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Underground > Comic Books >

7 Soldiers: Shining Knight

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22:54 / 04.07.05

I would not be surprised if Helligan shows up in a later mini.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

00:16 / 05.07.05

Just hope she's not Arkham bound; I quite liked her in #3, and want to see her explored more. Possibly with Mister Miracle?

10:30 / 05.07.05

Or maybe in a lost garden.

11:17 / 05.07.05

Helligan's a tragic loss. Why's everybody's so excited bout her? Like Whip and Jackie and Dan and Vigilante? Yeah, she was cool. But she's a vampire zombie now. "Sky High" Helligan gives us a human and common sense perspective as to the levels of view shown here. She zooms out and sees the whole picture. Cue us to do the same.

We may never see her again. Ah well. Badde was cool in a way. Where'd the hype go for Ali Ka-Zoom? Cassie Craft may fade away. I consider Helligan a bit player. Rest In Peace.

01:02 / 06.07.05

Just at home working on this...

Bearing Three Imperishable Treasures of the Anceint World came the Knights Bors, and Peredur. And Galahad, the Giant Killer, The Perfect Knight.

The Chariot of Morgan the Wealthy:
Already, Bors, Peredur, and Galahad arrive at the Dwarrowmen city by means of the Chariot of Mananann. One of their three Treasures, too. Sounds to me, through your description, like a teleportation device. Boom Tube?

The Halter of Clyno Eiddyn:

The Coat of Padarn Red-Coat:

The Gwyddbwll board of Gwenddolau: PEREDUR
Seems like that's one of the Imperishable Treasures that the three knights carry to the Dwarrowmen. Peredur is supposed to have "celestial" senses... Perhaps one of the game pieces is a six-sided cube from the Brightworld? One with Roman numerals on its sides?

The Mantle of Arthur: whoever wore it was invisible.

***
Bors carries a hammer, one that is able to split the bilding blocks of matter. I'd assume that's their third Treasure. Doesn't Frankenstein carry a hammer in his concept sketch? Somebody find and link?

11:36 / 06.07.05

Frankenstein pic here

No sign of a hammer.

03:33 / 12.07.05

The symbol around her neck looks like a Chinese pictogram (or Japanse kanji), as does the one on Justin's shirt. But I can't read either.

It's also being worn by one of the Undying Don's men. I don't know what it is yet, but I'll be looking -- I have a feeling I've seen it somewhere before.

12:53 / 12.07.05

Yeah, we have to really see how Helligan is affected by the kiss of Glorianna...

>> Only realised on re-reading that Gloria tries to unsheath the sword but fails ("There are people who believe *nnn* that the...")

You know, she struggles and seems to have trouble taking out in the first panels but then a few panels later she's got it all the way out and is admiring it.

I think we're meant to think that she truly does take it out, she's pure of heart, and the confusion was just the artist's messiness (as has happened before in this series). I also agree that the Chinese characters are Bianchi's touches -- Justin is even wearing a modern shirt with a Chinese character on it, presumably something the police gave him to wear, when he comes in to turn himself in.

I agree that this series has gotten better and more enjoyable as it's gone on...

15:28 / 12.07.05

It's very similar to dong, which means "east" or "owner" and is, etymologically, the image of the sun rising behind a tree.

"Dong" is also part of "dongxi," which is a word that literally means "thing" or "something" and is really really common word in Chinese speech. ("I'd like a little something" = "I'd like to go out for lunch/for a drink.") If it was just chosen for looks, that'd be a common enough character to pick up on.

Does anyone have a link to a graphic with that image on it clearly? I'm at work, so no comics here.

I seem to remember it having an extra horizontal line (which is unusual in written Chinese), making it more like zhen, which means either "spiritual conversion" or "truth/truly" -- appropriate meanings. I can't find that four-lined figure as part of anything closer to the "dong" character, though.

It's also similar to ze, meaning "responsibility" or "blame." Another meaning that would have resonance in the story.

15:42 / 12.07.05

Oh, and WTF? from here:

11. In Shining Knight two one of vincenzo the undying don's bodyguards is a golem of air, in guardian the guardian paper has a golem bodyguard who was apparently part of a team of 4 elemental golems.

Air golem? Did I miss something?

15:45 / 12.07.05

Doesn't it state that he's an air golem somewhere? Don't have the copy to hand, but I seem to recall I didn't quite understand it on the first reading.

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

15:54 / 12.07.05

Justin is even wearing a modern shirt with a Chinese character on it, presumably something the police gave him to wear, when he comes in to turn himself in.

Given that he's first seen wearing the modern stuff with his armour after chasing off the street gang, I think he actually stole some of their clothes.

16:12 / 12.07.05

I blame Bianchi for all this.

Stargard says he made a team of elementals to help him fight crime, of which we see one - a golem. We all see that as a representation of Earth, and that there must be other elementals elsewhere. Lo and behold, Don Vincenzo walks in his garden followed by a big white samurai called Stratos. I'm not sure if they call him an air golem, or whatever, but it makes sense that the two are connected.

The clothing is the magical byproduct of Ali Ka-Zoom. Justin scares off the attackers with his sword, and then does that bowing on one knee thing while suddenly wearing a sloppy T-Shirt and pants. He comforts the old dude(Ka-Zoom), and only then he notices his clothes have changed. The issue ends suggesting Justin goes to find other soldiers to help in his war, which he does - he goes to the LAPD. Arach Avallach!

The Chinese characters are rampant. I see no rhyme nor reason why all of LA, from Stratos' design, to Justin's shirt, to Helligan's pendant are all similarly Eastern. I think Bianchi's in a Asian phase.

16:51 / 12.07.05

I'm honestly glad others are enjoying this series, but this is the one I'm having a hard time getting into. I think it's a combination of the beautiful drawings/not-so-hot storytelling, and the fact that I really don't feel like I know Justin much at all by the 3rd issue. Hopefully the 4th issue will have a bit more meat on it's bones.

17:20 / 12.07.05

Not much to add but that I'm enjoying this. I especially liked the bit about modern language being full of lies.

23:00 / 12.07.05

It's definitely a "dong". Weird thing -- Strato's emblem is *also* a "dong," (pronounced the same way)... but with the addition of that little stem to the right, it means "wood"... which is one of the traditional Five Elements in Chinese esoteric systems. I'm guessing Bianchi chose this at random, but... maybe not.

The line about the air golem is, as Vincenzo addresses Crazyface, "Today, I don't want the air-golem of the East raining on my shorts, thank you." Which to me implies that whatever the air golem is, it ain't Strato, the big, pale, Japanese-lookin' dude.

Also... there's "the East" again, "dong"... so who knows?

23:12 / 12.07.05

More research -- Helligan's pendant is really close to the character tu, or "Earth" (especially when it's used to modify other characters -- that's when the top line takes on a slight angle and the vertical stem doesn't poke through the roof).

Maybe coincidence. Maybe not.

yawn - thing's buddy

09:46 / 13.07.05

sfunny cos painted art as we have in bright nytz seems to fuzzzzzzz my reading a bit. member similar feeling with first 5 or so ishies o black panther a few years ago.

painted comic art (using the conan model) usually pure sucks baws arrrrr...thoughts broken...cannot type anymore....no point...suit is shrivelled...so tired....yawn....

plink

crunch.

pfffffffffffffffffftttttttttttt.

11:38 / 13.07.05

Its Agent Helligan's confession about putting fish oil in her brother's milk shake that finally lets her pull the sword out. Once she confesses that one sin away her heart becomes pure enough for the sword to become groovy with her. It actually demonstartes very nicely how pure hearted she is; that she's so "pure" that that little inperfection was enough to make her doubt her own purity.

13:04 / 13.07.05

Wow, good call, Kirk Ultra. I wonder if worthiness, a relative concept for sure, is really determined by the ability to admit weaknesses. Confess your sins, and presto, get a prize.

18:12 / 13.07.05

I like the way Guilt is both sci-fi critter and an allegory, like in a medieval Mystery Play.

21:48 / 14.07.05

The bald police officer with dark glasses from the last 2 pages of SK#1 is KM/GM.

Jake, Colossus of Clout

17:17 / 17.07.05

I think I'm feeling the opposite of Robitussin Jones on this one. I'm starting to dig the storyline, but it's hard for me to get past the horrible, horrible art. it's like bad art from old D&D rulebooks. It stands vaguely well on it's own, but sequentially it is sloppy and hurts the telling of the story. I started out really disliking this book, and now I kind of like it on the basis of all the cool ideas crammed in, and because it deals most with the enemy the soldiers have to fight. I have the sneaking feeling that if it wasn't for the crap art, this might be my favorite series so far. It's really too bad.

Also, someone upthread said that ze thought Justin would be the one who brought the soldiers together. I thought Morrison had said they would never meet?

18:51 / 18.07.05

He has, but in the past, it's been Shining Knight who rallies the Seven Soldiers. (I think always, although I'm not 100% sure about the very first group.)

So if there was to be a spin-off team comic (probably featuring all new 7 soldiers), then it's a good bet that Justin'd lead.

I don't think there are any plans for that to happen.

Jake, Colossus of Clout

19:12 / 18.07.05

Fair enough. Now that the third issues of SK and Guardian are out, does anybody else think that Grant is going to have to cram a whole hell of a lot into the fourth issues? Either that or SS#1 is going to be mammoth. There seems to be a whole lot left to resolve, and only 22 pages to resolve it in.

19:14 / 18.07.05

Everyone always says that.

Regrettable Juvenilia

08:11 / 27.07.05

I liked the creepiness of issue 3 but the art is very frustrating: there beautiful individual panels, but also confusing mess. Why is Galahad a dwarf in the first few pages but not in the last? How is Justin actually incapacitated? We see the Sheeda Queen poke him with her tendrils and then he just vanishes off panel. Tsk.

13:20 / 27.07.05

Not to mention Agent Helligan's appearing/disappearing nose-stud. Sloppy, sloppy work.

Just what I'd expect from one of these louche Euro-slackers. They just haven't got the work ethic for proper comics, on a proper schedule.

Keith, like a scientist

12:53 / 30.08.05

so #4 is out this week. This will be the first mini to finish, which makes it interesting in itself, seeing how GM wraps up a mini, and sets it up for 7S #1. also, since it's the first, i guess we can expect that Knight isn't the soldier that dies.

haven't seen a preview...i checked Buzzscope. What's that other site that has previews?

13:04 / 30.08.05

I would imagine the soldier that dies will bite it in 7S #1. That way the suspense never settles till the end.

And I haven't seen a preview at Mile High, either. I imagine there's a few more places that put 'em up, but they probably only have the same list anyway...

16:11 / 30.08.05

Is anyone else hoping for a giant team-up in #1, with JHW drawing them all in the respective styles of Ferry, Irving, Bianchi et al?

I know I am.

16:50 / 30.08.05

Hopefully Ali Ka-Zoom's speech about the original Newsboy Army in Zatanna #3 is foreshadowing what goes down in 7S#1.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

14:31 / 31.08.05

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So, Justin is really...Justine?
Mister Melmoth is Gloriana's husband?
SK#3, Z#3, and SK#4 actually make sense when read together now?

Yes, it's an issue full of surprises, folks, along with some balls out action, nay, RETRIBUTION, pouring from the tommyguns of Kid Scarface. I tell you, if all seven of these books come together this nicely, we're in for a treat. As a four issue series, this actually works very smoothly, with an ending that dovetails quite nicely with the beginning. Dare I call it a bit heartbreaking? Kinda was. Go kick some ass, little lady. Onto SS#1 with you.

Actually, now I'm kind of hoping these characters stick around in continuity. I'd love to see Justine and Zee team up to fight the Joker or some shit. Ystine will totally knock Harley Quinn the fuck out!

14:52 / 31.08.05

I think Simone Bianchi said once he was using his sister as the model for how he drew Ystin(e)'s movements. Something about masculine youthfulness that even girls possess. Dammit. I should just go and get it.

17:52 / 31.08.05

Dammit people. Hurry. Are gender roles THAT primitive? Or is it a "magical/tribal" sense of "being a man" that Justin subscibes to and is part of? Ystin as Langobard?

Just when I thought SK was going the be the most boring of the 7S, it went and became the strongest contender for "what I wish was ongoing".

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