I feel bad putting up a page with only 4 panels. Normally with action pages like this I try and make them doubles, but the way the second half of this page played out, it was better to cut this page here and make the next one a double.

I don’t know anything about swordfighting or fencing, but I suspect the “you’re holding the sword too tight” right before the teacher knocks the sword out of the student’s hand trope is one of those chronically misinformed Hollywood things that everyone does because that’s the only thing that everyone writing screenplays knows about swordfighting, and they learned it from other movies they’ve watched. Heavenly told Dabbler her grip was wrong for the same reason you tell the guy pointing a gun at you that his safety is on. It’s to get them to shift their focus for a split second, which if you’re good enough you take advantage of. I’ve never seen the “your safety’s on” go wrong in a show or movie. I would really like to see someone try that, only instead of looking down at their gun, the gunman just shoots them in the arm. “Guess it wasn’t” Actually I’ll probably stick that in the comic at some point since the thought amuses me, but that page is likely a long way off.

Dabbler’s not an amateur with a sword. On my 5 point scale she’s a 2 which means she’s actually really very good at it, but Heavenly Sword is a 4. Not only good enough to fight and beat Dabbler, but also deflect the Arcane Bolts Dabbler keeps popping off at her at the same time. Normally it’s probably quite difficult to disarm Dabbler with her greater than human strength and extra hands, but on top of her skill advantage, Heavenly can reconfigure the shape of her force blade, and making the top all squiggly gave her the edge she needed.


As always I will be at A-kon this year (June 6-8 in Dallas) and, I’ll be doing a panel on Friday. Humor-Based Webcomics 1: Humor in Story. Be sure to stop by!


In case you missed it, my fifth Gynostar Guest strip is up! The current arc starts here.


patreonlogo <– If you enjoy the comic, consider supporting it!