We haven’t found out yet why a pointy-toothed hyena god took the form of a little *snap * crunch * chew * chew * chew * swallow * spit out feathers* -type bird anyway. He could have picked the form of a vulture, a raven or even a carrion crow. If there is a reason, perhaps an explanation will be coming up.
@the unclean one “the potential for an awesome ending” ?!? What were you expecting a sudden sea change in the awesomeness of the comic at this late date. I think most of us are waiting (semi-patiently) to experience Ursula’s amazing conclusion. Not that we would not rather have the continuing adventures of Digger for some time yet.
Is it possible that the little bird form taken by He-Is and the little white bird from which Shadow was born are one and the same? Dead gods, dead birds…
@Madam Atom: Well, she’s not blindly following him. It’s just that he seems to know where he’s going and he has the only light source. The former might help get her to Ed; the latter WILL help. If nothing else, it provides her with some help getting down off that ledge.
Hi Kingfisher! I think this is one of my favorite pages, just because of that pretty glowy little bird. We’ve seen that little bird before, and luckily the comments reminded me where!
He-is showed as a bird when loosing his freedom under sweetgrass spell.
If SGV is out for the count he might be able to show himself like the white bird one final time before parting forever.
Now, this does not explain what he wants to show Digger, does it? š
Okay, I think the little birdy might be a signal from Shadolecent. you know “Walk this way! Talk this way!” Except you probably don’t want to yell that out when there’s a bunch of Cold Ones milling around in complete darkness.
Okay Confession time. I’ve read this series through a couple of times, and it never dawned on me that a King Fisher was a bird. I am certain that it was said through the course of the story, in dialogue, and picture. But! I had it in my brain that a King Fisher was a kind of prawn, you know, like a crawdad or something. Wow I had a completely different family of critter.
And…its a bird. My first thought was, “where in the world did the bird come from?” and then it moved to, “oh, hey, wasn’t there an important bird reference or two earlier in the comic?” I just love how stuff happening how is related to events that were mentioned ages and ages (and ages and ages and ages) ago, like the heart turning into a kingfisher thing (although now it makes me wonder exactly whose skins the skins are wearing).
But why oh why is it a Thursday today? Can’t wait for the next page! And Ed! I hope Ed is okay!!!
” We bound the god’s death into the shackles…and we bound the demon’s death to his”, so I think we can count SGV out There’s not much evidence that he had a heart, let alone one that would come back as a bird. http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=699
*re-reads all the linked pages, just incase…* … Sounds about right. And if that heart fell from high enough, it just ought to have killed poor He-is.
I’M still waiting for Sweetgrass Voice to come out and collapse the cavern in his death throes. I’m sorry, but this is hours and hours of reading and digesting tropes for my own use talking. I don’t really want the characters to die. :S
http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=727 said that breaking the chain would be enough to do everything necessary. So, we can be comfortable knowing that He-is and SGV are destroyed. But given how little we know about how gods die (and how/whether they are reborn), there’s no telling where the kingfisher came from.
I always expected that it was a prophetic reference, and that the tunnel had moved digger through time somehow and that she was going to end up completing something that had already happened. the hedgehog would be a misinterpretation of the wombat, since they were not known there. the ghost of the dead bird would have been the shadow.
but maybe not. the king fisher is pretty clearly the heart of He Is, so I guess we’ll just hold tight and see how the end game plays out, but i keep expeting shadow to show up and have its bird-origins be relevant somehow.
A glowing kookaburra. (Or some kind of kingfisher anyway). Well, that’s a surprise.
Wow. Who sent that?
I get the feelign I’ve seen that bird before….
Easily one of my new favorite pages. Oh man!
He-is can manifest as a kingfisher, can’t he?
…..kingfisher?
It’s He-Is! Or He-Is’s ghost, mebbe? (do gods have ghosts?) Didn’t he come to the temple in the form of a kingfisher?
Glowy bird is glowy.
Hey, look, the First Eaten’s ghost.
He-is?
Hmm.. I wonder if this would at all be related to the white bird that Shadow hatched out of…?
@Sparky – I just hope it isn’t Ed’s ghost.
@Robin – That was my first thought as well.
The result of the union of a Kingfisher and a Phoenix…?
Come on its just a common phosphoresent subterainen kingfisher.
you see them all the time.
or at least I do.
Vote http://topwebcomics.com/gpages/default.aspx?id=10180
I love how after everything Digger has been through, now she’s just like, “Oh. Okay.”
Recall that he-is first appeared at (the site that would later become) Ganesh’s temple in the form of a Bird when he asked to be buried, chained etc…
Do gods have ghosts?!
Kookaburra?
Maybe he’s taking her to Ed! I hope he’s ok!
We haven’t found out yet why a pointy-toothed hyena god took the form of a little *snap * crunch * chew * chew * chew * swallow * spit out feathers* -type bird anyway. He could have picked the form of a vulture, a raven or even a carrion crow. If there is a reason, perhaps an explanation will be coming up.
lost in the dark……digging for light……..mysterious source of light
why do i suddenly have the strangest sense of deja vu
(this has the potential for an awesome ending)
@the unclean one “the potential for an awesome ending” ?!? What were you expecting a sudden sea change in the awesomeness of the comic at this late date. I think most of us are waiting (semi-patiently) to experience Ursula’s amazing conclusion. Not that we would not rather have the continuing adventures of Digger for some time yet.
Is it possible that the little bird form taken by He-Is and the little white bird from which Shadow was born are one and the same? Dead gods, dead birds…
I hope this means that He-is is free of SGV.
Cool, glowing bird guide!
Ursula turned the lights out just so she could do these delightful hatchings she uses for the bird-glow effect.
So Digger’s gone from taking the advice of a god’s carved representation to actually following a god around. Her family would be SO disappointed. š
Hello, He-Is. It’s nice to see you feeling like yourself … even if “yourself” looks a bit like a prey species at the moment.
@Madam Atom: Well, she’s not blindly following him. It’s just that he seems to know where he’s going and he has the only light source. The former might help get her to Ed; the latter WILL help. If nothing else, it provides her with some help getting down off that ledge.
He-is should have been a canary.
amirite
Much better than my feeble imagination.This comic rocks.
I’m hoping for He-Is as well.
@clay: You, too? Awesome, it’s not just me!
It was worth getting up today just to see this. Squee! My day has already been made.
I love that sudden shining kingfisher. Well, if anything else, He-Is’ heart is free. (Two hours of digging through the archives paid off.)
http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=221
Gee, Ursula–
You sure know how to milk a Thursday!
–Perfesser
Kingfisher!
Shining heart
Glowing feathers promise
Lead us in darkness
He-Is!
(Yes, I wrote a poem based on a webcomic. What?)
WHAT IS THIS
I DON’T EVEN
(…come on, someone had to say it as susprise to this page’s development!
Also, Bwee, fantastic page reference… now who has the linke to the page Atre is talking about?)
Erm, I just hope it is indeed the heart of He-Is rather than Ed that has appeared… >.<
Hi Kingfisher! I think this is one of my favorite pages, just because of that pretty glowy little bird. We’ve seen that little bird before, and luckily the comments reminded me where!
@Niall: Found it!
http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=693
Atre might be right there.
He-is showed as a bird when loosing his freedom under sweetgrass spell.
If SGV is out for the count he might be able to show himself like the white bird one final time before parting forever.
Now, this does not explain what he wants to show Digger, does it? š
Okay, I think the little birdy might be a signal from Shadolecent. you know “Walk this way! Talk this way!” Except you probably don’t want to yell that out when there’s a bunch of Cold Ones milling around in complete darkness.
Okay Confession time. I’ve read this series through a couple of times, and it never dawned on me that a King Fisher was a bird. I am certain that it was said through the course of the story, in dialogue, and picture. But! I had it in my brain that a King Fisher was a kind of prawn, you know, like a crawdad or something. Wow I had a completely different family of critter.
And…its a bird. My first thought was, “where in the world did the bird come from?” and then it moved to, “oh, hey, wasn’t there an important bird reference or two earlier in the comic?” I just love how stuff happening how is related to events that were mentioned ages and ages (and ages and ages and ages) ago, like the heart turning into a kingfisher thing (although now it makes me wonder exactly whose skins the skins are wearing).
But why oh why is it a Thursday today? Can’t wait for the next page! And Ed! I hope Ed is okay!!!
ah – He-is is free! and I’ll bet taking DIgger to Ed. Who has probably sprained something, but is otherwise _fine_.
because otherwise, there would be 2 birds – right?
Kingfisher, yay!
@Bwee – I was hoping someone would link to the relevant page of the comic! š
Bring on Tuesday!
Daaaw! something utterly utterly adorable.
Five internets says its a “bridge” and it’s leading up to a horrific scene. At the very least, a giant heart dropped long-distance cannot be pretty.
wow… re-reading my last few comments Iām surprised by my own cynicism. I usually bottle it up far better than this…
” We bound the god’s death into the shackles…and we bound the demon’s death to his”, so I think we can count SGV out There’s not much evidence that he had a heart, let alone one that would come back as a bird.
http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=699
*re-reads all the linked pages, just incase…* … Sounds about right. And if that heart fell from high enough, it just ought to have killed poor He-is.
I’M still waiting for Sweetgrass Voice to come out and collapse the cavern in his death throes. I’m sorry, but this is hours and hours of reading and digesting tropes for my own use talking. I don’t really want the characters to die. :S
http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=727 said that breaking the chain would be enough to do everything necessary. So, we can be comfortable knowing that He-is and SGV are destroyed. But given how little we know about how gods die (and how/whether they are reborn), there’s no telling where the kingfisher came from.
Did she say the secret word? 7@=Q
Seriously, though – beautiful page.
now that all the links are coming out, I’m a bit supprised that this wasnt among them: http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=350
I always expected that it was a prophetic reference, and that the tunnel had moved digger through time somehow and that she was going to end up completing something that had already happened. the hedgehog would be a misinterpretation of the wombat, since they were not known there. the ghost of the dead bird would have been the shadow.
but maybe not. the king fisher is pretty clearly the heart of He Is, so I guess we’ll just hold tight and see how the end game plays out, but i keep expeting shadow to show up and have its bird-origins be relevant somehow.