Oh. As for Ace. Damn… Even google translation did better than me on this one. Thank you. I use this name on several webcomic and you are the only one that actually pointed out that I mispelled it.
Actually this is such an awkward beat to have to wait a week to see the outcome of…. when I let someone read the book 3 script they hit this part and just went “Wait, what? Why would he…?” and stopped reading, demanding that I explain and I was all “Just read further, okay…?”
No, Next Town Over is fully written in its 13-chapter entirety (except for minor dialogue tweaks and whatnot as I go). People’s interpretations of goings-on are functionally out of my hands.
Unless I’m forgetting something, he hasn’t done anything explicitly evil so far (killing the horse being the worst); even when he burned down the saloon it wasn’t out of malice so much as self-defense. He seems more amoral, or objective driven than evil at this point.
I LOVE horses, and I still question Hunter’s evil-ness after this event. Hunter is wounded, running for his life, aboard a wild stallion that tried to kill him. This wasn’t a nice act, but he doesn’t have any “nice” options. Or in other words, “sometimes, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
Oh, man. Cementing my reputation for horse murder … and right after a shoutout in my friend’s horse blog. I seem to have lost inkOUTBREAK followers as of the posting of this page, too.
I’m really a bleeding heart, guys, I swear. Though not as much as the outlaw stallion, amirite? … er.
… Okay, but seriously, I’m mostly-vegetarian and I just signed this petition two seconds ago. Ask My Little Annie! She’s let me near her horses several times and none of them has been murdered.
It’s totally true, Squidbunny couldn’t hurt a real horse even if you threatened to chop off her drawing fingers if she didn’t! In real life, she’s ridden my horses and never once been less than totally nice, even when the horse was acting like a dick.
To me he has just admited that the flame he wields comes from inside others. That makes the sacrifice of a horse meaningfull, since otherwise he is loosing an asset. It maybe slower than the other horse, but he’s way slower than the black one.
So, if the flame he wields comes from inside others, he’s evil.
I wouldn’t say that using dying people’s vitality is evil. It’s just a really ungainly tool. I certainly wouldn’t say that it’s an “Evil Power.” I am also opposed to the “Evil Powers, Evil People” trope. Now, causing people to die so you can use their vitality, on the other hand…yeah, he’s probably evil in a “I will survive at all costs” sort of way.
I take it as he can use the natural body heat of someone to summon the fire anytime but killing someone gives him more fire to play with, like right now when he needs it most.
Hum. Killing the horse in this kind of situation seems pretty pointless at first glance so there h a s to be a damn good reason for his action. My first thought was “necromancy” but I think I’ll just wait and keep grining like an idiot …
Well, if he did roughly the same thing to Hearts and Diamonds, then that might explain why Diamonds keeps answering his whistle and whatnot. And why Diamonds was able to be turned into a cyborg horse.
(Also, I gotta go back and see how bleedy his hand was in the prior pages now…)
Reminds me of those old myths (mostly debunked?) about how Damascus steel used to be forged–annealing the new-made blade in some kind of living flesh. Ughhhh. Jeepers.
I speculate that he might raise the horse as a Phoenix, sort of like Vane in the beginning. And that the horse will be faster when all it has left is its fire, with none of that cumbersome flesh.
I’ve been enjoying this comic so far in what I’ve read after finding it linked from another comic (can’t remember what one) recently. It’s fantastic and the art is amazing, Not a lot of the comics I read have art that’s this amazing or this detailed. It’s beautiful.
this comic is ridiculously pretty anyways did you by any chance base some off of the movie silverado? markus reminded me of the little brother cowboy. i think his name was jake
Thank you kindly — and good eye! Mark and Lawrence (named after the Kasdan brothers) were visual homages to Silverado’s Jake and Emmet, which incidentally is what their mules are named (Mark’s mule, Jake, is a paint, too, like Jake’s horse in Silverado).
Anyone considered chancy pragmatism? He’s already stolen Diamonds from her once. Perhaps he figures he can steal Diamonds again, and doesn’t want her following him on horseback?
Horse killer!
Your name is spelled wrong.
Oh. As for Ace. Damn… Even google translation did better than me on this one.
Thank you. I use this name on several webcomic and you are the only one that actually pointed out that I mispelled it.
Didn’t see that coming.
Gotcha!
Actually this is such an awkward beat to have to wait a week to see the outcome of…. when I let someone read the book 3 script they hit this part and just went “Wait, what? Why would he…?” and stopped reading, demanding that I explain and I was all “Just read further, okay…?”
…blood magic?
something tells me this was only added because after it was implied he cared about diamonds people started questioning his evilness…
Haha!
No, Next Town Over is fully written in its 13-chapter entirety (except for minor dialogue tweaks and whatnot as I go). People’s interpretations of goings-on are functionally out of my hands.
please tell me that was on the site and you didn’t just spoil us the length of the story TT_TT
It might not have formerly been on the site; I’ve said it in interviews and whatnot previously, though.
If knowing its ultimate length qualifies as a spoiler then I apologize!
I’m going to stop reading because of this spoiler!
I don’t believe you for one second Jon.
Unless I’m forgetting something, he hasn’t done anything explicitly evil so far (killing the horse being the worst); even when he burned down the saloon it wasn’t out of malice so much as self-defense. He seems more amoral, or objective driven than evil at this point.
“Objective-driven” is a great way to put it.
As an aside, man the avatar randomizer is fond of Jasper Jackson. What gives.
I LOVE horses, and I still question Hunter’s evil-ness after this event. Hunter is wounded, running for his life, aboard a wild stallion that tried to kill him. This wasn’t a nice act, but he doesn’t have any “nice” options. Or in other words, “sometimes, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
NOOO! NOT THE HORSEY!! WHHHHY?!
Oh, man. Cementing my reputation for horse murder … and right after a shoutout in my friend’s horse blog. I seem to have lost inkOUTBREAK followers as of the posting of this page, too.
I’m really a bleeding heart, guys, I swear. Though not as much as the outlaw stallion, amirite? … er.
… Okay, but seriously, I’m mostly-vegetarian and I just signed this petition two seconds ago. Ask My Little Annie! She’s let me near her horses several times and none of them has been murdered.
Yeah, a bleeding horse heart. Because you stabbed it.
It’s totally true, Squidbunny couldn’t hurt a real horse even if you threatened to chop off her drawing fingers if she didn’t! In real life, she’s ridden my horses and never once been less than totally nice, even when the horse was acting like a dick.
Thanks for the link Squidbunny!
To me he has just admited that the flame he wields comes from inside others. That makes the sacrifice of a horse meaningfull, since otherwise he is loosing an asset. It maybe slower than the other horse, but he’s way slower than the black one.
So, if the flame he wields comes from inside others, he’s evil.
I wouldn’t say that using dying people’s vitality is evil. It’s just a really ungainly tool. I certainly wouldn’t say that it’s an “Evil Power.” I am also opposed to the “Evil Powers, Evil People” trope.
Now, causing people to die so you can use their vitality, on the other hand…yeah, he’s probably evil in a “I will survive at all costs” sort of way.
I take it as he can use the natural body heat of someone to summon the fire anytime but killing someone gives him more fire to play with, like right now when he needs it most.
In other words, he’s a necromancer. He uses murder to build up his power.
Hum. Killing the horse in this kind of situation seems pretty pointless at first glance so there h a s to be a damn good reason for his action. My first thought was “necromancy” but I think I’ll just wait and keep grining like an idiot …
Well, if he did roughly the same thing to Hearts and Diamonds, then that might explain why Diamonds keeps answering his whistle and whatnot. And why Diamonds was able to be turned into a cyborg horse.
(Also, I gotta go back and see how bleedy his hand was in the prior pages now…)
What’s this? Did he draw his own blood before stabbing the horsey? What is this fella up to?
Nah, he was shot through the hand a couple pages back.
Was he doing a sacrifice to gain power? Hence his “…but you got FIRE…” comment.
8U This is INsane! And awesome. ( Did you say 13 chapters?? 😮 )
Horse-bomb? 🙁
Thank you, sir — and yes I did.
Reminds me of those old myths (mostly debunked?) about how Damascus steel used to be forged–annealing the new-made blade in some kind of living flesh. Ughhhh. Jeepers.
Nice comic. Can’t wait to read more.
Thank you very kindly! We’ll look forward to seeing you around. 🙂
Okay, so we’ve had a black horse, a pale (grey) horse, a red(ish brown) horse… I’m totally waiting for the white horse, and the apocalypse!
Rest in peace, Outlaw, knowing that you’re probably about to contribute to a major piece of character/plot development!
I speculate that he might raise the horse as a Phoenix, sort of like Vane in the beginning. And that the horse will be faster when all it has left is its fire, with none of that cumbersome flesh.
Holy smokes!??! what a waste of a wild horse…But I guess since he has fire magic…I think I can think of several uses for a dead wild horse.
wait my avatar is the black smith from the last chapters ? cool!!
Yeah, if folks don’t have their own gravatars the site randomly assigns an NTO character. For some reason though it really favors Jasper…?
I’ve been enjoying this comic so far in what I’ve read after finding it linked from another comic (can’t remember what one) recently. It’s fantastic and the art is amazing, Not a lot of the comics I read have art that’s this amazing or this detailed. It’s beautiful.
Very much obliged, Katie!
this comic is ridiculously pretty
anyways did you by any chance base some off of the movie silverado? markus reminded me of the little brother cowboy. i think his name was jake
Thank you kindly — and good eye! Mark and Lawrence (named after the Kasdan brothers) were visual homages to Silverado’s Jake and Emmet, which incidentally is what their mules are named (Mark’s mule, Jake, is a paint, too, like Jake’s horse in Silverado).
Is it just me, or do the horse’s ribs there exactly resemble Pi upside-down?
Or is that not ribs…?
I’m not sure I … see what you mean?
Anyone considered chancy pragmatism? He’s already stolen Diamonds from her once. Perhaps he figures he can steal Diamonds again, and doesn’t want her following him on horseback?
… Maybe?
OMG I really hate that woman, is she gonna keep killing everybody but not he guys she wants to kill…
I’m starting to think this entire comic is about killing horses >.>
I can’t see the page for some reason…
I like the Firefly reference in the second panel.
“Sorry, bucko.” A headsman’s apology, and about as sincere.