Annotated 30-30
This portal is anything but a deus ex machina. If you forge an alliance with the one culture capable of creating portals and don’t set up those portals as an emergency exit during a big battle where retreat could be crucial, then what are you even doing.
At least one reader speculated we might be setting Ardaic up to die (what if the portal needs to be closed on the far end to keep the explosion from coming through?) because of the way he lingers behind Byron. Honestly, we just wanted a good look at the poor guy’s face. Yes, he has saved Syr’Nj’s life, but only because Fr’Nj succeeded where he failed, and he has not saved the outpost that he and the others were there to protect, which suplexes him right in the patriotism.
…I’m… sure the rest of the patients we saw in that hospital will… be fine.
Well, we didn’t previously see the other side of the portal? Maybe the medics already carried the other wounded through? Under normal circumstances, I’d tend to assume Ardaic would be the guy in the back in such circumstances… but he’d have made sure Syr’Nj went through first, so…..
Hopefully, he just insisted on carrying her himself and was a bit slower than everyone else because of his wounds. That…works as an explanation. Yeah.
I’m sure everyone is fine.
Gotta ask, who’s the “Thirty Thirty” horse person in the annotations, and what 80s cartoon are they from?
Thirty Thirty is from Bravestarr.
Thanks – love the somewhat-obscure 80s animation reference! Still not understanding the relevance to today’s page though.
A glance at the page url might be enlightening.
What is Byron’s concern here, exactly?
I realized only after looking carefully. In panel 2, Byron runs towards the building to save Syri’nj which, from that perspective, is behind the portal. The moment he is past the portal, he stumbles onto Ardaic carrying her, and the perspective flips. Now they’re on the side of the portal opposite to where everybody else entered it. Basically, Byron is saying that he hopes that they can enter through the portal through its “back”.
That makes SO much more sense!
The art is on point here. I can see Ardaic sincere concern for Syri’nj, coupled with the soreness of seeing her being taken away from him by her actual beau. Also, that broken joint he’s nursing is surely not making things look any better.
Mr. Waltrip, take a bow
plus: The thing about Ardaic looking kinda bummed, not (just?) because of the lost battle but because he doesn’t even get to rescue Syr’Nj without being reminded that he isn’t the hero here … that completely went by me the first time round, as well it might, because it’s shown in a sufficiently subtle way not to be noticed if you don’t expect it, but now it’s completely obvious.
You’re right, of course. Not many comics I know are this much fun to reread. I just needed to say kudos to the artist (hey, I kind of did it again). I’m sure he doesn’t hear it as often as he should.