Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides #4 (July 8): Unfortunately, this issue is just as confusing as last issue. The devils who were initially going to make Krydle surrender his soul in exchange for sparing Shandie's life are replaced by a different devil who makes Krydle surrender his soul in exchange for saving Elturel. This devil works for a devil named Bel whose goal is regaining dominion over Avernus from Zariel. Bel's plan, such as it is, is to embarrass Zariel by using Krydle to ruin her plans to bring Eltural into Avernus and...at some point maybe defeat her in a few millennia? It's unclear. Meanwhile, Minsc and Nerys engage the Bloodrovers but wind up falling into the River Styx, which robs Minsc of his memory. I have no idea how Krydle is going to save Elturel in one issue. I'm guessing that it's just going to end in a lot of hand-waving magic. [Sigh.]
Transformers '84: Secrets and Lies #1 (July 15): Furman's main challenge here - as he acknowledges in his notes at the issue's end - is trying to integrate all the various G1 continuities into a coherent narrative. In this series, he seems focused on unifying the stories told in the UK and U.S. versions of the "Transformers" comic and then unifying those stories with the ones told in the original TV series. Unsurprisingly, this effort occasionally trips up the narrative, as you have moments where you're like, 'Wait, the 'Dynobots' were on Cybertron right before the Ark launched? How did that work?" In his notes, Furman promises that he's getting there, which makes it a little easier to wade through the seeming discrepancies. But, it makes this issue feel more like an academic exercise in establishing a clear timeline than a fun comic to read. With some of those issues now addressed, I'm hoping the series picks up next issue. (Also, I need to mention pet peeve #1 as at no point does Starscream punch Megatron.)
Die #12 (July 22): I hoped Gillen would right the ship here, and I'm happy to say that he does. Both teams now have a clearer sense of the threats that they're facing and at least rudimentary plans on how to address them.
Gillen addresses last issue's cliffhanger right off the bat, confirming that Molly is Angela's daughter from the "real" world. But, she's older than the Molly Angela left, sending Angela into a panic that time is passing more quickly in Die than in the real world. Molly is somehow also Fallen, so Angela tries to sacrifice herself to return Molly to life. Matt stops her, noting that they need an actual plan.
In Angria, Ash, Izzie, and Zamorna learn that Little England not only knows that the companions destroyed Glass Town but also that Angria is run via the Dictators, something I guess Angria didn't realize that Little England knew. Little England's ambassador refuses to make a deal with Angria so long as Ash is on the throne given her role in altering the Great Game (i.e., the truce between Little England and Eternal Prussia so long as Glass Town stood) due to Glass Town's destruction. Ash assumes that they learned everything through spies but fears that Zamorna somehow got around the Voice to leak the information. It appears that Little England is composed of three parts: the norther part is "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardorbe" and the central...or middle...part is "Lord of the Rings." Ash, Izzie, and Zamorna realize that they'll face the realm's southern part, which Zamorna says has a "touch of the future" in it. (This part makes sense later.)
At this point, Izzie has paid off almost all her debts to the gods thanks to ruling Angria, which gives her the power to make their wishes reality. She's still in debt to Mistress Woe, however, who's clearly waiting to call in the debt at the most inconvenient time. Although Izzie might have largely achieved the goal that she articulated for herself last issue, Ash gets farther from it when Augustus announces that he's going to the front lines. He realizes that he's his mother's only stake in the world, so he needs to up the ante to stop the war.
Returning to Angela, Chuck, and Matt, they are now trying to sort out the time weirdness. Matt notes that Brontë's story from a few issues ago about the 12 pretty toy soldiers had time weirdness. Hearing about the soldiers, Dour informs them that Sol carved 12 toy soldiers from the Dreaming Lands' 12 greatest oaks and painted them red with the high priests' blood. Matt realizes that means Sol gave the wooden soldiers to the Brontës, confirming that time is totally fucked. (Matt had previously been focused on the fact that the Fallen existed in Die before the companions arrived despite them allegedly being the first ones there.) They all decide that Molly is actually safest as a Fallen since no one can hurt her and decide to see the Fair, who Angela hopes can stop Die from happening and possibly heal Chuck. The problem is that the nearest Fair are in the Grandmaster's Realm. As Angela says, "let's go to fucking Mordor."
As the war gets going in Angria, the False Friend confirms for Izzy that the Little Englanders actually aren't spying. With no traitors to find, the triumvirate is adrift. Zamorna warns Ash to take action soon, because everyone knows that she's the reason that the war is ongoing. It makes Ash realize that the reason that it's "impossible" for peace to happen because she's on the throne is because it's against the Little England's rules. Remembering Brontë told her that some Masters are more involved than others, Ash asks to meet Little England's Master, who we learn is H.G. Wells. Dun-dun-DUN! I'll admit that I thought Tolkien was Little England's Master, so I'm intrigued to see where we go here.
The Last God #7 (July 22): As with everything in this series, this issue could've been titled, "Secrets and Lies! Secrets and Lies!"
Kennedy Johnson allows Cyanthe to drop her defenses in this issue. It's a welcome development, not only because it begins to answer some of the remaining questions at the heart of this story - namely, the mystery surrounding Haakon - but also because we spent so much of this series so far with such unlikable characters. With Skol and Veikko dead, Cyanthe is alone burdened by her past, and she begins to shed some of that burden here at the urging of her younger companions.
Most importantly, she tells us about Haakon. We learn that the fellowship rose to fame because Haakon not only joined the party but also enchanted its weapons with Fey magic. (Upon learning that the same god birthed the Fey and Mol Uhltep at the Pinnacle, Skol surmised that the Fey's magic could destroy the Flowering Dead.) Cyanthe talks about that period warmly, recalling the fellowship having adventures and giving the people hope, becoming their champions. Evyndir asks what changed, and Cyanthe simply answers, "We found the House of Ruarc."
In the past, we learn that the Fey have led the companions to the House of Ruarc, a foreboding "house" set in an enormous thorn-covered tree. As Flowering Dead attack the team, we see how different the party is now, with each fellowship member's weapon glowing a unique color signifying its Fey magic. After defeating the Dead, Veikko notes the Dead seemed different. Haakon and Skol recognize one of the corpses as carrying armor with Ruarc's crest. Haakon isn't surprised that the Dead lead back to a "soulless man," though Skol is thrilled at the prospect of learning more about one of the architects of the Guild Eldritch, the man who discovered how men could wield magic like the Aelves. Skol informs us the Guild still can't replicate some of his devices, and she discovers two such devices that seem to seal the fate to which present-day Cyanthe alluded: a Soul Ember, which allows the user to speak to the dead, and the Bloodglass, which shows one's future. Haakon urges Skol not to touch the Bloodglass, warning that he's previously seen the device and the price of its use is too high.
Reading Ruarc's journal, Veikko discovers that the Black Stair is near a cave civilization and a living dragon that the Dwarrows worshipped. Skol exults at the prospect of becoming legends, and Haakon reminds her that the goal when they approached him for help was to learn the source of the Flowering Dead. Haakon tries to convince everyone to camp outside with him, but they refuse. Later that night, a drunk Tyr is making an ass of himself. He makes it clear that he lusts after Veikko and pledges to free the Aelves when he overthrows the "dickless weakling" King Engfurth and becomes king of Olvargolad. Veikko goes to relieve herself and Tyr follows after rebuffing Cyanthe's advances. Veikko attacks Tyr when he offers himself to her, all as Cyanthe tearfully watches. He returns to have sex with Cyanthe as Skol asks the Bloodglass what happens at the Black Stair, showing an insecurity about the future that we haven't previously seen.
In the present, the team walks through Haegerte, the village of Dwarrow who worshipped the dragon, whose remains the party passed on the way to the village. As Evyndir asks for Cyanthe to continue her story about the House of Ruarc, she walks through the decimated village, tearfully recalling a little girl who made them all laugh. Evyndir, showing similar growth as Cyanthe, promises to her that they're not her companions, that they're not who her companions became in the House of Ruarc. Encouraged by Evyndir's promise that they won't betray her, she finally names the ursulon that's been following them since the Pinnacle "Shadow." In the past, Cyanthe rises as everyone else sleeps and uses the Soul Ember to contact her father.
To make the connections clearer, Kennedy Johnson uses the supplemental material at the end of the book to underline Ruarc's role in the Flowering Dead's creation. A Pinnacle acolyte requests access to Grandmaster Romm's material after realizing that a children's rhyme implies Ruarc's role. It talks about how Romm's men killed Ruarc only for his body to sprout the Flowering Dead and kill them. Ruard had been the hero of the Riverman's Southern conquest but, after Alevan captivity, murdered his king and disappeared into the Riverlands. The acolyte notes rumors that the Guild's earliest research came directly from Ruarc's teachings. In the diary of one of the soldiers the murdered Riverman king's son sent to find Ruarc, we learn that Ruarc was the one to discover he could feed magic the flesh of the races who naturally wield magic. Yeah, it's grim.
Also Read: Star Wars: Darth Vader #3 (July 29)
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