I think I’m finding one of the parts I’m most interested in about this subscription is seeing how it impacts my reading experience when issues start to come out. So interesting to see your notes about characters and plot!
And hmmmmmm. Since I immediately made the leap to (wanting) Dr. Vallar becoming the Apostate Prince... It seems we have both royalty and apostasy in his wife's family... Her first husband is a traitor to the "magic" side and the throne, with his "secret Institute ties," and... does the good Doctor then become a traitor to his "ruling class" in turn, but turning away from the Institute and back to the heretical ways of magic? That's currently the theory that I'm finding pleasing!
I also just keep going back to the idea of "science" and "magic" being stand-in words. And any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic. And we already have elements of organic systems vs machine systems in play here. I'm going to extrapolate "sufficiently advanced" to "sufficiently suppressed" and "sufficiently forgotten." And hypothesize that what we may be looking at is two different "technological" philosophies/systems of knowledge and achievements/advancements, where nether is outright "magic," but each becomes treated as occult/taboo, and even regarded as "impossible," when the other system is in the height of ascendancy. Going right along with the idea that until the out-of-power system comes close to coming back into power, occurrences of it are regarded as... not even an opposing system to be acknowledged, but just anomalies, inexplicable events.
I also still feel like also the push-pull between individual vs community/society will be a theme - the "me/we." And also possibly a focus on "mind" vs "spirit" between the factions, as the interpretation and way of considering the core of a being's existence. "Mind," I suppose, would equate with "science" and "machine." "Spirit" with "magic" and "organic." But again, that it's not even so much science/magic as just two vastly different approaches to "technology." I suspect this could also extend to philosophies of living "in harmony" with a planet (or moon) and the existing resources, vs regarding all of those as no more than consumables. And I feel like either system could, at its "best"/most pure, aim to a goal of being "for the good of all," but end up being corrupted. Into selfishness/individuals seeking individual power. Or into such a focus on "equality" that all individuals are entirely relegated to a featureless mass.
Well, a lot of these ideas are in the setup of the HoXPoX/X-Men story, but I feel like we're very much set up here to see those themes explored in a wider framework with completely new characters. And I love it. I love it a lot. Even if every bit of my wild speculation is as wrong as wrong can be, I love the fact that the elements we're seeing even propel me into these realms of thought and keep me wondering and excited.
The design of these is super similar to the various character charts in House of X / Powers of 10. Did you create the illustrations for those data pages, Jonathan?
I just got a chance to really study the Hyatt-Vallar Family Tree. Very interesting, to say the least. I was wondering something is the inspiration for Lady Hyatt Dejah Thoris from the John Carter novels? I love Dejah Thoris 💖?
She's one of my favorite Sci-Fi characters of all time. Lady Hyatt sounds a lot like her that's the only reason why I'm asking. Also, if Hoyt Hyatt was a traitor to the throne, does that make his kids traitors too? And the child who's a mix of every different species in this sector, I wonder what his role is going to be in this story? I wonder how he got genes from everybody in him, especially Akvaians genes.
Did his Mom have sex with the Prince or King of Akva? A lot of interesting thoughts running through my head right now, Mr.Hickman. Live long and prosper 🖖.
I'm wondering how we properly pronounce Dr. Tajo R. Vallar's name. (Or is this not set in stone yet, and subject to change if a better idea comes along? :D ) Also wondeRing if the mysteRy will eveR be Revealed. :D
This got a little too far ahead for me. I feel like I'm going to either have to read this plenty times or the facts in this post will become repetitive as we go forth. Either way, deciphering the color codes and imagining the stories that could be is a lot of fun.
This is giving me vibes from One Thousand Years of Solitude from Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Long family tree that we will keep coming back to but outside of the details, it’s a story about a family over a long time. Great stuff, thank you.
I laughed when I read your description of the Alpha Robot you put that this robot sucks and then for the for the Omega robot you put this robot is fucking awesome. Also all the characters/other players are really interesting and I'm excited to see how their stories unfold in the pages. I'm super excited for yours and Grant's discussion tomorrow also.
"This robot is visually dated, older, faulty, patched back together too many times. To be clear, this robot sucks."
Alpha Robot is already my favorite character
The "original adventuring family with a crappy robot" is giving me Venture Bros vibes.
I think I’m finding one of the parts I’m most interested in about this subscription is seeing how it impacts my reading experience when issues start to come out. So interesting to see your notes about characters and plot!
And hmmmmmm. Since I immediately made the leap to (wanting) Dr. Vallar becoming the Apostate Prince... It seems we have both royalty and apostasy in his wife's family... Her first husband is a traitor to the "magic" side and the throne, with his "secret Institute ties," and... does the good Doctor then become a traitor to his "ruling class" in turn, but turning away from the Institute and back to the heretical ways of magic? That's currently the theory that I'm finding pleasing!
I also just keep going back to the idea of "science" and "magic" being stand-in words. And any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic. And we already have elements of organic systems vs machine systems in play here. I'm going to extrapolate "sufficiently advanced" to "sufficiently suppressed" and "sufficiently forgotten." And hypothesize that what we may be looking at is two different "technological" philosophies/systems of knowledge and achievements/advancements, where nether is outright "magic," but each becomes treated as occult/taboo, and even regarded as "impossible," when the other system is in the height of ascendancy. Going right along with the idea that until the out-of-power system comes close to coming back into power, occurrences of it are regarded as... not even an opposing system to be acknowledged, but just anomalies, inexplicable events.
I also still feel like also the push-pull between individual vs community/society will be a theme - the "me/we." And also possibly a focus on "mind" vs "spirit" between the factions, as the interpretation and way of considering the core of a being's existence. "Mind," I suppose, would equate with "science" and "machine." "Spirit" with "magic" and "organic." But again, that it's not even so much science/magic as just two vastly different approaches to "technology." I suspect this could also extend to philosophies of living "in harmony" with a planet (or moon) and the existing resources, vs regarding all of those as no more than consumables. And I feel like either system could, at its "best"/most pure, aim to a goal of being "for the good of all," but end up being corrupted. Into selfishness/individuals seeking individual power. Or into such a focus on "equality" that all individuals are entirely relegated to a featureless mass.
Well, a lot of these ideas are in the setup of the HoXPoX/X-Men story, but I feel like we're very much set up here to see those themes explored in a wider framework with completely new characters. And I love it. I love it a lot. Even if every bit of my wild speculation is as wrong as wrong can be, I love the fact that the elements we're seeing even propel me into these realms of thought and keep me wondering and excited.
956 LC, 19 Cycles/Years after the prologue, as teased in the sketches on Fables Process. Excited about the "present" story beginning soon :)
Ah yes, the 3 genders: Male / Female / Robot.
The design of these is super similar to the various character charts in House of X / Powers of 10. Did you create the illustrations for those data pages, Jonathan?
I just got a chance to really study the Hyatt-Vallar Family Tree. Very interesting, to say the least. I was wondering something is the inspiration for Lady Hyatt Dejah Thoris from the John Carter novels? I love Dejah Thoris 💖?
She's one of my favorite Sci-Fi characters of all time. Lady Hyatt sounds a lot like her that's the only reason why I'm asking. Also, if Hoyt Hyatt was a traitor to the throne, does that make his kids traitors too? And the child who's a mix of every different species in this sector, I wonder what his role is going to be in this story? I wonder how he got genes from everybody in him, especially Akvaians genes.
Did his Mom have sex with the Prince or King of Akva? A lot of interesting thoughts running through my head right now, Mr.Hickman. Live long and prosper 🖖.
so the green colour related to those green colour dots in 001A?
This concept is coming from Hickman’s experiment while he was working on black Monday murders, which has not been but should be finished.
Not directly related to this post, but came across this earlier today:
https://www.rcsb.org/structure/3W3M
I'm wondering how we properly pronounce Dr. Tajo R. Vallar's name. (Or is this not set in stone yet, and subject to change if a better idea comes along? :D ) Also wondeRing if the mysteRy will eveR be Revealed. :D
This got a little too far ahead for me. I feel like I'm going to either have to read this plenty times or the facts in this post will become repetitive as we go forth. Either way, deciphering the color codes and imagining the stories that could be is a lot of fun.
I just can’t get over how much I’m loving this newsletter. I love this type of crap.
This is giving me vibes from One Thousand Years of Solitude from Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Long family tree that we will keep coming back to but outside of the details, it’s a story about a family over a long time. Great stuff, thank you.
I laughed when I read your description of the Alpha Robot you put that this robot sucks and then for the for the Omega robot you put this robot is fucking awesome. Also all the characters/other players are really interesting and I'm excited to see how their stories unfold in the pages. I'm super excited for yours and Grant's discussion tomorrow also.