January 15th, 2016
15 Jan 2016 · page 556 of 1306
You know what happens when you assume.
Cast: Henry Barber, Mr Luxuria
Comments (66)
Events

ThoughtBubble
14 Nov 2026 – 15 Nov 2026
Harrogate Convention Centre
Manchester Megacon
31 Jul 2027 – 1 Aug 2027
Manchester Central






Wait, so if there are anchors outside of Widdershins, are they in danger too? Are we gonna have a road trip?!
We've already seen one in Nepal, back in the greed storyline, so it'd be a heckuva road trip.
Correction: back in the Envy storyline.
Whoops, yeah, that's what I meant
I wonder where the third one is?
I wonder where the fourth one is. Because I suspect that there is one.
It's secretly the Volcano under yellowstone
According to the notes in the back of 'Vanishing Act', somewhere off the coast of New Zealand, in the Indian / Pacific Ocean, but no-one who has gone looking for it has made it back. Worth buying the pdf (or even the hard copy) to get the notes in the back. I should be on commission.
Obviously it's protected by very angry merpeople.
I think I have it? May be I just didn't read the notes too well
Machu Pichu, I would guess, or perhaps Chichen Itza
Acedia: Are we there yet?
Ira: We just started, you moron!
Superbia: Follow me, I know the way!
Acedia: Are we there yet?
Avaritia: This had better be worth it.
Invidia: Oh, I'm sure -you're- getting your money's worth, I've just been dragged here for this.
Acedia: Are we there yet?
Gula: I'm hungry.
Invidia: You're always hungry.
Gula: I'm still hungry.
Acedia: Are we there yet?
Luxuria: Just think of what lies at the end of the road, my friends.
Avaritia: As if I'm doing anything but.
Invidia: I'm thinking about how uncomfortable I am, I don't know about you. Supes?
Superbia: I could go for miles!
Invidia: Of course you could.
Luxuria: She really can.
Acedia: Are we there yet?
Invidia: Well it's going to be thousands of miles, so you might as well get used to the walk.
Gula: Could we stop for a snack?
Avaritia: Nothing too expensive, mind.
Gula: What's the point of stopping for a sit-down meal if it isn't worth the sitting?
Ira: We're not sitting down, you lard-headed nitwit, the whole point of a snack is to save time!
Gula: But we'll get hungry with only a snack, I want a full meal.
Ira: You're the one who suggested a snack!
Acedia: Are we there yet?
Ira: WILL YOU SHUT UP?!
Acedia: ...
Ira: ...
Acedia: Are we there now?
Ira: AAAURRGH!
Epic...just EPIC.
Wonderfully done! ^_^
I think it's come up... somewhere that the Widdershins anchor is the most directly accessible of the anchors, which is why all the important stuff of the story keeps happening around it. Accessibility for people means accessibility for spirits. So probably no real road trip, especially if the other two anchors do have witches to get in Luxuria's way.
Maybe it was the first one to lose its witch and thus become more vulnerable to incursions?
Ahh it seems Mr Luxuria has quite the lust for power. Eh? eEh?
obligatory groan and show-throwing
To be fair, it's not so much a pun as an alternate meaning of the word (;
That's... within the realm of pun, right? I though homonyms and synonymns were both fair game for punnage.
Barber: "Don't mind me, keep it up with the long-winded exposition. Take your time. It's not like you're in danger of any rituals being set up, after all."
Wonder if Pride can see Isobel and her circle from her position on the glass dome? I hope not!
If Izzie stands outside Lust's circle, noone inside the circle can see her.
Pride is too occupied with itself to care
I love how pride looks in this page, leaning against the anchor's "dome" glass ceiling.
agreed, my favorite panel of the last several pages.
Hahaha, I was about to say the same thing:)
Sloth has said anything yet...
Too much effort, sleep now...
So....Did Esolde give herself completely to Envy? Because her actions concerning another person demonstrate otherwise. He even commented on it =x
Ummm - Izzy? Little help here?
That explains why Mr Malik was overcharged for flowers at the start of the story.
Yeppers...there's no love of Wizards in Widdershins. In fact there's a distrust of ANYTHING magic there in our heroes main timeline. I suspect there's good reason for it here and we're going to be seeing it shortly.
Kate...you fibbed...there's a massive story arc here in Widdershins. It's just told with Vignettes like you're doing here. Well, done, by the by. A tapestry of a story woven with many, many threads all coming together at the end of it all...
I was thinking more in terms of the Deadlies released again in 1834 are starting to influence the population, so the flower seller was being avaricious (and possibly a bit envious of some rich Southern kid).
But considering that there are enough dangerous artefacts out there to make hunter a profession not to mention all those malforms wandering around, I'm surprised the population of Widdershins hasn't started burning wizards at the stake. Don't tell Captain Barber I suggested that. She'll go straight out and buy firelighters.
Can non-magic people even deal with malforums at all? You would at least want to have a few police wizards, to deal with the sort of thing like what is happening here.
On the other hand, what I don't understand about Widdershin's policies is why they have the anchor be a place that can walked to at all rather than burying the thing under several meters of solid dirt and stone (with maybe a few small pipes leading in if it needs air access for the magic to get out).
The actual anchor in Nepal was on the top of a mountain, the closest Voss could easily get to it was in that little club area. It's likely a similar case with the Widdershins anchor, it's buried even deeper into the ground than what we saw. The anchors may require a degree of surface exposure or something, Mei thought that burying the anchor would suppress it, but the only thing we know interferes with magic for sure is water. Finally, access to the anchor strengthens magic, and it's likely that a large amount of exposure is needed to strengthen magic the way the anchors do. It's unlikely burying the anchor would stop the deadlies from taking it (since they are just spirits after all) and might even weaken the ability of other magic users enough to make fighting them off even more difficult.
I love Lust's smile so damn much. And I love Pride's design. And I love the way the spirit-sins talk with appropriate colours and decorative capital letters.
And I am loving the comment section of this web-comic! I miss so much of Kate's genius art work due to my color-blindness.
I did not realize that the Sins' text are in different colors. When one of you mentions the "cute little blush" on a character's face, I have to search a short while to find. I could not enjoy these things at all, without your help to guide me.
It is still a rich comic, with fine drawing, epic drama, ingenious story-telling, deft handling of characters and dialogue.... so many lush details in every panel, like the tails on Luxuria's jacket.
So thanks to all of you for helping me to enjoy Kate's clever subtlety with the colors.
(Btw, colors that look like purple are my favorite colors. Big panels of Pride and visitations of the Hippo of Happiness make me happy.
The Hippo of Happiness makes everyone happy :D
I love the comments section here too, it's one of the few comment sections I actually look at and respond to. Everyone is so nice :)
(If any of my comments have added to your enjoyment that makes me very happy)
When you assume, it amuses...
Damn you Disney, you've conditioned me to expect a gathering of villains to be accompanied by a lively song recounting all their misdeeds. And what a list it would be.
In other news, love the look on Envy. It has just the loose suggestion of the fox form we were so familiar with but bent in an angular and nightmarish shape that just screams spite and jealously.
I think Envy looks more like some kind of a weasel-dragon, here.
Chorus: Long we have awaited When we would at last be free Our whims have gone unstated But now they'll come to be Long we have awaited When we could seize the day And now there's no witch to stop us The sins are here to stay!
Lust:
I must admit my dear Barber
I'm no man of modest taste
And to that end, I've brought some friends
Least this little soiree go to waste
cue chorus and ominous Latin chanting
Wrath:
These stupid foolish humans
Who long for peace in life
My blood runs hot at the thought
And now I'll fill their hearts with strife
Envy:
Worthless foolish humans
What right have they to be free?
In anger I have hungered
And now their lives belong to me!
chorus
Pride:
Such sad and silly mortals
Their dreary lives are modest I must say
How sad and strange, time for a change
Let's get this party underway!
Greed:
I must admit I had forgotten
Of all these treasures fine
Life and gold, and freedom bold
And now all of it shall be mine!
chorus and ominous Latin chanting
Sloth:
Stupid lazy humans
Who made me serve them all
But now it's my pleasure, as a man of leisure
To have them at my beck and call
Gluttony:
Tasty, yummy, humans
So fleshy, plump and round
A grand buffet! I must say
With delightful treats this world abounds
ominous Latin chanting
All sans lust:
Now our whims shall be unfettered
Now we shall seize the day
We are free! So it shall be!
Lust: As you can plainly see
All with Lust: The sins are here to stay!
Daaaang
APPLAUDS! - the quality of the lyrics. ^^
Now if only someone were to set it to music
Widdershins no longer having an officially sanctioned witch is definitely looking like a BIG mistake...
It depends on which way he's facing! It's certainly a challenge, and those are always interesting.
Heh...Lust's failing hard there...you'd almost think he was Pride with that hubris...
"Limits are so unnecessary" totally something a sin would say. Also what I say when confronted with anything chocolate. I love your dialogue Kate! It's always very believable and it never feels strained at all. You're a fantastic writer as well as an amazing artist!
Am I the only one that hears Alan Rickman saying that line?
Great... now I can't get him out of my head. Again. ;P
There HAS to be a reason why Luxuria is putting this performance on in front of Harry--other than to show off. A deal in the making . . . let us off and you can have (eh, what's left of? we don't mention that) Isobel plus a pleasant little duchy for the young ones, something like that?
Considering that he is Lust, it could be that he does simply want to show off in front of Henry - we've seen (and I think confirmed in the comments) that Luxuria and Henry have some attraction for each other.
Sins do not accept limits by their very nature.
If they did, they wouldn't be sins; they'd be healthy natural urges.
(Watches the news for a while)
...And now we know who really won.
I just realized that Wrath has two sets of teeth - the orange outer carapace of false teeth, and the actual teeth inside. What a cool design!
Ah, but there's just one tiny thing you may have overlooked. There may not be an official Witch of Widdershins, but don't take that to mean that there isn't a witch there, or that she isn't at this very moment coming to stop you.
Izzy isn't a witch. And yes, as told back several comics ago, she is aware of what a witch can do and that she does not have those abilities.
There's a Witch in the present day, though it's generally only summons who acknowledge him. We don't know about the flashback era - but as you say if there is a Witch it isn't Izzy.
'What witch?' just leads me to the Wizard of Oz.
DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD
Which witch? The Widdershins witch!
BAD PERSON
BAD PERSON
Of course. Of all the Sins, Greed is the most likely to always have "And, then what more can I get?" as a go-to question. xD
Pride, authentically asking for another's opinion?