OotS #570 Is Up, Including Critical Interpretations of Burlew's Style & OotS Content

[Particle_Man]

Heh. One day, Belkar is going to learn that he had been free of the Mark of Justice for a very long time, and that he could have gone off on his own all this time.

And I'm really looking forward to it.

If by free you mean "sick as a dog and getting progressively sicker until he dies."

I think the split party allows more "camera time" for minor characters, but I am looking forward to the band getting back together.

 

[Deset Gled]

I'll agree that OotS has not been going full throttle on the plot in the last few months. But this last sidequest was directly related to a primary goal (raising Roy), tied up loose ends from previous strips (the Oracle's predictions), and revitalized a plot device that was getting old (the Mark of Justice). All in all, I consider that to be pretty good plot advancement.

Now, the next time we have to deal with an entire mini-arc based on Elan's secret admirer that climaxes in a new hand puppet, I'll be right there with you complaining about plot development

 

[Cryptos]

I think it could have wound up a lot more interesting with the memory charm lifted once the Oracle was dead.

For instance, Haley leaves Belkar. The Linear Guild comes to see the Oracle and find a dead Oracle and a sick Belkar. Recognizing an opportunity to recruit a semi-competent evil character with inside information on the Order, Nale takes Belkar to get him cured of the MoJ. From there, any number of things could happen. Traitor, double traitor (once Belkar sees Roy alive he falters and lets the Order get away again, or remembering what happened when Belkar's wisdom score went up, someone hits him with a maximized Owl's Wisdom and he's temporarily good, etc.)

Or Haley leaves Belkar. Belkar wanders off on his own for a while, then collapses on the road. Team Evil is marching towards the next gate and comes across a nearly dead Belkar. The Monster in the Dark recognizes him, and Xykon keeps Belkar alive to amuse himself and/or get more information from Belkar, convinced he must know more about the gates than they do. Eventually to be rescued but costing the Order another victory.

Or.... Well, any number of things.

Enforcing the memory charm now is sort of anti-plot. It stops a great number of possible things from happening.

As it stands, that was six and a half strips and a little over two weeks spent entirely on getting Belkar's Mark of Justice activated, and no one even remembering it, and that's about it.

 

[2WS-Steve]

Enforcing the memory charm now is sort of anti-plot. It stops a great number of possible things from happening.

I disagree with that.

This method adds an element of suspense -- they'll eventually figure out that the mark has been activated -- then they'll figure out why -- then there will be a showdown.

And we still haven't heard from Tiamat -- who will certainly be sending very nasty monsters after Belkar for killing her oracle.

So, Haley and crew will be wondering why all these dragons are coming after them -- which wouldn't have happened had they ditched Belkar after the valley.

And Belkar can't even help them fight the dragons!

 

[Fifth Element]

I agree; I like that there are long story lines, it's refreshing in this age of 42 minute gratification.

42 minutes? Dude, I'm impressed.

 

[Rechan]

Anyone remember when the author said that the comic wouldn't last over 500 strips?

What ever happened to that?

 

[RabidBob]

42 minutes? Dude, I'm impressed.

... what were we talking about again?

 

[SPoD]

Anyone remember when the author said that the comic wouldn't last over 500 strips?

What ever happened to that?

I don't think he ever said that. He said in the last book that he was looking at 6 or 7 books total, depending on how long things ran. Each book is like 200 strips, so that's 1200-1400 strips total.

 

[Rechan]

I don't think he ever said that. He said in the last book that he was looking at 6 or 7 books total, depending on how long things ran. Each book is like 200 strips, so that's 1200-1400 strips total.

I seem to recall (back when he was on strip 380 or so) that he wasn't going to stretch teh comic past 500.

 

[Cryptos]

I disagree with that.

This method adds an element of suspense -- they'll eventually figure out that the mark has been activated -- then they'll figure out why -- then there will be a showdown.

And we still haven't heard from Tiamat -- who will certainly be sending very nasty monsters after Belkar for killing her oracle.

So, Haley and crew will be wondering why all these dragons are coming after them -- which wouldn't have happened had they ditched Belkar after the valley.

And Belkar can't even help them fight the dragons!

Suspense? Not really. Because there are only a few ways that it could happen (Roy is raised and remembers, Belkar tries to get cured and is told that the MoJ went off, probably both.) We know what and how... it's only a matter of when.

The number of posts of people stating "called it" with links to their (correct) theories of what's going to happen has increased so much on Giant's own site lately that he should seriously consider turning it into a "Choose Your Own Adventure" comic with an end-of-strip poll.

And I seriously can't imagine Haley's side fighting off the wrath of Tiamat, a dragon god, at this point, sending dragon after dragon or even a dragon after them. She was worried about a legion of low-level hobgoblins, and only got by with conveniently placed, precariously balanced debris. Plus, that adds another faction to a plot that has one faction in limbo (Linear Guild), one faction currently sitting around (Team Evil), and one faction split in two and spinning their wheels with their own antics and incompetence. He's got to get those three groups moving, not add a fourth.