The Young Protectors: Engaging The Enemy Chapter 4—Page 21

March 25, 2016 Alex Woolfson 395 Comments

Hmm. What does that look mean?

I’m at WonderCon in Los Angeles this weekend. I’m selling and signing my books, and even have Trading Cards (including sexy 18+ Trading Cards) with The Young Protectors characters for sale. I’m at the Prism Booth (Booth #1819) all weekend, and it would be great to see some friendly faces, especially now. If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by!

So! If there’s anything we’ve learned in this story, it’s that The Platinum Priestess is super-helpful. I don’t know how she does it! Will The Annihilator learn to be helpful too?

Tune in this Wednesday to find out! Hope to see you there! 😀

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395 Comments

The eyes,, the eyes, they’ll get you every time…
Just don’t give me them thar shifty eyes…

Congratulations, Dave.

Thanks

A virgin made of bones? Okay, whatever floats your boat. Congrats Mr. Fragments! 😀

Thanks

Oooh. Well that’s interesting

… say the Admiral upon returning to see that her living room has been redone in “BONE.” 🙂

At least my dogs would be happy.

but your living room wouldn’t exactly exist for long then xD

No probably not. 😀

Our Admiral’s dogs like to redecorate…

HA! Now I have an image of an Aztec palace built from human bones with Sircea sitting atop a huge throne of human bones….. and then @admiraljane:disqus dog trots in and grabs a tasty leg bone and trots out somewhat disturbing the morbid and terror inducing mood Sircea was going for.

(Sircea gives our Admiral a LOOK. The Admiral shrugs. I mean whattya gonna do?)

Yeah, someone’s having doubts…

And finally! There she is, delightfully sarcastic and sinister. What a great time to see a close-up of the gate and realize it’s made out of human bones.

No one does warm and fuzzy like Sircea! That’s why she’s one of a kind!

Panel three is going to be spectacular in color in a few hours.
Look at all those bones. Damn what a grave robbery night that must have been.
Sircea makes Frankenstein look like a child by comparison.

She might have had her minions visit a few mass graves. It would save time and effort instead of having to dig them up individually.

That’s even more horrendous.
Think of it. Those people died at the hands of some dictator or plague and now their bones are going to be the pathway for demons to ravage the earth.

But in another way, it also makes a kind of twisted sense.

Sircea logic.

Bonescaping… the newest trend in making your backyard an “outdoor room.”

And she had a big backyard.

Well, when Anni made his opening speech to Laampros, he mentioned crossing the boundaries of “blood and pain” to meet.

I took that to mean the death of someone.
Remember, the first look we got at the site from the air thanks to Mitch, Duncan was casting the spell and the minions were letting blood into a cauldron. I’ll be that the pain is the case filled with people.

But also think of all the blood and pain associated with those in mass graves, even if it is more symbolic in this usage than actual.

Gruesomely yes.

You dropped some, Duncan.

wow, i haven’t been this early before
anywayyyy

wonder what that look means…maybe some doubt that Kyle planted? perhaps
also the pencil looks amazing and i can’t wait for the color

“Hey, is that my favorite femur? Who said you could use that for your bone gate?”

You never think you’ll miss that zygomatic bone until it’s gone and then…

I am curious where all those bones came from. Has Herself been saving them up?

There’s this storage unit facility on Poughkeepsie NY that specializes in not asking questions.

{wink, wink}

Haha, same thought!

I’m giggling too…

Shhhh! Storage.

Easily confused with Shtorage, which specialises in collections of Sean Connery memorabilia.

HA!

Shilenshe, Chrish. How dare you laugh at SHIR Sean Connery’s acshent.

Sheepish shi am(sh). 🙂

Why? I mean, how loud can a bone-storage facility get?

Poughkeepsie — Den of iniquity.

Did she have a storage unit somewhere that was just filled with bones?

Bones ‘R’ Us.

“Box-o-Bones”

We bring you a box! You fill it with all your extra bones, freeing up needed space in your apartment, closets or dungeon. Then we’ll store it in our hermetically sealed, humidity controlled, warehouse until you need to take an 18 year old to hell.

We promise to have your bones back to you within 24 hours of your call to our toll free offices at Bone Central.

1-800-Box-Bone

Never fear. Regardless if it’s an occipital bone, a parietal bone, a frontal bone, temporal bones, the sphenoid bone, the ethmoid bone or any other 206 human bones…

When you need a boning: Remember our name! “BOX-O-BONES.”

We have a skeleton with YOUR name on it! Promise.

Boneporium!

“Hello. Welcome to Bone-Mart. How can I help you?”

(I’ve always wanted to be a Bone-Mart greeter)

Bone Depot.

Probably lots in the ground.

Maybe they’ve been storred in one of Duncan’s dungeons.

They’re all her past lovers… she’s possessive like that and will take them home afterwards, too

I would believe this.

me toooooo…….

Methinks something of what Kyle said has slipped past Duncan’s emotional stonewall.

I’m reserving judgment on that front for now.

Poor Yoric. First Hamlet now Sircea. Can’t they leave him to rest in peace, well in his case pieces.?

Alas.

Indeed… that skull that’s hitting the ground looks a lot like my dead uncle. I think we may all need to check our family cemeteries. I don’t remember Sircea’s minion asking my permission to use any of my dead family members for this stunt (humph).

Not your fault because I haven’t told you, but that hit a bit of a sore point, we’re going to my great-uncle’s funeral on Thursday. 🙁

*hugs* Sorry for your loss sweetie.

*hugs* thanks. He was ill for a good while beforehand, but It’s still taking some time to sink in. What’s sad is that my great-aunt was resigned to the fact long before it happened.

Get back at me by coddling your Uncle and telling him that you will never let a philistine like me near him. Wishing you well.

Yup, Herself never ever needs to sweat. 😛

I’ll bet she never has to shave her legs either… (so unfair)… 😀

😛

Whuuuuut? 😀

Whelp…

Perhaps this isn’t the most opportune moment to discuss what happens when one experiences an unexpected boner of massive proportion… WHUT?

All kidding aside, it’s always exciting with you three. Not only is the journey a surprise of the best sort, but I’m so excited waiting for the color to hit. It’s rather like getting two pages. Alex, Adam and Vero, each of you bring so much additively to these pages it’s a treat and I’ll never tire of saying that it makes my week better in a big way. Thank you all so much.

I don’t think they used the right kind of glue….their human (?) bones are falling out/off.

They forgot the blood. They don’t need Mod Podge; they need O Positive.

Why is that minion all of a sudden holding a knife in the stabby way? Either the two minions with PP changed, or the one with the orb has his back to us and the other pulled out his knife.

Maybe he is planning to stab Duncan. He is giving him the evil eye.

I hadn’t noticed that……..well spotted

I hope they have enough fresh marrow around to put that bone-a fide disaster back together.

This is gonna look hella cool once it’s colored.

Guess you could say Duncan has a bone to pick with someone…
*badum tssss*

HA HA HA HA. I wonder how long we can make jokes about the skeletons in his closet.

It shall be quite…HUMERUS.

It’s going tibia good time here in the comment section.

Yeah considering everyone here has quite the funny bone.

And we love to see Duncan skullking in dismay because Sircea’s being a pain in the neck.

It must be hard having her as a “friend”. He probably marrowly escapes her wrath quite often. Not to mention the possible fibulas she’s been telling him.

She’s not a very hippy person. Maybe she should sit down with a patella and have a talk over a cuppa of tea.

Agreed. Maybe take up a few hobbies? Learn how to play the tromBONE? She might already know how since she’s as old as the bone age. I’m not saying she should hyoid her feelings but still, it’d help make her less sternum.

[my bone puns..they are weakening]

I think she is more than carpable but she doesn’t because it goes against her METAfesto. She also has taken to not liking anything that has to be done mandibally ever since she’s discovered she can do this TEMPORALly.

(you think you’re running out of puns? I’m looking at a skeleton with the names of bones on them. LOL.)

uhhh *stumbles on stage* *loud microphone sound as I fumble trying to hold it with sweaty palms*

“uhm.. dammit..uhhh what i mean is…She doesn’t need a spine, it’s been holding her back?? HA, GET IT?? FUNNY BONE PUN, RIGHT?? :’D”

*crowd boos and throws tomatoes as I drop to the floor like a bag of bones*

[i literally gave myself a headache trying to think back from the 8th grade when we learned about the name of bones lmao]

I say we call it a draw. I can’t remember half of the bones. It’s easier if you have a photo with all of them labeled. Ha! I was ulna running low on my bony puns.

Dammit. I can’t stop punning now.

Yeah these bone puns are making my joints out of place. A draw it is!

I’d say she’s very hippy 😉

LOL I wasn’t the only one to think that right away.

So any bets that he throws the bone circle at them? Or is he biding more of his time.

As PDQ Bach wrote in his epic oratorio THE SEASONINGS…
Bide Thy Thyme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MOAtq91idk

the bones you see now are nothing you will have a city of bones to rule from soon and they will be driping blood not just water

Of course now I’m wondering if his villain suit is water proof.

..chaffing….

Or suctioned like a wet bathing suit.

Riding high up the legs and exposing his butt cheeks like a really tight thong.

I’m trying to decide if I should be blinded by that.

I have a cartoon of a big muscle Hercules type with the original Wonder Woman costume and he’s complaining about the tightness and fearful of losing his future kin thanks to the costume.

Yup, I’m blinded!

Now that’s just silly talk. He may be a bad man, but he’s a yummy one!

I’ve seen his NSFW art piece. I think I’d be okay with that. 🙂

I hope so. Skin tight super suits that shrink can get really uncomfortable. You know… chafing. Ugh.

Did he just realize that she seems to think she can still cast magic, despite the machine?

I don’t think the machine is hindering her. She stated earlier, or at least Duncan mentioned her commenting to him, that she didn’t have enough energy to open a gate to one of his prisons after the battle because she had used up too much in said battle.

Then what’s stopping Spooky?

Being punched unconscious by a guy with super strength.

I agree timemonkey, that is what I thought stopped Spooky. That punch. And the bouncing. And the hard landing. Ouch.

http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete-ch3-page-112/

And the machines that are holding the YP.

“No matter how subtle the sorceror, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” Dragearan proverb.

Vlad Táltos is the best. “Power” flying every which way and he still (like Harry Dresden) understands that even the most magical person alive can be disconsternated by a large knife in the back.

Personally, I find that comforting! 🙂

is his magic stopped? the snakes on the minion still move x’D

So like, is snake guy still being that “snake” guy? Anyone there wanna help the fella out?

[‘Snake Guy’ two years in the future]

He’s hanging out, drinking a brew with his fellow minions at a local minion hangout…….. He’s still wearing his babies, who are now named Slinky, Scales and Hissy and have become his cherished family.

He orders a round of beer, some pretzels for the guys and also 3 mice for his kids.

Spooky once offered to take them off him and rebottle them, but they looked up at him with such sad, pitiful snaky eyes that he couldn’t send them back and now the other members of his team are envious, because being Sircea’s minion is a lonely existence and only magical snakes last long enough to survive her fits of pique.

‘Snake Guy’ is the most envied minion in town. Who’d have thunk it?

I GOT MY BOOK! It’s wonderful! Thanks so much, Alex and team!

What does that look mean? He just spotted snake guy of course!

So much interesting plot going on in this page, and yet my primary thought after reading was ‘Holy Crap, the time it must have taken Adam to draw all those bones!

*has an art-gasm*

After that.. What a pointy feeling it must be to hold on to all that. He sure has a bone to pick.
(There are several puns to use for this page ^_^)

I bet ya; PP didn’t have any idea that talking to Kyle would have Duncan come back in a crappy, defiant mood. Non at ALL. She totally ain’t enjoying it while getting ready to the big welcome party.
Nope, not at all >.>

As for Duncan. I think someone is now thinking more than PP would like him to. That bath he’s getting while lifting the creepy bone ring must be a cold one. Clearing his brain a little.

“find a new spine in there…” (I see what you did there) 😀

Wonder how old those bones are, and where they come from. Maybe the catacombs in Paris is missing a section 😉 Who ever made the catacombs also has a liking to build with them.

(I’ve been in those catacombs. It’s a creepy, yet fascinating, thing to watch all those bones stacked nicely and often build in artsy patterns)

Also, to get the bones transported, make them stick together and stay like that. No wonder they needed a lot of minions there. What a time it must have taken to build this. Taking party decorations to a whole new level.

Yep I’ve seen those too. Being an American and living in a culture which unfortunately hides the natural cycle of death, I found those catacombs very moving in a way that speaks to weight of history and the long road that leads us to our lives today.

I was also astounded by some of cemeteries in Paris that were like small cities of elaborate head stones and family plots that went back hundreds of years with carvings and statues of angels and things even more odd and macabre.

I’ve always liked the idea that bones and body parts carry power. As much as it sounds like a fantasy book, it’s fun to think about how much a part of the Catholic church the idea of a Saint’s relics are, even today.

Films such as The Davinci Code are built on such fantasy. It’s very cool.

I’m 80% sure this isn’t the right place; but I had the pleasure of meeting Alex in person at WonderCon earlier today, and I just wanted to thank him again for all he’s done.

I found Artifice a long time ago, when pages were still be posted as a webcomic; and it was a formative experience in my adolescence, coming to terms with myself. Thank you so much, Alex; your work holds a special place in my heart and mind and now- on my bookshelf! =)

I’m 80% sure this isn’t the right place; but I had the pleasure of meeting Alex in person at WonderCon earlier today, and I just wanted to thank him again for all he’s done.

Not awkward at all 🙂

I echo Danish. Not awkward at all. All power to you for recognizing the good stuff when you did. Trust me. I’m older. However, I still felt the wonderful honesty and power of what Alex is expressing in this work. My whole life I’ve wanted to have this kind of art. Wonderful, fantastic, magical and INCLUSIVE of all of us.

Being gay or not. LGBTQIA or not. None of that was the issue. Just part of a world of challenge. I love this comic and occasionally I get too emotional about it, but that’s just because it’s to close too my heart.

Yeah… you are not the only one who has a special place on his bookshelf for this work. It’s worth everything we could hope for. I’m voting for it to become required reading in middle schools nation-wide.

You are nothing /awkward @crispydruid:disqus!

Alex is probably a better intro to diversity than the Norse sagas….which is what I had.

I don’t know. Didn’t Loki give birth to horses and stuff like that?

I don’t think it gets more diverse in a way than that. Still I’m with you and envy those future generations who get to grow up with ARTIFICE and TYP tucked under their pillows. 🙂 Lucky pups.

I didn’t really mean that Alex’s stuff was more diverse (sorry Alex but that’s clearly not true, on the amount of genders in Norse sagas alone). I meant it’s probably a better introduction to diversity, I guess? As much as I love the Norse stuff and use it as my base standard for a lot of things it’s only really helpful for self discovery if you’re already somewhere pretty medieval.

Especially since the main slash pairing ends with a stonking row and someone getting tied up with their own entrails at the end of the universe. (Do not take relationship advice from Vikings, important lesson).

I’m 80% sure this isn’t the right place; but I had the pleasure of meeting Alex in person at WonderCon earlier today, and I just wanted to thank him again for all he’s done.

So they are human bones.

Some of em at least. Which just sort of strikes me as lazy thinking. Where are all the hippo-skull threatening magic sculptures of doom? Hippo skulls are WAY scarier!

Sircea to Minions: “Okay! WHO put this coyote tibia in here. I thought I clearly said ONLY human bones! Did anyone hear me say human AND coyote bones? NOOOOOO… I think not. So would anyone like step forward and explain this?

(silence)

Shortly thereafter, a certain set of minion bones is added to the construction and work continues in silence…………….

*CoughGoatCough*

HA! Goat bones are okay. They are hell’s minions after all. 🙂

O.O .. Watching all those bones in color didn’t make it less creepy. More the opposite.

Panel still gives me an art-gasm

Now it’s even more obvious that PP has a fine front row seat to get a good look at Duncan’s butt, as he bends down to erect the bones again.

erect….bone….*13 year old boy style giggling*

Oh good… I thought it was just me doing the snickering (he said, “bone” he he he). Some of us don’t grow out of comic love or juvenile humor. 😀

I just couldn’t help it :-p

Of course you couldn’t. Alex gives us wonderful opportunities to feel 15 again. It’s awesome.

http://imgur.com/0J41P0o

couldn’t resist x’D
as it also fits what it is Duncan’s mind probably ^^

Dem bones.

I simultaneously want to bow down to Sircae and stab her rigth between her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

Also, minion, why you gotta get so shifty looking? Combined with that look, it makes me wonder if Knife Minion isn’t about to run over to one of our bound heroes under Sircae’s orders to do some stabby things, and Anni is cottoning on.

Knife Minion knows what Duncan does not. They’re both flunkies, but only one of them is a dupe.

Oh yeah, Duncan… you’re definitely an equal partner. *rolls eyes*

O.o this looks pretty awesome for a “wip”-page. If you havent mentioned it, I would have thought the page was finished!

It always amazes me when we get a WIP like this. Not done yet? Daayum.

The inset bottom panels — oh my goodness! Hahaha! That look is priceless and it’s making me laugh IRL. Oh, the doubt, it is *very* real. As serious as Duncan is being, that’s the most unintentionally comical side-eyes I’ve seen in quite some time. I’m imagining it animated with an exaggerated cartoonish DUN-DUN-DUN, accompanied by a camera zoom to his eyes squinting even more suspiciously.

ooooh…..the seed of doubt has indeed been planted…. ;P

The minion holding the orb in the top panel, his face:
“How did I get here, where did I go wrong in my life”
Alternatively:
“Did I leave the oven on?”

Is it just me that I hear nails on a chalk board when PP says “My Darling” GRR. Aw Anni <3 so misunderstood, someone needs a hug *huggles*

That’s….a lot of dead people….like, a lot a lot. How did they even find enough people never mind not drawing more attention?

Possibilities include:

– They didn’t kill them, they graverobbed for the bones

– Sircea has been collecting “special” skeletons for centuries

– Homeless, runaways, and other people either no one cares about or has another reason not to expect to find

– With her portals, they could have been a handful from every major city on earth, rather than a massive population drop in one location

Yeah, I think it may be a combo of those. ‘Cause for any one its terrifying. It looks to me as if they took all the homeless adults from San Francisco or 90% of Arlington. But over years, 10 people would not make the news (i.e. she took 10 people every year for a long time).

They didn’t necessarily have to get the people from somewhere with a functioning legal system like the US either. People go missing in warzones and there’s often little will or resources to find them.

Loads of people die trying to cross the US-Mexico border via the desert on foot. The migrants from the Middle East going to Europe are getting a lot of attention but the second biggest group going that way right now is from Eritea (with good reason). I’m pretty sure a handful of contacts with people smugglers could get her all those bones within a year and no one would notice or care.

I didn’t want to get too specific or political, but I kind of touched on this with points 3 and 4.

Looking back I can see that but at the time I read it as still being kinda US focused. Point 3 sort of implied (coming after the others) that it was still only in the one country. YangYueLan’s reply definitely seemed to be going with that idea.

*shrugs* Still think a ring of hippo skulls woulda been scarier.

Could be they used one of PP’s portals to visit the Parisian catacombs.

Or PP has made a collection from many, many enemies >.>

That depends on what the magic requires. If they just need human bones, killing all those people and cleaning the skeletons would be much more work than plundering a few ossuaries. If fresh skeletons are necessary, it is another matter.

Lots od places in Europe have yet undiscovered mass graves. Some of them are discovered but questioned [nazis did it! No, comunists did it!]. Who was behind Katyń was discovered, or rather admitted, quite resently.
So, generally – want some skeletons, come to WWII battlefields.

Yeah, that is the look of a man who is suddenly questioning his life choices–especially since he is doing manual labor for someone who can easily magic the portal back in place. You better look worried Anni, because you’re in danger boo!

Oh, D, I know that look. You’re planning something “my darling”.

Anita Blake fan?

Something like that, there are good books in the series.
I’m more Black Dagger Brotherhood fan. 🙂

Why do I think that all that dripping water is somehow “unclean?” Why does it remind me of that disgusting stuff that seeps out of zombies in the monster movies? Does anyone else get the creep thinking of dead bones dripping an them? Am I being weird? Paranoid?

I don’t really, but then there’s a difference between bone and rot. And I’ve got a tendency to pick up random bones. I’ve got a floating rib from probably-a-sheep in a bag somewhere that I’m gradually carving into a hair stick……….which I can’t use anymore cos it’s now a grade 3.

Wow. That’s a lot of bones. Kudos to the Artist and colorist. Adam, Alex, and Veronica? Kudos to everyone in production. Much respect! Keep up the Awesome job! I’m blown away!

Yo, Duncan, where are you looking anyway?

And yes, Sirceas “my darling”, and other terms of affection, are getting very chalk-scraping-on-chalkboard annoying.

Brrrrrrrr!

heerculees herculees

I read that, hearing the voice in my head 🙂

Saw a commercial in the cinema (I just came home from watching Deadpool) about going to Bones and have sizzling spareribs.

*saw and had flashback to this page*

Uhm, no thank you. Not interested right now xD

You’re having ribs and you didn’t invite me…

pout, pout…
😉

*lol* I said no ribs. If you want ribs, I’m sure you can find a few on this page.

*leans back and groans* what I did get today has been more than enough though. I haven’t gotten much junkfood in thw last couple months, but I sure made up for it today. More than made up. I don’t dare starting to count calories, fat and sugar xD

Take it from someone who can’t eat chocolate but can only smell it — binge once or twice a year and get that craving out of your system. Otherwise, have a friend nearby who can slap your silly fingers as you lift the junk food to your mouth.

PS – if you get to see THE MARTIAN, there’s a point where Mark Watney complains about running out of ketchup on his long stay on Mars. It got a big laugh from the audience.

No problem. Grade 3 is a hair length! It’s shaved to about……I can kind of get my fingers through it? Basically a hair stick is no longer an option but I still have a bone-one I’m making. (As for how to carve bone, pretty much like everything else? Sharp knife and mind your fingers, with a little added density-change to keep things complicated)

And yeah basically bones can be pretty clean. Not much eats bone and it tends to dry rather than rot. So long as the flesh is gone and it’s dry it doesn’t smell or drip nasty fluids or anything. It’s a bit like drift wood.

you can thread it onto a ring and have a nice brooch for your cloak, cape, or toga.

I may do that. Once it’s finished. 🙂

I was excited by the art on this page in black and white. I knew the color would be amazing…….. I was right! Not only the sheer epic feel of the bones and what it all ‘felt’ like, but Duncan’s final expression in the last panel. Those little touches are what makes this book so great.

Thank you Alex, Adam and VERO!!!! Stunning page.

Thank you, Chris!

Alex may not believe it yet, but one day soon he will ship out the last box and faint straight out on his living room floor.

I think he needs to notify us via the notes here upon that frabjous day and every person in this fandom (around the world) should raise a glass of the libation of their choice and toast ShipMaster Woolfson on a job finally done.

It should only take Alex a few months to recover. I wish him stamina and good coffee until that joyous day comes.

Good luck!

Oh frabjous day! Calloo! Callay!
🙂

And we shall all be beamish.

From a distance Kyle shouts, “I told you so.”

I think that look is anni thinking more about Kyle’s argument.

Or Kyle’s excellent posterior……… or both (it could happen). 🙂

True, true. 😉

Hi, first comment ever! I’ve been reading this since the days of Teahouse (I feel old) but I’ve been far too shy to comment. I just wanted to mention how much I adore this comic. The lines are wondrous, the colours are something to dream about, and the story keeps me coming back for more!

A friend of mine went to Wondercon and I absolutely begged him to get a TYP book for me.(Somewhat bald guy with a beard) He mentioned how wonderfully kind you were and it really helped him get over his shyness enough to buy a book for me…. and you even signed it! Not being able to go I was quite jealous of him(I live on the east coast!), but having something signed by you makes up for it in leagues, thank you! Thank you

Welcome Phazonrad!!

Thanks Jane, you’ve been an inspiration for me for a long time, I’m glad to finally get over my fear of posting to say this!

*Blushing* 🙂

Ma chere Admiral inspires many of us.

*blushing beet red*

Welcome to the community, Phazonrad. Hope it won’t be your last comment 🙂

I had the pleasure of getting to meet Alex back in september, and he absolutely is a sweetheart.

(And as a fellow teacup, a fan of Teahouse, oh how I miss it and it’s hard to believe it ‘s been 1 1/2 year now *snif*)

Oh my yes, I adored teahouse and was so sad when it stopped running. It was one of the first things I checked daily when I woke up. (Huge fangirl of it)

I’m a tad jealous of you getting to meet Alex, hoping I get the honor someday!

Welcome Phazonrad! ^_^

You’re very welcome, Phazonrad—thank you so much for all your kind words! I’m so glad you were able to get the book you wanted.

I hope this will be the first comment of many. Welcome to the community here!

Oh my, all those people

Hello this is my first post but I have been a long time fan. I have been following since the early pages of artifice and have been in love with the story arch and artistry of both artifice and the young protectors. I got a spurs of the moment chance to go to wondercon for easter and met Alex in person and bought a copy of both comics signed. It made my day.

Welcome to the comments, Nathan! So cool that you met Alex.

Welcome Nathan!

Very nice to meet you at WonderCon, Nathan! Thank you so much for stopping by my booth (and for letting me know you’re enjoying our work here.) I hope to get a chance to see you again! 🙂

Welcome, Nathan!

This is my first time commenting on here, and I have to admit that, even though I am a new fan, I really love everything about this comic, and all of the other comics Alex has written. I wish that these comics existed when I was a little gay girl growing up in an unbearably catholic, conservative household. That being said, I am so very happy that teens/young adults in the future will have comics like these to show them that they are not alone.

I am considering going to the Rainbow Book Fair so that I can meet Alex. And also so I can just go and see all the authors that are trying to give gay youth some heroes and heroines just like themselves. Surprisingly, I had no idea that that book fair existed until I found this website. So, I guess I am grateful to have found this comic for more reasons than one.

Happy to be here!
Look forward to seeing if Duncan does the right thing.
Hope to get to know all of you!
XOXO

Welcome to the comment section Cheryl! I hope you do go to the RBF and meet Alex. ^_^

Welcome Cheryl!!

Welcome, Cheryl! I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying our work and that it has meaning for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂

And while I, myself, won’t be at the Rainbow Book Fair, The Young Protectors penciler Adam DeKraker will be and you should totally go! I bet it’s going to be lots of fun.

Welcome! Glad to have you here. 🙂

yuuuuuuuuck

I am unreasonably amused that he’s actually, literally, cleaning up the mess. Also very impressed by the way that stack of bones is holding together and not all just falling apart all over the place.

Super(villain) glue 🙂

Honestly that look can be one of two things:
1. ”See babe? Told ya I was a strong-hairy-chested-macho.”
or (and I am really hoping it’s this one):
2. ”Lord help me I am about to commit treason.”

I think Atlas is gonna shrug.

welp that big mass of bones sure isn’t creepy at alllll. nope. >.>

Silver daddy

It’s usually when you put your mind on something else that what you were thinking about previous starts to make sense. In this case, while Duncan’s concentrating on lifting the bone circle, Kyle’s words of wisdom start aligning properly in his mind.

I really hope he throws all those bones right on top of her! That would be the heroic thing to do, and I so think Duncan has it in him.

I’m pumped for the next page!

Hey. I’m here to camp. Anybody else here?

*makes bonfire. Sets up small table with various teas, sugar, honey, cream, and lemon and cups, spoons. Makes self cup of black tea.

I brought cookies! 😀
*Makes self some white tea*

*grabs some cookies.

Ah, tea. Thank you.
[sits down on one of the logs set up around the bonfire]
So, I’m putting my money on cutting back to Commander and Red Hot and having them plan their next move. I have no idea whether we can expect any of the other YPs to have woken up yet.

Ur welcome. That is very possible.

(shyly adds plate of brownies to the table, helps self to tea and a cookie) Here’s hoping Sharp Saxon is right, and Spooky’s just been faking sleep.

*takes a brownie.

*Doki gets image of everyone sitting around a campfire and sipping tea from teacups and pinky extended and talking “snobby”*

Well, slurping tea from teacups, in my case. And as for talking snobby, wait a second while l put on my broadest satire of a nasal ‘Strine accent, and throw in a few gratuitous “Bloodys” and “Fair shake of a wombat’s armpit.”

Ooh, I’ll have a cup of black tea too. Thank you!

Hey there,

Gleepings.

How’s it going this “non-primary” Tuesday night?

Hello!!

I’m here!

So you are!! How is this non-primary Tuesday treating you?

I’m watching Monuments Men and still resting from Easter.
Easter dinner was in Braddock PA at a nice little restaurant called CIBO and that’s a long drive for me.

We didn’t do anything. 🙂

I used to do that but at a point when my Mom got old, I had to marshall the forces. They said we’ll eat at 4pm and usually by 5pm they were still making half of the side dishes.

I had lamb chops as the main course with a flatbread and a venison carpaccio as appetizers. Lemon sorbet with mint syrup as desert. It was divine and I didn’t have to do a damn thing but show up.

That’s always nice when you just had to show up. We used to do things when my grandparents were alive, but there aren’t any kids around and we’re not close to the rest of the family so it’s just another day. Though I really wanted a peep.

peeps, peeps, peeps, peeps,
pink, purple and yellow food of the gods…

If they only didn’t have corn syrup. Sigh.

I never eat dessert but for Easter I happily ate the lemon sorbet with mint syrup. I might eat cake on my birthday but my Niece’s son will be 21 ten days before that, so I may only eat cake for his birthday. Then I won’t eat sweets again until Christmas dinner.

Mm birthday cake. I like birthday cake.

Hi from my workplace! I’m stuck here stupidly late – hope everything’s going well for you!

Reasonably well. Aside from work, how’s the day going?

Pretty well, work situation considered. At least there’s an end to the late days in sight.

I wonder if knife minion has been ordered to remove the YP?

I’m wondering how much of the bone ring Duncan will fix all by himself or if Sircea and her minions will be helping too…

But that would require Sircea to sweat.

As my lady friends remind me — women don’t sweat they “glow”

Ha! truth

Sircea’s probably not going to use much magic now, since she’s supposedly “tired” from the battle and unable to transport the team to Duncan’s Dungeon. That’s most likely why she hasn’t healed her burn or fixed up her clothes yet.

That sounds like over-acting.

Seems in-character then, haha

Hi everybody! I can’t camp for very long, but I wanted to pop in to say hello.

Hi Dave!

How’a it going?
I see your town got a reprieve on that convention.
No open carry.

If only our state did not permit concealed carry, though. Not to mention allowing people to carry guns in bars. >_<

I couldn’t think of anything more bizarre than a political convention with guns. That’s kinda like open carry in a bar — Gee! what could go wrong with bottles of alcohol, barrels of beer and guns?

They allow guns in bars in AZ. They had just passed it when we moved there. We loved the scenery and the weather (at least 10 months of the year) and the prices on food and such, but the people are somewhat crazy.

Drunks with guns.
What a concept!

I know right? It’s just crazy.

I was almost wishing that they would allow the guns at the convention. If something happened they might stop with the gun insanity.

No way that can possibly go wrong, am I right?

No, never!

I’ve heard that the petition to allow open carry at the RNC may have been satirical, but who knows?

I think most definitely it was mischief.

That’s my gut feeling on the matter, but you never can overestimate how crazy some people can be.

Hi Sticky!!

Hi AJ! How’s your evening going?

Not too bad. Watching some Rizzoli and Isles

Hey a.j.

Hey D.G!

*glomps* You cannot leave!

Hi, Doki love! I wish I could stay, but I haven’t been getting enough sleep lately so I really shouldn’t stay up late tonight.

*brings out Phoenix and Miles sleeping bag and dangles it in front of stick*

Ooooh… *bats at it, entranced*

Stay and you can use it!

I just wish I had a time turner so that I could hang out as long as I wanted and still get a lot of sleep before work tomorrow.

Btw, did you know that the Ace Attorney anime is premiering this Saturday?!

Nope. Did not know that.

My DS seems to have died. It won’t charge. T-T

Oh no! D:

Doki has spoken!

Hey Dave.

howdy

Sup doki.

Hey D.G.!

Hey sticky.

Hi D.G.! How are you?

Patreon is rumbling and our boys are talking

Well, I guess I’m staying until the new page is up after all, then.

Hi all of you!
Kind of missed a few pages with holydays and all…. But I got to say this page got a lot of boners XD
Sorry for the bad pun

new page is up
http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete-ch4-page-22/