The action here was very fun to read, with the hovercraft going down and Griff using the Kusanagi.

I also liked the explanation for the Illuminati taking on open racists into their ranks, and what Arthur said afterward.

Also enjoyed Griff and Sakura’s conversation. I like how Griff was honest with her and made no promises on how his feelings would change.

Some might say that Sakura is blindly fangirling and chasing Griff, forcing Arthur to Knight her just so she can be close to him. I interpret this differently, though. Like Griff, Sakura has also been displaced by time, and no longer feels like she belongs with her clan. She wants to see how the rest of the world has changed, and help protect it as well.

As always, I’m looking forward to the next story.

Looks like we’re using the version of Beowulf’s sword from YJ (acknowledging that interpretation might be similar to the original) and following the same pure heart of good and evil rule.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, is Kaffir a slur? I guess it would make some sense when your enemies are confederate-loving mutates and a nazi. Just never heard that before.

And Demona killed Hitler? If there was more to it than a simple gunshot to the head, another thing I would like to see in written form.

I really liked the scene of Griff and Sakura our to eat, not so much because of the romance, but because it showed how different clans interact with human society. The Japanese Gargoyles are valued by the community and are allowed to live for free, while the London Gargoyles secretly contribute to their local economy. I also liked how Griff managed to win his little argument with the shop keeper.

I kind of forgot to mention it last review, and this chapter helped remind me: So, Demona helped Hitler during WWII? It’s both surprising and not-so much. I imagine that Demona didn’t just team-up with the Fuher to take over the world/exterminate Jews. Knowing how much is known of Hitler’s interest in the occult, I’d imagine they had a partnership somewhat similar to what she and Xanatos used to have back in the day. It is a backstory I would like to know more about, if it’s in the works.

Well, I have to give the rhino some credit: He’s not as stupid as Rocksteady. Though there’s no doubt Servarius created them, I imagine it is Thailog who is currently interested in collecting the swords.

This one I was able to follow from the last.

The plot sounds interesting, taking swords of myth.

I can see you’re planning to hook up Griff and Sakura (I kind of had a suspicion of that, given what happened in China and what they had in common). I kind of get the feeling Griff was already into her, but isn’t quite over Una and doesn’t feel like he’s ready for a relationship just yet.

I know Servarius has made all sorts of mutates, and I enjoyed the Disney Afternoon parodies from the island, but honestly these new mutates feel like they belong with the Ninja Turtles (the Rhino is pretty much Rocksteady by default). Maybe you’ll prove me wrong in the next chapter.

Okay, I did...NOT know there was a word limit on reviews. I mean...really? WTF, ?

Well, anyway...after painstaking effort and more than a little hair-pulling, I've reproduced the tail-end of my review as best I could. The system ALSO prevents multiple reviews of a single chapter, so I'm posting this to Chapter 3 to try and circumvent it.

Now, without further ado...

Alright, now what else to address before I wrap up...well, I suppose the PLOT might be a good call. Admittedly - assuming the Illuminati didn't pull something off-page, which is in no way a safe assumption - the linchpin of the story itself, the theft of the sixteen swords, doesn't really wind up amounting to anything. With the exception of Excalibur, Hrunting, and Kusanagi, they largely wind up as nothing more or less than MacGuffins, to get the story rolling and all the characters where they need to be. If I had any critique of any substance to make (and one that's relatively minor, in the grand scheme of things), that would be it.

Still, as a method to introduce us to Hildy's organization, to carry forward Sakura's central character arc of finding new purpose in this brave new world, and to amply demonstrate the now-global reach of the new Knights, the theft and retrieval of the swords works quite well (even if the latter happened a BIT fast for my tastes). And as a comparative mythology nerd, it isn't hard to sell me on a "collect-a-thon" of similarly themed artifacts from various world cultures.

(Plus, the climactic battle of the blades of Arthur and Beowulf, while mystic lightning clashes around them? That is sooooooooooo cool icanteven)

Before I wrap up, as always, there are a handful of "little touches" I definitely want to take note of. This was the story where the references to other Weisman-penned shows went from "a few cute little nods" to "bingo for Weismaniacs" - but don't think for a SECOND that I'm complaining, LOL! From the sixteen swords to Panzer constantly being referred to as "The Rhino" to EVERYTHING about the Sword of Beowulf (though to be fair on that one, you have a KINDA-canon out in that Lex mentions it by name in "Recruits"), the reference library on this one alone was solid gold.

And speaking of references...you continue to sneak in more and more oblique and NOT-so-oblique nods to Spring the more we go forward, and every single one brought a big, fat smile to my face. "Baron Wolfgang," Fleur using a LexPad (with Kate Reed reporting on it...synergy!), Vinnie's little cameo - which, incidentally, was utter PERFECTION - confirming that Taro's surname is still "Yamashita" in this 'verse...

But of course, the big one - and the one I expect you've been wanting me to read ever since the moment you wrote it - was the cameo of "Adam" in the Diogenes Club flashback. It's short enough not to distract from the story but JUST long enough to KNOW it's him...and I won't lie, it's a COOL feeling. His bringing up Coldstone is a nice touch, a cute little "production nod" that also serves as both a veiled clue at his true identity, AND an intriguing new potential story thread. In any event, though, I'm just glad to know for sure that the members of our little "book club" are still out there, plannin' and plottin' up a storm, and I've got my fingers crossed that we'll see them again...sooner rather than later.

And with that...wow, I think I covered literally EVERY aspect of this story, or pretty close to it. I've been working on this review for nearly a week now, and in terms of sheer word count it's undoubtedly my longest...but I guess that's just further proof of how much I LOVED this story.

Only one more story remains, and I will FINALLY be caught up with your recent body of work. Then I'll be in the same, wonderful boat as the rest of our compatriots: waiting impatiently for the next installment.

Alright...bring on "Camazotz."

I'll admit that the hardest thing about writing this review is trying not to repeat the same things I said in the last several, because your particular strengths as a storyteller only gain strength with each new volume.

But even if there're only so many new ways to articulate it, the essential truth bears repeating: I admire, fully and completely, your sheer AMBITION as a writer. It's never enough for you to tell a simple A-to-B story with a twist or two along the way. No scene serves is wasted; no character is one-note; no opportunity to throw in a callback or piece of foreshadowing goes unused.

And nowhere, perhaps, has that ever been MORE on display than in this wonderful, delightful piece. Running at a beautifully snappy pace, in something about the size of a single CHAPTER of my own work you craft a fully realized, entirely original, A-level threat for our heroes to face, set her against a staggering array of heroes both canon and original, AND advance nearly every SINGLE one of their personal arcs to boot.

It's easily my favorite of your fics I've read so far, and to go into EVERY single reason is more than a little daunting (hence why this review has been delayed for about two weeks). But I'm gonna give it a shot.

First off, let's address said A-level threat. I've made no secret that (with no offense intended to you, Algernon, or Greg) I felt that HYDRA was the least well-integrated major element in the old SpecGargs RP. They became one of the defining antagonists of the setting, dwarfing canon characters like Thailog or arguably even Xanatos, and though many of the individual MEMBERS were interesting (Strucker, Viper, and eventually Reichsadler), as a whole they just seemed kinda...generic doomsday-y. And certainly felt far less like a connected part of the Gargoyles Tapestry than a lot of the other Marvel elements.

Hildegard and her compatriots avoid this trap fairly well, though I'm having a bit of difficulty articulating WHY. This might sound odd, but I think it's...well, that they're far more openly DESPICABLE. My issue with HYDRA in the comics, the MCU, EMH, and to a lesser degree SpecGargs, is that they really seem to "sand off the edges" of the truly virulent real-life scum they represent. "Saturday Morning Cartoon Nazis," in effect. They march and goosestep but ultimately they're just another set of masked laser-wielding goons for the heroes to smash.

But Hildy's group ARE neo-Nazis, fully and completely, and I appreciate that little effort is made to downplay or sidestep that element. They spew hateful and disgusting invective, they judge the heroes they meet by narrow-minded racist assumptions, and their admiration of Hitler - or at least Hildy's - borders on the mouth-frothingly religious. They may be packing superpowers, magic, and advanced weaponry, but underneath all that they're a flavor of ugly that's all too real.

And nowhere is that more evident than with Hildegard Hellstrom herself. Here you have the truly unenviable task of crafting a character whose backstory is sympathetic, even pitiable, but who is also unrelentingly and unrepentantly REPELLENT. I dunno how you did it, but somehow through both flashbacks and dialogue you managed to put me into a place where I could at least UNDERSTAND where Hildy was coming from, WITHOUT endorsing or romanticizing her cause in ANY way. She may be attractive and competent, but the narrative makes no bare bones of the fact that she's a truly disgusting human being, seeking truly disgusting goals, who NEEDS to be stopped.

She feels, in short, like the kind of villain who WOULD exist in the Gargoyles Universe, were it in a medium capable of even broaching the TOPIC of modern-day hate movements - taking full advantage of the Fantasy Kitchen Sink she exists within to accomplish agenda that will, unfortunately, exist in ANY story dealing frankly with modern-day humanity.

Naturally, then, Hildy and co. make for a PERFECT thematic antithesis to Arthur's new age of Knights, an incredibly diverse and multicultural bunch whom the famed Anglo-Saxon King knows lend him strength BECAUSE of their differences, not in spite of them. And I like that he never needs to articulate that implicit moral in exactly those words, but rather, that each and every one of them demonstrates it through ACTIONS.

All of the Knights brought along for the ride here get a chance to shine - whether it be Griff at his most capable and heroic (naturally, since he's set up here against his perennial nemeses, the antithesis of EVERYTHING he stands for), Tea demonstrating amply why being a racist, misogynistic douchebag in front of a woman who can turn into a super-strong jungle cat is a fucking TERRIBLE idea, and Fleur makes her combat debut in spades; the James Bond-esque taser flashlight was a particularly nice touch, and makes sense given her character aesthetic.

And then there're our two newest Knights, whose continued development has been an utter treasure to behold. Parvati doesn't get TOO much focus here, but her brief scenes with Griff in Parts I and III are a real highlight of the piece, emphasizing her struggle to adjust to her twenty-two hours of human existence each day WITHOUT sacrificing her inner self-image. Of all the current Knights, hers is definitely the story I'm most invested in following from here.

On the other hand, this is arguably more Sakura's story than ANY other character, save perhaps Hildy herself. While she made a very positive first impression in "Journey to the East," that was still a Sakura disoriented and out of her element, in more ways than one (and in any event, her initial arc was naturally truncated somewhat to make room for the revelations about Sun Wukong and Quong Po). Here, she is a warrior as fully and confidently capable as any other, clever and resourceful and intensely skilled of blade. Well...confident apart from one small caveat, of course.

To address the elephant in the room: I found Sakura's infatuation with Griff came across as far more natural and organic than I was expecting (given that this is only her second appearance)...and hell, ENDEARING. While I'd still like to see more of their early days as "phone pals," and in general Sakura's initial period of readjustment to the modern era, in a future fic, where they are at this point makes sense and feels "right." Their personalities, viewpoints, and differing perspectives on being fish-out-of-temporal-water foil and contrast well off each other, and I appreciated the maturity both demonstrated in their final scene - Griff for being upfront about his emotional hangups, and Sakura for accepting them with grace and understanding. More than anything else, I think that's the moment I decided these two were gonna "make it." But...I suppose we shall see.

Plus - exercise in self-indulgence as it might've been - their protracted discussion of comparative cultural perceptions of sushi was utter gold. :D

As for the side characters, two really stuck out to me, and I doubt you'll be surprised as to which ones those are. I know I just gushed about how much I admired you doing a group of "super-science Nazis" WITHOUT romanticizing them, but I can't help but like and be intrigued by Tex. Mind, I still loathe the bloke more or less on principle - wear ANY kind of Confederate paraphernalia and that's gonna be my knee-jerk reaction - but his warped sense of honor and general aesthetic push him a cut above the other skinhead mutates. Which was clearly intentional, given the revelation placed right at the end; one which ALSO calls into question how much of his "Tex" persona is real and how much is "playing the part," but that's the sort of thing that I'm sure will become clearer in time. I got a very "SpecSpidey Montana/Shocker" vibe off of him, to the point where (given the similarity in names and basic character designs) I'd be kinda surprised if he wasn't at least partially an Expy.

(Side note, but is Nigel a mutated version of the "Keep England pure!" street punk from M.I.A.? Given the way Griff notes his thick Cockney accent, it wouldn't surprise me in the least, but I'd like to know for sure. If so, kudos for following the Wise Man's marching philosophy so thoroughly, and ensuring NOTHING gets wasted. Not even a total douchenozzle like that.)

And as for the other...well, okay, let's be honest. You all but admitted you KNEW Kawa was gonna appeal to me immediately and directly. A casually LGBTQAI character who plays the cool supportive sis to Sakura (albeit, only because her crush happens to be straight...ain't that always the way) and ALSO happens to be the Society's secret inroads into insular Ishimura? Yes PLEASE. While admittedly I knew that going in (without knowing anything else about who Kawa WAS) thanks to our private chats, so the reveal at the end wasn't a shock, that doesn't in ANY way reduce how much I'm interested in learning more. Indeed, in terms of sheer interest in seeing where they go from here, as well as tracking back their history to see how they GOT there, I think Kawa tops the list right now for me, among ALL your OCs.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that her scene in Part I playing "Ultimate Wingman" to Griffkura (Sagriff? Grakura? I dunno, I've never made up a ship name before) by sheer force of stubbornness is hands-down one of the funniest things you've EVER written - matched only by her earlier, overly formal way of posing the question "Sure he's not gay?" Silly tangent, but given that you fan-cast Cristina Vee as Sakura, I couldn't help but read the scene as Alya pushing Marinette to go hang with Adrien and NOT taking "no" for an answer. ;)

Alright, now what else to address before I wrap up...well, I suppose the PLOT might be a good call. Admittedly - assuming the Illuminati didn't pull something off-page, which is in no way a safe assumption - the linchpin of the story itself, the theft of the sixteen swords, doesn't really wind up amounting to anything. With the e

I second everything Algernon said. Damn, man, you two are inspiring me to get back into the fic game.

I look forward to seeing where you take these characters next. Hildy is a fantastic villain, and I loved all of the Easter eggs.

Damn, Chip.

I envy your prolifically. You seem to be just churning these things out at an inhuman pace.

This not your longest or most large-scale fic. But it is arguably your most ambitious if for no other reason that it introduces a major OC recurring antagonist to the verse. Hildegard Hellstrom is one of the better examples of an original villain I've seen in fanfic, likely because you take the time to build up her backstory, motivations and her place in the larger mythology.

Getting into the head of someone with such a vile worldview is never pleasant, but it is morbidly fascinating. In particular, watching Hildy try to apply eugenic pseudo-science to gargoyles would be hilarious if it wasn't horrific in it's implications. Looking forward to seeing more of her, especially if you end up going where I think you're going.

The other big thoroughfare in this story is the continuing relationship between Sakura and Griff. I'm glad to see her return after her debut in "Journey to the West", and glad to see she's gonna be a regular going forward.

Looking forward to your next story.

cool

need more love idea

That rhino mutate isn't Rocksteady, is it? ;)
Glad to finally see some good Gargoyles fic here.