|
Don't knock a talent for cheap shots, either. They get results.
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2015 08:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 19, 2024 07:38 |
|
|
Can't forget Spender kind of had no idea what was even happening in the fight with Forge. It was mostly miscommunication and machismo that led to them duking it out at all, which is its own kind of incompetence. Compare Isaac and the Sphinx, with Isaac doing everything he could to avoid escalating the conflict (and even noted non-pacifist Max recognizing that Isaac getting violent was a poor solution), and it eventually was resolved by pointing out a logical inconsistency. And the Sphinx wanted to eat them. Forge was attending to business entirely unrelated (which, admittedly, Spender seemed to both understand and think was not what Forge believed it to be.) ... I get why Zach compared Paranatural to X-Men, because he plants plot seeds the way Claremont did in the Bronze Age. You come away with the impression that all these passing little glimpses of bigger pictures are building to something, and we'll come to them, some time after the current thing. Right now the current thing is hit ball, but it's always something. It flows. The character stuff keeps you week to week, and the impression that something is happening keeps you looking to the future. It's great. Paranatural is great. Life is beautiful.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2015 09:38
|
|
|
Yeah, Spender's need to be the Hard Man Making Hard Choices has led him to making a bunch of hard choices that weren't actually necessary, like fighting to the death with Forge, who he should have been able to make into an ally, and leaving his students in mortal peril to do so, leading to the effective destruction of a team member (not that Spender noticed or cared). He's also keeping secrets from Isaac for some reason in a way that's leaving his most powerful and unbalanced charge increasingly alienated, which is almost certainly a bigger problem than whatever basic data Spender wants to keep away from the storm spirit. Spender is technically competent in pretty much every area. He is bad at his job not because he isn't good at it, but because he continues to make incredibly bad decisions.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2015 16:24
|
|
|
He's the talented but immature anime protagonist who thinks he's grown up to be the cool and wise leader but hasn't.
|
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2015 17:07
|
|
|
I actually think Spender's self-esteem is quite a bit lower than that, and his bumbling comes from overcompensating.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2015 17:28
|
|
|
pik_d posted:New comic! It's on time!! Cody is going to call Jeff his nakama, isn't he? I can smell it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2015 18:13
|
|
|
Nephthys posted:I actually think Spender's self-esteem is quite a bit lower than that, and his bumbling comes from overcompensating. I agree, I don't think Spender has that high of an opinion of himself. Francisco's presence is pretty grounding for him and Lucifer is always there to give him the harshest of truths.
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2015 21:34
|
|
|
Nephthys posted:I actually think Spender's self-esteem is quite a bit lower than that, and his bumbling comes from overcompensating. He's a grown man who has shown basically zero ability to forge (no pun intended) or maintain meaningful relationships with his age group and peers. Who compensates by finding potentially at-risk children with unique life conditions and, using his position of authority, forces said children to spend time with him and do as he tells them. Even when it (often) means putting them in serious danger, usually due to callous negligence on his part. All while enforcing a strict code of secrecy about their private activities, even and especially as it relates to proper authorities who might be able to actually help them. Spender's kind of a mess, and a bit of a terrible person. Based on the end of the last chapter I'm pretty sure it's going to disastrously bite him in the rear end at some point. Possibly in the near future, for a given value of near.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 07:38
|
|
|
Old Man Guerra trusts his granddaughter with Spender, and despite saying otherwise obviously has some level of respect for him, so Spender isn't a complete failure and train wreck. But yeah, I'll agree that his self-imposed vows of secrecy and isolation from his peers is a major flaw that has and will continue to get him into major trouble.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 13:42
|
|
|
Who What Now posted:Old Man Guerra trusts his granddaughter with Spender, and despite saying otherwise obviously has some level of respect for him, so Spender isn't a complete failure and train wreck. But yeah, I'll agree that his self-imposed vows of secrecy and isolation from his peers is a major flaw that has and will continue to get him into major trouble. Yeah, Guerra telling that he respects his skill to his face is telling. That might even be his way of saying, have some drat confidence as that's probably what Spender lacks the most. At least it seems that way given that he seems fixated on approval from both his spirit and Guerra. It probably doesn't help that Lucy is probably always knocking him down a peg. Maybe, Spender is probably a product of the current teaching/consortium training system, dealing with all those overwhelming personalities. Clearly it's Max's future if he ever succumbs to the anime. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 13:57
|
|
|
Given Isabel's own issues with her grandfather, it's rather likely Francisco's not the best teacher (in terms of personability and such at least) either. Also, in regards to the thing about kids a few posts up, if nothing else Spender's guidance is probably better than none for spectral kids; imagine seeing all that crap and having no idea what any of it is or ever receiving any explanation. And then getting eaten by some evil cat. That would suck. (And for the "forces" them thing, joining the Activity Club is optional, as stated in the first chapter. Also since we're speculating that Dmitri left, well.)
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 15:40
|
|
|
I definitely don't think we're supposed to view Spender as a bad person yeah. He's portrayed as bumbling, absentminded, and melodramatic, but never cruel or openly uncaring. Like people said, those are the characteristics of a protagonist who is still coming into their own. If anything, Spender is supposed to come across as an unfortunate goof who's in over his head, someone we can empathize with. But he keeps loving up, so I sorta feel that Zack (who clearly likes Spender quite a bit - and not as a villain - if you read any of his social media) is starting to wear out the reader's patience in Spender actually being a decent guy because he sure hasn't been showing us that.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 18:14
|
|
|
Countblanc posted:I definitely don't think we're supposed to view Spender as a bad person yeah. He's portrayed as bumbling, absentminded, and melodramatic, but never cruel or openly uncaring. Like people said, those are the characteristics of a protagonist who is still coming into their own. If anything, Spender is supposed to come across as an unfortunate goof who's in over his head, someone we can empathize with. Spender isn't a bad person, he's just kind of a lovely one.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 18:23
|
|
|
Prawn Salad posted:Spender isn't a bad person, he's just kind of a lovely one. Yeah, nothing about him really reads as villain. If anything he's trying to be the cool anti-hero but is failing at it. I think he's pretty sympathetic, especially since his mentors treat him terribly most of the time apparently.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 18:29
|
|
|
Countblanc posted:But he keeps loving up, so I sorta feel that Zack (who clearly likes Spender quite a bit - and not as a villain - if you read any of his social media) is starting to wear out the reader's patience in Spender actually being a decent guy because he sure hasn't been showing us that. I hate to keep bringing this up but I really this is just a pacing issue. Spender has been around for years but this is like Max's first week at school and Spender isn't around this adventure, we can't explore his entire character arc in one adventure.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 18:55
|
|
|
Yeah, this is only like Max's third or fourth day at school, and the story started with his first. The story arcs of paranatural are just beginning. Webcomic pacing.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 20:04
|
|
|
Prawn Salad posted:Spender isn't a bad person, he's just kind of a lovely one. I'm just waiting for Francisco to recover Eightfold and find out what happened on that train.
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2015 20:39
|
|
|
Webcomic pacing is my only critique of Parantural, because it's a lot of fun, well-written and well-drawn but the scope of story he's been staking out over several years is not one he can likely reasonably complete. It's been 350 pages over 4 years and I'd hazard we couldn't be more than a quarter of the way through - is Zack going to keep making Parantural for another 12 years? As a webcomic, Parantural might work better with a faster pace, with arcs and sequences that don't last longer than a dozen pages, skipping ahead days at a time and communicating more of the consequences from these big scenes with hints. Or, the story he's telling might work better as a novel with plenty of room to explore scenes like this hitball battle without having to worry about the art making it take months to complete. If this were some big commercial venture it'd make a great animated T.V. show. Of course, as it's Zack's own project and he's having fun with it he's free to do what he likes and write it for as long as he wants (even if it's another dozen years) and he certainly doesn't owe anyone anything. I just find it hard to be sure that all the cool stuff he's setting up he'll actually have time to get to.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2015 01:06
|
|
|
Gunnerkrigg Court turned 10 this year. It's not inconceivable for story driven webcomics to last a long time without wearing out their welcome. (I realize your point was more about Zach's willingness to go for that long.)
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2015 01:23
|
|
|
If Zach has likened Paranatural to X-Men, then does that mean that Spender is Cyclops? 
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2015 02:55
|
|
|
Tupperwarez posted:If Zach has likened Paranatural to X-Men, then does that mean that Spender is Cyclops? Professor X. But with less crushes on his students.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2015 03:07
|
|
|
Spender's more like 80's Magneto when he was in charge of the New Mutants
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2015 04:26
|
|
|
Keromaru5 posted:Spender's more like 80's Magneto when he was in charge of the New Mutants But Max is Magneto...
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2015 15:53
|
|
|
So hungry for that update.... I'm starvin' here.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2015 15:43
|
|
|
Rotten Cookies posted:So hungry for that update.... I'm starvin' here. Let the anime flow free
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2015 17:00
|
|
|
The student council might as well be the Spender Fan-Club for how much unnecessary effort they go through to try and be cool.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2015 17:05
|
|
|
Dimitri, Max and Johnny are slowly fusing together.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2015 17:25
|
|
|
Blackheart posted:Dimitri, Max and Johnny are slowly fusing together. Imagine if Max with his magnet-snake-bat fused with Johnny and his soon to manifest Forge powers did a fusion dance. They'd be like, super goddamn powerful. Come on Zach, go maximum anime, do a fusion dance. And a tournament arc.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2015 18:19
|
|
|
red plastic cup posted:The student council might as well be the Spender Fan-Club for how much unnecessary effort they go through to try and be cool.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2015 18:41
|
|
|
I'm genuinely surprised the Student Council President (?) didn't botch the landing like Spender did.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2015 22:01
|
|
|
Hmm. The bit with the rectangles might be a JoJo part 7 reference. Golden rectangles are kind of a thing there.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2015 06:38
|
|
|
this is getting a bit too anime. also a bit too many featureless backgrounds
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 02:31
|
|
|
Cody being a dweeb makes his friendship with Jeff super the best. 'Cause Cody could easily be a cool kid, and hang out with other cool kids? He's affable, socially competent, conventionally attractive, and laughably good at sports. But, at heart, he's a huge dork. Jeff is his people. idk I just think it's great. Dork bros.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 06:36
|
|
|
See though, that's the thing. He is one of the cool kids. He's just one that's intensely dorky, painfully sincere and bffsies4lyfe with a massive nerd. Which is also pretty great, I think.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 07:01
|
|
|
Cody is the best character in a comic full of best characters.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 07:42
|
|
|
A big flaming stink posted:this is getting a bit too anime. also a bit too many featureless backgrounds I was not consciously aware of the background until I read your post
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 07:51
|
|
|
If you didn't get the clue way back when Spender got a sparkle of light on his shades while pushing them up and then threw it like a ninja star I really don't know what to tell you. poo poo's been anime forever.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 08:17
|
|
|
A big flaming stink posted:this is getting a bit too anime. also a bit too many featureless backgrounds So there needs to be an elaborate background to distract from the action because...???
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 17:37
|
|
|
Probably Magic posted:So there needs to be an elaborate background to distract from the action because...??? There doesn't, but it's something you notice if you go looking for it. Particularly if you compare the latest pages to his earlier chapters: http://www.paranatural.net/comic/chapter-2-page-20 It's not so much a "problem" as it is "something that could be better".
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 21:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 19, 2024 07:38 |
|
|
readingatwork posted:There doesn't, but it's something you notice if you go looking for it. Particularly if you compare the latest pages to his earlier chapters: that's hardly a fair comparison page I mean two pages later: http://www.paranatural.net/comic/chapter-2-page-22 full of no background panels
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2015 23:06
|
|
