category, I love the Hyptian styling on the heart coming from Arc in the second panel. I would say that Marnia's worrying about nothing there, because it would be silly to build a robot that can get stomachaches, but, well... WTWU.

[Keios]

You know, I think a Dalek's voice would suit that robot really well.

[Emperor Ing]

millions of years of biological evolution has produced incalculable numbers of species that can feel pain for the specific purpose of deterring and avoiding harmful behavior. It would be remiss of Savaddor to not include the ability to feel pain in Arc's design. For this reason, I give him a 50/50 chance.

Comic 752!

Q? C? C?

[ti'esar]

Should we do something...?

And rob the readers (and the other characters) of watching a giant robot brawl? You should be ashamed for even suggesting it, Lahvin.

[Emperor Ing]

Drawing the rotations of Savaddor's giant robot body is quite the hassle, though

Comic 753!

Questions? Comments? Critique?

[ti'esar]

Eh, I thought Savaddor seemed to be holding his own pretty well so far. But I always like it when Marnia gets to make a contribution, so I'm not going to complain. (Admittedly, it's a very small contribution, but the kind of sword she's using might offset that).

I am a bit surprised that she kept the hellblade after last chapter, though. It doesn't seem quite 'paladin', and those lightsaber things Eternus makes seem like they'd serve the same role as a weapon.

Really like the spriting in this one, BTW.

[Keios]

That's the achilles heel though, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole robot topples over from that little attack.

[Emperor Ing]

Nah. It'll be because it stepped on a tack. Or possibly a D4. Maybe even stung by a bee.

Comic 754. This one was particularly fun to make

Questions? Comments? Critique?

[ti'esar]

I was expecting more or less the same thing as Keios, but GIANT ROBOT JUDO-FLIPPING^* is arguably even better.

Seriously, "giant robot judo-flipping". It makes me so happy that I'm getting to type those words. The fact that it's Marnia doing it is just icing on the cake.

On other notes, I again really liked the art on this one, especially the movement on that necklace thing Marnia wears. And I'm curious what's going on with that sign the Custodes are ignoring. Less positively, panel 3 has a typo - I'm guessing the first word should be "But".

* I don't think this is actually "judo", but I don't know of a better word for it. And technically Hyptians aren't "robots" anyway, so it all works out.

[Keios]

Ah, good old Boring but Practical. You need to learn the basics, and better yet, practice them ten thousand times, before you move on to the good stuff.

This would be the time to finish it, but I don't know if those capable of it would attack it while it's down.

[Emperor Ing]

...eeeh...maybe...?

755. Sorry no joke this time.

Q? C? C?

[ti'esar]

Ooh, that's a nasty way to go. Not nearly as nasty as it would be if he (she? it?) wasn't a robot, and if I understand correctly he might just respawn in Hypt anyway, but still.

[ti'esar]

By the way, a random question: is there a map of Aios?

[Emperor Ing]

By the way, a random question: is there a map of Aios?

Nope. I'm not just saying that as someone who might have drawn something 500 comics ago and forgot about it, i'm saying I haven't drawn one. But I should.

Comic 756 is up.

Questions? Comments? Critique?