How did my cute and funny little mad-scientist-parody comic turn into THIS????
To the extent that I'm able to re-engage my thinking brain rather than my flailing emotional brain, it is kind of interesting how the comments have gone from largely anti-Goldenloin to an enormous chorus of "NOOOOOOOO PLEASE LET HIM BE OKAY!" XD (In all fairness I think it's fascinating how much more sympathetic he seems in the early updates when you go back and reread them, now that we've gotten to know a much more likable side of him lately. That sympathetic side was pretty clearly always there, and there was always a sort of affectionate note in the way he and Ballister related to each other, even back in the part of the comic when they were more straightforwardly enemies. It was just mostly hidden under jokes about arch-nemeses and sharks.)
I would like to mention at this time that I despise redemption via death, and will be deeply unhappy if that's the case. I just want gay dads fic, okay?
I don't read the comments that much, but I wonder if that hate dipped when it turned out they were exes? That said, I always rather liked him. I like Nimona best of all, of course, but I think it really came through that Goldenlion was trying his best to protect Ballister, in his own screwed up way.
No matter which way it goes, we're probably not going to know if he's okay for a month at best. Damn open canons. Why am I doing this to myself!?
Yeah, I noticed the shift in the comments mainly because I've liked him for a long time, and it used to kind of sting that most of the commenters seemed to view him as a joke and/or antagonist (well, I know he IS the antagonist, but I mean as just an antagonist and not a sympathetic one), so it's been nice to see the shift towards much more commenter sympathy. I think you're right that the exes thing probably had a lot to do with it, and the Christmas flackback comic too, because he's such a total sweetheart as a kid, and yet still with his adult flaws -- it became a lot more obvious at that point how much of the adult kids' enmity comes from the Institute's manipulating their weak points, rather than genuinely hating each other, even before we got their full backstory.
... but yeah, I think on some level I really don't believe Gingerhaze would kill him off, because she just doesn't seem like the type of creator who would end the comic on anything other than a happy note -- except I'm not sure enough to be sure, you know? I'm definitely not going to be at all pleased if he dies. *clings to hope*
That Christmas flashback was pretttty adorable. They were both so screwed over by the Institute so badly they can hardly see straight. It's Nimona who finally realises something is badly wrong, or at least who makes Ballister realise it. I've been thinking that the Institute picked Goldenlion to be the "hero" not because he was prettier or even stupider, but because he was that much more morally flexible, and Ballister's compassion would hobble him when it came to inflicting real damage. With Goldenlion, they might have had an actual supervillain on their hands.
Gingerhaze seems pretty cool, and I MOSTLY have faith in her to work things out. When it's finished, I want to buy the hardcopy so I can read it and be far less stressed. I don't want Goldenlion maimed, either (for the record). That feels like using disability as a punishment, and I don't like the implication that Goldenlion can't really feel empathy for Ballister until he himself is disabled.
Personally I don't think it's either moral flexibility or compassion that made the Institute go for Goldenloin over Ballister as the designated hero, but rather naivety vs. cynicism. Goldenloin was simply easier to mold -- easier to make him believe that he's doing the right thing (and I do actually think he's spent most of this time believing it and/or squashing down the knowledge that he wasn't) whereas Ballister is a lot more aware of the world's sharp edges and MUCH less likely to believe the Institute's reassurances. They wouldn't have been able to control him as easily.
The most tragic thing about all of it is that, as per the Christmas flashback, one of the main reasons why Aloysius is that way in the first place -- besides just being wired that way -- is because Ballister apparently spent a lot of time actively shielding him from the world's abusiveness.
And I think the thing that kind of breaks me about Aloysius is that he seems to be a fundamentally very sweet person (and genuinely courageous, as we've seen in this chapter); he just fell in with people who used that basic sweetness/trustingness along with a pre-existing tendency for self-delusion to make him do their dirty work for years.
Regarding the disability thing ... I can see where you're coming from, but I am still actually kind of pulling for Aloysius coming out of this with a missing eye and/or scars -- to me it feels like it'd equalize their storylines and bring down the final barrier of resentment between them. Not that I'd mind if it didn't go that way, but I don't know if it's about Goldenloin feeling empathy for Ballister (I think he's already there, honestly) so much as Ballister being able to feel like they're in the same boat again, like when they were kids. I don't know if I'm explaining this very well, and like I said, I can see why it bothers you; I guess there's just an emotional symmetry to it, a sort of equalizing of the imbalance in their storylines, that I really like. To me it doesn't feel like punishment so much as consequences, I guess.
Yeah, thinking about it, you're probably right about Goldenlion. His biddablity/credulity is probably a selling point for the Institute. They must have watched him believe Ballister and gone, yes, that.
I do think that Ballister's decency and desire to protect the innocent is one of the reasons they picked him as the villain though. Again, watching him as a young man he's protecting Goldenlion and more or less playing fair. They wouldn't want to pick someone who would just start murdering people. The set up where the only person he really blames is his best friend/lover, who he's never going to hurt anyway, worked out rather well for the Institute.
I'm okay with scars, but I'm not happy with the (potential) implication that people in a partnership have to be on even footing in terms of ability (possibly because I'm more or less able and my wife has a disability). I think Ballister somewhat needs to get over a teenage fight, regardless of the consequences, and making Goldenlion match him, as it were, isn't helpful in that regard. They ARE going to be in the same boat once they're all on the same side again. It just rubs me the wrong way. Consequences don't seem that much better to me, really.
As long as everyone lives, I'm not going to be too picky about the details, but if given a choice...
Also, OMG! The latest panel! Ballister expresses how we're all feeling :D
*nods* That makes sense about Ballister, except I'm not entirely sure if I'm willing to give them that much credit for actually understanding that aspect of him, if that follows? Considering how incredibly Machiavellian they are, I think they understand concepts like biddability a lot better than things like fundamental decency and compassion -- I'm not sure if that aspect of Ballister's character (his empathy and capacity to love/feel for other people) is something they really get, or would be willing to take into account (though they may have it filed under "is basically a wimp and will not cause trouble" XD).
.... and yeah, like I said, I do get where you're coming from on the disability thing (though I didn't know that about your wife). And I'm basically coming at it from the opposite direction -- being a disabled person myself, my reaction to the idea of disabled!Goldenloin was "oh yes, give me some of that! :D!" ... Er, which is not to say that I think he needs to learn a Very Special Lesson About Disability or anything like that! I just ... kind of like the idea a lot, because more disabled characters = yay! for me, and I would absolutely love seeing him cope with that, and being able to incorporate it into my Goldenloin/Ballister headcanon. I think it appeals to me especially with Goldenloin because he's a character for whom physical perfection has been a big part of his characterization, and having him not have that anymore has a pretty big appeal for me. But that's a very personal/id-driven thing for me, and not necessarily the best narrative choice. (I think I'll be pretty happy with whatever direction Gingerhaze goes on this, honestly. Assuming that it isn't KILLING ANYONE IMPORTANT, because NO.)
Yeah, no intelligent commentary here. Just... I want everything to work out for everybody. And I want the gay dads AU to essentially become canon, but I will settle for things working out for everyone.
And like I said above, I'm almost sure that Gingerhaze is not the kind of creator who would kill off a major character or end on an unhappy note. Almost! But there's just that tiny little niggling doubt, that little "what if?"
(I suppose there's also the fact that different people's happy endings look different, as per my above conversation with muccamukk ...)
I have enjoyed discovering Goldenloin as a character. There's more to him than his long flowing locks and codpiece! But ohhh, I hope his redemption doesn't come at too high a cost.
And -- I really want this entire story as a printed book. Looking forward to when I can lay hands on a copy.
Oh, and finally -- I got a housemate mostly convinced to cosplay Nimona for Dragon*Con. w00t!
And yeah, I like Goldenloin -- I have since pretty near the beginning, but it's been fun watching his character unfold from a joke into a layered person. He has a ton of flaws and he's made some bad mistakes, but at heart I think he's basically a sweet, well-meaning kid who got duped by some bad people and let his own tendency towards self-delusion overwhelm his conscience. But he's come back around.
And yeah, I'm really looking forward to the print version too.
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I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY! OKAY?
I've spent the last week alternating yelling, "Nimona! No!" and "Ambrosius! No!"
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I AM NOT OKAY AT ALL RIGHT NOW!
How did my cute and funny little mad-scientist-parody comic turn into THIS????
To the extent that I'm able to re-engage my thinking brain rather than my flailing emotional brain, it is kind of interesting how the comments have gone from largely anti-Goldenloin to an enormous chorus of "NOOOOOOOO PLEASE LET HIM BE OKAY!" XD (In all fairness I think it's fascinating how much more sympathetic he seems in the early updates when you go back and reread them, now that we've gotten to know a much more likable side of him lately. That sympathetic side was pretty clearly always there, and there was always a sort of affectionate note in the way he and Ballister related to each other, even back in the part of the comic when they were more straightforwardly enemies. It was just mostly hidden under jokes about arch-nemeses and sharks.)
ETA: ALSO BALLISTER CAN SHOW UP ANYTIME NOW.
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I don't read the comments that much, but I wonder if that hate dipped when it turned out they were exes? That said, I always rather liked him. I like Nimona best of all, of course, but I think it really came through that Goldenlion was trying his best to protect Ballister, in his own screwed up way.
No matter which way it goes, we're probably not going to know if he's okay for a month at best. Damn open canons. Why am I doing this to myself!?
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... but yeah, I think on some level I really don't believe Gingerhaze would kill him off, because she just doesn't seem like the type of creator who would end the comic on anything other than a happy note -- except I'm not sure enough to be sure, you know? I'm definitely not going to be at all pleased if he dies. *clings to hope*
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Gingerhaze seems pretty cool, and I MOSTLY have faith in her to work things out. When it's finished, I want to buy the hardcopy so I can read it and be far less stressed. I don't want Goldenlion maimed, either (for the record). That feels like using disability as a punishment, and I don't like the implication that Goldenlion can't really feel empathy for Ballister until he himself is disabled.
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The most tragic thing about all of it is that, as per the Christmas flashback, one of the main reasons why Aloysius is that way in the first place -- besides just being wired that way -- is because Ballister apparently spent a lot of time actively shielding him from the world's abusiveness.
And I think the thing that kind of breaks me about Aloysius is that he seems to be a fundamentally very sweet person (and genuinely courageous, as we've seen in this chapter); he just fell in with people who used that basic sweetness/trustingness along with a pre-existing tendency for self-delusion to make him do their dirty work for years.
Regarding the disability thing ... I can see where you're coming from, but I am still actually kind of pulling for Aloysius coming out of this with a missing eye and/or scars -- to me it feels like it'd equalize their storylines and bring down the final barrier of resentment between them. Not that I'd mind if it didn't go that way, but I don't know if it's about Goldenloin feeling empathy for Ballister (I think he's already there, honestly) so much as Ballister being able to feel like they're in the same boat again, like when they were kids. I don't know if I'm explaining this very well, and like I said, I can see why it bothers you; I guess there's just an emotional symmetry to it, a sort of equalizing of the imbalance in their storylines, that I really like. To me it doesn't feel like punishment so much as consequences, I guess.
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I do think that Ballister's decency and desire to protect the innocent is one of the reasons they picked him as the villain though. Again, watching him as a young man he's protecting Goldenlion and more or less playing fair. They wouldn't want to pick someone who would just start murdering people. The set up where the only person he really blames is his best friend/lover, who he's never going to hurt anyway, worked out rather well for the Institute.
I'm okay with scars, but I'm not happy with the (potential) implication that people in a partnership have to be on even footing in terms of ability (possibly because I'm more or less able and my wife has a disability). I think Ballister somewhat needs to get over a teenage fight, regardless of the consequences, and making Goldenlion match him, as it were, isn't helpful in that regard. They ARE going to be in the same boat once they're all on the same side again. It just rubs me the wrong way. Consequences don't seem that much better to me, really.
As long as everyone lives, I'm not going to be too picky about the details, but if given a choice...
Also, OMG! The latest panel! Ballister expresses how we're all feeling :D
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.... and yeah, like I said, I do get where you're coming from on the disability thing (though I didn't know that about your wife). And I'm basically coming at it from the opposite direction -- being a disabled person myself, my reaction to the idea of disabled!Goldenloin was "oh yes, give me some of that! :D!" ... Er, which is not to say that I think he needs to learn a Very Special Lesson About Disability or anything like that! I just ... kind of like the idea a lot, because more disabled characters = yay! for me, and I would absolutely love seeing him cope with that, and being able to incorporate it into my Goldenloin/Ballister headcanon. I think it appeals to me especially with Goldenloin because he's a character for whom physical perfection has been a big part of his characterization, and having him not have that anymore has a pretty big appeal for me. But that's a very personal/id-driven thing for me, and not necessarily the best narrative choice. (I think I'll be pretty happy with whatever direction Gingerhaze goes on this, honestly. Assuming that it isn't KILLING ANYONE IMPORTANT, because NO.)
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Yeah, no intelligent commentary here. Just... I want everything to work out for everybody. And I want the gay dads AU to essentially become canon, but I will settle for things working out for everyone.
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And like I said above, I'm almost sure that Gingerhaze is not the kind of creator who would kill off a major character or end on an unhappy note. Almost! But there's just that tiny little niggling doubt, that little "what if?"
(I suppose there's also the fact that different people's happy endings look different, as per my above conversation with
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I have enjoyed discovering Goldenloin as a character. There's more to him than his long flowing locks and codpiece! But ohhh, I hope his redemption doesn't come at too high a cost.
And -- I really want this entire story as a printed book. Looking forward to when I can lay hands on a copy.
Oh, and finally -- I got a housemate mostly convinced to cosplay Nimona for Dragon*Con. w00t!
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And yeah, I like Goldenloin -- I have since pretty near the beginning, but it's been fun watching his character unfold from a joke into a layered person. He has a ton of flaws and he's made some bad mistakes, but at heart I think he's basically a sweet, well-meaning kid who got duped by some bad people and let his own tendency towards self-delusion overwhelm his conscience. But he's come back around.
And yeah, I'm really looking forward to the print version too.
WE GET A NEW PAGE TONIIIIGHT!