Oh Gods (whichever ones may be listening) what a page to get current on! Read through the whole archive in 4 days. Evil is not simply the privation of good, it is an active force in the world, and it looks like that.
Shadowchild got all spiky but it looked more like we are zooming in, not that Shadowchild got very large. Larger, maybe – maybe expanding in anger? I notice the little round paws are now also spiky and clawed. Dis gonna be interesting! And Mishal’s right, they won’t hear a thing. Though Merai seems sensitive to shadows, hm…
I’ve liked this comic for a long time, but this has to be my favorite page yet (and the first to drive me to comment). It captures the moment of clarity perfectly, and mixes it with foreboding and menace.
@ortonmc: You probably just answered the “Why can’t SGV devour them himself”, as Shadowchild did say he was stretched a very long distance. On the other hand, Shadowchild’s smile is not stretching, but preparing to devour, as seen here.
>> http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=136
@Mani:
“Shadowchild’s claim that he was born from a dead bird are not incompatible. They’re both unreliable, and on top of that … the latter is a known ignoramus.”
I don’t think Shadowchild is unreliable, necessarily. Shadowchild is very innocent, and is the least likely to lie because of that. His simplicity makes him very honest.
I still hold to my theory that while SGV and SC look similar they are not in fact the same kind of creature. Not all shadow demons are the same, some are corruptors, some are devourers, and some are deceivers, I say SGV is most likely the third option but maybe the first. SC, if he is a shadow demon, is obviously a devourer. That serpenty form is SGV’s apparent true form since that’s the only way he is ever represented, what Shadowchild did to look that way was stretch and shape himself to frighten. I could easily be wrong about this, but I don’t think SGV can eat shadows at all, nor do I think he’s really there, just projecting an image of himself because he is bound INSIDE He-is making it impossible for him to actually reach out and ‘physically’ speak to SC.
Well, this demon bears a strong resemblance to both Sweetgrass Voice (as depicted in cave-painting style during Ed’s story) and Famine, as depicted during Ganesh-statue’s story.
I have a strong suspicion that those two, and this demon, are one and the same.
Now take a look at Ed’s cave-painting/story and tell me you still have any doubt this is the same demon …
😉
P.S. http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=185 … “Sweetgrass Voice is demon, big demon, is all lies and hate and smoke underground.”
In this case, SGV *literally* came from “smoke underground”. 😀
Am I the only one that keeps imagining Shadow Child saying “Never. I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You’ve failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”
Uh oh. If the Shadowchild CAN eat Sweetgrass Voice…well, let’s just say that can’t be good for the digestion. Far worse than eating a liver, I’d assume.
@Dee Sweet Grass Voice is the corrupting influence that caused He-Is to attack She-Is-Fiercer when she was only known as She-Is and thus causing her to miscarry, it was part of Ed’s hyena legend.
Kira: I noticed that if Sweetgrass Voice does succeed in convincing Shadowchild that they are spiritually alike as well as superficially alike, as soon as Sweetgrass Voice told it that rules are for mortals, I knew that it was not going to be able to control Shadowchild if it broke the leash leading to Digger. That and the comic just cemented it even more.
Motub: Shadowchild has referred to Digger by name at least once (in greeting), so yes, it knows her name.
Dee: Sweetgrass Voice is the tempter who used trickery and lies to get He-is (Hyena god) to attack She-is while she was in labor (Hyena goddess, subsequently renamed She-is-Fiercer because of defeating He-is despite being at a disadvantage). Sweetgrass voice is presumably chained into the body of He-is, and may be the ghost of an elemental of famine from thousands of years ago. If you insist on more information, you are in dire need of rereading the archives.
I do wonder, perhaps Sweetgrass Voice hatched from Famine the same way Shadowchild hatched from the dead bird, and isn’t Famine itself any more (or any less) than Shadowchild is what the bird was in life.
I wonder if Shadowchild eating other shadows can make it stronger than a shadowcreature that doesn’t eat shadows, or if Sweetgrass Voice is a corrupter only to make more shadows that it can eat and took on too much trying to get a tasty feast out of He-is.
And, simply because no-one else said it (maybe it’s a regional phrase, but it means “[meek person’s name] is capable of more ferocity than they have previously shown”), Shadowchild’s got /teeth/!
Someone remind me: who is uhh Sweetgrass Voice again? *confused*
And awesome, kid, go kick some butt! 😀
Go Shadow Child!
Oh Gods (whichever ones may be listening) what a page to get current on! Read through the whole archive in 4 days. Evil is not simply the privation of good, it is an active force in the world, and it looks like that.
I hope Shadowchild doesn’t become permanently spiky…
Shadowchild got all spiky but it looked more like we are zooming in, not that Shadowchild got very large. Larger, maybe – maybe expanding in anger? I notice the little round paws are now also spiky and clawed. Dis gonna be interesting! And Mishal’s right, they won’t hear a thing. Though Merai seems sensitive to shadows, hm…
In a score out of ten Shadow Child ranks an Awesome!
I’ve liked this comic for a long time, but this has to be my favorite page yet (and the first to drive me to comment). It captures the moment of clarity perfectly, and mixes it with foreboding and menace.
“Do you think answers come free in this world?”
“What do I get for telling you?”
😉
Wobha.. this is either going to be really awesome, or really, really bad.
@ortonmc: You probably just answered the “Why can’t SGV devour them himself”, as Shadowchild did say he was stretched a very long distance. On the other hand, Shadowchild’s smile is not stretching, but preparing to devour, as seen here.
>> http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=136
@Mani:
“Shadowchild’s claim that he was born from a dead bird are not incompatible. They’re both unreliable, and on top of that … the latter is a known ignoramus.”
I don’t think Shadowchild is unreliable, necessarily. Shadowchild is very innocent, and is the least likely to lie because of that. His simplicity makes him very honest.
If you think about it, SweetGrassVoice is stretched too thin to eat the party’s shadows, otherwise he wouldn’t have to ask ShadowChild to do it.
Which means SweetGrassVoice probably can’t hurt ShadowChild either…
But you know, SweetGrassVoice doooesss look an awful lot like a shadow… Think ShadowChild can eat him? 😛
@EveryZig: Good point. Now the question is, will SGV put up more of a fight than a 1000-year-old dirty sock? 🙂
Go, ShadowChild!
I still hold to my theory that while SGV and SC look similar they are not in fact the same kind of creature. Not all shadow demons are the same, some are corruptors, some are devourers, and some are deceivers, I say SGV is most likely the third option but maybe the first. SC, if he is a shadow demon, is obviously a devourer. That serpenty form is SGV’s apparent true form since that’s the only way he is ever represented, what Shadowchild did to look that way was stretch and shape himself to frighten. I could easily be wrong about this, but I don’t think SGV can eat shadows at all, nor do I think he’s really there, just projecting an image of himself because he is bound INSIDE He-is making it impossible for him to actually reach out and ‘physically’ speak to SC.
..How do we KNOW it’s Sweetgrass Voice? Could it be some other demon?
@Fyrehair: It very well could be some other demon.
I guess SGV is the accepted “answer” until we know.
Well, this demon bears a strong resemblance to both Sweetgrass Voice (as depicted in cave-painting style during Ed’s story) and Famine, as depicted during Ganesh-statue’s story.
I have a strong suspicion that those two, and this demon, are one and the same.
🙂
It seems likely that we are looking at Sweetgrass – among other things, one of the strips about two weeks ago had the filename “sweetgrass.gif”.
Heh. Metaknowledge, Werrf? That’s cheating…
Anyone have the page reference for when Digger says “Evil looks like nothing / a lot of things”?
To Mavericke: here it is:
http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=310
Ha! Found it: http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=184
Now take a look at Ed’s cave-painting/story and tell me you still have any doubt this is the same demon …
😉
P.S. http://www.diggercomic.com/?p=185 … “Sweetgrass Voice is demon, big demon, is all lies and hate and smoke underground.”
In this case, SGV *literally* came from “smoke underground”. 😀
GO TEAM SHADOWCHILD!!!! *whoops and hollers and gets weird looks*
Go Shadow Child! Kick Sweet Grass Voice’s ass!
Looking at that last panel, and an earlier suggestion about T-Shirts, it brings to mind the “MURR!” Choo-choo-bear T-shirt from “Something Positive”.
Never mind the rest of the frame on the shirt; just the eyes and the smile.
Am I the only one that keeps imagining Shadow Child saying “Never. I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You’ve failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”
whoa… looks like someone took a level in badass.
And yes… it is a trope. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TookALevelInBadass
@ Argent Stonecutter. “Only slightly less well known is Never mess with a Sicilian … or should that be schadowchild… when DEATH is on the line”
Uh oh. If the Shadowchild CAN eat Sweetgrass Voice…well, let’s just say that can’t be good for the digestion. Far worse than eating a liver, I’d assume.
OH SNAP!
Young goody demon vs. Elder evil demon, bets are now open!
Shadow box :D!Go get him kid!HAVE NO MERCY FOR THE EVIL ONE >:D!
uff.
@Dee Sweet Grass Voice is the corrupting influence that caused He-Is to attack She-Is-Fiercer when she was only known as She-Is and thus causing her to miscarry, it was part of Ed’s hyena legend.
Kira: I noticed that if Sweetgrass Voice does succeed in convincing Shadowchild that they are spiritually alike as well as superficially alike, as soon as Sweetgrass Voice told it that rules are for mortals, I knew that it was not going to be able to control Shadowchild if it broke the leash leading to Digger. That and the comic just cemented it even more.
Motub: Shadowchild has referred to Digger by name at least once (in greeting), so yes, it knows her name.
Dee: Sweetgrass Voice is the tempter who used trickery and lies to get He-is (Hyena god) to attack She-is while she was in labor (Hyena goddess, subsequently renamed She-is-Fiercer because of defeating He-is despite being at a disadvantage). Sweetgrass voice is presumably chained into the body of He-is, and may be the ghost of an elemental of famine from thousands of years ago. If you insist on more information, you are in dire need of rereading the archives.
I do wonder, perhaps Sweetgrass Voice hatched from Famine the same way Shadowchild hatched from the dead bird, and isn’t Famine itself any more (or any less) than Shadowchild is what the bird was in life.
I wonder if Shadowchild eating other shadows can make it stronger than a shadowcreature that doesn’t eat shadows, or if Sweetgrass Voice is a corrupter only to make more shadows that it can eat and took on too much trying to get a tasty feast out of He-is.
And, simply because no-one else said it (maybe it’s a regional phrase, but it means “[meek person’s name] is capable of more ferocity than they have previously shown”), Shadowchild’s got /teeth/!