Comic for February 22nd, 2012

[Schnopps]

Alt text: Obedience Collar.

Welp, goodbye free will. You will be fondly regarded.

[judah4]

Wow, the update is on time

Sorry Evals, I think your about to loose your free will again unless Keith and the mysterious person in the barrel conveniently appear right now

[Silver Seren]

Flora to the rescue?...maybe...please?

Really, anyone to the rescue at this point.

[CrRAR]

That's a particularly nasty looking spell, all red an' glowy like it is. Eric can be a real d-bag huh?

Evals: No! Not again! I didn't do it, I swear! Please, don't put me under it again!
Evil Slave Collar: *click*
Evals: *monotonous submissive tone & swirly eyes* Why Yes Master, I'll do anything you say.

Hmm, I can't really see Mike lashing out against Eric...but if he does now'd be the time. Push him overboard!

[Celicam]

To taste freedom, then serve a life of servitude, is almost as bad as no freedom at all...

Sometimes Eric, you seem like the nicest guy, but unfortunately, you still slaves as property instead of people (Not sure about female's you seem to respect them more...Maybe to get what you want, I don't know.)

[BadFoMo]

Okay, I think I’m starting to lean towards the ‘Eric Hater’s Group’ now. Does anyone else think that even if they are proven innocent, the collars are still going to stay on and at the most maybe just get a simple/mild apology?

Anyway, is it just me or does it look like Evals’ mouth looks a bit off in the last panel? Maybe it’s a little too narrow and doesn’t have any teeth?

P. S. Was anyone else thinking of ‘The One Ring’ when they saw the Control Collar?

[RandomGamer92]

It seems that red glowing magic in this universe is synonymous with "corruption"/"danger danger do not get close too".

That's a particularly nasty looking spell, all red an' glowy like it is. Eric can be a real d-bag huh?
Evals: No! Not again! I didn't do it, I swear! Please, don't put me under it again!
Evil Slave Collar: *click*
Evals: *monotonous submissive tone & swirly eyes* Why Yes Master, I'll do anything you say.

This comic reminded me of a scene in Dragon Age: II.
Also, just what is Eric's definition of "normal"?! I mean, he's stripping them of their free will...

[JediGuy]

Holy...[censored]. Eric, dude, things just got dark.

[Celicam]

Holy...[censored]. Eric, dude, things just got dark.

Yea, and the worse part? It doesn't even seem to phase Eric...He just kinda keeps going on

[Shadow3750]

Oh man, I can't possibly imagine how it would feel when they tasted freedom and then it was taken away from them, it must possibly be soul-tearing man.

Edit:

snip
Anyway, is it just me or does it look like Evals’ mouth looks a bit off in the last panel? Maybe it’s a little too narrow and doesn’t have any teeth?
snip

It does, I presume it's the angle but then it's just me.

[Flyboy1945]

Jeez, Eric has some serious paranoia (Correct me if I'm wrong).

[Tendo]

And THAT is how a character pretty much loses nearly his entire fanbase within the span of five or so comics.

[PhycoKrusk]

There is exactly one word that can describe all of this: "What"

And I mean that seriously. What?

Their control spells were dispelled, and with their first chance at freedom, they sabotaged the ship. They didn't try to leave Eric behind. They didn't try to stay on the island. No. They waited until they were in the middle of the ocean, and then sabotaged the ship. If Eric was a moron, I'd buy this. But he's not a moron. He's educated, and well-traveled. He understands business. He's not a moron, but somehow reaches a conclusion that only a moron would reach. This, friends, is not Eric acting out of irrational hate.

This is Eric holding the idiot ball. This is Eric reaching a conclusion that makes no sense. For his theory to be in any way reasonable, both Mike and Evals would have to be even bigger idiots than Eric is being. I'm convinced, as of this moment, that the "mutiny" in this chapter is not everyone else overturning Eric as captain because they can no longer respect him as a person.

The "mutiny" is this chapter is everyone overturning Eric as captain because he is clearly too incompetent to be trusted with that kind of responsibility. And I don't mean incompetent in that he bit off more than he could chew. I mean incompetent in that his behavior is best described as "pants on head retarded."

[JMadoc]

I'm still not convinced this is enough to make me join the "Eric Haters" group unofficially started by Jetman. In fact, this is much more heart-wrenching for me to watch, for much more than just one or two potentially superficial reasons less rational people would [censored] and moan about.

For one thing, we're all aware that neither Mike nor Evals, but the stowaway, started the fire. Not only that, but a series of events led to a massive communications breakdown that made Eric grow more paranoid, and fearing Keidran mutiny, assuming that all mutinies all end in blood (which it often does in real life), he's technically got the right intentions in trying to save the ship and his passengers, but we know why he's being incredibly reckless about it.

Things can only get worse when communications break down even further and Eric has to resort to impromptu beheading. Even then I'd still cry for the devil, because it still stems from a huge misunderstanding.

*inb4 "SHUT UP AND DIE YOU SYMPATHIZER"*

EDIT: Even if we didn't know the circumstances that led to this huge mess, if I was with them right here and now, I'd still beat up Eric and save the bullet for later, because something's not right when the token Hugh Hefner suddenly became [censored] insane and starts acting like a typical slaver. I'd want answers before I start killing people, both from him and from Mike and Evals, probably after a few slaps to their faces.

[PhycoKrusk]

For one thing, we're all aware that neither Mike nor Evals, but the stowaway, started the fire.

Actually, we don't know that.

Not only that, but a series of events led to a massive communications breakdown that made Eric grow more paranoid, and fearing Keidran mutiny, assuming that all mutinies all end in blood (which it often does in real life), he's technically got the right intentions in trying to save the ship and his passengers, but we know why he's being incredibly reckless about it.

The smart thing for them to do, if they wanted to mutiny, would be to ambush Eric at the first opportunity and kill him before taking over the ship. The only way the scenario Eric has worked out in his head would even be possible would be if the control spells had the side effect of making Mike and Evals vastly more intelligent than they'd have to be to blunder something as simple as an assassination which could have been easily explained as an accident. Or setting fire to the ship while on the high sea, and then attempting to escape in the life boat with no supplies.

Things can only get worse when communications break down even further and Eric has to resort to impromptu beheading. Even then I'd still cry for the devil, because it still stems from a huge misunderstanding.

Eric doesn't have to resort to anything. He was able to get Evals chained up, and it's a known fact that Mike is even more of a pushover. If his only concern is the safety of himself, his ship and his passengers (probably in that order), then his problem is already solved, no beheading necessary. What, is he going to make an example of them? To whom? They're the only crew he's got!

*inb4 "SHUT UP AND DIE YOU SYMPATHIZER"*

There will be none of that in this thread, good sir.