Annotated 35-13
I think this was about where Flo realized that WAV’s style of balloons were going to be pretty difficult to integrate into the pages when he was sharing the stage with more characters than just Sundar. I like the hint of “Why me” in WAV’s third balloon, though, so I’m glad Flo worked to keep it.
I admit it: I don’t quite get this part. WAV says one must “destroy the core,” but it sure looked like the whole Beast, including its core, was annihilated in the blast. If the core wasn’t destroyed, then where was it for those ninety seconds or so before panel 3? Hiding underground, I guess, based on actions it takes later and the fact that it’s not destroyed until they find a way to hold that core in place. It’s good that we’re establishing the conditions for victory early, but we could’ve done so a bit more clearly.
I also don’t get “split up and search” when they all seem to be heading in the same direction throughout this page. Perhaps they all realized they wouldn’t need to search for anything after the Beast returned so visibly? But we probably should’ve cut that line (or replaced it with more explanation of where the core was).
One thing I do get is Penk’s knee-jerk accusation of the Peacemakers: he’s barely had time to grasp Frigg and Rachel’s presence, and so his emotions are running ahead of his reason. He’s trying to justify this feeling of being attacked on all sides rather than looking rationally at what’s happening. It’s far from his finest moment, but it does set a better moment up. It gives him a Point A from which to start moving away.
Eh, I just assumed the “core” (the eye, right?) was hidden under one of those piles of green stuff in panel 2.
I’m surprised that Sundar, of all people, would realize that the Beast wasn’t dead* even though it went kablooey.
(*Insert joke about steely knives here.)
I have a question: In panel 3, are those symbols floating around the Beast some kind of otherworldly, unintelligible speech, or are those mystical glyphs or some sort?
If I remember correctly from the original run, it’s speech saying something like “You will be a part of me”.
We left it a little ambiguous just what it was, but I like this answer.
I love the head-on view of WAV in the last panel!
Segmentation fault (core dumped)