EQ Readthrough: Issue 2, Raid at Sorrow's End

[elf]

LINK: Issue 2: Raid at Sorrow's End
Questions for this issue:

• What did you find most interesting about the trip through the desert?
• How could the raid have been prevented? What would have changed?
• What did you think of the display of healing powers?

Main OQR post with prompt questions
Note: These aren't mandatory questions; they're meta prompts. If you don't care for any of them, or want to tangent from them to some other topic, that's fine too.

Comments

[kimboo_york]

[Q. for mods: what is the "spoiler" policy for the comm? Is it kosher to discuss what happens in, say, issue 14 in this discussion of issue 2 in regards to something like foreshadowing? I'll hold off those kinds of comments until I hear from you! :) ]

As I said in my intro post, it has literally been over 25 years (or more) since I've read these comics, so for me it is a trip down memory lane and also almost a totally new introduction because there is a LOT I didn't remember.

The art is as awesome as I remember it, though. While the bodies are highly stylized there is still a great deal of physical individuality to them, and not just facially -- Cutter's body is significantly different from Skywise, and Rayek, for example. I remember being blindsided by the art when I first read the series because it was so manifestly different from anything else I saw on the shelves. In many ways, it still is.

I agree with earlier comments that it seems like the more complex relationship issues -- Recognition, death of a wolf -- are not quite what they are developed to be in later issues. Quite frankly I thought some of the text cheesy in a "bad romance novel" kind of way, in regards to Leetah and Cutter and Rayek (Rayek is surprised by his possessiveness? Really?). But the individual characters really ARE interesting, for instance Skywise as the erstwhile philosopher, and Cutter as the too-young but determined leader of his people. Even Rayek, as a new character on the scene, is complex and interesting at first brush.

I think the issue of the raid is a foregone conclusion because I don't think it could have been prevented. Cutter just spent several days watching the slow death of his tribe because of decisions he feels responsible for, and he was not going to risk anything or anyone at that point. Perhaps the literary device of a child coming across them before they found the village and offering them her/his food might have worked, but short of that I don't think there was anything that would have derailed Cutter at that point.

And while the raid set up the romantic trope of "love recognition at first sight and bonus damsel kidnapping!", I think it also was important to the story development of the village -- a shocking revelation that there is more out there than they knew, and that it can be far more dangerous to them than they ever suspected.

[elf]

Spoilers--Off the top of my head, I'd prefer that spoilers were left vague ("although we later learn this is not true..."), or done as white-on-white text for specific details.

However, I'm not worrying about them, 'cos I think most of the people involved in the readthrough have read the whole original series, and they all have access to them if they want to read ahead.

We haven't thought about spoilers, and it's possible that everyone thinks they're just fine. And I'd certainly like some discussion of the foreshadowing, and the way that some things changed over the series.

[dancing_serpent]

And I'd certainly like some discussion of the foreshadowing, and the way that some things changed over the series.
Yes, that!

[elf]

I expect Rayek is surprised by his possessiveness because nobody's challenged his "right" to Leetah's attentions before.

I suppose the raid could've been avoided, or done differently, if they'd encountered Rayek hunting alone outside the village, or if they'd been doing enough sending to catch Savah's attention. With a different chief, one with more patience, they might've decided to wait until nightfall to raid silently, instead of with open violence, and that would've been a very different story.

"love recognition at first sight and bonus damsel kidnapping!"

Umm, yeah. It occurred to me, that although I haven't finished the whole set yet (haven't read most of the 2nd quest series, and haven't touched the future-stuff), I can't recall any *males* trapped in recognition against their will--except Tyldak, in a situation in which he was presented as extremely unlikable so nobody much cared what he wanted at the time.

Several women stuck with "I have to mate with WHO? NO!!" and very few parallel complaints from the men. (I think this is a problem that should be fixed with fanfic. Lots of fanfic. Someone should host an "EQ Men Fighting Recognition" fest.)

[dancing_serpent]

Someone should host an "EQ Men Fighting Recognition" fest.
I like the idea. *g* Maybe some time in the future, when we have encountered enough examples of recognition in the comics. I'm definitely filing that away for later. *g*

[dancing_serpent]

I'm not worried about spoilers. The series is out since the late 70s and most of us have read it already - and everybody has the possibility to read ahead, as elf said. Also, I believe I started spoiling already in the issue #1 discussion about the names. *g*

And I totally agree with the cheesy thing - re-reading it now I keep thinking "purple prose". As a child I thought of it as "poetic". *snicker*