Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[lwise]

Thank you.

[thorny]

Jitter, thanks much for update.

Sad but unsurprising news. Glad that we're supposed to get an epilogue; wonder whether it'll give us bits of future lives, or stay in the end-of-chapter year.

And I suspect that "hadn't really thought about it" accurately covers a great deal, not only about possible future stories but also about how things hang together (or don't) in the segment of the world which Minna did create.

[Yuuago]

Thanks for the info, Jitter.

Like you, I do feel a little better knowing that there wasn't much of a plan for the next adventure, that she hadn't settled even on where it would be set.

In general, I still feel very bad about everything. But the fact that there wasn't really anything outlined, so there isn't anything specific that I would be missing out on now that the comic's ending, is... reassuring (? not the right word, best one that comes to mind)

[Vulpes]

I'll chime in with more thanks, Jitter, for the information - like you and many others, I find it weirdly comforting to know that she didn't have these characters' futures all plotted out for particular adventures. It suggests that perhaps the details of some of the backstories might be a bit loose, too, although she must have had something in particular in mind with Emil's burning house dream. Ah well, I'm sure the talented fan-fictionists will come up with excellent possibilities!

[thegreyarea]

Just dropping here to join the chorus of thanks to Jitter for the updates and the belief that we will survive and keep our little but delicious comunity alive and kicking!

Also glad to know there isn't an unfinished, half-baked story that would be left on Minna's drawer. Better that way, so we can create many interesting future paths.

And I'll be sad with the end, but, as with the (so many) books that we love, at some point one has to close the last page, but the story will always remain with us.

[lwise]

I'm thinking about the chapter cover, and what appears to be just four of the team around the fire.

Obviously I'm concerned about the possible deaths of two team members, but I don't really think we'll see that.  I find it very hard to believe that, after all these years, Minna would kill off two of our beloved characters in the last chapter, with nothing but an epilogue to say goodbye to them.

But if we assume that two of them will die ... Minna said that she was going to end this adventure as originally planned.  The original plan seems to have been that she would go on and have adventures in the other nations of the Known World.  We've done Denmark and Finland.  How could she have planned to have adventures in Sweden or Norway, without Emil or Sigrun?  Or in Iceland without Reynir?  Therefore, if she intended as part of her original plan that two characters would die, they would have to be two of these three: Lalli, Onni, Mikkel.

But, again, I can't imagine that she will kill off even one of those three in the last chapter.

Well, except maybe Onni.

[catbirds]

Chapter cover!

Ummm.. ummmmmm... lwise, you're right, that is indeed very concerning!!

Umm......

Yeah, it's weird to kill off characters now considering they've just experienced such a major success. I see the figures of Emil, Lalli, Onni or Mikkel, and Sigrun, but I'm not sure if people are interpreting the blurbs as anything different. It could just be that the team split up again... I hope.

If any were to be killed off within this chapter, it'd be pretty unsatisfying, in terms of the narrative. I can't imagine any of their deaths giving me any particular emotion except how?

Spoiler: you know what from adventure 1 • show

A lot of people disliked that Tuuri died and how her death worked in the narrative, but in terms of the emotional buildup, there was something there at least. I haven't caught any death flags or foreshadowing in the last chapters, except maybe you could say Reynir kind of fulfills the same "niche" as Tuuri (non-immune, curious about the world, interested in learning, etc...), but it just hasn't felt like there's been anything to indicate that!

However, I think if Emil, Sigrun, or Reynir died, it'd make for an interesting albeit heavy arc in the country they're from, working through their idea of death and the afterlife with the remaining members of the crew. It'd be very hard to write, though. And definitely a giant exercise in empathy.

All that aside, this chapter cover is really nostalgic. A lot of this series' art featured the characters sitting around a glowing orange campfire, with the blue darkness hanging over them. Minna even made a gouache painting of something like that once, which was cool. The bear snorting the water is a nice touch.

[muidole]

Somewhat related, but on the chapter cover it sort of seems like there's a small circle between the two people to the right of the fire. Maybe somehow Tuuri is allowed to leave with the rest of the group, or at least delay her having to return to Tuonela for a little bit longer?

Or I'm probably just completely misinterpreting the scene haha

[catbirds]

Ohh, yes, I interpreted it as Sigrun's elbow. Let's see how much we can speculate incorrectly before the chapter begins

[tehta]

Catbirds, lwise, I too find another character death unlikely. But I wasn't around for the scary parts of adventure one when it seemed like more than one person might die, so I'd like to freak myself out a little now.

I agree that there's zero foreshadowing though, so it's hard. And I see the characters around the fire the same way, except I'm not sure about the two-headed lump people identify as Sigrun.

[lwise]

However, I think if Emil, Sigrun, or Reynir died, it'd make for an interesting albeit heavy arc in the country they're from, working through their idea of death and the afterlife with the remaining members of the crew. It'd be very hard to write, though. And definitely a giant exercise in empathy.

I considered that, but if Minna meant to go on with the characters, that seemed a little too heavy compared even to what we've had so far.

[thorny]

I think I'm seeing five people and Kitty; the fifth as a head sticking out from behind one of the others. And there might be a sixth behind the fire (or off behind a bush, for that matter.)

Maybe Minna's just trying to scare us.

But that's neat artwork, the landscape and bear turning into each other.

[Kiran]

I don't know why though, but I did have a hunch that poor Onni would pass away from the middle or somewhere around that in the second arc.

[lwise]

A lot of people thought that, based on the very first page where the whole team is in light but Onni is in shadow.

[crowbarrd]

the people at the campfire aside... is the bear alive ?? there's some bubbles where it's snout is