Looking forward to getting to everyone else's thoughts on Gargoyles #2 shortly, but first here are mine:

[SPOILER] - I continue to enjoy how the Gargoyles TaskForce has evolved from an organization that is handling the gargoyles to an organization that is incorporates them into the NYPD. Very cool. Obviously, Goliath is the face of this for now for good reason, but I do hope that Broadway moves more into that role as time goes on. It would be neat to see him possibly become a bonafide detective at some point. And long term it will be interesting to see if/how the Clan and the NYPD merge. Not sure who the other GTF cop was supposed to be. Cedric Harris?

- Can't help but suspect that the woman Goliath saves has a major role to play in the future. We don't know much about her and yet she had two big scenes with Goliath. Her "I'm so dead..." line made me wonder (somewhat jokingly) if she was the Scarecrow character we've been hearing about in the solicitations. Anyway, sounds like she's off to the Labyrinth for now.

- I like the newspaper motif throughout the story. Who here had "Ophelia reading a newspaper" on their bingo card?! Also, the Daily Tattler always seemed like a tabloid to me, but now they seem to be covering more legitimate news. Maybe the world is "strange enough as it is."

- I like the team up of Brooklyn, Katana, and Coldfire. These three have more personal connections to the Egwardo/Demona/Coldstone issues than the others, of course. I'm glad the obvious actions of asking for aid from Xanatos and Coldfire using her abilities was addressed. No stone unturned. I thought that the entire encounter with Coldstone was handled very well. None of them trust Coldstone, but they are not out to destroy him either. They mostly just want information or aid from him and he either has none or makes the case that to offer it would bring them to harm. Meanwhile, it is clear that Coldstone has no desire to hurt the Clan either. So, it feels like he's an antagonist that they are battling and yet all on the same side. Strange and sad, but it works for me. It was a very interesting interaction. Always lots of shades of gray with Coldstone. And his final remarks about Demona's immortality would of course point Brooklyn towards the next possibility: recruiting Macbeth to the cause. This is where things are going to get very interesting. They are basically asking Macbeth to give up his life to stop Demona. To KILL Demona. A year or two ago (1995/6), I think Macbeth would've jumped at the chance to help, not now... I don't know. Aside from the implications of murder/suicide, Macbeth also clearly is seeing some red flags in all of this. He has learned time and again that death isn't the answer, life is. So, very interesting. We shall see. Finally, there remains the question of how Brooklyn and Katana think killing Demona is even possible. I suspect they know that the timeline is immutable and I suspect they know that Demona is still alive and well in the 21st and 22nd centuries. So, how do they reconcile that? Or are they even thinking that clearly. Time, ahem, will tell.

- On Avalon, the Green Knight awakens. I am no Arthurian scholar and do not know much about the character, but I find him fascinating so far. His design is VERY cool. I love it. I know a few of you have mentioned that he was unarmored, but it's working for me. Very neat. Not sure who is publishing papers on Avalon, but the Children are weirdos, so whatever. Love getting a Ophelia cameo. I hope to see more of the Avalon Clan in the issues to come! Oberon and Titania are interesting here. Titania says nothing, but appears visably concerned about the possibility of Mab returning. Oberon brushes the idea away entirely. But he's clearly wrong and we get a beautiful view of Mab beginning to break out. Almost like she's shattering the fourth wall. Mab's connections to chaos and dreams is especially interesting since I woke up to read this issue as it dropped and when back to sleep right after and had some truly wacky Gargoyles dreams. maybe Mab was truly breaking into our universe after all!

- The art on this issue was spectacular. Robby continues to kill it with the colors. Gorgeous. And aside from the way Goliath and Brooklyn are occasionally drawn, I'm enjoying the drawing a great deal as well. A few characters, like Oberon, Titania, and Ophelia are impressively on model and as I've mentioned, I love the design for the Green Knight. [/SPOILER]

Wonderful issue and I'm very excited to see what comes next! Only have to wait a mere four weeks (hopefully!). Now, off to read your thoughts and see what I missed.
Matt
"The eggs in the rookery will soon hatch. They will need guidance..." - Goliath, "Awakening Part Two"
posted @ Wed, Sep 16, 2026 11:10:08 am EDT from 204.184.178.1

My thoughts on #2.

[SPOILER] Newspapers are to the fore in this issue. We see no less than four different copies of the Daily Tattler (and those are just the ones we get a close enough look at to read the headlines), reporting on Goliath now being a member of the Gargoyle Task Force, Egwardo's abduction, the Mutates, and the search for Demona. For a tabloid, its headlines are very accurate (though we don't know how accurate the content was). (I'm a bit surprised to see Macbeth reading the "Daily Tattler", incidentally; I'd have thought he'd have higher tastes. Maybe he's checking to see how much they got right in their account of the search for Demona.) And to top it off, Avalon now has two newspapers. I'd really like to know who set them up; apparently some of the Third Race got a taste for them in the outside world. (And we see Ophelia reading the "Avalon Sun"; newspapers would definitely be new to her, given that she was raised on Avalon by humans from medieval Scotland - at most, she might have heard something from Tom about any newspapers he'd encountered in 1895.)

The headline in the "Mortal Times" stood out to me, with its mention of the "Scottish Play". I looked up Delacourt, and concluded that it's probably based on Delacorte, connected to "Shakespeare in the Park". In which case, we might well be getting that "Weird Macbeth" story soon - and I'm definitely looking forward to it. Brooklyn and Katana's attempt to recruit Macbeth might even be one of the set-ups for that story.

We've three different threads in this issue. First, Goliath serving in the Gargoyle Task Force (whose name now indeed feels like "a task force with a gargoyle as one of its members" rather than "a task force set up to handle gargoyles", especially since he was going after regular crooks). In particular, his helping out (twice) a homeless woman and even finding her a home, apparently in the Labyrinth. I found that quite moving; it certainly gives the feeling of some progress in human/gargoyle relations. (We get another glimpse of Cedric Harris, introduced back in "Invitation Only".)

I suspect that part of its purpose (though we'll probably be finding out more about the homeless woman in later issues) was to serve as a contrast to Brooklyn and Katana's part of the story, where they're focused more on seeking vengeance upon Demona for kidnapping Egwardo than on protecting the city (complete with Macbeth pointing that out). We got some good drama here with Coldstone and Coldfire - I particularly liked Coldstone's clearly mixed feelings - siding with Demona because he believes her way is more likely to ensure the survival of the gargoyle species than Goliath's way, but still not wanting to see harm come to his fellow gargoyles. (We also get a return visit to Felice's Meats from "Eye of the Beholder".) I'm curious to see where their attempts to get Macbeth to kill Demona will lead; will this be for Brooklyn and Katana what Goliath's pursuit of vengeance in "Hunter's Moon" was for him?

Finally, the awakening of the Green Knight on Avalon. I'd speculated earlier this week that, while it's connected to Queen Mab, he's unlikely to be working for her (the impression I got from the solicitations for #3 and #4 was Mab actively trying to break free from her prison through visiting nightmares on the outside world, rather than waiting as accomplices in the outside world go about seeking to free her), and that turned out to be the case. What surprised me was the connection between the Green Knight's awakening and Mab's prison weakening; my speculations had gotten the cause and effect reversed. It's not "Queen Mab's starting to get free because the Green Knight is now awake" but "the Green Knight is now awake because Mab's starting to get free", another case of the sleeping warrior who awakens when needed (like King Arthur - which means two such figures on Avalon, and both part of the same legend at that).

The Green Knight looks different, incidentally, from his depiction in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", clad in full armor (the Green Knight in the fourteenth century poem didn't wear armor) and armed with a sword rather than an axe. The antlers on his helmet, combined with his talk of "the hunt", make me wonder if he'll be associated here with the Wild Hunt concept - a legend that I've thought for a while ought to be brought into "Gargoyles", in light of the recurring theme of hunting in the series.

I'm curious, also, about what Oberon meant by "tool" or "purchase" when talking about his mother's imprisoned condition. "Tool" might be a magical object like the Keys to Power, but that's just a guess at this point. We'll probably have this "Third Race terminology" explained in later issues, as Mab's story develops.

All in all, an enjoyable issue, and I'm looking forward to #3, to see, in particular, what specific nightmares Mab will be visiting upon people (as I mentioned earlier, for the Manhattan clan, seeing Demona raising Egwardo will be a very strong candidate) and what the Scarecrow will be like (and how he'll differ from the one in "Batman", whom Greg Weisman mentioned wanting to make his Scarecrow distinct from). [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Wed, Sep 16, 2026 8:58:09 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

Random thought - I wonder if there's a contractor in NYC who specialises in filling in the clawmarks in buildings that the gargoyles invariably leave behind? Kind of the anti-Vinnie - someone who makes an absolute fortune out of the gargoyles but who the gargoyles don't know even exists.

Anyway -- GARGOYLES #2.

[SPOILER] Wasn't familiar with the title quote and had to look it up. Interesting.

A shorter issue and three branching plots but a lot is packed in. Greg started doing this towards the end of "Here in Manhattan" and it was always kind of there in "Redemption" and "Better Angels" but from here I feel like he's fully into the rhythm of writing for a comic. Both chapters so far have felt full and complete in and of themselves. He did a really fun ramble a while ago about how the comics might translate into animated episodes and while I wouldn't want to second guess him, I feel like both #1 and #2 could happily stand as episodes on their own.

Because everything moves at triple speed, there are a lot of things that would have been fun to see but which get skipped past. Seeing Goliath meet the GTF properly, seeing how the team relate to him and so on. However, I think it's worth it for the stories to have the velocity they do (and Greg's always written lean anyway).

What we get instead is a great action set-piece, a great example of Goliath as protector, a bit of the GTF and a new character plus it seems to set up the reintroduction of the Labyrinth.

Having just reached "Invitation Only" with VftE (great episode - the final sting was a great choice and made me hoot) I'm intrigued by how the recap stuff will be handled. Coldstone's backstory has been so often retold and this seems like the most efficient way so far. You can see how "Invitation Only" was setting things up not just for "Masque" but also "Miracle Child" and to some degree "Louse".

(While I know Greg wouldn't rely on this, I do wonder... these days intertextuality is just assumed to such a degree that I wonder how many new readers or even long-time readers who have forgotten the finer details just search up those kinds of questions).

Incidentally, the colouring on page 5 is especially superb. Once again, Gerardo and Robby are doing stellar work.

I loved seeing Felice's Meats again and the Coldstone battle was satisfying. I like this trio of Brooklyn, Katana and Coldfire. I also enjoyed that Coldstone genuinely seems not to want to harm the rest of the clan.

Coldfire's method of defeating him, running down is battery, was terrific - a great way to turn on its head an attack we've seen a few times.

Great to see Macbeth again.

Macbeth's specific role is interesting. Surely Brooklyn of all people knows Demona survives so I'm kind of intrigued that he of all characters goes there. My assumption is that this is a fake-out to lure Demona out. Of course, it's also a fake-out for the audience who weren't spoiled on Demona's presence in 2198 which I assume is still in Greg's plans.

(Although I know Greg regrets revealing some of this stuff and in certain respects it would be nice to un-know it, I'm still very glad that we had twenty more years of knowing a bit more. There's been a lot of talk lately about what was the motor of the fanbase during that era - the regret over TGC etc. - but I do think the fact that Greg did hype us up with his ideas played a huge role.)

Meanwhile on Avalon, the Green Knight is all kinds of fun. I like his hair coming out almost like branches. And it's great to see Oberon and Ophelia again as well as our first real glimpse of Mab. What is 'the void' I wonder and does it link to his cloak from "The Gathering" Part Two? Interesting.

The newspapers are kind of fun and it seems the Third Race are so attuned to modern humanity since their exile that they have their own newspaper... I wonder how that came about (and who initiated it).

One last thought from the "next Issue" tease...

Greg's approach is not to waste anything. Everything "counts". Now we've (or at any rate I've) assumed that the sum long-term purpose of the "Future Tense" nightmare was as a tease/prophecy for some future events (in an "all things are true but not all things are accurate" kind of way). But... if a character can truly control nightmares, that makes that world - which was "real" to Goliath - could return somehow, a kind of answer to the 'Star Trek' mirror universe stories. Not saying it will happen, not saying it should happen necessarily, but it's a possibility that had never occurred to me previously.

Matthew: Excellent thought - I love the idea of the Scarab trackers coming back and for this purpose! [/SPOILER]
Ed
posted @ Wed, Sep 16, 2026 6:41:08 am EDT from 146.90.160.201

And here it is, issue #2 "Because They Look For It..."

[SPOILER] So Goliath continues the Manhattan Gargoyle Goodwill Tour, namely by actually working alongside New York's finest. The high speed chase is good, especially the quiet dismay and acceptance from the crooks when Big G (that nickname's going to take some getting used to) tears a hole into a Humvee. But it's his helping out the homeless woman that really makes for a special moment. Part of me thinks this will act as a way to reintroduce the Labyrinth for new or forgetful readers but another part feels like this is way to really show that Goliath and the Clan truly are there for everyone. They're going to protect and serve the community and in this case that means looking after someone who doesn't have someplace to go on a cold December night.

Speaking of reintroducing, I'm glad the recap was limited to one page. Three panels showing three perspectives. Sorrow for Katana, anger for Brooklyn, and bitter acceptance for Coldfire. The ensuing battle against Coldstone seems to have several layers to it. One is to depict where everyone stands, Coldstone pretty much confirms to the heroes that even with his sympathies he's 100% in on Demona's scheme. And more importantly that going for lackeys won't work, they'll have to go straight for Demona if they want any chance of recovering the egg.

Another is to foreshadow certain events, at least in my own theory. Neither side was going all in, Coldstone could've gone for lethal blasts but didn't and the heroes could've finished Coldstone off when his power was drained but didn't. For Coldstone it was a warning about how a battle against Demona and her forces could easily end with one or more deaths. For the heroes, it may just confirm that if they face off again, they can't hold back against Coldstone. Also, I have the sneaking suspicion that their visit with Xanatos wasn't just to confirm that they can't track him with the old system. I have a feeling that the fight was also a ploy to put a tracker on Coldstone, be a nice callback to the old Scarab tracker from "Awakening."

Which brings up a theory I had which was confirmed. And I just want to take a second to bask in the fact that I actually guessed something. Namely, that Macbeth has reentered the story and it's about possibly using him to kill Demona. This...will be interesting. On the one hand, Greg has stated that Macbeth's in a place where he's no longer seeking the end of his immortality. On the other, Macbeth isn't the type to sit idly by when Demona plans something truly monstrous and he would probably be sympathetic to their plight. Perhaps just having him in their corner can give them an edge against her. He has some of the better track records when it comes to fighting her and the possibility of dying at his hand (or being wounded enough that she can be contained) might just be the deterrent against her. Either way, this is shaping up to make for a dramatic climax.

And to conclude, we get some proper looks at some new faces in Avalon. One is the Green Knight and I really like his look, the forest green armor with the brown belt-capes give him a very earthen feel. And the horns on his helmet bring to mind Cernunnos. I'm trying to remember if there's been any famous depiction of the Green Knight with antler-like horns. Mostly because my brain automatically goes to the Tall Knight Who Says Ni! In any case, his summoning is foretelling a certain doom and it looks like Oberon isn't paying heed. Yeah, that'll end well.

The other is Queen Mab herself and I'm really liking her look too. She's got the same technicolor skin as Oberon and Titania but goes for a vibrant crimson. That with the four arms, crown of lightning, glowing orange eyes and dark low-cut dress, well, if it wasn't for the fairy wings on her back I'd say she looked more the part of a devil than a fey. The fact that she's going a bit of a fourth wall break in the last panel just adds to the menace. [/SPOILER]

Well that's all for now, enjoyed this issue and looking forward to the next one.

[SPOILER] By the way, I haven't seen any idealized casting for the two from Greg on any of their pages, so what's everyone's choice? I have Richard Dormer as the Green Knight and Nika Futterman as Mab. [/SPOILER]
Matthew the Fedora Guy
The world I love, the tears I drop to be part of the wave, can't stop...
posted @ Wed, Sep 16, 2026 4:22:03 am EDT from 184.23.35.150

For those that are interested, the first few pages of the issue coming out tomorrow are available to view here: https://www.fandompost.com/2026/09/15/dynamite-preview-gargoyles-2/
Matt
"The eggs in the rookery will soon hatch. They will need guidance..." - Goliath, "Awakening Part Two"
posted @ Tue, Sep 15, 2026 10:47:51 am EDT from 204.184.178.1

PHOENICIAN - Thanks for sharing that with us.

Since you mentioned Scottish kings (to be covered in an upcoming post), I was recently reading a book about Scotland (the British Isles, actually, but it was the section on Scotland) which mentioned Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh having a collection of portraits of Scottish kings - all the kings of Scotland in both history and legend, going back to Prince Fergus (presumably the same as the Fergus who featured in the Stone of Destiny story as "Clan-Building", who loaned the Stone of Destiny to Merlin and King Pelles for the Sword in the Stone - though at the time the portraits were done, during Charles II's reign, it was claimed that he lived in the fourth century B.C., much earlier than "Clan-Building" placed him - presumably to give extra prestige to Scottish royalty). Presumably this would have included all the Scottish kings we've seen featured in "Gargoyles" ("City of Stone", "Avalon Part One", "Dark Ages: Alliance" including the "Once Upon a Time There Were Three Brothers" story, etc.); it would be fun to compare the portraits to the "Gargoyles" depictions of them. (I suspect that they'd look quite different, especially since the portraits of those early kings would have to have been painted from the imagination - and reportedly all the Scottish kings in those portraits were given Charles II's nose, presumably a case of Charles II's sense of humor.)
Todd Jensen
posted @ Tue, Sep 15, 2026 9:24:33 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

I occasionally posted a question or two on Ask Greg, but waited a good three years before I dipped my toes in the Comment Room.

But yes, a happy anniversary Morrand :-)

A most random tangent: Over the weekend I caught The Uprising in theatres, and while I had mixed thoughts on the film, I did enjoy (no spoilers) the portrayal of the young King Richard II. This most recent English Monarch history-inspired film prompted me to quickly review just how many of the English/British Monarchs (from William I to Charles III) have I seen portrayed on the stage or screen (film or series). Now, I'm fairly confident the bulk of Scottish monarchs I've seen depictions of have been thanks to Gargoyles, so I'll save that tally for another conversation d:

Anyways, my current tally is 25/42 monarchs with highlights (by no means an exhaustive, at least not here) from The Lion in Winter, Robin Hood: Men in Tights (they're not all dramas), Richard II, Blackadder, Henry IV (Part 1), Henry V, The Lost King, Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII, Shakespeare in Love, Cromwell, The Favourite, John Adams (the miniseries), Hamilton, The Greatest Showman, and The King's Speech. I'll note that my tally includes depictions of the heir apparents that also appear in the story, and not necessarily the reigning monarch in the play/movie/series.

In short, I'm a list-fiend, and it's a curious genre that I'll now be keeping tabs on. d:
Phoenician
Gus: "I always forget you're there." Hooty: "I forget I'm here toooooo."
posted @ Tue, Sep 15, 2026 12:29:16 am EDT from 68.2.64.232

Seventh!
Good evening everyone! ^.^
Sleeplesssongbird - [Opportunistic dot Cat at Gmail dot com]
-Cat.
posted @ Tue, Sep 15, 2026 12:01:06 am EDT from 138.199.52.6

I had to lurk through miles of snow with no shoes on before I posted!
Matthew the Fedora Guy
The world I love, the tears I drop to be part of the wave, can't stop...
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 4:31:48 pm EDT from 184.23.35.150

I lurked for decades before posting!
Craig
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 4:28:51 pm EDT from 69.118.30.106

6th

You're a far bolder man than I am, morrand. I lurked for years before posting.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
The world I love, the tears I drop to be part of the wave, can't stop...
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 3:34:43 pm EDT from 184.23.35.150

Fifth. Yes, Dynamite switched over to Lunar Distribution in June of last year, and now that they've had some time to recalibrate/recover from the Diamond fiasco, things appear to be running much more smoothly.
Craig
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 1:18:43 pm EDT from 69.118.30.106

Well, I was going to call third, and point out that today is also the third anniversary of my first post here (though I was lurking for a few weeks beforehand). But Todd got in while I was busy typing, so fourth it is! The CR has been a joy all this time and has every sign of remaining one, and thank you all for that.

Flashing back a bit to Sleeplesssongbird's post from late last week: locally, I know that Dynamite has been distributing through Lunar. At least according to my local dealer, that seems to have been going more or less all right (especially compared to the last couple of weeks of Diamond before it went under). Amazon, on the other hand, seems to have been a hot mess, as Craig mentions. I know at least one of the ISBN numbers listed on Amazon didn't seem to match what was actually on the book, too, though I'm not sure if that's been fixed.

Regarding the SCP issue, Gizmodo had an article yesterday touching on the controversy and the open questions about whether the studio would adhere to the Creative Commons terms, but not going into many details. Any guarantee would need the services of a qualified attorney, I'm afraid. Entertainment can be a messy business.

Speaking of which, V Dev Sangirut: You may want to try posting your question under the "Ask Greg" tab above, as it's nobody but us chickens in here. I do suspect Greg would say it's not up to him what gets produced; I'd add that rallying the fans and petitioning the studios could be a more effective tactic, especially given some recent successes along that line in other areas.
morrand - [morrand276 at gmail dot com]
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 9:18:26 am EDT from 108.69.72.60

Third.

For hardly had the music but a moment ended,
and the first course in the court as was custom been served,
when there passed through the portals a perilous horseman,
the mightiest on middle-earth in measure of height,
from his gorge to his girdle so great and so square,
and his loins and his limbs so long and so huge,
that half a troll upon earth I trow that he was,
but the largest man alive at least I declare him;
and yet the seemliest for his size that could sit on a horse,
for though in back and in breast his body was grim,
both his paunch and his waist were properly slight,
and all his features followed his fashion so gay in mode;
for at the hue men gaped aghast
in his face and form that showed;
as a fay-man fell he passed,
and green all over glowed.

With the new issue just two days away, and introducing the Green Knight into the Gargoyles Universe, I thought I'd start the week off with a quote from the medieval poem featuring him (I'm using the translation by J. R. R. Tolkien, published by Mariner Books).

The big question I have about the "Gargoyles" take on the Green Knight is how his awakening brings Queen Mab a step closer to returning, and what his connections are with her. (I'm leaving out "Spoiler" tags for the discussion of the contents of the Solicitations for #2 to #4, since they were released long enough ago that everyone here must have read them by now.) Is he one of Queen Mab's followers, working to help her return, or does his awakening advance her schemes some other way?

I'm leaning towards the latter. Part of this, I'll confess, is that, based on the way the Green Knight was depicted in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" - while fearsome-seeming at first, he turns out to be a good-natured fellow with an understanding, forgiving tone towards Gawain - I don't want to imagine him supporting the menacing Queen Mab - though it could be another case of "Not all things are accurate". But the solicitations for #3 and #4 offer some support for the notion that "he's not working for Mab". In them, Mab is the one portrayed as working actively towards her release by plaguing people with nightmares (with assistance from the mysterious Scarecrow); there's no mention of the Green Knight or anyone about hurrying through the waking world looking for a means to free Mab, which is what I'd expect if the Green Knight was Mab's accomplice. From this, I think it more likely that the Green Knight's sleep was in some ways hindering Mab from troubling the outside world, that his role was a jailer rather than a sealed-away follower.

(I wonder if he's the statue of the knight we saw at the end of #1 in the scene with Benvolio, Malvolio, and Nought. If so, it's likely to be another case of "Not all things are accurate", since in the poem, the Green Knight wasn't wearing armor - or having any weaponry apart from the axe.)
Todd Jensen
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 9:02:14 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

Hmmm. I guess I'll count myself as SECOND!

And the SECOND issue of Gargoyles is out this week!
Matt
"The eggs in the rookery will soon hatch. They will need guidance..." - Goliath, "Awakening Part Two"
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 8:24:57 am EDT from 204.184.178.1

Bro can i just ask you something, Please can u make the spectacular spider man season 3.Every fan still carries a hollow in their heart due to that peter gwen loose end. Please ask disney and sony to post some poll and collaborate if possible. I have always loved your works btw.
V Dev Sangirut - [sangirutdev at gmail dot com]
V Dev Sangirut
posted @ Mon, Sep 14, 2026 4:15:03 am EDT from 42.104.128.19