NGL, I kinda like the symbolism of Kendal having to literally stab himself to sacrifice his autonomy in this case. Just hope Vash is nice enough to give the body back later
“It CAN’T be you! You’re DEAD!” Tynan
The storm of terror screams.
“How am I supposed to respond to that?”
The divine Vash grins.
“This is a TRICK! You CAN’T be Vash!”
He replies, “We’re gods, Tynan.
We can be anywhere and everywhere our domains hold power”
He smugly explains the plan.
“I still had my vessel and sword,” he says,
“Each could channel a fragment of my power.”
All that he needed to escape the Collector was for
“My vessel to bring them together.”
“Anyway, the mortals might want to look
Away for a bit.” The light
Of radiant blue flames shoots up his blade.
“This part gets pretty bright”.
I don’t know how I feel about this, but I trust Red to make it satisfying.
My bet is that the big downside is that channelling Vash points out exactly where the heroes are to the collector, with the first time being worse because it lets the collector know about them especially Kendall, Alinua, Erin, and Dainix (which is bad for god and primordial reasons).
I also bet that the hero squad is going to have to explain to Vash how important Kendal is to them to get him to give Kendal back the first time. Either that or Vash knows not to risk them all unnecessarily.
I’m getting more and more suspicious that this isn’t the same Vash that the Collector has. I might be wrong, and I probably am wrong since we’ve seen him post-Kendal for a grand total of maybe a scene and my vibes senses have been off many times before, but something just seems… different. Plus, I got the impression that Vash liked Kendal or at least wanted him to continue existing (or at least would be more perturbed about being out + possessing Kendal + in a fight)… My crack theory is this is Vash’s essence powered by Kendal’s expectations of Vash, or something like that.
Then again I could be overcomplicating things and it could just be Vash. The exposition checks out, and powerups that are actually you being processed by another being and require you to stab yourself with your own sword are cool and provide a handy explanation for why you don’t use that powerup every rough spot you get into from now on. I’m excited to find out (and to see if the rest of the floof squad get to talk to Vash after the Tynan fight, that especially)
I love how different Vash and Kendal look just by the way they hold themselves. Here Vash looks so relaxed, like he’s having fun and i’ll be honest i don’t think i’ve seen any character look just as happy as Vash did in the last page. i don’t know how to describe it but Kendal just holds himself differently, like he’s not sure what to do with himself at any given moment and he’s not sure what to do. I’d bet good money alot of us could tell the difference between the two regardless of if you blotted out their eyes or not, and I think that’s amazing. When you can see a character’s personality come through in their posing and body language, that’s when you know the artist is doing it right and i live for it.
Vash: Btw, love the new look; can’t wait to see artwork of me beating you as a dragon.
Cocky raised eyebrow, hand on hip-sword resting on shoulder pose, badass one-liner; yep, that’s Vash alright. Even without the glowing eyes and blue text boxes, you can still plainly tell him and Kendal apart via body language alone.
I can’t see very clearly, but Alinua doesn’t look too happy. Granted, that could be pain from the last remnants of Void she’s healing from, but I think she’s worried about Kendal and what this transformation may have done to him.
@Sunstorm the Budgie Good point, I can’t see Dainix anywhere. Is he trying to reform back into his base form, or could he be waiting in case Vash needs backup fire to beat Tynan? Maybe if the Collector does something in the background Vash may be compromised, needing Dainix’s help to finish Tynan.
This powerup is very cool, but Kendal is dead now, isn’t he? He’s an empty vessel, and Vash is back. No room for individuality. God, this really *was* Roxas all over again…
I think Vash is taking a risk here. Namely the collector might notice. But being Vash, he won’t betray the slightest hint of concern. That said, I expect him to withdraw once Ken Doll is “safe”.
… but… Kendal? Vash, might I remind you that your vessel has its own soul now, which I believed you described as “unique”?
You need to deal with Tynan first? Fair enough. But afterwards we mortals have some questions.
(I love *Vash* Vash is, right down to warning the mortals not to stare at the starfire because it’ll burn their corneas like staring at a solar eclipse. Given his concern for mortals and previous concern for Kendal, I’m sure he’s not going to casually sacrifice Kendal. He just wasn’t privy to the conversation where Kendal chose a name.)
Besides, folks, he’s explaining it to Tynan. Tynan, who probably would stay off the execution with a simple “what?” if Vash had to explain that Kendal is basically as close to a son as any god has managed to produce. Vash is Keeping It Simple, Stupid. Stupid in this case is Tynan.
Erin is no longer paralyzing himself, which means that The Void Dragon has fully retreated (Erin’s eyes are back to normal). Tess likely has several strongly worded questions for her genius pompous nitwit of a brother.
Falst rushed over to stand by Alinua! I love how this arc has forged a bond between the two; they’ve both been isolated for huge portions of their lives, so them finding kinship in each other feels especially heartwarming!
Oh goodness, I’m a little worried about the Kendal situation, and I can’t help feeling bad for Alinua. But I also can’t help enjoying this scene with Vash, his energetic nature and love for life are contagious (it also helps in no small part just how generally awesome he is)
@Stargazing bookwyrm What amuses me is now Vash so causally explains what just went on to Tynon like a child before he gives Tynon the beat down Tynon the beatdown it so richly deserves… Well done Red! So bold! Never let your audience see you sweat! Especially when you are!
“Never let your audience see you sweat! Especially when you are”
Journeymen carpenters in the NYC DCC are taught this but instead of Audience;
Foreman, customer is the phrase used to explain this technique being applied to skilled manual labor
@Dusty yes, hopefully Vash is nice enough to do that, because otherwise Kendal is going to be a trifle sore from the Floof Squad beating Vash into submission
I’m thinking Vash’s soul is still with the Collector, it’s just now Kendal is able to channel and be ‘taken over’ by Vash, similar to Erin’s relationship with the Misbehaving Kitten. Kendal’s still in there, and definately coming back… as Vash said before, his soul is UNIQUE, and he’s also the only living creature he’s still bound to.
A bit off topic, but it just hit that it’s a good thing Tynan likes grandstanding in person.
Imagine, just for a bit, if he’d chosen to 1), make one in-person appearance, 2), deluge the city to get people moving, and then 3), drop Calgary’s 2020 hailstorm on the evacuation route.
It’s probably just his hair, but it looks like Erin is glaring at Vash. It’s definately Erin again. I suspect that since Alinua wasn’t there to scare Walter off, he just left so that Erin would be able to defend himself instead of paralyzing himself.
I don’t think it’s all that much of a deus ex machina, at least in the literary sense, given that you could argue Vash has gotten his domain back with all of the people hoping he will win
@Ziggy: Does Vash actually know Kendal picked a name? IIRC, the one time they actually talked was during Kendal’s dream excursion, and I don’t think it got mentioned there. Most of the other gods seem to have learned it, but I don’t know if Vash has access to that kind of information in his current predicament?
Couple questions: does the amount of influence relate to how much power the god has? Because if it does, Vash could easily get in over his head, using more energy than necessary because he hasn’t … Internalized, I guess, that he’s only working with a fraction of his power? Idk. Probably this fight has gone on long enough that Vash’ll be able to end it, not to mention Tynan is already drained, so… yeah.
First of all, for those who asked, I reread the dream sequence with Vash in Chapter 11, and can confirm that Vash never says Kendal’s name during that scene, so it is totally possible that he just doesn’t know that Kendal chose one, and is using “my vessel” as a convenient descriptor as opposed to being out of malice or to make a point.
Also, I just noticed that Alinua & Falst and Erin & Tess’ positions in panels 5 and 6 kind of mirror each other, with one being kind of down for the count, and the other trying to help them up, with both pairs taking on similar positions to each other. I don’t know if it was intentional or meant to imply anything, but I think it’s just neat. Plus, it’s good to know that everyone seems to be more or less okay right now at least (except Dainix, I don’t know what happened to him after the Tynan blast.)
I absolutely adore Tynan’s angry kitty pose in panel 3. I also adore Vash’s liberal use of superhero poses. Finally, the devastated expressions of all of Kendal’s friends makes me really want this to wrap up quickly so they can hopefully be reassured that he’ll be alright.
There once was a storm-god kitty
Who had a face-off with Vash the Witty.
He lost his command
‘Cause he couldn’t understand
How Vash was alive without his city.
And yes, as awesome as Kendal is, Vash is just as awesome in a totally different way.
OK, hear me out, that’s not vash, but rather a deficit incarnation in Kendall body fueled by his power and the sword, which takes the form of what the nearby mortal belief of vast is, including starfish, Utter nonchalance, and a witty one liner. The collector makes good soulcages but if this was an independent manifestation that’s not an issue, and that lecture could easily be extrapolation from vash’s memories, which kendal can access (like in the windcrest arc)
Assuming that in reaction to recent events Alinua decides she wants to chuck an object at Vash, Kendal, or both of them (body-swapping aside), what random, non-lethal item would you hand her for said throwing?
(Apologies for the delay, I forgot I hadn’t posted yet today. Yesterday. This awake cycle. The clock rolled over and I’m tired :P)
@Skye, my first thought is a watering can just because those are fun to see thrown at people and no matter what is thrown, I now have a very clear image of Alinua looking at Kendal very angrily, chucking the item, Kendal looking kind of confused and rubbing his head after being hit and then Alinua rushing up and hugging him `\(‘_’)/`
wait, the last time we saw Tess (which was only like two pages ago) she was on the complete opposite side of the battlefield, how/when did she get to Erin? my only plausible guess is that she lightninged over, but I’m kinda surprised she did that while the current events have been happening
I looked back to see the first couple of pages because of Vash’s reappearance, and can we take a second to appreciate the art evolution? Like, the colors in the first couple pages are so *flat* compared to what’s currently happening and I just think that’s cool.
Hmm, I bet this will go in one of two ways:
a) this ‘visit’ by Vash is decidedly temporary, it’s quite possible that while he can temporarily do this, the Collector’s trap will pull him back regardless, or
b) this ‘Vash’ is more of a hybrid, as in, it’s certainly Vash, but losing his city, his domain, being trapped by the Collector and reintigrating with Kendal’s memories.
Basically, I bet this is either a ‘new’ Vash/Kendal hybrid, or this is temporary XD
Alt text: “that seems like an appropriate amount of exposition to justify a literal deus ex machina”
Image source is “mortals.”
Hmm, he calls Kendal “my vessel” instead of using his name.
Well Erin looks fully back, which is great. Tess looks really worried about him. There’s going to be an emotional sibling talk after this
I wonder where Dainix is?
Yess! Vash talk is badass and fun and *I love it*
Vash giving Tynan, a fellow god, a lecture on how godhood works, amuses me greatly for reasons I don’t really understand.
I feel the Collector is about to get cranky about her god-prisoner escaping
Two joins back to one.
Now that that’s all said and done…
Vash gets to have fun!
NGL, I kinda like the symbolism of Kendal having to literally stab himself to sacrifice his autonomy in this case. Just hope Vash is nice enough to give the body back later
Vash: Hello naughty Tynan it’s murder time
Yeah no, this isn’t permanent.
And it’s definitely going to be a “careful not to do it to often” type thing, otherwise the collector will come after Kendal.
Kendal was trying to beat Tynan with an act of god. Now Tynan is about to get whooped by an active god.
@Ziggy
It would be a bit confusing if Vash called Kendal by name. Kendal named himself after the sword so it’d be hard to tell which was which.
Magic man
“It CAN’T be you! You’re DEAD!” Tynan
The storm of terror screams.
“How am I supposed to respond to that?”
The divine Vash grins.
“This is a TRICK! You CAN’T be Vash!”
He replies, “We’re gods, Tynan.
We can be anywhere and everywhere our domains hold power”
He smugly explains the plan.
“I still had my vessel and sword,” he says,
“Each could channel a fragment of my power.”
All that he needed to escape the Collector was for
“My vessel to bring them together.”
“Anyway, the mortals might want to look
Away for a bit.” The light
Of radiant blue flames shoots up his blade.
“This part gets pretty bright”.
I don’t know how I feel about this, but I trust Red to make it satisfying.
My bet is that the big downside is that channelling Vash points out exactly where the heroes are to the collector, with the first time being worse because it lets the collector know about them especially Kendall, Alinua, Erin, and Dainix (which is bad for god and primordial reasons).
I also bet that the hero squad is going to have to explain to Vash how important Kendal is to them to get him to give Kendal back the first time. Either that or Vash knows not to risk them all unnecessarily.
I’m getting more and more suspicious that this isn’t the same Vash that the Collector has. I might be wrong, and I probably am wrong since we’ve seen him post-Kendal for a grand total of maybe a scene and my vibes senses have been off many times before, but something just seems… different. Plus, I got the impression that Vash liked Kendal or at least wanted him to continue existing (or at least would be more perturbed about being out + possessing Kendal + in a fight)… My crack theory is this is Vash’s essence powered by Kendal’s expectations of Vash, or something like that.
Then again I could be overcomplicating things and it could just be Vash. The exposition checks out, and powerups that are actually you being processed by another being and require you to stab yourself with your own sword are cool and provide a handy explanation for why you don’t use that powerup every rough spot you get into from now on. I’m excited to find out (and to see if the rest of the floof squad get to talk to Vash after the Tynan fight, that especially)
I love how different Vash and Kendal look just by the way they hold themselves. Here Vash looks so relaxed, like he’s having fun and i’ll be honest i don’t think i’ve seen any character look just as happy as Vash did in the last page. i don’t know how to describe it but Kendal just holds himself differently, like he’s not sure what to do with himself at any given moment and he’s not sure what to do. I’d bet good money alot of us could tell the difference between the two regardless of if you blotted out their eyes or not, and I think that’s amazing. When you can see a character’s personality come through in their posing and body language, that’s when you know the artist is doing it right and i live for it.
And, Vash does a superhero landing!
@SerifStones
It is the relaxed way Vash holds his sword. Even when he unsheathes it, Kendal never holds it that casually.
So basically…
Vash: My death was… greatly exaggerated
Vash: Btw, love the new look; can’t wait to see artwork of me beating you as a dragon.
Cocky raised eyebrow, hand on hip-sword resting on shoulder pose, badass one-liner; yep, that’s Vash alright. Even without the glowing eyes and blue text boxes, you can still plainly tell him and Kendal apart via body language alone.
I can’t see very clearly, but Alinua doesn’t look too happy. Granted, that could be pain from the last remnants of Void she’s healing from, but I think she’s worried about Kendal and what this transformation may have done to him.
@Sunstorm the Budgie Good point, I can’t see Dainix anywhere. Is he trying to reform back into his base form, or could he be waiting in case Vash needs backup fire to beat Tynan? Maybe if the Collector does something in the background Vash may be compromised, needing Dainix’s help to finish Tynan.
わあああ！かっこいいです！
This powerup is very cool, but Kendal is dead now, isn’t he? He’s an empty vessel, and Vash is back. No room for individuality. God, this really *was* Roxas all over again…
Deus ex kendal. Man I’m excited to see how vash will interact with alinua etc!
I think Vash is taking a risk here. Namely the collector might notice. But being Vash, he won’t betray the slightest hint of concern. That said, I expect him to withdraw once Ken Doll is “safe”.
… but… Kendal? Vash, might I remind you that your vessel has its own soul now, which I believed you described as “unique”?
You need to deal with Tynan first? Fair enough. But afterwards we mortals have some questions.
(I love *Vash* Vash is, right down to warning the mortals not to stare at the starfire because it’ll burn their corneas like staring at a solar eclipse. Given his concern for mortals and previous concern for Kendal, I’m sure he’s not going to casually sacrifice Kendal. He just wasn’t privy to the conversation where Kendal chose a name.)
Besides, folks, he’s explaining it to Tynan. Tynan, who probably would stay off the execution with a simple “what?” if Vash had to explain that Kendal is basically as close to a son as any god has managed to produce. Vash is Keeping It Simple, Stupid. Stupid in this case is Tynan.
Vash: “Omae we mou shindeiru.”
Tynan: “NANI!?”
Erin is no longer paralyzing himself, which means that The Void Dragon has fully retreated (Erin’s eyes are back to normal). Tess likely has several strongly worded questions for her genius pompous nitwit of a brother.
Falst rushed over to stand by Alinua! I love how this arc has forged a bond between the two; they’ve both been isolated for huge portions of their lives, so them finding kinship in each other feels especially heartwarming!
Oh goodness, I’m a little worried about the Kendal situation, and I can’t help feeling bad for Alinua. But I also can’t help enjoying this scene with Vash, his energetic nature and love for life are contagious (it also helps in no small part just how generally awesome he is)
Vash returns! With the power of Kendal and… uh… Kendal.
I bet Kendal winds up becoming the intelligence of the sword that he’s already named after
@Stargazing bookwyrm What amuses me is now Vash so causally explains what just went on to Tynon like a child before he gives Tynon the beat down Tynon the beatdown it so richly deserves… Well done Red! So bold! Never let your audience see you sweat! Especially when you are!
Everyone else’s expressions: “hi, uh, glowy god dude, can we… have him back after this please”
“Never let your audience see you sweat! Especially when you are”
Journeymen carpenters in the NYC DCC are taught this but instead of Audience;
Foreman, customer is the phrase used to explain this technique being applied to skilled manual labor
@Dusty yes, hopefully Vash is nice enough to do that, because otherwise Kendal is going to be a trifle sore from the Floof Squad beating Vash into submission
gotta give props for making the first-ever super-powered hero side trope. Wait (spends the rest of the day thinking if that’s true).
I’m thinking Vash’s soul is still with the Collector, it’s just now Kendal is able to channel and be ‘taken over’ by Vash, similar to Erin’s relationship with the Misbehaving Kitten. Kendal’s still in there, and definately coming back… as Vash said before, his soul is UNIQUE, and he’s also the only living creature he’s still bound to.
I can only imagine this ending with Alinua bitch-slapping Vash and demanding her friend back so she can yell at him.
A bit off topic, but it just hit that it’s a good thing Tynan likes grandstanding in person.
Imagine, just for a bit, if he’d chosen to 1), make one in-person appearance, 2), deluge the city to get people moving, and then 3), drop Calgary’s 2020 hailstorm on the evacuation route.
*shudders*
oh my gods. I love Vash. He’s fantastic.
It’s probably just his hair, but it looks like Erin is glaring at Vash. It’s definately Erin again. I suspect that since Alinua wasn’t there to scare Walter off, he just left so that Erin would be able to defend himself instead of paralyzing himself.
Well I’m really late, sorry 🙁
All he needed was their forces combined
Vash is back, and for battles alined
Let’s hope the other shoe doesn’t drop until AFTER Kendal kicks Tynan’s ass.
Dragon Tynan is so cute omg
also more of a Deus Ex Machairiá
… God from the Stab
“The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated”
quite literal deus ex machina
I don’t think it’s all that much of a deus ex machina, at least in the literary sense, given that you could argue Vash has gotten his domain back with all of the people hoping he will win
i wonder what vash sounds like
@Ziggy: Does Vash actually know Kendal picked a name? IIRC, the one time they actually talked was during Kendal’s dream excursion, and I don’t think it got mentioned there. Most of the other gods seem to have learned it, but I don’t know if Vash has access to that kind of information in his current predicament?
Couple questions: does the amount of influence relate to how much power the god has? Because if it does, Vash could easily get in over his head, using more energy than necessary because he hasn’t … Internalized, I guess, that he’s only working with a fraction of his power? Idk. Probably this fight has gone on long enough that Vash’ll be able to end it, not to mention Tynan is already drained, so… yeah.
@Red, we need a wallpaper version of the last panel ASAP
First of all, for those who asked, I reread the dream sequence with Vash in Chapter 11, and can confirm that Vash never says Kendal’s name during that scene, so it is totally possible that he just doesn’t know that Kendal chose one, and is using “my vessel” as a convenient descriptor as opposed to being out of malice or to make a point.
Also, I just noticed that Alinua & Falst and Erin & Tess’ positions in panels 5 and 6 kind of mirror each other, with one being kind of down for the count, and the other trying to help them up, with both pairs taking on similar positions to each other. I don’t know if it was intentional or meant to imply anything, but I think it’s just neat. Plus, it’s good to know that everyone seems to be more or less okay right now at least (except Dainix, I don’t know what happened to him after the Tynan blast.)
… it sure does Sound Like he’s free from The Collector now, but… we’ll have to see if Vash sticks around after the fight.
I absolutely adore Tynan’s angry kitty pose in panel 3. I also adore Vash’s liberal use of superhero poses. Finally, the devastated expressions of all of Kendal’s friends makes me really want this to wrap up quickly so they can hopefully be reassured that he’ll be alright.
There once was a storm-god kitty
Who had a face-off with Vash the Witty.
He lost his command
‘Cause he couldn’t understand
How Vash was alive without his city.
And yes, as awesome as Kendal is, Vash is just as awesome in a totally different way.
I feel like Alinua is going to try and bargain with Vash after the fight to somehow bring Kendal back
OK, hear me out, that’s not vash, but rather a deficit incarnation in Kendall body fueled by his power and the sword, which takes the form of what the nearby mortal belief of vast is, including starfish, Utter nonchalance, and a witty one liner. The collector makes good soulcages but if this was an independent manifestation that’s not an issue, and that lecture could easily be extrapolation from vash’s memories, which kendal can access (like in the windcrest arc)
Edit: distinct, not deficit in regards to my previous post
@everyone, Which character is the most good-looking?
Question of the Day:
Assuming that in reaction to recent events Alinua decides she wants to chuck an object at Vash, Kendal, or both of them (body-swapping aside), what random, non-lethal item would you hand her for said throwing?
(Apologies for the delay, I forgot I hadn’t posted yet today. Yesterday. This awake cycle. The clock rolled over and I’m tired :P)
@Skye, my first thought is a watering can just because those are fun to see thrown at people and no matter what is thrown, I now have a very clear image of Alinua looking at Kendal very angrily, chucking the item, Kendal looking kind of confused and rubbing his head after being hit and then Alinua rushing up and hugging him `\(‘_’)/`
wait, the last time we saw Tess (which was only like two pages ago) she was on the complete opposite side of the battlefield, how/when did she get to Erin? my only plausible guess is that she lightninged over, but I’m kinda surprised she did that while the current events have been happening
Tess’s face is giving me concern + wtf Erin and I love it
Okay, if no one in the background is going to hold up a boombox or whatever and blast Led Zepplin’s Immigrant Song at full volume, then we riot.
@Sorcerer Pizza Supreme, YES. I can already hear it playing the last panel
yeah, that’s a line that definitely precedes a “DON’T LOOK MARION”
TL;DR: Look away, I’m about to decimate this fool.
@Skye a hackey-sack or some sort of little plush ball. Mildly painful, but no lasting harm.
I looked back to see the first couple of pages because of Vash’s reappearance, and can we take a second to appreciate the art evolution? Like, the colors in the first couple pages are so *flat* compared to what’s currently happening and I just think that’s cool.
Hmm, I bet this will go in one of two ways:
a) this ‘visit’ by Vash is decidedly temporary, it’s quite possible that while he can temporarily do this, the Collector’s trap will pull him back regardless, or
b) this ‘Vash’ is more of a hybrid, as in, it’s certainly Vash, but losing his city, his domain, being trapped by the Collector and reintigrating with Kendal’s memories.
Basically, I bet this is either a ‘new’ Vash/Kendal hybrid, or this is temporary XD
Don’t mind me posting a comment here while waiting for the next page…
To Skye: the shreds of his shirt (may it rest in peace)
“But you’re dead!”
“I was, I got better.”
But, How does Vash have so much power, still….without his city? … o.O
The real “the kaiju fight” ?? More like a beat-down! =D
As Hello Future Me once said: “FEAR NOT MORTALS!”
Kaiju fight is getting pretty anime with the infodumps lol
Missed opportunity for “My death was greatly exagerated”