posted March 02, 2000 03:48 AM            

FRAME 2: ...The Harlequinade are still behind <Jack> but they've changed and are in their traditional costumes. Pierrot and Columbine make hand shapes. More images vibrate off them - Edith, Tom, Robin, King Mob...

FRAME 3: Now they are the King In Yellow and his dwarves, making hand movements. Behind them, a whole crowd seethes - everyone who's ever appeared in the series...

So, looks like Ridgeway didn't draw the crowd of characters (Jimenez would have), which seems like a pretty important part of the story, if you ask me, and it completely confirms October Ghost's earlier theory that the Harlequinade was, in fact, anyone and everyone...

posted March 02, 2000 04:11 AM            

Page 2: The idea here is that the hair on KM's headdress has razorwire in it, and he's slashing open the soldier's face, "like a strike from a lethal cheerleader pom-pom."

Page 6: Not an art thing, but Roger is trying to say "Suck my clit, asshole."

Page 15, Frame 5: "Helga looks up off panel - a final word falls, dislodged by someone high in the vaulting. We can read 'Murderer.'"

Page 16: Helga is collecting Miles' urine in the cup.

Page 17, Frame 1: "The eclipse passes and for a moment the sun and moon cross one another in the shape of the Vescica Pisces."

Page 17, Frame 5: That's KM, off to find a phonebooth...

posted March 02, 2000 04:11 AM            

Page 19: Audrey Murray again, though thanks once again to mister Vozzo she's coloured incorrectly. She looks like Jacqui, but for anyone who dares make a connection between the two, there is none.

Page 20: The police are there looking for KM.

Oh, there is also the not-so-small matter of pages 12-14, which I shall discuss tomorrow once everyone's had a chance to read the comic.

posted March 02, 2000 04:43 AM            

Also, about page 22, here's why it seems to me that Jack/Dane is in charge.

The girl says:

"You think I'm dumb? Your authority is on shaky ground." which shows that he is in a position of some authority. Not the headmaster. Maybe he's a teaching smurf, no?

-=Lionheart=-

posted March 02, 2000 05:59 AM            

Having read the script and knowing what this should have been, it's quite literally crushing to see it turn out this way.

I've had a very bad day today and my usual congeniality has gone on holiday until tomorrow.

And Enamon: good show. You're bang on about the identity of the Fuck U girl.

[This message has been edited by Broad Arrow Jack (edited March 02, 2000).]

posted March 02, 2000 10:22 AM            

I'm pretty sure Dane now has the ability to walk into any building and convince people of his authority just by speaking in archetypes like he did in issue 5.

posted March 02, 2000 02:36 PM            

While I can't express disappointment with issue 2 as a whole, I *am* disappointed that one of the major revelations on "the most important pages of the series" is, again with Grant, an old idea thought up by someone else. The idea that if you viewed a human from outside time they'd look like a centipede, each section representing a day -- I mean shit, that appeared in the comic Concrete for shit's sake.

The art: I don't have the hatred of the Panders that some others do. Ridgway is top notch and I thought BAJ was good too. But Wood's pages weren't good -- in fact they were a murky mess. I missed the boat that that was the chessman too.

Please tell me we get to see the conclusion of the John a Dreams / Fanny confrontation in issue 1.

posted March 02, 2000 02:36 PM            

First off, I think that referring to the Audrey Murray situation as 'cheap irony' is missing the point. It's not just irony, it's an occurrence that condenses the theme of the entire series right down - two people who should be enemies in a dualistic world help and comfort one another because they're unaware of their differences. Audrey's ignorance of KM's history guaranteed her impulse to help him - but it never would have struck her as something she needed to do if he hadn't murdered her husband in the first place. It's almost like a chess game - Bobby is sacrificed to put Audrey in position so that she can save KM when the crunch comes.

I really, really wish Jiminez (or somebody with a similar eye for detail) had drawn those panels on page fifteen. That's all I'm gonna say about that, to prevent myself from flying into a rant.

While it is pretty difficult to break your neck by yanking back on your leg, it is possible, and the scene was obviously meant to echo the Hanging Man of the tarot, signifying (among other things), excessive sacrifice or overzealousness.

I think the last image in the chapter, where Jack is holding out the badge and saying that the comics the new recruit reads are all real, is one of the best in the series.

posted March 02, 2000 04:59 PM            

<< First off, I think that referring to the Audrey Murray situation as
'cheap irony' is missing the point. It's not just irony, it's an
occurrence that condenses the theme of the entire series right
down - two people who should be enemies in a dualistic world help
and comfort one another because they're unaware of their
differences. Audrey's ignorance of KM's history guaranteed her
impulse to help him - but it never would have struck her as
something she needed to do if he hadn't murdered her husband
in the first place. It's almost like a chess game - Bobby is
sacrificed to put Audrey in position so that she can save KM when
the crunch comes.>>

"Best Man Fall" had us look into the life of
a "throw-away" stock badguy, and make us understand and perhaps care for Bobby. This is a guy who could have BEEN King Mob, but took the wrong path. The constant intrusions
of our characters into his life meant him for greater plans than a motivation to call 999 for KM! Besides, if you see a gunshot victim, do really NEED a personal reason to call for an ambulance? Also, KM's miraculous 1-day cure rather ruins the heart-felt death-speech of the previous ish, don't you agree? Hamlet would suck if it ended up with a "well THAT turned out to be a lucky break".

<< While it is pretty difficult to break your neck by yanking back on
your leg, it is possible, and the scene was obviously meant to echo
the Hanging Man of the tarot, signifying (among other things),
excessive sacrifice or overzealousness.>>

Yeah, but it's more probable that he would merely end up swinging from the rope, very alive, and screaming and writhing in pain.
Symbolism sacrifices mere common sense here. Remember...I caught the Tarot reference.
There are many others - like the Tower / charnal pit, Temperance / John's two vials, et al. I just found them forced.

I stand by my previous remarks.
DrZ

posted March 02, 2000 05:10 PM            

Hey 70's, Looks like Mister Six wants a Division X mini-series afterall!

I like Buckingham's fanny.

Glad to hear Cell 23 got their blessed hand of glory back.

The pander bear art was pretty good.

BAJ - you are Invisible.

i loved the Ridgeway GAZ panel - that scene repeated by different artists creates a strange vibe around the 'moment' it represents.

p14/15 do seem weak - ther's no denying it.

And in the end...

Mr Dreams really did provide us with a Scooby Doo conclusion.

posted March 02, 2000 05:34 PM            

Audrey does more than just call 911 - she obviously stayed with him in the hospital (how else does she know he's been raving about raw carrots?), making sure he pulls through. From the phonebooth scenes last ish, it seemed obvious that there were many people around - yet Audrey was the one who stopped to help.

Think of it this way - while any of us might not hesitate to stop and help a bleeding, heavily pierced bald man in a leather jacket, do you think the average person would be as comfortable (especially in the age of aids paranoia)?

Mile's hanging pose reminds me of Gideon Stargrave strung up on the electrical wires in Vol I, 18. Is the sacrifice actually his life, or simply the identity of Sir Miles, Judas to the Invisibles? That would dovetail with Mister 6's earlier sacrific of his teacher personality, and GM's whole theme of growing beyond the individual personality.

Oh, and re: Straight Edge - it's still around, it's just never made very good media copy and thus doesn't get much attention (look! Kids not doing drugs! How exciting is that). I've a cousin in Virginia who's very into the straight edge scene down there. Besides, like the blank badge, the "x" is a fairly generic symbol that can mean pretty much whatever you want it to.

posted March 02, 2000 06:12 PM            

And if the Nexus Jam 3.2 never sees print, we'll at least always have it in our heads thanks to the noble and talented BAJ.

And Audrey's appearance on page 18 panel 4 makes me wonder if Paul Thomas Anderson wasn't directing that page.

And! So, does this mean that the nagging question I've always been wondering, where Robin landed in the past, has been answered? Is that her discarded timesuit in Philly that John's been hanging about in? Because, I mean, she had to land somewhere, right? Or did I miss it.

"We just have to make sure the maggot gets turned into a fly."
Just when you thought the series had REALLY reached its climax, we find that it was only really a prologue.

posted March 02, 2000 06:14 PM         

First, the artwork. Given the apparent complexity of the scripts, the 'artist jam' has been a complete failure. Apart from Yeowell, Buckingham and our own dear BAJ (even partially obscured by Vommo's dismal colouring), it's shit.

It's wrong to put all the blame on the art, though. The ending was so trite, leaving so many questions unanswered (I won't even TRY to begin with those...) I could barely believe it. Just lends validity to the theory that Grant started something he couldn't - or wouldn't - finish properly. Unless the FINAL final issue pulls something big out of the hat, The Invisibles will appear sadly truncated.

posted March 02, 2000 06:39 PM            

I have to wonder what, exactly, you were looking for in the resolution to this series...the war described in the pages of the comic are, by implication, never going to end until this undefined evolution takes place, and the "seed" planted in time germinates. After that happens, maybe time can be discarded, part of the "scaffolding" that is shed.

But I don't think the Invisibles was ever meant to show us what that germination would look like, nor to explain how to end the war. It's about something that's ongoing, and it's a metaphor for something real. Hence Jack's statement at the end of v3.2 - "It's all real". He's not just talking to the straight-edge gal there, he's obviously also talking to us.

I can understand that people who were looking for a tight, clean, comic-book ending aren't going to be happy, but I think we could all see that coming a while ago. This series was about the mission KM's cell had to complete, not about the all-encompassing end to the struggle. They completed it: the shoggoth/monster/archon failed to be crowned, and the hell-on-earth that the misguided agents of the Outer Church were hoping for was prevented. (You'll notice the agents of the outer church who probably really know where it's at didn't do a hell of a lot to prevent the intervention - i.e. John A'Dreams, the Archons themselves, etc) The seeds are free to keep growing.

I don't know, maybe we'll all be satisfied when v3.1 comes out, and it WILL show the resolution of the conflict. Personally, I think "Invisible Kingdom" came to a brilliant end, plot-wise.

posted March 02, 2000 06:47 PM            

6 years.

Well, we still have one more to go, but I'm not about to count on it.

Just to add to my comment but not lengthen the page too too much; I wpuld really have been satisfied by the ending of Book One or even the botchy Book two ending over what we have here. Not that I'm a "och, it was better back in the day" types, but the ending was quick, satisfying as well as mystifying whereas issue Two of Bol 3 is... walking through Grant's pot smoke.

posted March 02, 2000 06:52 PM            

Page 18, panel 1:

George: Time's still a bit iffy, sir. I'm not really sure how I got here.

Some of the criticisms concerning the art not matching the script I can understand, but surely this arc has been about perception bending, fiction rippling through reality etc.

Linear time structures and narrative have completely broken down by this point.

I mean the Queen's lying dead on the floor for fucks sake. You'd expect the nurses in the hospital to be chatting about that wouldn't you?

Jolly Rodger in a mass grave - seems appropriate - what did you want a 21 gun salute?

King Mob still in his bloody t-shirt? So!!!!

I see this issue as a conclusion to the Invisible Kingdom arc.

I'm looking forward to the final issue.

That said, Ridgeway's fuck up on the 'eclipse as gnostic fish sign' panel really is unforgivable.

posted March 02, 2000 07:47 PM         

OC: I'm not quibbling with the ideas in The Invisibles; I just feel let down by the sloppy execution. And I don't think it's unreasonable to expect at least some of the loose ends to be tied up - if decent plotting is a 'comic book ending' then so be it. I can't rid myself of the feeling that it was all meant to be a little grander in its sweep; that Grant ran out of steam partway through.

posted March 02, 2000 08:04 PM            

I don't know how much of this is due to GM having to shrink a 75 issue storyline down to 64-odd. But I do feel a little disappointed with what we got here, one issue to go or not (though I read the woman on the last page as us, which means my life's going to be wonderful between now and May next year).

posted March 02, 2000 08:29 PM            

First of, I've got just slightly more than a year to turn into a "pervert in the weird little glasses" and get to Seattle.

Two, so what does everyone think of having a Nexus Artist Jam? Especially BAJ, what do you think?

posted March 02, 2000 08:40 PM            

As to whether "We are all the Harlequinade" is enough, I think I better agree to disagree. I think it perfectly caps the story, and lends each and every character a dignity and significance that they would have lacked as "bit players".

And to tell the truth, if we were given every detail there was to know about the Invisible college, the other cells, the extent of each characters' abilities, etc, I think the series would be incredibly bogged down with detail, and ultimately very boring.

OG

posted March 02, 2000 10:54 PM            

My problem is that issue 2 by itself just is not a good comic book. A good comic book needs two things, a good script and good graphic storytelling. I think the artists jam prevented the posibility of good graphic storytelling. The comic book medium has certain rules like it or not that are necessary to follow for a comic to be interesting and make sense. Now I'm not talking about being old fashioned. Grant has pushed the limits of the medium sucessfully with this series up to now. Telling the story in a non-chronological order is fine, the comic book reader can adapt. However, to pull off sucessful graphic storytelling, continuity is fairly important. I'm not saying that ones hair should be parted on the same side in every panel or that characters should always look the same like Charlie Brown or Mickey Mouse but for fucks sake, the editors of a comic should at least make sure a character as important as Sir Miles looks like fucking Sir Miles and at least has the same hair color!