Annotated Chapter 5 Cover
Notes from the script:
I’m thinking classic comics imagery for this one. Remember the bit where the newly formed Fantastic Four each put one hand out, stacking their hands on top of each other? I think we could do that here, for Keynes, Gravedust, Byron, and Syr’Nj. -T Campbell 4/11/10 8:38 PM
I like it. If people notice Frigg’s hand isn’t in the mound, it’ll spark questions. -Phil Kahn 4/12/10 10:36 AM
We weren’t really planning to make this a recurring cover motif, but at this point we thought we’d only be doing 24 covers.
[Sounds of Sue and Johnny’s hands splintering and Reed’s hand squishing as Ben lowers his 1,500-pound hand on top of theirs]
“The one where the real fifth member shows up.”
Alt text is… Ironic? Misleading? Wrong and right at the same time?
Bandit was centrally involved in both incarnations of the Peacemakers, experimental early group and official adventurer’s guild. But she wasn’t in the fifth tube.
Tubes and Sepia World aside, looking at the whole comic, I’d consider “Best is one of the five primary protagonists” and “Bandit is not one of the five primary protagonists” both really hard arguments to make.
I agree. They both shared the slot and removing one or the other would be removing a large part of the story.
I fear we do not agree, for I think you missed a not there.
–drat, can’t edit.
Or rather, inserted a not where one is not. (So to speak.)
A knotty grammatical point!
I’m not seeing it.
That last panel with everyone of a different color to Richard’s makes me think they’re thinking “Wow dude, fuck you” and staring him down after everyone picked simple names to have fun with in a game like “Speed Boy” and “Rockman” and Richard walks in and goes “I AM TIBERIUS MAGNUM”.
What’s not being shown in that third panel while the narrator talks…
Ben: “Mister Fantastic.” Seriously? You couldn’t go with “Stretchy” or “Rubberband Man”?
Sue: Better than what he tried to get me call him last night. Captain…
Reed: Sue!
Yeah, even for early comic writing, this is weird. I mean, given how much angst Ben has about being a monster from issue 2 on, happily taking the moniker here has always felt weird to me. Reed’s issues with screwing up Ben’s life are similarly jarring with his name selection. Johnny’s name is a call-back to a ww2 hero, and would have made more sense to acknowledge it – maybe Ben’s suggestion? Like, if the crew was going to go in for code names, it almost would have been better for them all to take Ben’s lead, and name each other. Then it isn’t Reed being an egotist, it’s Sue being sappy, which, initially, she rather was in that version, and her brother is being a tease, but it sticks. It’s at least less awkward.