3/14/09 [DMFA #981] - No punchline

[Dard]

Indeed, but it doesn't explain how he knows Destania.  I suspect that her crimes and the crimes of her students have done the rounds at the Evil Beach Parties.

I think it is as simple as this:
Destania the book on evil, which is probably mandatory reading material for everyone in DP's line of work.
It's no surprise he knows her.
I don't think it was anywhere hinted that he knew her personally.

[Lucheek]

When I opened up the DMFA page, I had the "John Mclane" song by Guyz Night playing.

It was perfect. x3

[inuhanyo]

Either way I think it's a magic trick that he tries to attribute to clothing rather than admit he can even do magic. Sometimes it's difficult to tell rule of funny from 'rules' of DMFA universe.

If that literally is a spell he's casting, I wonder how many times he has to do it for his clanmark to appear?

Maybe it's a spell-like ability? *shot for being a huge nerd* Or a very minor spell?

Maybe it's a spell done once, on the weapon and owner.  Ahh, no, Dan's pulled out different swords.  Unless it's just done on the owner.

That Regina is already sitting up and that DP is unfazed make me think that Dan is not in a good position here.  I've often argued that DP would suspect Dan to an incubus (winged son of known succubus), but he seems to be taking it a bit too well, and fighting two demons at once is likely to be a step too far.  Plus, Dan may be angry enough to make mistakes.  If he'd not been knocked to the floor, he would likely have been able to dice them both up before they knew what was happening, but that time is past.

My worry, also.

I must also point out that most of Dan's adventurer skills would likely involve sword-work.  While that could be transferred to tentacle-blades, Dan has not done this before unless he has been secretly practicing.

If he hasn't been practicing, he's sure picking it up fast.  He's shown no small degree of skill, doing tentacle blades and stretching uppercuts.  That, and the vow he made to destroy Regina, makes me think he has been practicing.

Am I the only one that wants to see Dan finally and utterly kick DP's butt in an epic curb-stomp battle / moment?  I feel it's time for him to finally shine instead of getting hard-countered again.

Amen.

Ditto

**EDIT**
Merged the rival threads

Thank you.

Wow. Dang. Dan's somewhere between Unstoppable Rage and Tranquil Fury, and he looks very very cool doing it. Moreover, I don't think Dan's lost it: he's not going after Regina anymore, he's taken her (somewhat) out of the fight and he's going after the biggest threat first.

I'd feel better if Dan weren't starting out with rage.  Switching to Tranquil Fury would be even more awesome, it's the Zen mode of combat.

And, yeah, Dan's emotion affinities give him a lot of energy to work with during combat. 

[AndersW]

Wow. Dang. Dan's somewhere between Unstoppable Rage and Tranquil Fury, and he looks very very cool doing it. Moreover, I don't think Dan's lost it: he's not going after Regina anymore, he's taken her (somewhat) out of the fight and he's going after the biggest threat first.

Someone needs to add #974 to the Berserker Tears page on TV Tropes.

[Tapewolf]

Destania the book on evil, which is probably mandatory reading material for everyone in DP's line of work.

I'm not sure.  Firstly, that was probably a figure of speech on Abel's part - until we know the real title, it's likely that Dan pulled it based on the author rather than the title.  (He would not randomly search for books on evil, IMHO).

Secondly, it's unlikely that the 'Cubi-specific literature of that clan are likely to be found in any old bookstore.  You probably have to be a 'Cubi to get hold of it.

[Michael Chandra]

When is Dan going to remember he can pull swords out of mid-air as well?

P.S. The line under the comic replaces any need for a punchline for me. Anyone else who got it?

[inuhanyo]

Someone needs to add #974 to the Berserker Tears page on TV Tropes.

It's done.

[Tapewolf]

It's done.

I'm being picky, but any chance you could italicise the word 'you'?  Remember, he's essentially throwing her own thought back at her and it's one of the things which really makes the scene, IMHO...

[inuhanyo]

It's done.

I'm being picky, but any chance you could italicise the word 'you'?  Remember, he's essentially throwing her own thought back at her and it's one of the things which really makes the scene, IMHO...

I had to move the link to do it, the italic and bold markup doesn't work inside anchor markup.  Which allowed me to go to bold instead of all caps for "Do you hear me!"

[Tapewolf]

I had to move the link to do it, the italic and bold markup doesn't work inside anchor markup.  Which allowed me to go to bold instead of all caps for "Do you hear me!"

Excellent.  Thanks!

[Malakin]

Anyone find it odd that DP is not in a suitable combat stance? If Dan hits him like that he is going to go down :F

Dan has improved alot, and DP has not had that chance, so is it just him underestimating Dan? Or can he se somthing we cant, like Kria getting ready to Zap him or somthing...

[Michael Chandra]

Dan's not in a really good stance either, and neither are carrying weapons, so who knows.. Ahwell, will be an interesting fight.

[Tapewolf]

Or can he se somthing we cant, like Kria getting ready to Zap him or somthing...

Lorenda would really like that.  Though precisely how she feels about Dan killing Regina and DP remains to be seen as well.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

I agree with Michael Chandra here. The flying kick thing doesn't really work practically, although with an alien physiology.........


But I'm not sure how adept Dan is to unarmed fighting. Look at comic 734. When fighting Abel at last, he cocks his arm up to shoulder height before releasing the blow. This takes longer and loses a bit of power. Furthermore, its something of an unnatural punch, and his other hand is leaving his body wide open to any counterattack.

Personally, I don't think he's got all tht much skill at his back right now, just wrath and 'cubi tentacle ripping.  My own personal sense of aesthetics wants DP to do a balestra, but I guess we'll just wait and see.

[Tapewolf]

But I'm not sure how adept Dan is to unarmed fighting. Look at comic 734. When fighting Abel at last, he cocks his arm up to shoulder height before releasing the blow. This takes longer and loses a bit of power. Furthermore, its something of an unnatural punch, and his other hand is leaving his body wide open to any counterattack.

Bear in mind that Amber might not be very good at unarmed fighting...

[Malakin]

*snip*
Lorenda would really like that.  Though precisely how she feels about Dan killing Regina and DP remains to be seen as well.

Yeah i was going to rephrase my jibberish into what I actualy meant, but for some reason the site would not work for the last few mins...

Kria is rather impulsive, and Kria is not exactly going to get her money now, so she might want to protect what she just spent alot of time and effort setting up.
Kria would not have to kill or hurt Dan, just stop him from fighting, sleep spell or somthing?
DP might be pissed at that kind of interuption, but im sure he is not going to try to mess with Kria if she sends Dan away with Lorenda...

Whats Lorenda's relationship with DP like? Might be interesting if she trys to break things up

[Angel]

I never thought I'd say this, but I want to glomp both of them now. Not sure why, I just do.

And WOOHOO I was sorta right! But DP knew all along.... and never told... hm. Why is that?

[Jairus]

I never thought I'd say this, but I want to glomp both of them now. Not sure why, I just do.

And WOOHOO I was sorta right! But DP knew all along.... and never told... hm. Why is that?

Maybe he figured Dan already knew?

As for Lorenda and Uncle Aliph, I just have a vision of Lorenda as a toddler sitting on her uncle's lap and he's doting on her. "oh, who's my widdle demon cow? You are! Yes, you are!"

[rabid_fox]

I'm surprised, really. Dark Pegasus feels outdated, a relic from olden days before a massive shift in the comic's tone towards more sophisticated humour and storytelling. I'm on the fence as to how effective his comeback will be, narratively speaking.

[Jairus]

I'm surprised, really. Dark Pegasus feels outdated, a relic from olden days before a massive shift in the comic's tone towards more sophisticated humour and storytelling. I'm on the fence as to how effective his comeback will be, narratively speaking.

I dunno. He seemed effective as a character during the recent flashback.

[Baal Hadad]

I'm surprised, really. Dark Pegasus feels outdated, a relic from olden days before a massive shift in the comic's tone towards more sophisticated humour and storytelling. I'm on the fence as to how effective his comeback will be, narratively speaking.

I dunno. He seemed effective as a character during the recent flashback.

Especially when he killed Hannah--I couldn't see that happening in the earlier strips.

Four more pages and this chapter ties with Chapter 18 for longest DMFA chapter ever--five more and the record is broken.

[mopman]

Wonderfully epic fight scene , dramatic pose , great buildup and its the little ditty at the bottom with amber that has me smiling the most . 

[tiggertoo]

The flying kick thing doesn't really work practically, although with an alien physiology.........

For a human, yes, you've gone ballistic and don't have much way to change your attack while in the air - not so smart. But if you have wings *and* four or five powerful tentacles -- and you're in a hallway like that -- you have all sorts of options. Such an attack might not be optimal for Dan, but it's not stupid either, considering all he can bring to bear.

[Yukifox]

This is going to either be downright bombastic or very anticlimactic...

[techmaster-glitch]

Hmm...here's a random thought I had.

I don't think DP's comeback is going to be particularly "epic" on his end, if anyone's thinking that. In the flashback, when Dan first met him chronologically, he was quite the badass genre-savvy villain. Since he's been resurrected a few times, Kria notes that he "seems to lose a bit of himself" every time, which is while the last time Dan met him chronologically, (but first time for us), he had fallen into more amusing-cliche territory. He should be even further into that stage now.

And if he is, if he somehow crazily returns to be genre-savvy, I will be quite disappointed, because that will blatantly break consistency.

So, in short, I'm not expecting much from DP's end this time around, and I'm happy about that! I want him to fail, drowning in his own cliche-ness!

This is going to either be downright bombastic or very anticlimactic...

Who says it's not gonna be both?


DP: I am dark Pegasus! Tremble before my might! I will raise the dark God an usher in a new Era of Darkness! *long ranting speech of how awesome he is*
Dan: *shank mid-speech*
DP: ...
Dan: I learned that one from you.
DP: *gurgle* *dies*

[Caswin]

Now that I think about it, and it's not 1:30 in the morning anymore (I blame From Russia With Love)...

How long has Dark Pegasus been alive, again?  ...again?  He's remarkably lucid.

[inuhanyo]

Hmm...here's a random thought I had.

I don't think DP's comeback is going to be particularly "epic" on his end, if anyone's thinking that. In the flashback, when Dan first met him chronologically, he was quite the badass genre-savvy villain. Since he's been resurrected a few times, Kria notes that he "seems to lose a bit of himself" every time, which is while the last time Dan met him chronologically, (but first time for us), he had fallen into more amusing-cliche territory. He should be even further into that stage now.

And if he is, if he somehow crazily returns to be genre-savvy, I will be quite disappointed, because that will blatantly break consistency.

So, in short, I'm not expecting much from DP's end this time around, and I'm happy about that! I want him to fail, drowning in his own cliche-ness!

Well to quote the relevant observations from TvTropes

Dangerously Genre Savvy - Dark Pegasus towards unknown opponents, including such fun tricks as attacking mid-monologue, because "they always expect you to finish talking."
Genre Blind - Dark Pegasus isn't so much genre blind as he prefers the "classic ways" of doing things whenever possible. Not being a stupid villain, however, leads him to only fall in the cliches when facing Dan, as he knows that Dan believes in a fair fight.


But maybe your interpretation is the right one.

[Netrogo]

So many comics I read are hitting lulls in their stories these days. Nice to know Amber's still throwing us exactly what we wanna see. Shirtless Dan vs Shirtless Dark Pegasus.

Now if only Regina were shirtless this next week would be perfect XD


Edit: Stupid roommates pesturing me when I'm posting >.>

[joshofspam]

The one thing I noticed is that Dan is falling into that old rage situation that he got beaten and lectured by DP in his first meeting.

Will Dan's Cubi powers offset this blunder or is he still thinking of his next move?

[Arcblade]

I'd cite him smacking Regina first as proof that he's not completely lost it to his fury.