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Clan-Building #4: Masque

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Matthew writes...

Just finished reading #4 for the third time. Let's see I liked the scene at the beginning. I always liked Jeffrey Robbins and would like to see more of him. The costume party was cool. I guess Margot's a fan of old movies if she wanted Brendan to dress as Rudolf Valentino. I like the irony of her complimenting the gargoyles without realizing they were gargoyles. This was also the first I think we've ever seen her complimenting anything. You'd think that she would have recognize the gargoyles though considering all the times she has encounter them. I did not at first remember who Judge Roebling was at first since he was only in Vows.
So at the Labrynthe Thailog thrashes the Mutates. I have to wonder does Thailog have some plan for the Clones or is he just "collecting his property" as he put it?
I'd say that's quite shocker at the end. I'm not sure you could have done that in the cartoon, but like you said in an earlier post it would be how you do it. I think a slightly elevated level of violence might lend the comic a bit more gravitas than the cartoon. Though I don't want it turning into a Garth Ennis comic or anything.

Greg responds...

The sensibility is still my own, and I'm not big on the ultra-violence, personally.

Response recorded on July 02, 2007

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Shannon 'Shan' Muir writes...

Still reserving anything overall commentwise until issue 5 comes out, but there's a question I keep coming back to and that is Elisa's costume choice as Jasmine, considering she was planning on going with Goliath initially.

Thematically, I'm sure there's some symbolism tied into that choice and I love the thoughts several have shared here.

But part of me wonders why not Esmeralda from NOTRE DAME as that was the Disney movie of Summer 1996? Or did she boycott it due to the comic portrayal of gargoyles?

I know that's probably setup to a smartass answer but I'm ok with that.

Greg responds...

Too much pressure to come up with a funny smartass response.

I just think that Elisa probably had the Jasmine costume in mind for some time... Also, she spent most of the summer traveling the world, so she may have missed that movie.

Response recorded on June 29, 2007

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Todd Jensen writes...

I know that you're not that fond of questions involving "The Goliath Chronicles", but this is something that I thought I should mention here anyway.

One of the episodes of "The Goliath Chronicles" (it was the one involving Taurus and Proteus in New York) has gained particular notoriety among "Gargoyles" fans because the animators somehow made Elisa resemble Jasmine from "Aladdin". As a result, I found it amusing when, in #4 of the new comic, you had Elisa going to the masquerade party as Jasmine.

Given your past comments on the Goliath Chronicles and how you don't even remember them that clearly, I doubt that you deliberately intended that as an in-joke; also, it makes sense that Elisa would choose that costume because in the previous Halloween party in "Gargoyles", she'd gone as another Disney heroine (Belle from "Beauty and the Beast"). But I still thought that I should mention the additional level of meaning that I'd gotten out of her costume choice to you.

Greg responds...

All things are true.

Response recorded on June 29, 2007

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Charisma82 writes...

Hey! Here's the second half of my ramble on the 4th comic book.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building
Part Four: Masque

Part 2 Pages 13-24

Page 13: Okay, this is where I got mixed up and didn't think that Terry was Ambassador Chung's son, because when I saw her name I immediately thought of the detective Tri Chung from the previous comic book. More on that on the next page. I like how we get a big shot of the party in D.C. like we got on page 5 of Xanatos's party back at the castle. It looks a lot alike except that most of the people in this scene look old (except for Xanatos and his family) and like they're not having much fun. But it does look a lot like the other scene. It might just be me thinking that though. I like how Alex's age is brought up and how he looks older than he really is. He's also saying stuff now like "Doggie". Interesting… (not the word "Doggie", but that he can actually say the word).

Page 14: Back to the whole Chung thing. When Ambassador Chung is talking about Terry, I'm thinking of Tri, partly because I had forgotten Tri's name and the way she talks about her son, it seems like he'd be a lot older than the Terry off the first page. That's just the impression I got. And when she was talking about him trick-or-treating, I thought that maybe Tri (thinking he was Terry) had a kid or knew a kid and was taking him around. I never thought of him being the Terry at the beginning of the comic. I can't remember when I finally put it together… I think I looked up Tri's name in the 3rd comic book and realized that his name was not Terry, and then I read some reviews her at ASK GREG saying that Terry at the beginning of the comic was the Ambassador's son. I was a slow learner on that one… but I got it eventually. The rest of the page is about Illuminate stuff. A lot of people seem mystified over the Illuminate and keep wondering about what the number system means. I haven't been so big on that. I figured it was a ranking thing the first time I read it and haven't thought much of it since. Sure, I'm somewhat curious as to why the Illuminate want to meet Xanatos in D.C., but it's not really up there with some of the other story elements that are at work in the plot. At least for me anyway.

Page 15: Poor claw. That looks like it hurt. He had to know that Thailog couldn't be stopped so easily. The whole free will thing… not happening right now with the clones.

Page 16: Maybe there is some hope for the free will thing… until Maggie gets buried in rubble. Wow, Thailog was really going to shoot Maggie. There's this whole idea that he's not a wasteful guy… I guess he really has no future plans for Maggie the Cat. I had to actually look up the movie title online for Norma Rae to get what he was referencing to on this page. I read what the movie was about, so now I get it. I think.

Page 17: People say it looks bad for Maggie here, but I've seen the gargoyles get buried in about this much rubble before and survive it. Then I thought about how Maggie isn't as strong as them and is a bit on the weaker and smaller side. And she can't heal at dawn. I guess those things don't go in her favor. The whole thing about Thailog finding out about Delilah and Goliath made me laugh… but probably not maniacally. When I read this, my mind went right back to Double Jeopardy with Hudson asking Goliath, "Do you even know how to laugh maniacally?" Goliath might not (well… he was laughing kinda creepy in Enter Macbeth), but Thailog sure can. And Thailog's surprised look that Delilah and Goliath went out together is priceless. I'm glad that Claw didn't have to fight Thailog and the entire clone clan by himself. That couldn't have turned out good. It's funny… Thailog doesn't waste him…

Page 18: There's Al!!! I wondered where he'd slipped off to. Wow… Maggie looks like a zombie. And here we see Talon's weakness. He won't leave Maggie to help Goliath. If anyone wanted to take over down there, all they need to do is capture Maggie. Thailog made a bad choice in trying to get rid of her, because if she dies and he ever wants anything from the Labyrinth clan, he can't just kidnap her and demand stuff. He'll have to figure something else out. And here comes the mystery girl up to bat. She's going to the castle? She'll have a heck of a time trying to get there before Thailog does. And she doesn't have a costume… will they let her in without a costume? Now we get more of Elisa and Morgan. I feel bad for Morgan. He knows he's just the rebound guy. I wonder how this will affect their relationship at work once this is all over and done with.

Page 19: By the way… I love Morgan's outfit. I can't really explain why, I just do. It suits him. He's dressed up as a detective, which he's being for the night, trying to figure out just what is going on between everyone… especially between "G" and Elisa. I really don't like how Goliath "commands" Delilah to stay where she is. It makes me feel like he doesn't think of her much except as a clone that needs directing when she's supposed to have her own free will. I like how Morgan asks her if she's having fun yet. Neither of them looks like they're having any fun. Here's an idea… how about they ditch the broken up love birds and get together for the rest of the party. It beats being used. And now we have Goliath trying to confront Elisa… I wonder how this'll turn out… though I have an idea (since I've read the whole thing already).

Page 20: Some more sharing of feelings between the broken up couple and then a run away by Elisa. I do like that she acknowledges that it was not only a mistake, but that is was her mistake to have the double date. At least she takes responsibility… in a sense. But then I think more on it and realize that she shouldn't have to feel bad for the mistake. She just wanted a shot at a normal life, and even though it blew up in her face, she still took that chance and I have to admire her for that. Now we have Thailog's voice in the background to really make the evening brighter. It's bad enough Goliath is going through all this without his "evil twin" getting in the way and making fun of the situation.

Page 21: I like the two scenes next to each other of Goliath and Thailog. We have the angry Goliath and then the smiling Thailog. Goliath should try smiling at his enemies. It could freak them out. Then he could start laughing manically at them… maybe not. I like how Owen walks up calmly and professionally. That's Owen for you. Oh, and Thailog's entrance looks great. I love how he lands in this scene.

Page 22: And there's the army. I wonder which one is Bruno. I love Owen's reasoning and his bit about having to rebuild the castle over and over again after all the fights that take place there. I can hear his voice in my head perfectly when he says these lines. Now, Goliath looks really perturbed over Owen's choice to release Delilah. Is it really about Delilah's free choice or is it actually just about beating Thailog?

Page 23: Now why is it that Brentwood is the only one in the background here and the only one who said anything about free will earlier in the Labyrinth? Perhaps he has a bigger role to play in the next comic book. And what is with Owen's line "I'll leave you to your own devices". It sounds like he knows Thailog is about to do what he is about to do. I really like the split face of Goliath (who still looks angry) and Thailog (who is still smiling).

Page 24: WOW! Goliath stabbed! You'd think he'd have thought something was up when Thailog was saying he wanted to try something he'd been wondering about and then a knife pops out of his wrist thing. Maybe he didn't have enough time to act, but still… If Thailog was telling me (while smiling scarily) that he was wondering what would happen if he tried something, I'd be running… though I'm sure that wouldn't help much. And Goliath does look comical in the scene where he's being stabbed. He's also WAY too muscular. It looks like he took some of that stuff that Bane uses in Batman. I do think that Elisa, after seeing Goliath in this state, will rethink everything she's been thinking about their relationship. At least, I'd hope so.

So there it is. I finally finished the 4th comic book ramble. I knew I'd get it in sooner or later. I can't wait to find out what happens in the next comic book. I'm also very impatient for the 7th comic book from what I've heard of it. It sounds very interesting. And of course I can't forget that BAD GUYS is coming out. YEAH!!!

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charimsa82

Greg responds...

You're very welcome. Glad you're enjoying the stuff. I know I am.

Response recorded on June 24, 2007

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Charisma82 writes...

Hey! I'm really glad to have the new comic book, but I have to say that I really hate having to order the comic book online because it takes forever to get it compared to going to a comic book store and buying it, but there are no comic book stores near where I live. What makes it really bad is that I love coming here to read all the new answers you give each day to fans about their questions, but when the comic book comes out, everything is a review on the comic book, so I can't read any of them until I get the comic book. But that doesn't matter now, 'cause I have the comic book. YES!!! Here is the first half of my ramble on the Gargoyles #4 comic book, even though it is late (I didn't get it done in time to post because ASK GREG filled up with questions & reviews so fast and was closed down when I finished my review).

Gargoyles: Clan-Building
Part Four: Masque

Part 1 Pages 1-12

Page 1: The first thing I noticed is that the drawings were different in this comic compared to those of the past. It looks more like the show WITCH and how it was drawn. I'm not complaining at all though. Lots of people have ideas on who draws better than others in comic books, but I'm more about the story myself. As long as the comics aren't done in stick figures, I'll be okay with it. I had forgotten that Terry Chung was the guy in the spin off New Olympians and didn't put the connection together until I read someone else's review online. I also didn't get that this was Ambassador Chung's son that shows up later in the comic, but I'll get to why I didn't think of that later. I laughed when I noticed that the kids were dressed like Hyena & Jackal. I love their fake claws. Billy seems pretty bratty to me, so I can figure he got his way when he wanted to dress like a criminal. His mom: (After being at a Quarrymen meeting) "Honey, wouldn't you rather go as something else?" Billy: "I WANT TO BE JACKAL!" "But he's a felon, sweetheart…" (Crying) "I DON'T CARE!!!"… Anyways, that's how I see it.

Page 2: By the way, how does Terry's mother know Billy & Suzie's mother? Not through the Quarrymen I hope… Billy roles his eyes at a disciplining mom. Then she sees the Quarrymen. I wouldn't feel comfortable if I were her, taking a kid around in a gargoyle costume. At least the Quarrymen are doing as Castaway asked them. They seem to be making a presence on the street known. Hopefully they don't have hammers that we can't see in the shot we get of them. Nothing more on this page except for kids bickering.

Page 3: "Nice mask…" HA! I love it. That's your line (but you already know that). And here is Hudson, towering over the kids. I love how you can still get the feeling that he is talking in his accent with his "ye" stuff. I also like how the kids are stunned and speechless for the moment at seeing him. Terry even takes off his mask to get a better look at this "costume".

Page 4: IT'S JEFFREY!!! I knew this is where Hudson was going, and I'm so glad to see him again, as he's one of my favorite characters from the Gargoyle's universe. I love the shot with the two "dogs" (so to speak). I don't know if it is just me, but Jeffrey looks a bit upset in his first shot. That' s unusual. He's always wise, thoughtful, happy, content… these are just a few things I think of when I think of the guy. I like Hudson's line "We all wear masks." He avoids the question. I, personally, think that Jeffrey knows about Hudson. I think he had to get up some courage to ask Hudson about the mask thing, knowing the truth, but not wanting to come out with "You're a gargoyle." I think Jeffrey would rather have Hudson tell him the truth than admit he knows what Hudson is. That's my thoughts on it.

Page 5: It's a party! What else is there to say? Margot is being her usual self. You can already guess whom she is yelling at without looking at the next page.

Page 6: The costumes! I love Angela's costume. It fits her perfectly. I know the whole meaning behind it, but even without the meaning, it still fits her personality. Lex's costume is great, too. It's just too bad that we didn't get to see Goliath's reaction to it. I don't care too much for Broadway's costume. I liked him better in the detective coat in Eye of the Beholder.

Page 7: Morgan looks happy while Elisa looks uncomfortable. I can only imagine why… I really like Elisa as Jasmine. The first time I saw it, I had a whole theory of why she dressed that way, and then I read a post where you wrote that she'd already picked out her costume before hand when she and Goliath were going to go to the party together. I don't know what the reasoning would be behind her dressing as Jasmine when with Goliath besides her loving the costume, so I'm going to write my theory on why she'd dress that way going with Morgan. (*NOTE* My sister was just in the Aladdin play, so it helped me out a bit with this since I haven't seen the movie in a while). In the movie, Jasmine's whole thing is feeling trapped. She doesn't get to make her own decisions on what she wants to do. She is being forced to find someone to marry when she truly doesn't want to be with the choices she's given. When she escapes her "prison" and goes out onto the streets, she finds Aladdin, but then circumstances lead to them being separated and she is put back in her old situation of having to find someone to marry. This seems a lot like Elisa to me. She found her "Aladdin", but, due to circumstances, she is back to being trapped because of wanting a normal life. I kind of see Jason from the 3rd comic book being like Jasmine's father in telling her she needs to find someone worthy to be with. I see Morgan as one of the "suitors" coming to call on her. The main thing I see is Elisa (forcing herself) to be in a trapped situation as Jasmine was also trapped. She has to find a partner who she really doesn't want to be with, like Jasmine, even though she's found her "Aladdin". There are other comparisons that come to mind between the two, but I feel I've gotten the main point across here. Then again, I could be totally off. Because, as you said, she'd picked the costume when she was still with Goliath… even so, I like the Jasmine and Elisa comparison. I also have to mention Angela's upsetting tone on this page. Does she not know that her father is bring a date too?

Page 8: THAILOG!!! Okay, that's out of my system. Poor Al. And the girl is in the middle of Thailog and Talon. Not a great place to be at this time. I love the lines exchanged between Talon and herself. "Move, girl!" "Moving!"

Page 9: It's so like Thailog to come prepared. He's thought it all through… at least so far. We still don't know how his plan will work out in the next issue. I like that Claw tackled Thailog and actually pinned him down. It's also cool that Thailog continues on his conversation after this happens and during his whole battle like the fighting isn't a big deal for him. I also like how Thailog called Maggie "Miss Cat." It sounds funny.

Page 10: Back to the party. And now entering is Goliath with Delilah. Judge Roebling didn't look like the guy I remember off the show, so that threw me a bit. I had to think back to who he was, and finally remembered after a while of contemplating. Also, is there any significance in the name he chose, "Sir Ian of Oxford"? I don't know if that refers to someone who actually existed or not, but I was just wondering. I find Roebling's part humorous when Delilah explains all the genetics stuff about Demona and Elisa. If it had been any other guest, they'd have though Delilah was on something.

Page 11: Delilah meet Elisa. Elisa, Delilah. Morgan meet Delilah. Delilah, Morgan. Morgan meet… "G". If I were Morgan, I'd think "G" was a weird name for someone. Then I'd think that maybe it was a nickname. Still, it's a weird nickname. But that's not nearly as weird as meeting your gargoyle clone. Poor Elisa. That had to give her a shock. I also noticed more so in the comics than in the show how Delilah looks a lot like Elisa when Elisa was a gargoyle. Interesting. I love the scene with all four of them standing alone with no one around. It's great. I also like the fact that all four characters, if done in a show, would only need the two voice actors Keith and Salli. I'd have really liked to see that, as I'm sure a lot of Gargoyle fans would have.

Page 12: And here's poor Brooklyn. With his wings draped over his shoulders! YES!!! That's how it's supposed to look. I hated how the other comics had his wings under his arms. It wasn't right. I'm glad it's back to normal now. Broadway and Lex look like dogs in this scene. It's not very appealing on them. Angela still looks as cute in her costume as ever. It's too bad she's giving Brooklyn the wrong ideas here, even though it's not intentional. I can't wait to see Brooklyn's costume.

So there you have it. The first half of the comic book analyzed by yours truly. I'll start on the second half as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

Glad you liked it so far. Hope the second half holds up for you.

Response recorded on June 24, 2007

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Blaise writes...

A little later than everyone else's, but here are my thoughts on Issue #4 (mostly they're a reprint of my stuff from the Comment Room, with a few changes and other thoughts).

MASQUES

This is definitely the middle act. No beginnings or resolutions, just action and advancement all the way.

--Billy and Susan (dressed as Jackal and Hyena, of ALL people!) are trick-or-treating with a boy named Terry (who has an Asian cast to his features--this, coupled with a comment from Ambassador Chung(!) later in the comic leads me to wonder if we may not see "The New Olympians" for a while...either that, or you're REALLY yanking our chains, Greg). Sarah is there, along with a couple of silent Quarrymen on patrol. And who should answer their knock at the door but...Hudson ("Nice mask" indeed). And yes, we were right, he IS spending the evening with his friend Jeffrey Robbins, who is surprised to hear that the kids thought Hudson was wearing a mask.... Hudson just ducks the question with a "We all wear masks" line. I wonder if Jeffery will figure things out within the next few issues.
--We FINALLY learn Brendan's last name!
--It's fun to see anti-gargoyle Margot chatting with the clan. And nice costumes for Angela (Dorothy), Broadway (Lion) and Lexington (Post-modern Tin Man--er, cyborg...a very "Future Tense"-like cyborg!). I do wonder how Angela managed to pull off that hair-do, though--it just looks like her hair is so much shorter than it usually is!
--Morgan and Elisa show up. Morgan as Sherlock Holmes, and Elisa...well, "last" Halloween Elisa was dressed as Belle, from "Beauty and the Beast" and this year she's dressed as Jasmine.... I'll say one thing for her: she knows what she looks GOOD in!
Actually, I have to admit, when I first saw her in costume, my mind threw itself back to that one TGC episode with the animation by Diz-Oz in which Elisa really did look like Jasmine (at least as she was usually animated in the TV series). I know you only watched that episode ONCE, Greg, so I don't think it had much of an influence on you, but still...it made my eyes go wide.
Angela is none too happy about Elisa being on a date (and she refers to Goliath as "Father" here--I only notice that because she usually calls him by name).
--Cut to the Labyrinth where all hell is breaking loose. Apparantly, Thailog's blasters are able to absorb the Mutate's electric discharges and redirect them right back again. And yes, he is there to reclaim his "property".
--Judge Roebling returns! I wondered when we'd see him again. A bit of an awkward moment when he thinks Delilah is Demona. Poor bastard had the right idea of getting out of there. Especially when Morgan and Elisa show up...and Elisa truly meets Delilah for the first time. Nice panel of the four of them all alone in a little pool of light.
By the way, did I detect a "Monty Python" vibe from Roebling's "Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more"?
--Of course, my favorite garg, Brooklyn isn't wearing a costume at the moment...he's too depressed, apparantly. And yet, a smile and a few words from Angela provide all the motivation he needs to hurry off to change.
Before Angela starts talking to him, Brooklyn seems to be watching Goliath and Delilah. Is he mentally replacing Goliath with himself on Delilah's arm? Just a thought I had.
--We're off to the White House where not just Xanatos, but Fox and Alex as well, are attending another party (love Fox's little "tattoo-mask"!). And who should they meet there but Ambassador Chung(!), who notes that Alex seems pretty big for his age. While dinner is served, Xanatos moves off to meet with one of the serving staff. We have a sort of repeat of the "Number Greeting"--Xanatos greets with 36, as usual and the server responds with...2. Uh-oh.
--Hell is continuing to break loose at the Labyrinth, with the clones obeying Thailog's command. Maggie tries to give them an inspirational about free will, and Thailog prepares to shoot her. So Talon attacks Thailog...and the shot goes wild causing part of the wall to collapse on Maggie. I really am concerned for Maggie here--she looks pretty bad off, and I don't know if they have any medical help down there in the Labyrinth.
Anyway, with her injured, Talon occupied trying to help her, and Claw restrained by the clones, Thailog finally notices he's missing someone. Malibu tells him about Goliath and Delilah, and Thailog has his first good maniacal laugh in weeks before heading off with the clones to crash the party. Al suggests sending someone to warn Goliath, and who volunteers but...the new kid. Hmmm.
--I love Morgan here. He's a very perceptive guy. He figures out that "G" is Elisa's ex...the one she broke up with that day...the reason he's getting his shot..."Assuming I AM getting my shot...?" Like I said, perceptive. And I just love his "So, we having fun yet?" to Delilah when both their respective dates head off for another heart-to-heart.
Some have called Morgan a bit thick for bringing up what is obviously a sore spot for Elisa, but I actually don't see it that way. I mean, here's Morgan finally on a date with a woman he's interested in (and she's HOT), but I think he knows he's something of a "rebound relationship"--which is never a fun thing to be--and I think he's trying to let Elisa know that he knows that. Or at least let Elisa know that that's what she's doing.
--We have another Goliath/Elisa discussion where Elisa admits that seeing Goliath with Delilah hurt, and that "tonight was a mistake." More specifically, HER mistake. But that it still doesn't change anything. I get the feeling Elisa is pretty much swinging back and forth between denials at this stage.
Well, she runs off...which is when Thailog shows up complimenting Goliath on the show.
--Thailog (who refers to Golaith as "Father" as well) has brought the rest of the clones, and his two guns. Of course, only the guns displease Owen, who has called out the (obviously re-staffed) Xanatos Goon Squad. Owen has a great line here about having "transcended any pleasure received from supervising the endless reconstruction of this castle." A nice nod to how often the Eyrie got trashed in the series. However, Owen is no saint, offering to call off security and send up Delilah in exchange for disarmament. This, naturally, outrages Goliath, but Owen points out that he's not trading Delilah...she will still have a choice (that whole "free will" thing again.)
--While they wait (and there's a great half-n-half shot of Goliath and Thailog's faces) Thailog decides to satisfy some curiosity...what would happen if he popped a blade from his wristguard and stabbed Goliath in the abdomen! :-o
And that's where the comic ends...for TWO MONTHS (at least). Man, I really HATE bi-monthly schedules.
--Well, now that the summary is done, I must say the art was a little...uneven for me here. For the most part I thought it was good (I like the gang in their costumes...especially Elisa and Angela). However, I did think the faces of the kids at the beginning were a little too cutsey for me. And Broadway's (and even Lexington's!) salivating over food (complete with tongues hanging out) on page 12 seemed a little overboard. And I'm not too sure about Goliath's expression in the last panel of the last page (but then again, what look WOULD a person being stabbed have on their face, anyway?). Overall, though, it's pretty nice. Thailog looks great!
I did notice the wrong name was on the credits page, and that the title was missing. That is unfortunate, but it will be corrected in the trade paperback I'm sure (yes, I am being very optimistic).
--Other notes: I STILL want to see Talon's full reaction to the clan being back with Xanatos. Also, I feel sorry for Morgan and Delilah since this evening will probably end with their respective dates essentially dumping them.
Oh, I LOVED that you guys managed to keep the art continuity of Thailog wearing the domino mask!
I'm going practically crazy wondering what Brooklyn's costume will be. I don't THINK it's going to be the Scarecrow, but I won't know until July.
It may be just me, but it seems that a lot of this story seems centered on the theme of "relationships"--specifically, in the romantic sense. I mean, right off the bat, we have Goliath and Elisa's relationship, which of course branches off into the relationships (or lack thereof) between Elisa and Morgan (and Elisa and Jason, even) and Goliath and Delilah, which further extrapolates into the relationship between Delilah and Thailog. As for happy, healthy couples, we started issue #3 with the Xanatos Family, and we see a lot of Broadway and Angela, as well as Talon and Maggie. And all throughout the background of this we have Brooklyn in his SEARCH for a relationship.

Impatient for the next issue!

Greg responds...

I'm not above yanking your chains, but Terry is Terry Chung.

Response recorded on June 13, 2007

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Brigadoon Traveller writes...

Gargoyles #4

Thailog's back - and by the looks of things he's been taking steroids! Wide eyed cutesy trick or treaters, gargoyles with bags of muscle and comical facial expressions when getting knifed aside, Paniry's artwork on this issue is actually quite interesting. Just as I was starting to get used to Hedgecock's work on the comic, we get treated to this new artist's take on the Gargoyles Universe; and whilst the inking might be quite too thick and unsightly for some people, and some of the characters are hard to recognise, personally I quite like Paniry's art in 'Masque'. Surprisingly I was starting to miss David Hedgecock when I first read through this issue; but there are some really good moments - the half Goliath/half Thailog facial on page 23, the moments when Elisa meets Delilah (esp the panel when the double daters are all alone), Talon running to Maggie after she gets buried alive. On the whole the artwork's looking different but still as always looking good.

Enough of the aesthetics - if the story is lacking, there's no point in having stellar art. But as the Clan Building arc continues with Chapter 4: 'Masque', I have to say things just keep getting better and better. Like 'Invitation Only' this issue has a huge supporting cast; Robbins makes his long overdue return, Brendan Quarters is back with a sore ear as always, a slightly tipsy Judge Roebling unexpectedly pops along, as do Sarah Browne and her kids. And whilst old faces are popping up so are new ones, particularly that of Billy's friend Terry and Ambassador Chung (who incidentally also has a son named Terry, hmmm). Whether this new Terry Chung is the Terry Chung of New Olympians fame remains to be seen but if they are one and the same (and my bet is that they are) then the first major revelation of Clan Building is that the events of the New Olympians spin-off will not be happening until at least another decade or so. For some reason I was under the impression that the New Olympians would reveal themselves at the end of the 1990s not long after the Manhattan clan met them. But this delay in their revelation seems more logical and is unlikely to detract from the revelation of the gargoyles; I'm sure the New Olympians along with the rest of the world are watching how the Manhattan residents react to the new gargoyle threat - how this plays out over the years will most likely influence the New Olympians' choice to reveal themselves.

As I said before it was good to see Billy and Susan again (I think this is the first time we've met them again since "Thrill of the Hunt"). It took me a while to figure out that they were dressed as Jackal and Hyena. Sarah seems concerned when she sees the Quarrymen patrolling - I wonder whether she is having second thoughts about joining them.

And it's only a matter of time before Robbins figures out that his Scottish friend is in fact an urban legend come to life - I liked seeing Bronx and Gilly lying next to the fire.

Onto the party - and what a party! Such revelry, such merriment, such debauchery - everyone certainly looks like they're having a good time; I wonder how much Xanatos pay that waitress on page 5? Maybe he should pay her more so that she can afford to buy the rest of her outfit!

I was pleasantly surprised that Angela reprimanded Elisa for bringing Morgan; I'm glad that she spoke out against her, but how much does she know at that point about her and her father breaking up? I doubt that Goliath told any of the clan before he left for the Labyrinth. I'm sure Angela could probably tell something was up from the way Goliath left the Castle. Aside from Hudson, Angela is probably the one most aware of the couple's relationship and feelings for each other, and so it seems right that she would defend her father whilst he's away.

Some have said that her advice to Elisa is hypocritical considering the way she and Broadway have acted around Brooklyn; I disagree - Angela made it clear at the end of "Turf" that she was not a trophy to be one and that if anything was to happen it would happen in its own time.

Brooklyn as usual is moping again - that is until Angela goes up to him; poor girl doesn't realise what signals she's sending him - hopefully next issue Angela will let him down gently and Brook will be out of his depressive moods. Timedancer can't come soon enough for him.

Lexington's "post-modern tin man" - I wonder how much influence Owen had in that costume design.

Speaking of costumes, Elisa carries on her Disney Princesses affiliation by dressing as Jasmine. Nice!

For some reason I was unsure whether Delilah and Elisa had met yet; I'm glad that the first time Elisa saw her was when she was with Goliath and not at a prior off-screen occasion. Make's their meeting all the more awkward and interesting.

Thailog has some neat lines;

"No treat for poor little Thailog? Then trick it is!"
"That's quite enough, Norma Rae."
"Wow, haven't had a good maniacal laugh in weeks."

For a split second the pain, betrayal, jealousy is plain to see on Thailog's face when he learns where Delilah has gone.

Maggie shows her courageous side again by standing up to Thailog - it's a shame it almost cost her her life. She looks so badly hurt in that blast that I'm unsure whether she'll survive or not.

When I first saw Alex in his gargoyle suit last issue I thought to myself Hedgecock's drawing this kid likes he's older than he really is; I'm glad that Ambassador Chung agrees with me on that. Make's me wonder whether Fox also looked older than she was and whether Renard picked up on it?

You've delivered another brilliantly scripted episode! Can't wait until #5 and the conclusion of this story!

Greg responds...

I spent a good chunk of my day today reviewing the final coloring and lettering for issue #5. Can't wait for you guys to see it.

Response recorded on June 13, 2007

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Brigadoon Traveller writes...

Finally got my copy of #3 (and #4 as well more on that later) And I have to say that I'm loving every single moment of this brand new canon story. 11 years of waiting (more like 7 for me as I first started to watch the series properly back in 2000) and finally we have new Gargoyles stories.

I love the opening sequence - the Xanatos family playing happy families makes a beautiful picture perfect opening.

Let's get straight into the meat of this issue; Elisa and Goliath. Elisa does a big 180 here by going from saying "Funny, I feel the exact same way" in response to Goliath's feelings in "The Journey" to the next night saying that they need to break up. But does it feel contrived? No not in the least - why? Because Elisa's suddenly realised that she doesn't live in a fantasy world where she can realistically play guardian angel with Goliath night after night and at the same time balance that with her job at the precinct during the day. Like we saw in "High noon" Elisa just wants a normal life - she would much rather have preferred to live out normalcy and all the perks that that comes with - a house with a yard and kids etc than have investigated those falling rocks from the Eyrie building all the way back in "Awakening".

Throughout the day she's had reminders from people she feels close to that there is a whole different life outside of the gargoyles that she has to live and there's no way she can combine the two. I'm sure she would have loved to have brought Goliath to the precinct picnic but there's no chance at all that she ever would or even could for that matter.

The night before she and her "boyfriend" (it feels so weird calling Goliath her boyfriend - I suppose in the same vein that Goliath makes the distinction between husband and mate) were chased by racially motivated zealots who not only tried to kill her, but nearly succeeded. Goliath was badly injured in that battle and it looks like she took a nasty blow from Castaway's hammer as well. But the difference between the two is that whilst Goliath can hide up in the castle and heal throughout the day, Elisa has to attend to her career with all the paperwork, liaisons and meetings that come with it, bruises and all.

Morgan with his simple look of surprise at her hiding this guy she's supposedly involved with shows her that despite the fact that she's know acknowledging that she has been involved with Goliath for a couple of years, she could never, at least not any time soon, come out with him in public at any time other than Halloween. For all we know, she could have been planning to spend her night off with Goliath on the streets of New York on the one night where she could pretend things were normal. But what about the night after that? And the months and the years after that? Where does Goliath fit in with her idealistic view of her future? She wants kids - and not half gargoyle, half human kids - kids that she can take to school and show off to her friends and drive to football practice with their friends. Unfortunately she can't do that with Goliath's kids.

Then we have her meeting with Jason. I'm sure she didn't stay long with him - but in that brief moment he showed her that again her other half was a mystery to her friends; he probably has an inkling that it might have been Goliath and that's probably what he's alluding to when he talks of the man that can give her everything she's wanted. (I have a feeling though that he hasn't even thought about Goliath being her boyfriend and is referring to himself in that speech - in that he feels he can't give her everything she wants and telling her to stick with her boyfriend who he presumes to be human. Considering that up until a week ago Jason thought that all gargoyles were evil demons and even though he has reformed and changed his views I doubt that even the thought of a cross-species relationship has occurred to him. Prejudices sometimes are hard to remove and I doubt that Jason has done it overnight.)

The feel nail in the Goliath Elisa coffin is I think when Jason grasps Elisa's hand. I'm sure some of the feelings she had for him are still there, probably making her realise that if she could be attracted to Jason, she could still find someone within her own species who could provide her with everything that Goliath can't.

I suppose though that the Xanatos family in the opening pages provide a counterpoint to Elisa's argument. If an amoral billionaire who is obsessed with immortality and is driven by his desire for power, influence and domination coupled with an ex-felon/Half magical being who both spent their honeymoon in 10th century Scotland can have a "normal family", then why can't she?

But like she did in "High Noon" I'm sure Elisa will realise during the course of this double date that it doesn't matter whether she wanted to be thrown into the world of the gargoyles, what matters is that they need her and more especially Goliath needs her just as much as she needs him. But that remains to be seen.

Anyway onto the rest of the issue; Hacker playing everyone - loving it. Can't wait to find out what the Illuminati really want with the gargoyles.

Personally I like the back story exposition of the mutates and the clones; granted I would have loved two pages of new stuff but if it helps out new readers understand then so be it. Is that a growing Thailog in the background in the first panel with Sevarius? I like that continuity.

And finally… He's back!!! Thailog is back and I'm sure with a vengeance! I'm sure he's come back for nothing more than to collect his property. He probably sees the clones as an investment - one that he probably feels Talon is polluting with his education. I doubt Talon's had much of an influence on them though; they've only been down there for two weeks, but it'll be interesting to see what their reaction to Thailog will be.

Goliath and Delilah luckily are out of sight on their way to the Castle. Speaking of which, has Elisa actually gone down into the labyrinth to see Delilah? If not that means that the first time she'll see her will be with Goliath. Now that's going to make things awkward!

I have to say the art on the whole is absolutely stunning on some pages (when Goliath and Elisa are having "the conversation" Goliath looks amazing; wish I could say the same about Elisa though - she looks like an old hag in some of the panels). Hedgecock brilliantly captures the emotion and the pain on Goliath's face - his shock when Elisa says their feelings "are not enough" is priceless. One tiny little point I have to say which really won me over - the moon in the background… it's not full! And so it shouldn't be considering that the hunter's moon was a week ago. This is the kind of continuity that I hope can be carried on throughout the comic book's run.

I especially love the cliffhanger ending - Thailog never looked better!

No review would be complete without mentioning Demona's cameo. No dialogue, one page only - but it sets up so much for future stories. Demona's up to something no doubt about it. I like that even after Operation 'Clean Slate', a plan that she's been hatching for 500 years fails, she's still planning new schemes a few nights later.

On the whole a brilliant issue 5/5

Greg responds...

Thanks... Can't wait to read what you thought of #4.

Response recorded on June 13, 2007

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E J writes...

Hey Greg. Just figured I'd chime in on ish #4. Reading people's ramble-responses to the issues, it's clear (and pretty funny) how hungry we've all been for new canon by the way each issue gets dissected, all the way down to the individual lines of dialogue....it reminds me of the rabid way Lost fans pull apart every episode for clues.

The variety in the artwork doesn't bother me at all. After all, the animation on the episodes came from several different studios. Frankly, it will always be secondary to the story and dialogue. That being said, Angela looks stellar in comic form.

It's immensely satisfying to see a cliffhanger at the end of each issue and look forward to its resolution at the beginning of the next. It feels like we were spoiled by the format of the television series, with each episode wrapping up so neatly as the sun rose. Frankly, this suits the Gargoyles' turbulent lifestyle a little better. I've mentioned my glee at your newfound freedom from S&P before, but it's very satisfying to see you no longer restricted by time constraints, also.

What's good? The fact that I can still hear the characters' voices in my head when I read their lines--even Judge Roebling. Owen. Thailog's Sawyer-esque pop culture references suit him well, and contrast him nicely with Goliath.

What's not so good? It took me longer than it should have to figure out who Judge Roebling was. The retro comics fan in me wonders if a tiny little editor's footnote (e.g. "*See the episode 'Vows!' --Greg") would have been useful there.

Overall, however, it's clear now that I had nothing to worry about. Far from simplifying the story or restarting character arcs, the comic has been a nudge and nod to loyal fans. We thank you.

E J/skeeJay

Greg responds...

My feeling was that if you didn't know the Judge you learned all you needed to know about him at the moment on the page. A reference back would only make newbies feel like they needed to know more than they really did... leading to a sense that newbies aren't welcome. That's the theory anyway.

Oh, and we'll be starting the Judge Ian Roebling fan club at the Gathering. Membership is cheap, but you have to talk like Foghorn Leghorn at all the meetings. I say, son, I say, you have to talk that way!

Response recorded on June 12, 2007

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Purplegoldfish writes...

My review for number four!...it's another long one.

Awesome story!! My favorite issue so far.

The interior art: well I have to say that Paniry(?) is a better comic artist than Hedgecock (though Hedgcock does do more detailed backgrounds.) From an artist's standpoint, the art is very good. Good fluid action sequences and nice facial and body expressions. Paniry has a better grasp on anatomy than Hedgecock as well. I don't mind the thick outlines. The one gripe I have is that Goliath looks a little too "Incredible Hulk" in some scenes-and Elisa, well she looks more like the REAL Princess Jasmine than Elisa in a Jasmine costume. I have some more thoughts on her costume later. Thailog and Angela look great throughout the book, as do the clones and mutates.
Evan's coloring is pretty decent. One thing though, why are Elisa's eyes blue?? And I could do without all the lens flares-and what's with the shiny white streaks in Goliath's hair?
Okay, sorry for that long babble-I'm an artist, so I'm anal about this stuff.

On to the story-(finally). So we start the book off with Yo' Mama jokes. I couldn't help groaning-oh it's the 90's! I like the kids' banter, though they look a little too "Mickey Mouse" cutesy to me. Also isn't Billy's hair blonde? Okay, I'll stop with the art, I promise :P I thought those Quarrymen were kids in costumes at first. Seriously though, I'de be more scared of those guys than of the gargoyles.

I really like the Hudson/Robbins scene. How awesome would it be to get halloween candy from a gargoyle? I love the panel with Bronx and Gilly sleeping by the fire. A dog is a dog no matter what it looks like! I have a feeling Robbins suspects Hudson is a gargoyle and is waiting for him to admit. I wonder why Hudson doesn't tell him though? Surely he's been in his company enough to know by now that Robbins wouldn't chase him out simply for what he is. Is that what Hudson is afraid of? I like his "mask" line though. It's so true-and it seems to be the theme of this issue (Where's the title?). Everyone wears masks-not just to hide their physical features-but also to hide their inner thoughts and feelings-to others and to themselves.

Ah, Margot and Brendan. I had always assumed for some reason that Brendan's last name was Yale. I guess they are not married. Love the Wizard of Oz costumes-particularly Angela's. Though Lex's choice is a bit creepy. Margot gets close and personal with Lex. For someone who's "seen these beasts up close" she can't tell he's a gargoyle when she's mere inches from his face. Which brings me to this thought; how dense are the people at the party that none of them seem to notice they have *real* gargoyles in their midst? I can understand the random party guests that don't get a good look at them--but those who go up to them like Margot and Morgan? No costume is THAT good. The wings, the tails, the feet. Morgan even *touches* Goliath. Does he suspect? It just seems odd particularly with the rumors that Xanatos harbors the gargoyles. Maybe I'm just being anal...

back to the story...Elisa shows up as Jasmine. We've got a theme here with the Disney Princesses. But is it really in Elisa's character to be dressed in such a skimpy outfit in public like that? I mean we hardly even saw her bare arms throughout the series. I see this as being much more out of character for her than when she breaks up with Goliath. Angela shows she has a bitchy side-it's great-she's not the sweet little angel so many people make her out to be. She's right to be annoyed at Elisa-I am too- but isn't Angela being a bit of hypocrite considering the way she and Broadway are around Brooklyn? She even seems to be flirting with him later on. I like how our heroines are showing flaws in their characters though-makes them more real.

I just love Judge Roebling here. I like how Greg takes all these bit characters we assume we'll only see once and brings them back and gives them personality. Robeling seems to have gotten in the bubbly a bit. His speech patterns remind me of Foghorn Leghorn lol. I love how he just comes up to Goliath and talks to him as if he's just like any other normal guy in the room. And I love the "wink wink nudge nudge" line. A reference to Monty Python? I have a friend who says that a lot and he likes both Monty Python and Gargoyles. This guy reminds me of him I guess. I like Goliath's terse "No!" when Roebling asks if Delilah is Demona. Goliath's in such a talky mood...One thing that is really missing from the comic books is tone of voice. I would like to hear how Goliath said "No!", how Brentwood said "free...will?" Oh well, I guess we just have to use our imaginations.

I love the akward moment when delilah talks about her genetic sources. She's so direct hehe, and then Elisa and Morgan show up. I think the term we are searching for during the party scenes is "Awkward." I love that long dark panel with just the four of them in the spotlight staring at each other. It's just them in the room...

I think drooling broadway and Lex is a bit much. We're trying to get away from the idea that Broadway is just a big eatint machine. I'm glad that Lex is drooling right along with him though. At least they're enjoying themselves-even Lex who doesn't have a signifiant other. Unlike Brooklyn who's moping and feeling sorry for himself again...he's getting on my nerves.

I got the connection with the Chungs. Ambassador Chung and Terry, the kid from the first few panels. Not too big of a deal for me since I've never been interested in the New Olympian spinoff in the least-don't really know why, I'm just not. Maybe if I went to the Gathering and learned more about it--though unfortunately I can't go this year. (I do intend to get to at least one). Though I wonder if we'll see more of these two in the current gargoyle universe.
Interesting bit of information about Alex's growth spurt. I haven't noticed. I'm also a bit surprised that only four months has passed since "The Gathering." Probably because we haven't gotten new material in ten years.
I'm not surprised that a high up Illuminati guy would be working in the white house-as a server no less! I can't even make any speculation on what they want to talk to Xanatos about.

Back to the labyrinth- Claw and Maggie come into their own here. Claw tackles Thailog-must have taken a lot of guts considering his timid personality. But I gotta hand it to maggie. She stands up to Thailog-a homicidal gargoyle armed to the teeth who had just subdued both Talon and Claw. I don't think a lot of people give her enough credit-she has a lot of courage-and she's buried for it...I hope she's okay. Didn't get the Norma Rae line until some people said it was a Sally Field movie. How old is the target audience again? ;)
I like the free will theme going on with the clones. Do they have a choice in following Thailog? Or maybe they just don't realize that they do. Brentwood stands out from the other clones here. He's even listening in the background when Goliath and Owen discuss Delilah's free will later on. I think he's going to break off from Thailog.

So labyrinth girl volunteers to go warn Goliath. She's a bit too late though- if she even went at all. I'm curious as to her motives. Back at the party Morgan is an idiot and reminds Elisa that she broke up with Goliath...dude, that's not the best way to romance a girl. He's perseptive, but Elisa and Goliath must have tension radiating from them that you can cut with a knife when they're next to each other. It can't be THAT hard to figure it out.

Elisa and Goliath are so kind to their dates hehe. I actually feel bad for them. Elisa just kinda ignores Morgan and stares into space, and Goliath just kinda ignores Delilah and stares at Elisa. Goliath just orders Delilah to "stay here" while he runs after Elisa. Yeah, real nice Goliath, treat Delilah like Thailog does. I love how morgan attempts to break the tension with his "having fun yet" line. I think they both realize they're being used.

I really like the Goliath/Elisa moment. It's so frustrating- Elisa is trying to run away from her feelings. Does she honestly believe that she can go on without Goliath? It's so pathetically obvious that she can't, yet she keeps trying. I love Goliath's speech. He actually uses the word "love" in reference to Demona and Elisa. Pretty strong admissin I think. This is the closest he has ever come to telling her he loves her...I get the feeling he was about to-but Elisa cuts him off, again. Maybe Elisa realized what he was about to say and that's why she ran off. ARGHH! DAMNIT ELISA! I'm surprised Goliath hasn't completely lost it with her by now-just grab her by the shoulders, tell her to "shut the hell up" and listen to him!

Thailog is true to his word and crashes the party. Poor Goliath, it's just going from bad to worse. I love Owen's response. So very "Owen." He had that goon squad ready relatively quickly-so maybe Labyrinth girl did give word? Hmmm...I love Owen's line about constantly repairing the castle. A little nod to all the times the castle is damaged because of all the craziness that goes on there. Owen makes the best possible choice he can and offers up Delilah. Poor Delilah, just a pawn in all this mess. I hope she eventually rips Thailog a new one. I really like the split panel with the halves of Goliath's and Thailog's faces. And then the cliffhanger...Wow, Thailog is one nasty SOB! First he buries Maggie alive for talking to the clones, then he stabs Goliath in the gut, who's just standing there!! I wasn't too surprised that this happened, since I seen the cover to #5 when it got out accidentally. Oh well. The look on Goliath's face while he's being stabbed is a bit comical. I'm not sure if that was the intention. But oh man, Greg really leaves us hanging! I can't wait for number five! I'm intrigued by Greg saying "Elisa makes a choice" on the back page. Maybe seeing Goliath nearly dying will convince that she's being an idiot and that her place is with him. I'm also curious as to what Delilah will choose to do.

All in all, an awesome chapter to this great story! My one major gripe is that it's too short! Great job to everyone who worked on it!

Greg responds...

Foghorn Leghorn and Monty Python -- who says I don't have widespread influences?

As for the target audience, it's basically me. Just me. Only me. Me. Me alone. No one else. Just me. Me. Did I say "me"? Me. (The rest of you are just along for the ride. Hope you like the scenery.) Me.

[Oh, come on, like you haven't suspected it all along!]

Response recorded on June 12, 2007


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