To be honest, JHH doesn’t seem the type to casually kill others if he can help it to me. When he needed deaths, he went after “whores he could conscion killing” suggesting he at least has some standard, I think.
I am a little bit curious though, because the lighting is so electric magenta… but in the panel where we see Hunter’s feet, is that “ichor” from Vane’s back he’s stepping in or the priest’s blood, I wonder?
I would have to dig back through the archives, but I think Hunter has been shown to be fairly cavalier about killing when it furthers his goals. Or when it’s convenient. He is not as indiscriminate as Black, for sure, but still. I still remember poor Eliza 🙁
I believed brother Matteo was probably still alive, since he wasn’t threatening Hunter in any way, and was shown to be rather pleasant (at least compared to Harker), but seeing him lying on the ground, surrounded by some sort of magic circle and “Angel Fire”, I am not liking how his life expectancy is evolving…
I honestly just reread the series a couple days ago and while Elisa is a very tragic thing indeed, but he didn’t kill her. He seemed more resigned to dying in the fire with Vane than anything. I cannot recall JHH killing an innocent or even some people who probably deserve it (like Miss Dauterive when she attempted to poison him to death on their 2nd encounter).
He even remarks to Vane that she’s really stone cold dead inside when she kills innocents, suggesting he has some value for life. (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=1695)
I’m not saying he’s a saint by any means mind you (he has killed whores, after all), but most of the disaster that seems to follow him is incidental, not intentional. I do think he probably might kill an innocent (well, innocent, to him) if it’s the only way to accomplish his ultimate goal, but I don’t think he has so far (yet).
I’m a little lost on all of Hunter’s whore-killing. I’ve heard a lot of references to it in the comments, but I can’t recall where was it stated in the comic. Was it related to something he and Vane were doing when she was alive? Can you help me out?
I suspect they were killed for this ritual to bring Vane back to life, specifically their blood to scrawl the conjuring circle, here: (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=3252)
There’s a few things I’m hazy on in the timeline I’ve in my head. I’m rather curious as to whether JHH was an actual real magician before he met Vane or he took it up in desperation for her death.
I’m also rather curious as to the legal definition of “witchcraft” (which is labelled in the wanted posters as crime) as there’s clearly at least “elementalism” and “blood magic” (?) as well as alchemy. The wind mage refers to “dark arts” which might be a reference to puritanical branding of all magic as bad/evil. Is all magic outlawed, period? The wind mage seems to be hiding his arcane talents as best he can with a hidden arcane library, which suggests maybe it is all outlawed, but at the same time, I can’t help but think his spectroscope-y machine could only be explained as “magic” to the layman, which seems rather counter-productive to secrecy.
PS: I suspect Eliza/Elisa was meant to be Emma, above. Mis-remembering names….
Come to think of it, have we seen him kill any whores or was it just a reference? He doesn’t seem to care much about collateral damage, but I’m wondering if its a Vash the Stampede kind of situation. Maybe Vane has been killing the whores and because he was the last one seen with them, he gets blamed.
@fdasfs (some reason you don’t have a reply link to me)
True, we don’t see JHH do killing and Vane might have been killing them in a jealous rage off-panel, she -is- sick with Violet Fever to the point of being (mostly) bedridden and where does the blood come from for the conjuring circle during Vane’s re-animation ritual? Given Vane says explicitly he killed the whores, I’m going to have to guess he did.
Never heard of angel fire, but here’s an instance of “fire from heaven”.
2 Kings 1: 9-12:
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
11 So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’” 12 Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.”
I suspect JHH used whatever type of magic he uses to “trap” her there, perhaps. If so, perhaps he finally has all the reagents he needs for his endgame, but the nun is a fly in his ointment? Hm.
Well, we do know demonology exists inworld and JHH has at least been exposed to it, because he has a presence in “Genevieve.” (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=914)
Whether or not he uses it himself or the animating presence in Vane is demonic, we do not know yet. It -could- be elemental maybe. JHH is clearly a fire elementalist and perhaps if fire re-animates/resurrects a body, I’d expect it to be emotionally tied to rage and wrath. Seems fitting for fire to me.
Yes I have to agree, the last panel is quite poignant. The look on John Henry’s face is nothing but worry and, hmm, love? And with Vane’s eyes closed, and the dead pale seeming gone from her face one has to wonder if life of some sort still exist in her. Just a great epic all the way. I tip my hat to you Miss Erin.
Such great art … and then come Emanon’s highly illustrative links (the first one misfired, btw). I believe he killed quite a few people on the riverboat, too, in the course of his robbery. That woman was a gambler and her men were just her bodyguards. I am now drowning in questions about Vane’s motivations, hunter’s, and the symbolism of his blood stained white jeans, which looks a lot like a lipstick mark.
Oh. OK. Allright. But thinking is hard! The riverboat scene was early on when he really, REALLY wanted that ring, and played cards to get it but didn’t care if he won or lost … he was going to get that ring. If you’ve read accounts from those who know, like Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, riverboat fires were and are horrific. Even Mpoby Dick, Fire the Galley Stove and other tales of sails upon the high seas make fire alarming, and those ships lacked boilers. Kudos aplenty to Emanon and Karyl for the astute historical references. Emanon is succeeding in making me reconsider my loathing for Hunter almost as well as his origin story did.
Well, there are a few times he’s defended himself (mostly by burning the place up) and one of those times we see is him burning down the saloon in the first chapter (another is him defending himself against the pair of whores that pulled guns on him in the whorehouse when he wanted a bath, earlier). Someone in those places -may- have died, but we don’t get any aftermath of that. Not to mention in both instances JHH -is- defending himself, rather than just outright murdering people without provocation, however, as in one of the previous links I posted, the whores do have dialogue saying he killed “mostly women” (suggesting maybe some men?), but in a way suggesting it’s just rumors rather than outright fact.
Addendum: It is worth noting JHH does say he’d do “anything” for Vane. So I guess that’s an admission he’d murder for her (in the cause of his ultimate goal, I reckon). But so far, we haven’t seen an outright “murder” of an innocent (though JHH considers whores “sinners” I guess).
Dude, you’re seriously like a freaking historian here. Well done; it actually helps create a coherent and solid backstory for Hunter and Vane. Very helpful, mate!
He used the poisoned pin on the seamstress when Catherine Dauterrive threatened her, so he has definitely killed an “innocent” of sorts- he’s not got clean hands at all. And burning women in the whorehouse was probably as bad as death for them as that was how they were making a living. The last frame does make ME think that something healing has happened for Vane, but what? and will she like or hate it?
Eh, the incidence of self-defense are on those who initiate the threat. No one trying to murder you is “innocent” of any sort, regardless of circumstance.
I love that last panel sooo much!
This isn’t going to end well for anyone involved. I hope the brother makes it though (assuming he is not dead yet…)
To be honest, JHH doesn’t seem the type to casually kill others if he can help it to me. When he needed deaths, he went after “whores he could conscion killing” suggesting he at least has some standard, I think.
I am a little bit curious though, because the lighting is so electric magenta… but in the panel where we see Hunter’s feet, is that “ichor” from Vane’s back he’s stepping in or the priest’s blood, I wonder?
Or do we have to wait to find out? 😉
I would have to dig back through the archives, but I think Hunter has been shown to be fairly cavalier about killing when it furthers his goals. Or when it’s convenient. He is not as indiscriminate as Black, for sure, but still. I still remember poor Eliza 🙁
I believed brother Matteo was probably still alive, since he wasn’t threatening Hunter in any way, and was shown to be rather pleasant (at least compared to Harker), but seeing him lying on the ground, surrounded by some sort of magic circle and “Angel Fire”, I am not liking how his life expectancy is evolving…
I honestly just reread the series a couple days ago and while Elisa is a very tragic thing indeed, but he didn’t kill her. He seemed more resigned to dying in the fire with Vane than anything. I cannot recall JHH killing an innocent or even some people who probably deserve it (like Miss Dauterive when she attempted to poison him to death on their 2nd encounter).
He even remarks to Vane that she’s really stone cold dead inside when she kills innocents, suggesting he has some value for life. (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=1695)
I’m not saying he’s a saint by any means mind you (he has killed whores, after all), but most of the disaster that seems to follow him is incidental, not intentional. I do think he probably might kill an innocent (well, innocent, to him) if it’s the only way to accomplish his ultimate goal, but I don’t think he has so far (yet).
I’m a little lost on all of Hunter’s whore-killing. I’ve heard a lot of references to it in the comments, but I can’t recall where was it stated in the comic. Was it related to something he and Vane were doing when she was alive? Can you help me out?
@Sam Chisholm (for some reason, you don’t have a reply link to me)
Vane references whore-killing here: (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=4036)
Prostitutes reference JHH killing “mostly women” here: (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=671) I assume they were said whores.
I suspect that the goings on in these flashbacks are JHH seducing whores to kill while Vane is laid up sick with Violet Fever in preparation for her death and re-animation. Perhaps practice? Storing blood? (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=2537) (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=2575)
I suspect they were killed for this ritual to bring Vane back to life, specifically their blood to scrawl the conjuring circle, here: (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=3252)
There’s a few things I’m hazy on in the timeline I’ve in my head. I’m rather curious as to whether JHH was an actual real magician before he met Vane or he took it up in desperation for her death.
I’m also rather curious as to the legal definition of “witchcraft” (which is labelled in the wanted posters as crime) as there’s clearly at least “elementalism” and “blood magic” (?) as well as alchemy. The wind mage refers to “dark arts” which might be a reference to puritanical branding of all magic as bad/evil. Is all magic outlawed, period? The wind mage seems to be hiding his arcane talents as best he can with a hidden arcane library, which suggests maybe it is all outlawed, but at the same time, I can’t help but think his spectroscope-y machine could only be explained as “magic” to the layman, which seems rather counter-productive to secrecy.
PS: I suspect Eliza/Elisa was meant to be Emma, above. Mis-remembering names….
Come to think of it, have we seen him kill any whores or was it just a reference? He doesn’t seem to care much about collateral damage, but I’m wondering if its a Vash the Stampede kind of situation. Maybe Vane has been killing the whores and because he was the last one seen with them, he gets blamed.
@fdasfs (some reason you don’t have a reply link to me)
True, we don’t see JHH do killing and Vane might have been killing them in a jealous rage off-panel, she -is- sick with Violet Fever to the point of being (mostly) bedridden and where does the blood come from for the conjuring circle during Vane’s re-animation ritual? Given Vane says explicitly he killed the whores, I’m going to have to guess he did.
Questions, questions, questions! Heh heh.
Link correction:
Vane references JHH’s whore-killing here: (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=1693)
He’s a secondary character in this story. He was a dead man walking from the moment he was introduced.
She actually looks healthier in the last panel than she has so far.
Hunter may not have done her a favor by stopping the preacher.
Never heard of angel fire, but here’s an instance of “fire from heaven”.
2 Kings 1: 9-12:
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
11 So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’” 12 Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.”
On another note… if thats not angel fire what is it?
I suspect JHH used whatever type of magic he uses to “trap” her there, perhaps. If so, perhaps he finally has all the reagents he needs for his endgame, but the nun is a fly in his ointment? Hm.
Hell fire.
Probably magic brought about by the bood priest.
Blood magic isn’t typically Kosher.
Well, we do know demonology exists inworld and JHH has at least been exposed to it, because he has a presence in “Genevieve.” (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=914)
Whether or not he uses it himself or the animating presence in Vane is demonic, we do not know yet. It -could- be elemental maybe. JHH is clearly a fire elementalist and perhaps if fire re-animates/resurrects a body, I’d expect it to be emotionally tied to rage and wrath. Seems fitting for fire to me.
Yes I have to agree, the last panel is quite poignant. The look on John Henry’s face is nothing but worry and, hmm, love? And with Vane’s eyes closed, and the dead pale seeming gone from her face one has to wonder if life of some sort still exist in her. Just a great epic all the way. I tip my hat to you Miss Erin.
@Emanon
Yeah, I’m not sure why there isn’t a reply link either. Anyway, thanks for clearing that up for me!
Such great art … and then come Emanon’s highly illustrative links (the first one misfired, btw). I believe he killed quite a few people on the riverboat, too, in the course of his robbery. That woman was a gambler and her men were just her bodyguards.
I am now drowning in questions about Vane’s motivations, hunter’s, and the symbolism of his blood stained white jeans, which looks a lot like a lipstick mark.
R-riverboat?
I don’t the bloodstained white jeans symbolize anything other than he was shot about 800 times with a minigun at the beginning of the chapter
+think darnit
Oh. OK. Allright. But thinking is hard!
The riverboat scene was early on when he really, REALLY wanted that ring, and played cards to get it but didn’t care if he won or lost … he was going to get that ring. If you’ve read accounts from those who know, like Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, riverboat fires were and are horrific. Even Mpoby Dick, Fire the Galley Stove and other tales of sails upon the high seas make fire alarming, and those ships lacked boilers.
Kudos aplenty to Emanon and Karyl for the astute historical references. Emanon is succeeding in making me reconsider my loathing for Hunter almost as well as his origin story did.
What RIVERBOAT? And what ring? We are reading totally different comics
Riverboat fires can’t be horrific when there is no riverboat anywhere in this entire series
Well, there are a few times he’s defended himself (mostly by burning the place up) and one of those times we see is him burning down the saloon in the first chapter (another is him defending himself against the pair of whores that pulled guns on him in the whorehouse when he wanted a bath, earlier). Someone in those places -may- have died, but we don’t get any aftermath of that. Not to mention in both instances JHH -is- defending himself, rather than just outright murdering people without provocation, however, as in one of the previous links I posted, the whores do have dialogue saying he killed “mostly women” (suggesting maybe some men?), but in a way suggesting it’s just rumors rather than outright fact.
Broken link fix here:
Vane references JHH’s whore-killing here: (https://www.nexttownover.net/?p=1693)
PS: Yes, today I have a lot of free time and what better way to spend it than re-reading Erin’s fine work? (shameless.jpg)
Addendum: It is worth noting JHH does say he’d do “anything” for Vane. So I guess that’s an admission he’d murder for her (in the cause of his ultimate goal, I reckon). But so far, we haven’t seen an outright “murder” of an innocent (though JHH considers whores “sinners” I guess).
Dude, you’re seriously like a freaking historian here. Well done; it actually helps create a coherent and solid backstory for Hunter and Vane. Very helpful, mate!
He used the poisoned pin on the seamstress when Catherine Dauterrive threatened her, so he has definitely killed an “innocent” of sorts- he’s not got clean hands at all. And burning women in the whorehouse was probably as bad as death for them as that was how they were making a living.
The last frame does make ME think that something healing has happened for Vane, but what? and will she like or hate it?
Eh, the incidence of self-defense are on those who initiate the threat. No one trying to murder you is “innocent” of any sort, regardless of circumstance.
^^^
Pink fire does her complexion good.