Ah hah hah. Ahh. Yes, so SteelRaven and Ulrich called this one last week. Whoops! But I think it still worked out, eh? Yes.
Well, it’s been work work work for me lately. Which is just fine, frankly. It means, however, that I have little or nothing of interest to report comics-wise this week. I did finally remember what it was I had forgotten to do last week, which was post the next two-page spread over as a voting incentive. So now I have done so – nothing you haven’t already seen, of course, but it is still a good chance to remind you all that visibility counts in this comic-book game I’m playing here, especially now that I’m moving ever closer to print.
Other than that, I’m just trying to balance some prior commitments to other artists (Joost, Jason and Chris, you’d better just watch out!) with an upcoming deadline at work, by which I mean WORK-work, the job that pays my rent and so forth. But I’ll get it all done. I promise!
Whew. Bedtime for me, now, for the moment. Be well, everyone!
EDIT: 5 December 2011
By the way, I remembered this morning that I had been meaning to draw everyone’s attention to a really superb comic of kindred spirit to 6-Commando, albeit decidedly different in execution: Made in USA by Ben Markowitz and Matt Fitzwater. I don’t want to wreck it by trying to give you a full synopsis, because you should really read it for yourselves, but in brief, it began as something of a gag strip, without words, and developed into something very different. In its current incarnation, it’s the story of an American-made robot at the beginning of the XX Century who, conscious of his duty to his creators and fellow Americans, goes to fight in the trenches of World War I Europe. The result is one of the most unpretentiously poignant and genuinely moving war stories currently going in the world of comics, and I really am a huge fan. So please, by all means, check it out – it’s one of the really great secret treasures of online graphic novels these days, and if I had anything to say about it this one would be making the Eisner list in very short order.
Strange how Mike doesn’t realize that Rucker was trying to use the phone to alert other people, and rather assumes that he was trying to contact Mike through it.
Well, lets not tell him that, he might to all rampage thinking everybody is about to betray him
might to all -> might go* all
Mike’s a robot built and designed for war. I assume that should include basic tactics and strategy. It’s reasonable to assume he had cut off Major Rucker’s landline before contaxting him – just in case the Major might try to act against Mike.
Mike has his own logic. And he is very good at tactics. Strategy, however, has given him some trouble, so far…
–M
I love the speculation, as it’s a sign you guys are having exactly the response I had hoped for. Alas, to comment specifically would be to reveal too much!
😀
–M
>>> “Though the O.V. Consortium has declared that Rumblers are not sapient, Mike has developed a number of unusual “personality” traits that have caused some to wonder where the limits of his programming actually are.”
“Personality traits” such as – shall we say – a manipulative streak?
Well… Maybe a little. Certainly a great deal of self-confidence, at the very least. And adaptive programming that is causing his “personality” to change. He’s getting close to retirement, too…
–M
>>> Certainly a great deal of self-confidence […]
A great deal? Like 565 Imperial tons of self-confidence?
One thing I noticed: He addresses Major Rucker as “Major Rucker”, while he refers to Major Bonniford as “Major Sarah” and to Haulley as “Colonel Conrad” earlier. is there a reason for that?
In the beginning it made me believe he has some sort of dog-like loyalty thing – you know, personal yet held back by rank and respect.
As for the manipulative streak… I think it’s obvious Rucker has a soft spot for Bonniford. Mike might try to use that for his own agenda. Since we experienced Rucker as … emotionally too attached to his unit or “emotionally troubled”, he’s a prime example to be played like a puppet on the strings by Mike.
Hmm I find this news disturbing. Hope they arn’t killing Sarah or I will be supporting a one man/one giant killer tank army assault to rescue her. Looking forward to the next page for the reason why Mike believes this.
The Soviets may have already gave Sarah anti rad drugs that their medics are not aware off and thus giving her a overdose by mistake or (even scarier possibility) that there is a conspiracy that has only been hinted at and Sarah is a loose end.
Or Mike is possibly just brain-damaged and beleives they are killing her, perhaps to avoid the possibility that the reason she is in such a bad state, is his own fault.
Sarah had been captured and faced possible interrigation, but she didn’t get nuked and irradiated untill Mike charged off, against orders and completely ignoring any commands to fall back. The fact that Mike had emotional development and intelligence that effectively approached that of a young child, on exacerbates things.
Indeed so, to both of your comments. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
…he wrote, cryptically…
–M
Ah, Sarah… Quite possibly my favorite female character. Women are hard to write, for me, because there are such deeply ingrained sci fi female stereotypes. It’s either the badass Amazon warrior or the unapproachable ice queen, in either case its normally as a foil to a male character, which I dislike. Sarah is neither… I like her better that way. I hope she doesn’t die. Captain Dacosta is such a prickly type…
–M
… and the voice of reason. And loyal. The kind which always gets caught in between and killed.
You forgot the other sci-fi female sterotype, IE the Dale Arden types who’s only purpose is to scream, get captured and cower behind the hero and maybe serve as a living muguffin to be fought over with the villain.