8FOLD/HCC: Journey Into # 15, Slow Build

[Andrew Perron]

On Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:02:18 +0000 (UTC), Tom Russell wrote:

> For example, he makes his first appearance in SPEAK! # 4, where he
> sounds like a self-absorbed emo tosser; in SPEAK! # 7, on the other
> hand, he's a smart-alecky wise-cracker who makes a tentacle porn joke
> when one of his cohorts gets something shoved up his rectum.  Whereas
> the deeply religious man of JOURNEY INTO... # 3, who in GREEN KNIGHT #
> 3 claims his powers to be a divine gift, wouldn't dare make that sort
> of joke, nor would he be the compelling role model for young black
> manhood that Martin Rock faults the second Darkhorse for not being in
> JOLT CITY # 4.  One goal in this story, without it being a continuity
> porn sort of explain-all-the-holes-away kind of thing, was to create a
> character from this mess who made some kind of sense.

I note that Martin seems to have kind of a rosy perspective of him.  From
this story, he seems kind of arrogant and self-righteous, even taking into
account his disability-seems-like-the-right-word.

> JOLT CITY # 18-25 take place during 2008-- two years, then, before
> this story-- and so if you're wondering things like, "Hey, where did
> that third Darkhorse come from?" or, "When did Dr. Fay invent a
> perpetual motion machine?", don't sweat it.  All will be revealed in
> more-or-less good time.

I was wondering about that. (And wondering wether it'll be this upcoming
arc that drives him into retirement...)

> Speaking of Dr. Fay, you might think Whaley's treatment of the world's
> self-proclaimed most gorgeous mad scientist was a little harsh.

Mmmm, yes, but it's in-character with how he acts otherwise.

> I thought it fit his character, though, and I thought it might be nice
> to offer a different perspective on a character who-- given her
> voracious flirting, constant self-aggrandizement, insane levels of
> competence, and her ability to win the affections and trust of
> seemingly every character she meets, might sometimes come across as
> something out of bad fan-fiction. ;-)

Not at all!  She pulls it off because she has the same effect on the reader
that she does on the characters around her - a hard trick to pull off.
(Besides, the world needs more sassy Muslim women.)

Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, so much good storying this challenge.