Alamand is running away because he saw the plot coming :U
I’m going to disable her account soon, but for now you can look at some Q&A with Soli. She’s pretty good at typing if you ask me. I also added the link to my Tumblr down there! I post Meek stuff there, and other random junk. Maybe you like that.
I’m trying to get as much done as I can, so hopefully another page soon!
Glad to see your tumblr’s there now. It’s quite a good read.
I really love how you did the expressions in this page. It’s incredible how much they say, even without dialogue.
OH NO SHE DIDN’T
Awww, the look on Alamand’s face 8-8 So puppy-like.
You kinda deserved that, Al.
So I was really wanting Ali to tell off Amen with something like that at this moment (not the second part he said to Soli, although I’m not sure I can blame him for that part), but I didn’t think I would actually get my wish. <3.
Aw, his poor nigh amoral heart looks all betrayed.
I should not be able to feel sorry for the incipient monster, but I do.
Still hoping Amen used the distraction to kick some heads, though!
Holy– I checked The Meek just because I’m about to close up my computer for the night, not expecting anything in particular, but boy am I glad I checked now!
You are such a tease sometimes, you know that? :D But a brilliant one! I wonder if the next page shall shed some light on the fate of Amen! Whether it does or not, I look forward to it. <3
DDDD: NOOO ALAMAND. </3 Poor kid. He's a piece of work but I still feel sorry for him. I wonder if Soli has shoved him around like that before.
;___; Alamaaaaand.
Is “gonna to” intentional?
MTE, it should be “gonna stop” since “gonna” = “going to”
Unless I’ve been using it wrongly for like, more than a decade
Then again, what sort of level in grammar and spelling does Alamand seem to have?
I thought it was “gonna learn to stop”
Whoops, no it’s not! I’ma fix it. Thanks for catching that… only Luca gets to have that kind of bad grammar around here, haha.
Long time reader, first time commenter, blahblah. You’re freaking awesome and Alamand’s face there broke my heart. :C
poor Alamand :<
but what, has Soli never shoved him around?
That shoving panel is so good. I can -hear- that moment where she shoves him. I love this comic
Aw, Alamand’s hurt face is so sad. Plus, he lost his hold on his shirt, so now they’ve seen his face. :P
Oh goodness! Don’t feel sorry for Alamand. He taunts and bosses around and bullies and is generally a little punk, until he gets shoved for it (which, granted, he didn’t need to be), and then his little heart is suddenly broken. I know, he’s a child, but all his monstrous talk is on the cusp of solidifying from talk into somewhat more unchangeable character traits if he’s around 12.
And is Amen rolling his eyes in panel 2, or just trying to read Soli’s face? Haha
How is his talk monstrous? (And this goes out to all the Alamand haters out there:) The old researcher assumes the worst of Soli and goes off on her when all they’re doing is taking property–not even hurting him–in a world of corrupt, warring governments where women mostly aren’t equal to men, but apparently all of this is irrelevant to people’s interpretation of criminals, who couldn’t *possibly* have good motives, they must just be total scum without any sense of anything but themselves (in the words of Karl). Amen hears that Soli doesn’t want to kill him and she will most likely be put to DEATH if caught, and he *still* wants to arrest her.
And, with the perspective we have, knowing this is a story and reading the extras, we know Soli has a higher purpose and it isn’t black and white like Karl thinks.
There are characters being dicks here, but it isn’t Ali and Soli. So many kids want to play with guns, that’s a normality, so if that makes him monstrous, so are over half of the children in our culture. His calls are of supreme practicality–it’s damn straight that the only way to make sure Soli isn’t connected with this, and they aren’t hunted like dogs, is to kill the person who saw their faces. It’s not like they have some convenient amnesia potion. That’s a hardened call, which means Alamand’s already seen the rough side of life, but it’s also sheer practicality, neatness, and hard truth when you’re a criminal in this environment.
One could forgive Soli and Alamand for attempting to steal the research of an old man (probably to sell it on commission to someone) because theft is generally a misdemeanor and we don’t know why they’re actually doing it.
But Alamand is talking about the cold-blooded murder of tied up victims who can’t even defend themselves, a cowardly and merciless act, and THAT makes him monstrous. Also, the idea is foolish, because although stealing some books and punching out an ornery old man may annoy the government, murdering a researcher and two cops would probably be a one-way ticket to an all points, shoot-to-kill manhunt. Hopefully his character will learn from Soli as the story progresses and grow out of it.
Soli, on the other hand, is earning my respect because she KNOWS how much trouble she could be in and she STILL seems to be taking the high road. This makes her more than just a mere criminal. I believe that Amen will respect this as well, and repay her for not killing him by not reporting her description. Although if they meet again, how interesting!
As for the old man, yeah, he probably should have shut up. But she was taking his life’s work, and I can see how that might annoy him. Personally, if it was me, I’d have tried to bargain with her (“Hey, come on, at least leave me a copy…”)
Try placing yourself in Alamand’s shoes (or feet… since he doesn’t wear shoes).
Soli is someone he obviously cares deeply about. Apparently, Soli has done undescribed past crimes that have piled up over the years that can very possibly result in her getting an execution. Even if she’s not caught, there’s no telling she won’t be chased for the rest of her life now that someone has had a good look at her tattoo. Amen and the old man are strangers to Alamand, and a definite threat towards Soli’s life. It’s the strangers’ lives, or it’s Soli’s.
If they’re killed, no one will be alive to tell about the murders and who did it besides Soli and Alamand.
As for what Alamand says in the 3rd panel, it’s harsh, but it’s also another sign of how much he cares about Soli. He doesn’t want her being misled and getting hurt.
I agree with most of that. (And yes, dead bodies do lead to manhunts, but Ali is 12=logic not so much >.<) Although in his hypothetical situation Karl doesn't need to be shot, because he never saw her face (unless he was conscious for any of that, but I doubt it), but I overlook Alamand's suggestion of that as not a problem, since I figure Soli wouldn't do it because he didn't see anything.
I just don't distinguish a difference between killing somebody when you're fighting them and killing them after you fought them, because either way you're killing them, and they are a threat. But yes, in the case of someone you capture who wasn't first after you, and you kill them while they're defenseless, bad. But I don't feel that applies for Amen, or any soldier/law enforcement; "just doing my job" is a defense like "just following orders". (But for the record I don't want them to kill Amen. Maybe just punch him in the face.)
And personally, looking at the twelve-year-olds I've known, morality still falls under what they've been taught. I believe Soli can slowly impact and change Ali's, because he still has a lot of time for change, but if he was raised around actions like that (which I'm reading he was), then he has no reason to look upon this as abhorrently as the audience might, particularly since Soli didn't pursue it to that length; she didn't react to it like someone would to an idea they feel is truly monstrous.
shovel –> pit –> what dead bodies? None to be found here. >_>
As far as Alamand is concerned, survival trumps morality in this situation. He’s not a bloodthirsty mongrel looking for a nice kill. He’s looking for the improved survival chances of Soli, whose life will be in danger if they let Amen go. And killing Amen and possibly the old man too happens to be the best way. Is Soli’s life more significant than Amen’s or the old man’s? No. But to Ali, he’d rather have Soli alive than the other two.
“But even if they let the two live, it doesn’t mean Soli will die or anything.” No, it doesn’t. But the outlook on her future does seem quite a bit grimmer.
I’m assuming the obvious in that the world of The Meek isn’t exactly made of bunnies and marshmallows where everyone gets along and nothing bad ever happens, god forbid. You do what you have to in order to ensure your survival and the survival of those you love.
(So, I think we broke the amount of replies allowed in a thread, so this comment is replying to S.H.’s below. >.<)
EXACTLY! I'm liking Alamand so much because of his protectiveness of Soli. It's one of his defining characteristics, so I figured that went without saying, but judging from a few other comments where people are also pointing out insights like few people have mentioned that Ali obviously struck a nerve of Soli's, means that I'm taking my psychological insights for granted, i.e. not all the readers can see them.
Oh yes, and my 2:32 comment was made without seeing the 2:15 one.
Wow, she pushed him kinda hard. Poor guy. But then again… I’d probably have kicked him.
I love Amen’s expressions.
Whatever to all the Alamand-haters. He’s allowed to be a little punk. He’s nine…ish?
Anyway, I bet they’re dragging Amen along with ‘em Good Bad & Ugly style.
The character page says he’s twelve…but then he always gives a different answer, himself.
Soli’s just trying to prove Amen wrong. “Would a good person…. SHOVE A CHILD!?”
Made me smile. :D
Made me laugh my ass off.
lol
You have made my day XD
:DDD Win
lol!
Dawwwwwwwww! :’( Alamand’s face in the 5th panel breaks mah heart.
Aw, I actually feel bad for the little punk. XD He looked so hurt.
There were some clarity issues for me in panel 2…I wasn’t sure who Alamand was talking to at first, because it looks like he’s talking to someone behind or on the other side of Soli. If he was more in her face, or even looking up at her face, it might come off clearer, and stronger when she finally shoves him.
Great page, though! Can’t wait to see what happened to Amen and old dude.
Yeah, I can see that… I’ll play around with tilting his head more.
Boy, when on the last page, I was trying hard to come up with a theory about what was going to happen next, but, wow, definitely did not see that coming.
That´s really good! … in a heatbreaking kind of way.
Really didn´t think Al could be so protective of her. It´s as if Amen was a jerk to Alamand´s girlfriend or little sister and he´s teaching her to stand up for herself. Their dynamics get more and more intriguing with every page.
Soli´s formspring is an awesome read.
Wait, no, it´s almost like he´s treating her as his daughter! O_o
Good god, that comic is awesome!
aaaaaah kicked puppy face. kids.
I like Alamand.
Panel 6 is such an “I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET THAT” look but it still breaks my heart. I don’t even like kids overmuch, but Alamand is a really fantastic character and I’m still loving this chapter. Great work as always!
Aww. Alamand kind of did deserve that though. “Stop letting men tell you what to do! Oh, and also, you aren’t allowed to talk to these people!” Though he -is- just a kid…I think of him more as a short second in command though. :D
did Soli just use the force push on alamand?
Q-Q Poor Alamand, looks like he needs hug. ):
‘Twas well deserved.
So, basically it’s “Don’t let men [but me] push you around”? I feel like the slap was deserved. Little punk kids these days man.
I think Alamand managed to hit a nerve, I also suspect he didn’t know Soli had any, judging by that scene at the beginning of this chapter.
My goodness, her fingernails must be super dirty.
I’m not exactly sure what is happening in the third panel, I think (and am rather sure) Soli is supposed to be pushing Alamand, but the image doesn’t really look like it…
I really like the lighting in the last panel, very well contrasted with it’s background. :3
Haha, yeah, I redrew that panel several times. I think the motion is clear in context. And that’s as good as I can draw it at this moment in my life though so I’m okay with it for now.
Well, shit. I thought old Amen might have had a chance after that last page. Now I’m swinging towards the “she’s going to kill him” angle again, just because Alamand may have reminded her of something (someone?) that she doesn’t like in her past and now Alamand has associated Amen with that. At least he got more screen time.
I’m not particularly worried about Soli and Alamand. Yeah, they said/did things that hurt each other, but they obviously know a lot about each other. This doesn’t seem unforgivable or crossing a line. It might take some time, but I think they’ll get over it.
I tend to agree with this assessment. This is something for which some form of apology is needed, and some rebuilding of bridges, but frankly I’ve been smacked by close friends of mine in a fit (I abhor real-life violence). They became less-close friends, but we eventually mended.
And yet I have eternal faith in the good chap, and am perfectly convinced that he has managed to wriggle out of his bonds by now. :D He’ll stand up in the next page and take Soli’s gun, and tell them to walk away, just leave, and he’ll have mercy on them. After all, his word is his bond!
oh wow an update on my birthday. I feel special ;P
Wonderful comic!
Happy Birthday Mr. Prime Minister!
I’m having a hard time seeing panel 3 as pushing, and not backfisting.
People should really stop being presumptuous and making jabs at Soli. So far she has not failed to smack a fool who makes even one judgment on her, and is pretty incredibly gentle until such points.
awwwww. he’s such a good kid.
Are you going to add the number of Soli’s siblings to the wiki to prevent it getting buried under the depths of the internet, or will they potentially show up/be mentioned later?
I love this comic, though! It’s one of my two favorite webcomics, and I can’t wait to see more!
Thank you! And Soli’s siblings aren’t really important to the story, so I don’t know if they warrant more than just a mention in the wiki when it gets updated.
I dunno what their story is, but I thought the ‘pip-squeak’ sounded alright. I don’t want her to be led around by her nose, either… I also dunno if she’s prone to that, so I don’t know if the comment was invalid or what. Anyway, awesome artwork, as always!
Awww man, I just realized that when this goes back to Angora and Pinter, I won’t be able to look at it at work any more!! Booooooo!! I have a tendency to go back and reread it a lot, and I was about to a little bit ago until I remembered I am working at a kiosk in a mall and my laptop faces the general public, haha…
Hmm, I sense a sore spot for Soli.
I only saw two people mention that Alamand hit a nerve, and I think he definitely did – probably the one that has deeply buried old emotions about her ex. He deserved the smack, that’s for sure, but I think there was more to it than putting him in his place.
I think she’s probably pushed him around in jest or half-heartedly before, but this time there’s real and deep emotion behind the move, and even if he doesn’t know where it comes from, he can see it.
I’m not really sure why so many people are saying ‘he deserved it’. He’s just a kid. I thought maybe it was a spur of the moment kinda violence- something she maybe regrets afterward, if only a little, tiny bit. As the older of the pair, I assumed that her role was the ‘protector.’ ???
Yeah, that look in panel five tells me that this is the first time that Soli has laid a hand on him in anger. He’s clearly hurt and obviously confused. You can almost hear him asking “But why?” in his head. As for panel six, I’m not reading his expression as “I’ll make you regret that,” at least not in a “I’m going to hurt you physically” sense. To me it’s the look of a confused, hurt, and angry kid. He might lash out later, but I don’t see it going beyond maybe trashing her sleeping bag. He’s running off to be angry, sulk and–even if he won’t admit it–cry.
Wow, the same thing happened to me today, except not only did I yell but I a slapped the person too. I’m speshul. I lub Alamand.
Ooh I just had the best idea ever. Instead of keeping The Meek in my bookmarks I set it as my home page so whenever I bring up the internet I save those few seconds of clicking through the links to get here! Whooo I think I’m obsessed with this comic don’t know if it’s good or bad.
lol, that’s pretty awesome. Even I’m not so hardcore as to set it as my homepage… you might be a Real Fan now!
That’s a wonderful idea! Wish I’d thought of it myself. Kudos to you!
Alamand’s glare as he’s running out could kill, couldn’t it?
“How do you manage not to get constantly sunburned with your hair and skin type?
i were a hat”
I absolutely love this formspring.
Soli had to SmackaBitch ™
Hmm…I think the pushing motion would be more obvious if her fingers were more splayed/pointed upwards. Most people shove with the heel of their hand, with their fingers splayed up out of the way; with them curled down like that, her hand looks more like it’s reaching for him. Alamand’s pose and the rest of Soli’s pose are both perfect, though.
I love the expressions on everybody. Also, lol at Amen looking so intimidated by a small boy.
Well right after you shove with the heel/palm of your hand, you’ll naturally withdraw your arm towards your body, heel/palm first. That’s the motion we’re seeing now.
Yeah believe me I played with it. I didn’t do it the way you said because it looked like she was doing some Jedi thing, haha… nothing magical going on here, just a shove.
I probably should not be re-reading the most recent Meek pages right after re-reading the most recent Oglaf pages because I now cannot get the idea out of my head that the camera will pan down and reveal Amen…
“He”? Gosh, this strip can be confusing.
Awwww, poor Alamand. And another generation learns that love stinks.
Mind yer own business, kid.
And to add in the previous pages, I get the feeling Amen’s comment struck a nerve somewhere in Soli. In what way remains to be seen and the outcome really could go either way and I happily acknowledge that. Still I could not help but feel there was a tiny bit of gratitude on Soli’s part to have someone tell her ” you’re not a bad person ” And for those who are thinking Amen stupid for going from ” you’re under arrest ” to ” hey it’s ok you don’t want to do this ” I’d like to know how rational you’d be in your arguements with the threat of being killed hanging over your head. Of course it’s not logical, he’s furious and in fear of his life and trying to hold to his duties as an officer so the grasping at straws doesn’t surprise me a bit. He’s hoping SOMETHING ANYTHING he says will save him and the old man. If it will…well I guess we shall see.
ha…
Alamand, aren’t you trying to lead her by the nose? xD
PANEL 6:
ALAMAND [running away, angry]
Stupid plot! I’ll get you next time!
Wow!… Guess she had some bad experience with men? ^^;
The bottom right panel has some seriously gorgeous lighting. I think it’s my favorite panel so far, even though it’s just her face being moody.
Oh, I also wanted to mention that Amen’s eye-rolling is absolutely -magnificent-.
Or! ! We shall find out in the course of a few short hours (?!), but maybe Amen’s eye-roll is actually a look of concentration as he finally wriggles free of the ropes. Either way, magnificent.
THE. HURT. FEELINGS. SOLI.
Also, liking Amen’s subtle eye roll there.
So I am an utter slowpoke and missed Soli’s formspring! Are you going to archive/post the questions and answers anywhere? I’d be super interested in reading! :B
Also Aww, poor Alamond. Though I think I would have shoved him too, even if I couldn’t get the air time out of him that Soli managed. Sent that twiggy boy FLYING.
It’s still up! Just click on the link. I’m not going to archive anything, so read it before I post the next page (probably tomorrow)
I’m wondering, are Almand and Soli related somehow? They both have that pale hair, and those icy blue eyes.
Probably just a fangril thought. :P
Poor Almand! It seems that Soli has quite a bad temper. Whacking around old men, pushing about skinny kids. The list goes on.
Just wondering cause I’m not very good at reading comic action sequences, she DID push him? Or is it just a hand gesture of hey-I’m-about-to-say-somethingness and he fell backwards cause he was freaked out/scared…?
Forgive my retardation T_T
Nooo not your fault at all, I should be able to draw well enough to make that clear! She pushed him down.
I thought she flicked his face and he flinched and fell over.
I guess I kind of missed it, too; I thought Soli backhanded Alamand.
Of course, I spring from a culture laced with backhanding, in which it has achieved legendary status (my brother Bob was dyslexic until Grandma backhanded him—now he reads right; that bull was always breaking down the fence until Grandma backhanded him—now he can’t *find* the fence; my daddy was a secret drunk until Grandma backhanded him—now he don’t care who sees him), so that may have something to do with it.
Hahahahaha XD
Up until now I thought the tall one was a man and the short one was a woman. Go figure.
D: You might not be reading close enough. Page 20 makes it pretty clear…
It’s the question mark’s fault. Since Soli never bothers to answer whether she IS, in fact, a lady.
Wow, totally uncalled for…
I think the third panel would be clearer if Soli didn’t look so surprised. It wasn’t her hand or posture or anything that threw me off. It’s the fact that she looks like she’s shocked to see Alamand falling, and is reaching out to stop him (but alas, it is to no avail!).
*clears throat* Annnnyways… I am loving this chapter. I can’t wait for the next page!!
Well, I read it as Soli giving him a big shove if that helps at all. :( Aw, Al’s sad hurt face is sad.
<__>
Squeeee Soli’s hot
Hahah…panel 2, it’s soli’s lady parts speaking!!!
…Yahhh, i’m about five. Anyway, love the comic!