Still the Solstice on my end too.

Good coverage, Blaise. And yeah, I was saddened to hear about Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's passing. He was a great character actor and played some wonderfully terrible villains, though I think one of his last roles in Blue Eye Samurai was some of his best acting.

morrand> Thanks for the compliment. [SPOILER] One thing I forgot to mention was that probably the biggest reason the invasion failed was because a freak typhoon appeared while the invading forces were in retreat and destroyed most of the fleet. Japan later referred to it as a kamikaze or "divine wind." [/SPOILER]

[SPOILER] Now that we have the date of 1274, this really does help the context of gargoyles and the concept of bushido. As I mentioned before, the samurai class was in its infancy at the time so it stands to reason a lot of their philosophy and swordsmanship was impacted by the gargoyles who of course are natural warriors and defenders.

Now, if you know anything about history it's that the noble warrior myth is pretty much that, a myth. Samurai weren't exactly the noble defenders of the helpless anymore than knights of European legends were. So my theory is that over the years the concept of bushido was...corrupted seems too strong a word, let's say lessened until it became more of a code of service to authority rather than what the gargoyles originally intended. And that might explain why the Ishimura Clan has kept such a strong relationship with the human populace to this day. It was the birthplace of their teachings of bushido so the lessons would remain strong there even if it wasn't in the rest of Japan. This is just a theory on my part though. [/SPOILER]
Matthew the Fedora Guy
You're Gonna Carry That Weight
posted @ Mon, Dec 22, 2025 2:12:24 am EST from 184.23.35.150

****Blaise *poofs* into the Comment Room.**** Something simple just so I can get myself in here.

FIRST!
Happy Solstice everyone! (Yes, it's still the 21st where I am.)
The past few weeks have been a little stressful, so I haven't been able to put down my thoughts on "Gargoyles x Fantastic Four: Clan and Family." I hope to do so before the year is out, but I definitely wanted to get my thoughts on Demona #5 down now.

One thing first though:
CARY-HIROYUKI TAGAWA> I didn't see this mentioned (and if someone already did, I apologise), but actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa passed away a few weeks back on December 4th. While he's best known in nerd circles for having played Shang Tsung in the first "Mortal Kombat" movie, in the realm of "Gargoyles" he was the second voice for Yama: voicing the character in the "Bad Guys" leica reel, and would have voiced him in the series had it been green lit. I just wanted to acknowledge his passing before too much time had passed, and say I would have loved to have heard more of his take on Yama.


FOREVER SOUND THE MYSTIC CHORDS OF MEMORY...> [SPOILER] (I hadn't noticed the missing title before, but now that it's been brought up it seems obvious. I'm guessing it was supposed to go on the first page with Magni. Hopefully it will be re-instated by the collected trade.)
We begin at the end, as it were, with Magni's Wind Ceremony. This first page is beautiful, both with the full shot of Magni on the pyre (like others, I love the detail of his tail wrapped around his legs) and the reaction shots of Demona and Angelika--the latter now clearly a senior citizen. Demona is even one of the torch bearers for this Wind Ceremony, alongside the gargoyle we will come to know as Sensei. I have no idea if Sensei is the Leader or Priestess of the Ishimura clan (because, of course, that is where we are), or both, but either way she seems to be the (for lack of a better term) highest-ranking gargoyle we will meet in this issue.
In any event, it's cool to compare and contrast the Wind Ceremony here to the one in "The Oath": it seems some terminology is universal among gargoyle clans, while certain practices are more regional. In this case, that practice is the release of butterflies. From what little I've learned about Japanese culture (which is still more than I have learned about their history, I admit), that seems appropriate. And, wait! Who is that little rookling holding Angelika's hand and given the task of releasing the butterflies? All of us who suspected something behind Katana's reluctance to join the fray against Demona in "A Prize Beyond Compare..." can pump our fists in the air. Turns out she knew Demona and was close with Angelika.
Speaking of the older gargoyle, she can no longer glide so Demona offers to carry her. That's another thing I really like about this mini-series: how it highlights what it's like to be unageing when those around you are not. Anyway, Angelika demurs, cradling the locket as she states that Magni is always with her. Angelika's grief here, especially with the streams of tears, is very well done.

We get our full page stating the date: 1274. So, Angelika is now 196 years old, roughly 98 physically, and she and Magni had a good 79 years together before he passed away. From what we can see, that passing was peaceful, too. Considering the lives they led and must have continued to lead in the interim, that is a good, long life.

We see Sensei training the Ishimurans, humans and gargoyles alongside each other, as Demona looks on. I must admit, when I first read this page, just based on some of the "staging," I thought she was talking to Demona. Of course, that would make no sense given what we soon learn. Instead, Demona is just there to allow Katana the chance to sneak up behind her with a blade and cut off a lock of her red hair before running off laughing. As others have already noted, this scene provides a great contrast to a similar scene in "Fools Rush In..." where another rookling "sneaks up" on Demona and the flame-haired gargoyle had a *very* different reaction. Here, Demona's eyes don't even glow and she seems more amused than anything, with the promise of some "choice suggestions" for the little gargoyle's Naming Ceremony. So Katana technically isn't "Katana" yet, but I'm just going to call her that for simplicity's sake.

Cut to an interior where Angelika sits at a table, writing, with some very familiar artwork behind her. Demona pops in and refers to Katana as Angelika's "protegee," which adds yet another layer to this web of relationships we have. Of course, Katana only "assaulted" Demona at Angelika's request, for currently mysterious reasons, but I like that Demona is more amused and confused here than angry. It just shows how much this whole situation (Angelika, Magni, Ishimura, etc.) has affected her. I also like their conversation regarding the subject of Angelika's writing--the very same narration we saw at the beginning of "Fools Rush In...". Apparently, Angelika was inspired by Shahrizad (whom she actually name drops, too) to write down her and Demona's stories. I find it telling that Angelika at first thinks Demona will be angry at this being written down, but (again, after all this time NOT being alone) Demona is more stunned to finally be called "mother" by the younger/older gargoyle. And after a sweet line ("We are gargoyles. We do not need to name a thing for it to be true.") we get an even sweeter panel of the two smiling as Demona embraces Angelika.

Something that struck me, though I'm not sure exactly when I saw it, or even if I'm correct, but to me in this issue it looks like Demona's hair has lost its..."angry quality." The spikiness at the front of her hair that we usually see on her seems to be gone or at least downplayed more than usual, to my eyes. I could be seeing things, but it feels like this is a visual indicator that Demona is more at peace than we usually see her.

Bottom line: that panel at the bottom of page 7 is one of the happiest moments for Demona that I have ever seen.
So, of course, it will not last...

On the very next page, at the docks in Hakata, a blonde woman in black disembarks from a ship. I didn't need much else to tell me that this is a Canmore descendent on The Hunt. Her name is never spoken, but she has one in the script just like many characters before her (Banquo, Fleance, the "Dark Ages" gargoyles, etc.), and while we don't have credits to tell it to us we do have GargWiki. She is Siobhan.

Back in Ishimura, though, we have another scene of domestic life as the reason for Katana's theft of Demona's hair is revealed: at Angelika's instruction (since her hands are no longer able to do such fine work) the young hatchling is binding the red hair together with an old lock of Angelika's blonde hair she had once given to Magni. After some light jibes from Angelika toward herself regarding her age (and a further sign that she accepts aging far more than Demona ever did), we learn that the three European gargoyles arrived in Ishimura 16 years ago, just in time for Katana's rookery generation to hatch, and that Angelika and Katana consider themselves grandmother and granddaughter to each other. So this is probably the longest Demona and Angelika have ever stayed in one place, and probably the one time Angelika and Magni got to participate in raising a rookery.
Angelika dismisses Katana to talk to Demona alone. This locket with the entwined hairs is for Demona to remember Angelika after the elderly gargoyle is gone, something Demona is still protesting against. Seeing Demona practically on her knees as she talks about finding a way to make Angelika young again...it's like she's begging to do so. But Angelika is wiser than Demona in so many ways and wants to join her mate in the Wind (I like the terminology there). Demona growls at this, but her eyes are not glowing, so I'm guessing there is frustration (and denial) but no real rage. Still, Angelika is worried about Demona being on her own and seems to be indicating that Katana would be the next young gargoyle who should accompany Demona on her journeys, "helping to tame your worst impulses and realize the better angels of your nature" (SERIES TITLE DROP!). I love that this statement is contrasted against the young Katana gleefully beating another hatchling at some form of impromptu fighting (seriously, how long was it from when Katana left the room?). But yeah, Angelika knows that Demona needs someone to care for, a family, to keep her from becoming...well, what she becomes by the time Goliath and the rest wake up.

Going back to Siobhan, she has been busy asking around about Demona, utilizing a drawing that is not a great likeness (spindlier than the real deal, for one thing) but good enough to (with a bit of money) get pointed in the right direction. She then armors up, hires someone who appears to be a ninja (the 13th century equivalent of them), and finally dons her Hunter's Mask, thereby confirming her identity to us in the audience. And confirming that Demona's peaceful life here is about to end.

Speaking of Demona, she is actually taking part in the training of the Ishimura students as an instructor. It's fascinating to see her getting along with (or at least tolerating) humans again enough to do this, and to hear her talk about a sword as an extension of oneself. She really leaned into the art of sword fighting for the past almost-two centuries, it seems! And the full moon (contrasted with the waning moon we saw when the ship landed in Hakata) helps indicate that Siobhan's search has been going on for weeks at this point. However, the thing that gets Demona's attention right now is Katana coming with bad news about Angelika, whose health has taken a turn for the worse. Demona and Katana immediately head to Angelika's side, leaving the students on their own...just as the band of ninja mercenaries Siobhan hired attack. The other hatchling who had been watching from a tree flies off to give warning, and the only reason he's not shot out of the sky with an arrow is because Siobhan wants him to bring Demona back to the fight. There’s a nice little argument here between her and the man she hired about the best time to attack this school for samurai and gargoyles (he wasn't going to go against samurai without the cover of darkness, she would have preferred to murder the gargoyles in their sleep), but the end result is Siobhan accepting she will face "the Demon" at night.

Demona and Katana arrive by Angelika's side, with Demona pleading with her daughter to make it to sunrise. Angelika says she will try (with a title drop of "Long Way to Morning" for good measure), but that's when the other hatchling comes with news of the attack, and who is behind it. Demona and Angelika's reaction to the description of the Hunter's Mask leaves me wondering if they're just remembering Canmore from back in 1093, or if they may have encountered other Hunters during their journeys. Either way, they know the meaning of this, and Demona (along with Sensei) goes forth to stop the Hunter before she gets "within a hundred feet" of Demona's daughter. The scene of Demona asking Angelika to "be here" when she returns is heartbreaking because I can already see how this will end. Young Katana promising to protect Angelika with her life is both adorable and awesome.

Interspersed with shots of Demona and other gargoyles joining the battle (that is a big Gargoyle Beast to be ridden like that!) and Demona slashing her swords through the enemy on her way to confront the Hunter, are images of Angelika at different ages, but going in reverse to when we (and Demona) first met her as a young hatchling. Demona confronts the Hunter as Sensei dispatches the leader of the ninjas before he can skewer the helpful hatchling from earlier. It's almost funny how quickly Siobhan goes down, as Demona just confirms she's a Canmore and takes her out while saying "Then share his fate" (though Demona's smile indicates she took more joy in doing the deed than she perhaps should have). I'm reminded of something I heard the other day that I think applies here: Siobhan was doubtless the "hero" of her own story, but she was just a footnote in other peoples'. Though maybe a slightly more important footnote for Demona given what's happening back home, with Angelika imparting a message for Katana to pass onto Demona and then saying she's sorry she couldn’t wait. The candles going out is a nice, symbolic touch.

Demona rushes back only to be met with a house with no more light, and a crying Katana to greet her. Before Katana can relay Angelika's message (and I can't wait to see that come up later) Demona goes berserk, blaming not just the Hunter, but all humans again. Even Sensei pointing out that humans fought alongside Demona doesn't change anything as Demona dismisses that as being done for selfish reasons. It's not surprising, honestly, as blaming Humanity for when her life is at its most painful is kind of Demona's coping mechanism. Likewise, wrath has ever been Demona's sanctuary from her grief.
I am a little torn on Demona echoing Goliath's line from "Awakening" Part 2 ("I’ve been denied everything..."). On the one hand, it feels a bit "on the nose." But on the other hand, I feel like it helps to identify the parallels between them here and highlight Demona's headspace in the moment. This is (as far as we've seen) the THIRD TIME Demona has had her world shattered (the first was Wyvern in 994 of course, and the second the fallout with Macbeth in 1057), but this time is unique in that it's not the destruction of a whole clan but the loss of one life (and by natural causes more or less) and that this time (even if she only realizes it on a subconscious level) she had almost *nothing* to do with the disaster. Yeah, she may have created the original Hunter, but she is not responsible for every Canmore that chose to take up the mantle. Heck, she was practically *on the other side of the world* from Scotland at this point. This was a human pursuing a feud beyond all reason, and it cost Demona the last moments with her daughter. The echo of Goliath's line highlights how their grief and rage synch at this moment. The contrast is that while he ultimately gave into the grief (and his "suicide"), she throws herself into the rage. And even being told that rage and vengeance is not what Angelika would want does nothing to quell it, because "Angelika is gone!"
The sun rises now on this tableau: three stone gargoyles and one of dead flesh. Katana's tears are still fresh (giving us more "tears from a stone" imagery), Sensei is still grappling with Demona's wrists, and Demona is frozen in her silent scream.

The next night (most likely), Demona is now dressed in her classic look (the kind from the 10th century) and her hair has regained its trademark spikiness. To me, that helps solidify her rejection of all the growth she had gone through in those 181 years with Angelika, regressing in many ways to her earlier rage. Furthermore, she is now burying all the treasures the two of them had accumulated over those years, including the shield, all swords, and even the locket Angelika meant for Demona to remember her by. Katana arrives to tell Demona that Angelika's Wind Ceremony is starting, but Demona has gone back to not caring for such things. If it can't bring back that which she has lost, she doesn't care. Ironically for someone burying all that stuff, she doesn't want to let go in the way that matters most.
The echoes of past dialogues continue as Demona confirms to Katana that the immortal gargoyle is leaving this "cursed land," and Katana attempts to follow while saying she's just "going the same direction." I don't know whether Katana is knowingly echoing the young Angelika's line (if Angelika told her that story), but it certainly seems to trigger Demona, who tackles the rookling to the ground. It even looks like she specifically hurts Katana's wing so the younger gargoyle is physically incapable of following her. Demona absolutely refuses to feel hurt like this again, and takes off back into the night sky as Katana looks on and we hear more of Angelika's narration from her writing. Specifically, that Demona is "cursed to a life of eternal loneliness...if so she chooses." This final bit helps drive home how so much of Demona’s pain is still from her own choices, and that, ironically, her attempts to avoid pain just make things more painful for her.
And a butterfly briefly alights on Demona's hand as she tearfully glides away....

This was a great conclusion to this fascinating mini-series. Little snippets of time in Demona's first few centuries when she wasn't alone but had a daughter who could help her be a better person. But we still see her shortcomings, the ones that make her a villain in the "modern" day, even then. This issue also helped us learn a little more about Katana, who apparently was always leaning towards leaving the clan and land of her hatching even as a hatchling. Small wonder she wound up going on an even more expansive journey in the future.

Looking forward to the next story. [/SPOILER]
You know, I never intend for these rambles to be as...THICK as they are, but that's the only way I can get out all my thoughts.

OK, I'll definitely do my thoughts on the next Winter Special probably the same time next week and get my thoughts on the GxFF crossover before the New Year!
****Blaise zooms out of the Room like a rocket.****
Blaise
"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."--The Doctor
posted @ Mon, Dec 22, 2025 12:10:09 am EST from 45.48.46.39