Harbinger #15 Discussion

[SJS4]

This thread has been interesting just to see how some people "rate" a comic based on whether it matches their pre-existing notions or bias'. As the line matures i see it popping up more and more in the reviews.

Personally i think it is more enjoyable to not try and come up with what i "think" should happen and just try to enjoy the ride.

[FormerReader]

Great issue! Harbinger has surpassed the original Harbinger in my opinion. I really enjoy Dysart's story telling ability. I would agree with everyone here that someone is controlling them. Kris talking to herself is what obviously made me realize they were not in the real world. I can't wait for the next issue! I don't think Torque is dead.

[Blood of Heroes]

(I'll save my reflections for OTV)

What? Are you too good for the board now? Not everyone listens to your little podcast.

Our podcast is a grip of things, but "little" is not one of them. In our group Jonsey is the runt, he is not not a personage of smallish stature. He also has the angry white dude bald head with fat goatee, which makes him even look bigger.

And then C-lo is the next smallest....... and NO ONE would call the Studsmith small to his face.

[Heath]

I re-read Harbinger (up to the start of Harbinger Wars) over the weekend and something really stood out for me. I don't know if it's coincidence, or planned; foreshadowing or an interesting way of coming full circle with the character. But the first appearance of Torque, in Torquehalla, has him under water. There's this bit of monologue by the character:

"Here's the deal. There's this place I go to. A place only I can see. A dream place, you know? Not to sound all gay, but it lives inside'a me. And there's a road here. And for some reason it's under water. Under the 'Sea Of Woe.' The road is always where I start my kick-*SQUEE* adventures. I don't know why. Just the way it is."

Harbinger #15 started out with them vacationing at the ocean. Then there was Kris warning Kris, "We have to listen to the sea," her hallucination(?) of being engulfed by the sea and attacked by "sea lions" as Torque is listening to a band called Sea Lion...

I'm not sure what it means, if anything. Maybe Torque's beginning and end is related somehow. Maybe not. Anyway, I found it interesting.

I also wanted to say that after re-reading the series from the beginning, I'm even more impressed. I think a LOT of seeds have been sown so far and we're in for a good long ride. My hat is off to Mr. Dysart.

[Chiclo]

(I'll save my reflections for OTV)

What? Are you too good for the board now? Not everyone listens to your little podcast.

Our podcast is a grip of things, but "little" is not one of them. In our group Jonsey is the runt, he is not not a personage of smallish stature. He also has the angry white dude bald head with fat goatee, which makes him even look bigger.

And then C-lo is the next smallest....... and NO ONE would call the Studsmith small to his face.

That's what she said.

[Chiclo]

(I'll save my reflections for OTV)

What? Are you too good for the board now? Not everyone listens to your little podcast.

Our podcast is a grip of things, but "little" is not one of them. In our group Jonsey is the runt, he is not not a personage of smallish stature. He also has the angry white dude bald head with fat goatee, which makes him even look bigger.

And then C-lo is the next smallest....... and NO ONE would call the Studsmith small to his face.

Looks like someone wants to earn the right to name my finishing move.

[The Dirt Gang]

(I'll save my reflections for OTV)

What? Are you too good for the board now? Not everyone listens to your little podcast.

Our podcast is a grip of things, but "little" is not one of them. In our group Jonsey is the runt, he is not not a personage of smallish stature. He also has the angry white dude bald head with fat goatee, which makes him even look bigger.

And then C-lo is the next smallest....... and NO ONE would call the Studsmith small to his face.

[Blood of Heroes]

that's awesome!

[Shadowman99]

Who else noticed the passing hooker in the background?!

[The Dirt Gang]

That image is from Benjamin Marra's USAgent strip in Marvel's Strange Tales II. If you've not read it, I would encourage you to do so. Rafael Grampa's Wolverine is probably my favorite version ever and Michael DeForge has a hilarious 2 pager with Spiderman, Jubliee and Ice Man. Terry Moore's Thor is fantastic and James Stokoe's Galactus is the best since Moebius drew him. There are many great strips.

[Shadowman99]

That image is from Benjamin Marra's USAgent strip in Marvel's Strange Tales II. If you've not read it, I would encourage you to do so. Rafael Grampa's Wolverine is probably my favorite version ever and Michael DeForge has a hilarious 2 pager with Spiderman, Jubliee and Ice Man. Terry Moore's Thor is fantastic and James Stokoe's Galactus is the best since Moebius drew him. There are many great strips.

Does that hooker get a strip?

[Savant]

Whilst we're on the subject, I've suspected all along that Kris was gay, mostly based off what we see of her in issue #1 and the contents of her bookshelf in whatever issue that was in. Thought Dysart just hadn't really bothered to write it into the story much.

I guess I have to be the only person to say that this issue really didn't cut it for me. I thought the art was lazy and spending the whole issue repeatedly thinking "What the hell?" just frustrated me. Kind of felt like I'd wasted my money on this particular issue to be honest, but I realise that this issue is only ever going to work when read in context with the following issue(s), so I'm hoping that whatever comes next will help bring some relevance to issue #15. I'm saying more or less that I can probably only really accept this as a good issue once I've seen how it relates to the bigger picture, and then be able to agree with some of the stuff that's been said in this thread so far about how great the writing is and how good the plot twists and turns are in retrospect. But as a standalone issue, it was just a whole load of "wtf?!", which didn't really make for an enjoyable read.

for the next issue to shed some light on things.

I didn't like the issue, either, and it didn't have much to do with the art. I'd rank this one as the worst issue of Harbinger I've read so far, and it's somewhat disappointing since the title was coming off the heels of the fantastic Harbinger Wars arc.

I generally love character-building issues (Although I don't know if that's accurate with this one, as it seemed to have been a dream or mind-funk sequence), but I felt this issue ranged from dull to annoying. The annoying aspects were the dialogue and what the kids were doing. Granted, they're being depicted as acting the way kids in their age range would probably act, but I had never been bothered by any of the characters in previous issues. Well, Torque has always been an annoying prick, but I wasn't particularly bothered by him in past storylines. In this issue, almost everyone grated on my nerves.

On the other hand, I hadn't cared too much for the last several issues of X-O, but I thought this month's X-O comic was the best since the single digit-numbered issues.

[bygranddesign]

I think the narrative of the story was supposed to be disarming. Its like the episodes of Game Of Thrones “Red Wedding” .. it lulls you to a sense of a normal day but with little clues that things are off kilter like the re-occuring themes, words and images (waves crashing) … and then this feeling of dread of something terrible about to happen – and when it does happen – its even worse then you could have ever imagined.

And the end is just flat out brilliant dialogue.

You juxtapose Kris’s heart warming sentiments that completely disarms torque and all his *SQUEE* camouflage with the absolutely joy that she feels in bashing in torque’s face … - I found it completely compelling and jaw dropingly awesome. You knew something bad was going to happen but what was shocking is how it happened.

[jmatt]

I think the narrative of the story was supposed to be disarming. Its like the episodes of Game Of Thrones “Red Wedding” .. it lulls you to a sense of a normal day .,..

You juxtapose Kris’s heart warming sentiments that completely disarms torque and all his *SQUEE* camouflage with the absolutely joy that she feels in bashing in torque’s face … - I found it completely compelling and jaw dropingly awesome. You knew something bad was going to happen but what was shocking is how it happened.

Well stated. It was shocking issue; and in order to be shocked you first have to be off guard.

[Shadowman99]

And the end is just flat out brilliant dialogue.

You juxtapose Kris’s heart warming sentiments that completely disarms torque and all his *SQUEE* camouflage with the absolutely joy that she feels in bashing in torque’s face...

I thought her "I'm your mum" dialogue was really *SQUEE* sick
If someone started acting all seductive with me and then started talking to me like she's my mum I/she'd be out the door quicker than you can say "The Flash"

[greg]

And the end is just flat out brilliant dialogue.

You juxtapose Kris’s heart warming sentiments that completely disarms torque and all his *SQUEE* camouflage with the absolutely joy that she feels in bashing in torque’s face...

I thought her "I'm your mum" dialogue was really *SQUEE* sick
If someone started acting all seductive with me and then started talking to me like she's my mum I/she'd be out the door quicker than you can say "The Flash"

But in the U.S. 'mum' is a flower.

[jmatt]

If someone started acting all seductive with me and then started talking to me like she's my mum I/she'd be out the door quicker than you can say "The Flash" [/color]

Except of course, ya know, if you were a cripple.

[Blood of Heroes]

If someone started acting all seductive with me and then started talking to me like she's my mum I/she'd be out the door quicker than you can say "The Flash" [/color]

Except of course, ya know, you were a cripple.

[Shadowman99]

If someone started acting all seductive with me and then started talking to me like she's my mum I/she'd be out the door quicker than you can say "The Flash" [/color]

Except of course, ya know, you were a cripple.

Haha, well, then I suppose it'd have to be 'quicker than you could repeat the American Constitution from memory'...

But I'd still haul *SQUEE* one way or another.

[Heath]

Btw, I think Torque's death is real.

I guess we should have known that Torque wasn't really killed in this issue because VEI didn't issue a press release months ahead of time telling us it was going to happen...

[lorddunlow]

Btw, I think Torque's death is real.

I guess we should have known that Torque wasn't really killed in this issue because VEI didn't issue a press release months ahead of time telling us it was going to happen...

[bygranddesign]

Btw, I think Torque's death is real.

I guess we should have known that Torque wasn't really killed in this issue because VEI didn't issue a press release months ahead of time telling us it was going to happen...

I actually was tempted to bump this thread up and express the same sort of disappointment.

This issue has lost a lot of its luster for me. Its still a cool issue but now it lacks much of its substance. Its like finding out the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones was a dream. Instead of this seminal event of great and lasting impact - Its turned into mostly shock for shock value sake only.

This issue (if it was real) would have pushed the envelope of storytelling in making something substantial happen in a shocking way without huge press to spoil it.

But I guess we should have known better. Everything important needs to be properly hyped and marketed.

[leonmallett]

Btw, I think Torque's death is real.

I guess we should have known that Torque wasn't really killed in this issue because VEI didn't issue a press release months ahead of time telling us it was going to happen...

Yep, funny post indeed!

[jmatt]

Btw, I think Torque's death is real.

I guess we should have known that Torque wasn't really killed in this issue because VEI didn't issue a press release months ahead of time telling us it was going to happen...

Good point. I really wish they'd stop doing that.