Annotated 47-1
The Star Wars influence is strong in this one, but the readers who had an eye out for it could probably see the Metal Gear influence creeping back in as well. This story arc is a convergence point for several things Flo loved about the series: the Metal Gear riffs, gnomish culture, and military plots with more than a passing nod to logistics. From her script:
The Ultimate Engine is the final thesis statement on the Mecha-Tank arms race that has characterized the progression of warfare in Arkerra. Although it much more resembles a proper tank than would otherwise typically do. The “Body” is shorter and wider, providing better armor and stability than before. All of its plating seems thicker, reinforced. It is at least 1.5 times the size, overall, of Taro’s first tank from Chapter 14.
It is in all ways the improved version of the classic concept, where the left and right arms now have quite menacing pincer-claws, featuring two extra points of articulation on the arms than previously for even more versatile combat options. The schematics indicate that pop-out buzz saws are available in the front of the tank, a la Speed Racer’s Mach 5.
The most noteworthy feature, however, is the large rail gun on its back. Its design looks gnomish, but it clearly has its power source made in the form of Sky Elven Crystals. A diagram on the schemata nearby this rail gun, which looms over its entire body, indicates a smaller tank with a parabolic arc leading to a mushroom cloud.
Me, I’m here for Reynolds’ explosion in the last frame. It’s a very well-earned character moment, the portrait of a patient, cheerful optimist who has finally seen his values trampled on one time too many.
I wonder what more people pick up on: Reynolds going “They played us like a DANG FIDDLE I mean PUPPET”, or the focus on the rail-firing system. The first panel is almost literally the core concept of Metal Gear: A mobile launch platform that can “fire from anywhere”. Its power in a close-range fight is almost entirely incidental (which is how one guy with a rocket launcher keeps beating it). The actual threat is that it can RAIL-FIRE a nuke from anywhere on the globe (even the water after MGS2), so the nuke cannot be detected and defended against. Since it’s not a missile, it’s a ballistic payload launching from “anywhere”.
In Guilded Age it’s “just” artillery with miles of range, but the gravity (heh) of the situation is similar.
When you think about the progression of the war so far, it’s actually a wonder that we haven’t seen more artillery.
I think the means of war in this story are not really meant to be picked apart. We’ve got airships, flyers with bombs, rockets, tanks and artillery, but most battles are still decided by a bunch of people with axes, daggers, hammers and bows (and potions, and … a guitar and a drum). I don’t think we’re supposed to imagine the things that look like more modern weaponry to be equally invincible as their RL equivalents would have been against medieval weapons. And they’re definitely not equally easy to get by.
I’m not at all familiar with Metal Gear Solid, but what strikes me is Reynolds has known for a long time that Micholuszek and Franzington were working on some illegal war machines, one of which levelled some part of Gnometown, some time ago, he probably knew that they continued to work on weapons for Gastonia, since he was part of the Gastonian government. He also knew why Bandit had been expelled from Gnometown. And still, after being removed from the House, after hiring Bandit, and after Iwatani taking over, it takes him half-way into Bandit’s tactical assessment to notice that he’s been had?
Bandit must be like “oh wow, that’s only exactly what I’ve been saying since before you kicked me out back then …”
But at least he does notice. And, to give him credit: I think lots of people, if they’re sufficiently invested in something, will probably have a significant resistance to noticing what’s wrong, even if it stares them in the face.