Annotated 37-19
Just a few pages after that devastating loss of his hat (HAT THEFT IS NOT A JOKE, BANDIT :-P), E-Merl is back to being his “high-functioning” self. It will take some time for his loss to fully impact his performance. And as in the prior scene, his dynamic is shifting with a onetime mentor who is now leaving that role but giving him some parting advice as they go.
The advice on this page, though, will not help E-Merl as much as Gravedust thinks it will. GD is not anticipating how much the roster and dynamics of the Peacemakers is shifting. Possibly E-Merl could’ve made it through his dark days in the next few chapters a bit more gracefully if he’d had old friends like Scipio and Bandit at his side, but they’re already in the wind. Even Fr’Nj, with her supportive personality, could’ve helped E-Merl cope, but she’s gone too. If there’s a moral to this chapter, it’s that everyone has their own shit going on that they have to deal with, and group identity is often second to that.
The last couple of frames are a struggle for E-Merl. His deep grief would like to lash out at Gravedust, who almost seems to be inviting him to do so. And yet Gravedust is his friend and mentor, and E-Merl knows Gravedust isn’t really to blame. So his better nature prevents an outburst, but his grief is just too strong for him to say something like, “You didn’t fail anyone, man, the fucking Cultists did. Don’t beat yourself up.”
Should Byron be tagged in this one, too?
Ha ha ha, why not :-)
😂
Yup, Byron is bagged and tagged :-)
Well played.
oh, wow — had assumed that Gravedust would just be carrying a bundle of things for his travels, but … yes, of course.
Wow, that bag really doesn’t look like it could fit Byron’s entire body. And even if so, would Gravedust be able to carry it so easily?
Remember the scene later when he takes off his shirt to fight Iver?
Old Gravey is STRONK!
»His deep grief would like to lash out at Gravedust, who almost seems to be inviting him to do so.«
Hmm, my impression was that Gravedust was:
a: kind of angry at Syr’Nj for making him try to get Byron back
b: angry at himself because he failed with Rachel and the farmer
c: generally fed up with this shit — although he probably wouldn’t phrase it that way
And while he could have said the line about Rachel in a somewhat more apologizing tone, he *is* telling E-Merl that he feels responsible for her fate, and is in a deep crisis because of it. It’d feel very wrong to pile any more blame on him, especially from E-Merl, who will only blame others after he’s thoroughly exhausted all means of blaming himself.
E-Merl’s face in panel 2: If you squint at it in the right way, it looks like he’s wearing a mustache and has a very tiny mouth.
It kinda looks good on him :o)
I see it, and I agree. A bit like Best post Freddie Mercurization
Probably not a smart move to tell the one person whose forgiveness you might want that failing Rachel was “unforgivable”.