Hello again everyone. Continuing the review that I began in the thread for Con 'Fused #1.
I will likely not give this comic the justice it deserves, and I'm kind of tired from writing the first review. When I read issue 1, I thought it was really good but was ready to move on without commenting. It was only until this issue that was so enthused that I stopped reading whatever else is on the site because I absolutely HAD to give some feedback.
I suppose that's a complicated way of saying that this issue is better than the last, and that I really like it.
So! The cover.
*Pause*
It's a good cover!
I liked the chains. I think someone above speculated about special mind control chains, but the first time I saw the cover I felt like they were saying "I am trying to be a normal con goer, but I am owned." Given the scene at the end, I'll give myself credit for being sort of right.
The top of the second page was a little confusing. The part where one girl was trying the "touch her here and she'll get really aroused" trick on another. We see her going for it at the bottom of page 1, but the top of page 2 shows the one giving the touch and the one who was simply watching going "ohhh." The bottom of page 2 has the touched girl consenting, so obviously the trick worked, but I couldn't figure out why the giver and bystander seemed to be the ones reacting.
(Edit: After another fridge logic moment, I understood this. We see in issue 2 that each of the girls can feel what's happening to any of the others. That's why the two girls dancing in issue 1 react while the third is masturbating to her fanfic porn, and why the pair (who seem to be dating each other? Or a least interested) get horny while the third is out with a man. So this scene shows that when one gets touched and aroused, they all feel it. I also realized that when the man approaches a little later and is talking to the third, she was feeling the other two make out on the side during the conversation. Daphne can be a very subtle writer!)
As I continue through the comic (I'm rereading it because I can't remember the details very well at this point) I'm struck by how well drawn the expressions are. That was a comment I gave about issue 1, and the artist has only improved with issue 2. (Also, the body frame thing I mentioned in issue 1 was not in this issue, and from reading other comments I'm picking up the fact that it was done deliberately. So.. maybe a touch too subtle? Or it was assumed that some new guy who didn't know the deal wouldn't pop in on one of the later works and miss the explanations given in earlier works?)
Getting up to the "we could feel you with that guy" discussion in the elevator, this was a seriously cool fridge-logic moment. Some of the panels that happened while the girls were dancing last issue make more sense now, and a lot of extra touches become apparent on rereads. It was really neat the see the care that the artist gave in the first issue, as well as forward plotting that the story writer is doing here. This issue is where the fact that this storyline could become an epic series is really apparent, and the meticulous care that the writing and art team are doing on this comic make me really excited to see future issues.
I loved all the different costumes that were done this issue. I ESPECIALLY loved how each girl fell into a separate scene from various genres. The mind control takes on a different flavor with each girl, and that was quite thrilling. The star wars torture droid was a chilling site to see in the context of the con, but the soon to be 'victim' is obviously drawn to it and seems like she has an undercurrent of excitement as she says "Oh... oh wow..." The Ming the Merciless scene comes at it from a completely different direction, as the girl is dragged by hand to see him. "Wait, what's going on? Why am I here?" "*I* am Ming the Merciless, and *you* are now my slave." BAM! "Oh... okay... whatever you say, Master..." Meanwhile the mind control for the last girl is so subtle that you wonder if it's even there. "Look, here we are. It's your deepest, darkest fantasy, and we're offering it to you on a silver platter. Don't concentrate on how strange this must all seem in the context of your life. None of that matters. All you have to do is give in to the temptation... and embrace... your fantasy..." The first version felt like a perverted twilight zone and the second felt like a sudden onrush of 'You Are In My Power!' But it's THIS one that seems truly dangerous. "Are you sure you're acting out of character? I mean, REALLY sure? Maybe you just don't know yourself as well as you thought. I think that this is something you WANT, and that you'll thank me for this later." *Shiver*
Of course, the dark chocolate of the third method wouldn't taste
nearly as sweet without the other two to contrast it with. They're ALL delicious!
Does anyone else think that the dark haired girl in this comic looks an awful lot like the picture that Daphne uses as an avatar? I recently saw a picture of Daphne's real life body, but I always associate her with the avatar's face whenever I think of her. There's a picture at the bottom of right of the third to last page (Image 11). Every time I look at it, I can't help but feel like Daphne is looking up at me while sucking my cock.
That's probably my favorite image of the issue, but perhaps that was too much information...
And on the very next page, we come to my second favorite image of the issue. The entire 'princess interrogation' scene is pretty cool. I love how, as a reader, I'm not sure if she's REALLY into her roll as captured prisoner, or if part of her is protesting the mind control. But the picture where she's getting zapped between the legs has so much lust packed into it that it's just plain impressive. And Hot.
As I reread this, I'm struck by how powerful the final few pages really are, because the last page is pretty amazing too. Clearly, the design team saved their best stuff for the end of this issue, and it's quite the knockout punch. The final page does an excellent job of setting the reader up for future issues. I suppose it could be interpreted as a rather artistic "we lose! The End" as well, but if so then Daphne will likely be running from hoards of rabid fans after pulling off what I can only describe as a literary form of teasing and denial. But I think I'm safe in assuming that won't happen. If *anyone* could come up for a creative revenge for teasing and denial, it's the mind control crowd.
So in summary, this issue was extremely well written, and extremely well drawn. It was better than the last one, which set a pretty high standard, and if there's not at least one more sequel then I'll be the first to light a torch and fetch the pitchforks...
