2.36

My brother suggested the following caption for the Dagre’s thoughts in the last panel: “Daaamn girl, where you get dem shoes?”

306 Comments

  • Oh shit.

    I did not expect his appearance quite this soon.

    • K

      Okay, I’m sorry that I’m super late, but how do I find out what happened before all this? It seems like a lot of people expected this “Dagre” to show up, while he hasn’t even been mentioned before this page. Is there another comic I can read to get some background?

      • Haha, well, a very early version of the comic was up on Livejournal back around 2007-2008, so a few very early readers have read up to about Chapter 7. There’s also some foreshadowing in the chapter itself, if you go back and look at previous pages. But other than that, no, you’re not supposed to know (or need to know) anything else.

  • steffyanie

    Oh… oh my god – I mean, I knew Dagre was going to be there, it was just a given – but my GOD, that first panel is BEAUTIFUL. It made me fall in love with him, even though I bet he’s all sorts of evil.
    Your art is incredible.♥

    And I’m still curious about how exactly Phe died. :( But I can handle waiting. I love The Meek so much, I want it all in book form.

    • I’m pretty sure Phe was poisoned, judging from the way her death was illustrated. Political assassination was often done via poison historically and I’m pretty sure that is what this is. We probably won’t know for sure for a while if we find out at all.

      • Blue

        She had a really violent allergic reaction to something she ate. And yeah, it definitely seems one of those two ambassadors slipped it in her food, since they were next to her. Unless one of the cooks was very forgetful D:

        Actually, since it WAS an allergy, Luca might not have reacted to it during the testing, so it could have been there all along. Maybe the ambassadors were patsies? I SMELL A CONSPIRACY!

      • The Pink Ninja

        I’m of the opinion Dagre killed her…

        He has the most to gain from her death after all…

        • Erica

          Agreed. Plus, he overheard Luca’s “change of heart” in the bedroom (glowy eyes in the wall).

          • NaomiKnight

            I can’t help but think of the candies the chubby ambassador was scarfing before the feast… what if they contained something Phe was deadly allergic to? All the ambassador would have to do is breathe on her, have some allergen-bearing spittle land on Phe and…

            The possible conspiracy options here are too numerous to comprehend.

          • NeverfilledVoid

            Yep, I think he killed her: http://www.meekcomic.com/2009/05/23/chapter-1-page-29/
            Good way to destory a civilazation. :O

  • mandy

    :<

    You killed Phe. Fo' realz.

    The tiger thing looks HELLA cool by the way.

  • sladinforever

    Scary tiger is scary but kick ass. Cool name for him too. I am so confused as to how two of the first few who commented know who he was. I love that this page is just 2 panels. You did well

    • He was in the sketch comic version that was posted publicly, way back when, and I also have a few other pieces of art floating around the internet that folks might have found!

      • sladinforever

        Ah, okay. I only check this daily, not the other stuff, lol

  • Enchiladas

    Woah! I literally jumped at the first panel Gorgeous and really freaky! I would NOT like him popping up when I’m alone.

    Lulz, I like your brother’s XD

  • DAGRE!!!!!!! SHIT. JUST. GOT. REAL.

    I’ve never posted here before, but I’ve been reading this comic since the sketch days, and I’ve been waiting for this for so long! :D

  • Oh my God. My heart literally jumped into my throat when I saw Dagre!

    I love this! Ahhh, I’ve been so excited for this!
    I love how terrifying he is.
    [:

    I can’t wait for the next page!

  • My new favorite page~
    I love how it’s dark and Dagre just pops out.
    I suppouse it’s dark ’cause it’s night by now, but still… :P

    BTW, Your brother comes up with the most appropriate inappropriate comments.

  • rainey

    GIANT KITTY! Damn, his eyes are like a pair of searchlights. /hides

    • Mocheril’s are pretty bright too, but he was out in the daytime for chapter 1 :B

  • Holy shit! BEST DAGRE ART EVER! <3

  • VyaT

    oh WOW :O That’s really gorgeous, everything about Dagre is well done, it’s a great BAM sort of intro for his character. Excellent page.

    ….
    ….. I just keep looking!

  • jeff.haskins276

    I love this comic…

    I love it even more now!

  • Mr.Tophat

    That. Is a big, scary, and downright creepy tiger. Would make a nifty carpet is someone could skin it though :3

  • ampquot

    Bezo?

    • Cheri

      Luca has something like 678567854673845643 names and titles. =]

      • And, interestingly, Bezo is not one of them!

        • Cheri

          What is that strange taste…
          Oh, that must be my foot…

    • It’s all there in the manual a.k.a. The Meekipedia. :3

  • In my mind… Dagre’s always wearing a Charleston hat and cane… D:
    I’m sorry…

    BTW: I ADORE how small and helpless Luca looks next to Dagre. I just want to reach and hug him… of course, that would probably be the end of me… but yeah…
    Luca ; ^;

    • Haha, in my mind he is also always saying “meow” XD

  • Dagre’s so freaking huge! He’s amazing! I can’t wait for moar, his slobbery jowls pretty much rule hardcore…

  • WOW. An epic page!

  • oh, I like the flashlight eyes. Dramatic lighting!

  • Slade

    Holy shit what the hell is that thing? Did I miss/forget some critical part of the story? I seem to be the only one who has no idea what or who that thing is.

    • No, you didn’t miss anything, everyone else was just hunting around for spoilers XD Things will get clearer in a bit.

      • Slade

        Oh good, for a moment there I thought I’d been a very bad reader.

  • SilvasRuin

    Do you draw inspiration from the movie Princess Mononoke by any chance? Both appearances by these spiritual things have given me a very strong impression that you do. I’m eager to see how deep these similarities go.

  • Meganite

    Tiger looks hungry…

  • Leo

    I love the first panel, amazing work!

  • SpawnofHastur

    And here I was expecting another giant olm…

    Dagre is very impressive. Props to you, Der-Shing.

  • Jester

    Eeeek! Dagre kicks that giant lizard’s butt from the previous chapter!
    Nicely done Alex, I don’t know how you always manage to add these unexpected plot twists in. Bravo :)

    • Actually, he did :B Haha…

  • Blue

    I seriously love the way you accentuated the way the shoulder blades stick up and the droopy jowls, a lot of times people don’t add those parts when they draw big cats but they’re always the parts that stand out to me most when I see real ones.

    Looking back I also noticed Dagre’s circling them as they talk! I think this is an awesome detail/motion to add (I went “oh cool!” when I noticed haha), but I only noticed because I got confused as to why we were seeing Luca’s back in both panels and reasoned it out. I think having a few more panels would help. I know this page is meant to be short and the next one will probably have more panels anyway, I just thought I’d say something.

    I think this is my favorite page so far, though. The atmosphere and lighting are awesome and Dagre is even cooler than I hoped :D

  • I do not follow you on deviantART or twitter or anything.
    Imagine my surprise.

  • Poor sobbing sod

    Dang. Dat Tigzilla right there!

  • LOVE <3 Great page, and I'm on the edge of my seat for the next one <3 Thanks for sharing this story with us.

  • Rachel

    OHHH YES, DAGRE IN THE HIZZOUSE.

    Omgaah, I cannot get over this page! Like, my mind has been blown to little bits n’ pieces. (Specifically, the explosion of epicness from this page is so massive, my mind went more like shrapnel.) Effin’ AMAZERZ.

  • Comett

    Mommy, mommy. I want a pet shiny kitty. Just like that one.

  • Pigeon

    Giant glowing tiger = jizz :D

  • brushmen

    Lovely blood red carpet.

  • Mani

    In one of the DevArt sketches you said you were trying to find a way to make him look creepy/scary.

    I think you succeeded very nicely here.

    Specifically: I think, in addition to the general distorted anatomy (shoulders, neck, etc.), two details on the face seal the deal:

    – The extra drooping of his lips/gums on his jaw

    – The corners of his smile extend all the way up past his eyes

    • I think it’s also the general darkness in the room and how he gradually gets smaller due to perspective, making him seem HUGE. I literally was scared when I saw the page.

    • David

      Yeah, like he’s trying to imitate a tiger, but he’s really something else entirely.

      It’s worth noting that Dagre is sculpted on the walls in the banquet hall. I think that Dagre has been “helping” the Basori kingdom for years. Maybe centuries.

  • antrea

    Bah, nice colors!

  • Mani

    Also, I’m pretty sure the ambassadors didn’t (intentionally) poison Phe.

    Considering she was kind of the only thing between Caris and Luca’s unrestrained wrath, it makes no sense to do it.

    (Unless of course they have some more shadowy intentions we don’t yet know about.)

    • I thought of that myself, it’d lack logic for them to do something so obvious and also get rid of the only person they could reason with. It’s obvious who Luca will blame.

  • Sparn

    …I was sort of expecting Luca’s reaction to Dagre to be less… uh… like he was a friend

  • Holy crap! Dagre’s big!

  • Fleece

    The coolest page yet! Wow, that big panel is just excellent in all ways, especially the lighting.

  • Barb the Cartoonist

    I do believe Phe was killed by the evil entity to make excuse for continuing the war…

    HOL-LEE-COW!

    I was not expecting an update this soon but, OH MY GOD, what an update!

    There is so much power in this piece it trumps all others I have seen thus far!

    (Though Mocheril is still pretty sweet.)

  • Fleece

    P.S. I love how the tiger has this totally surreal anatomy and seems to have like two bodies coming from different directions.

  • Barb the Cartoonist

    Question: What is “Bezo”?

    Probably a real simple answer but I don’t know…

    • There is a simple answer, but you’re not supposed to know it yet :)

  • Marbles

    “Po-litical sabo-tage… SUCCESS >:D”

    That’s what I’m thinking he’s thinking. I think.

    • Marbles

      How is Dagre pronounced btw? I say it like “dag-reh” but I’ve been wrong about names in this comic before.

      • Erica

        I say it like Day-Gurr.

      • meganite

        I pronounce it like “dagger”

  • Lizzie

    AH! That is amazing. I’m now dreading meeting that there beastie in a dark room. Gah, he’s so threatening, and preeettttty.

  • Dagre no! Off the table! Bad kitty!

  • Amber

    Holy crap, was NOT expecting that. :O That first panel is beautiful.

  • Tommie

    What is Dagre going to require in exchange for Phe’s life?

  • AxelxGabriel

    I knew it!

    I knew a connection would form sooner or later between Angora and Luca

  • Losech

    Dude Dagre’s whiskers are totally awesome. You don’t really see whiskers on characters like him.

  • I–didn’t realize Luca and Dagre had been chumming it up since before the story started!
    Pretty badass design, I must say 8)

  • Eena

    Hmmm….
    Why did I get the feeling Luca was possessed…?
    That’s just great, really. A possessed emperor.
    Boy, those girls and their queen are in for a lot of crap….
    ]:

    By the way, giant kitty is amazing. :D
    If a little intimidating, scary, and disturbing at the same time.

  • Al

    DAGRE.
    STOP.WALKING.ON. LUCA’S DINING TABLE!

    I did not expect such reaction from Luca towards sudden Dagre outta nowhere! . >:3
    Dagre’s eye’s are like huge LED lamps? Cx
    AND I SOOO WANT TO SEE THAT BIG ASS PANEL!!

  • Mage

    Dagre’s face, with the big eyes and the markings making him look genially confused somehow only accentuates his creepiness. This is supercool and that tongue is like woah.

    Also, since I’m still sitting firmly in an Egyptian river, can we assume Dagre is the kitten Phe was coughing up? :’D

  • Oh wow….

    I’m guessing Dagre is another god of sorts much like Grandfather, which unnerves me some what. In that if these are gods then are they playing with the characters lives like their pieces of a chess set not because they want to help them but or their own gain.

    I’m wondering if Dagre will save Luca’s wife, but no doudt at a price a terrible price.

  • Emma

    I like the Dagre’s eyes. :)
    I really, really like Luca now.
    I don’t know why, this page just made me be all “AWWWH LUCA” XD

    Looking forward to more!

    P.S. The Dagre looks freaking awesome, btw.

  • zeb

    First time I actually got scared by a drawn character.

    Man, your pages has so much life and emotion. Like on the previous when Luca yelled. So friggin’ awesome man, I can’t put it in words. Keep up the good job!

  • Mairead

    But…but I LIKED Phe! :C
    On another note, the Dagre looks so awesome and Luca looks so sweet that I might just forgive you.

  • Verteiron

    I imagine Dagre’s voice sounding like “Mr. Shadow” from The 5th Element.

    • Osa

      …Yes! That’s perfect. I can definitely see that voice coming out of Dagre.

      • awol360

        Hmmm… I could see an Albert Wesker (Resident Evil Series) or Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving from The Matrix) kinda voice going on with Dagre.

        • Joe

          “The purpose of life is to die”
          Yeah I can see that.
          But at bit closer to Mr. Shadow in my ears.

      • Billy the Kid

        just because he’s a giant tiger I’m picturing his voice like the cave of wonders from Aladdin. well… thats not the only reason but it’s a little hard to explain

  • marinated_fish

    Oh god, it must have been SO much fun to colour Dagre that way. SO MUCH.
    This page totally kicks ass.

    • marinated_fish

      As do Dagre’s plushy ears :3

      • melodycass

        oh man i can no longer think of him as scary now that you pointed out his ears XD

        • marinated_fish

          Oh no, I’m so sorry for ruining the effect D:

  • CarmenSanFransisco

    Fucking giant tigers. Always appearing outa nowhere and shit.
    You get used to it after a while though.

    (Amazing page, by the way. Really exciting!)

  • cheddot

    ….ooooh man. We don’t know who it, but I seriously doubt it was the other nation (They WANT peace!), but Luca’s probably going to blame them for it… there’ll probably be war after this. Whoever did it, though, obviously didn’t want the peace negotiations to go over well. I think they succeeded.

    Dagre looks really mean. His brother, not so much. Do I spy the antagonist?

  • IMONFIREGUY

    There is a giant tiger standing on the table that speaks in single syllables i must be high

    and it keeps drooling on the carpet
    Bad kitty

  • Alexander

    Wait, whoa, what the hell. First a freaky ass little shadow thing, now an impossibly huge tiger thing, people dying randomly, shredded gloves… Talk about a crazy departure from the first chapter. It had a giant lizard, a drunkard, and a topless chick with green hair.

    Bravo.

    • Alexander

      It also begs the question, how the hell did they miss that during dinner? Talk about ignoring the elephant in the room…

      • Emma

        I think it only just appeared.

      • Erica

        Pretty sure it’s a spirit, so it can appear/disappear.

    • -Salamander-

      Not lizard. Sheesh!

      *G*

  • Konira

    Oh, my, even more epic in colour.

  • Reed

    I kept staring at panel 1 to figure out the tiger’s anatomy. It’s twisted and exaggerated in a very cool way, making him appear somewhat ‘wrong’, which I find very appropriate.
    Also, the drop of saliva on his jaw in the second panel and the way his eyes bath Luca and Phe in harsh spotlight are great.

    Very exciting! Can’t wait how the story goes on.

    Btw, I also don’t believe that the ambassadors are responsible for Phe’s death. It would really make no sense for them to kill *her* of all people. Much more likely Dagre brought it about, because Phe made Luca act to peaceful for his taste.

    • John E

      Those eyes shine like cat eyes if they could make their own light.

      I agree completely with your analysis of who may have killed Phe. Unfortunately this is not a question you or I will get to answer. But the Dagre will. D:

    • BentKatana

      I totally agree! But I’m thinking, if Dagre is somehow inside of Luca, right?, then did LUCA kill Phe unknowingly?! :o Noooo!!1

      • Reed

        I wouldn’t say he’s *inside* Luca. I’d say, Luca’s nature has aspects that resonate with Dagre, and this aspects Dagre feeds on and forsters and exploits to his ends. He’s not a direct personification of Lucas dark side. He’s a personification of darkness/destruction as a concept, influencing Luca.

        So saying that Luca killed Phe in some way seems too much. But for Luca’s dark and violent streak it’s of course ‘good’ to have her out of the picture, because she made him hold back.

        Anyway, thinking about it, if the interpretation of Dagre as the personification of destruction is correct, he – his essence – *must* have been ‘behind’ Phe’s death (whoever executed it), unless it was an accident (which I highly doubt).
        But in any case it is crystal clear to me that he’ll exploit it now as best he can.

        • BentKatana

          Ah, I see what you mean, haha, I didn’t know how to phrase what I meant. xD So, like, you say, Dagre was behind Phe’s death, but someone did it, and Luca tasted all the food…

          :o It’s probably not, I just have a feeling, lol.

    • haelyrom

      Also, I think his right shoulder is on the table and his left is on the floor, making it all slightly lopsided.

  • *___* Very smexy FUR and PAAAWS.

    I have a question; parting from what I’ve read from your Dagre pictures from before, this is a spirit that chose the form of a tiger, rite? Why did it choose a tiger? ._.

    • Good question!

      • XD Why did I know I wouldn’t get an answer? :’D

        • Isn’t it more fun to guess?

          • Sarchale

            True, it is more fun to guess, but it really ISN’T fun to find out how waaaaaayy off the mark you were.

  • The Dagre reminds me of an evil and awesome version of sher khan. But awesomer. And eviler.

  • Bob

    “Daaamn girl, where you get dem shoes? They’re grrrrrrreeeeaaat!”

    Fixed.

    • Fixed indeed! LMFAO!

  • WTP

    Well, that was totally unexpected.

    • No one expects the spanish inquisition giant evil tiger

  • The Andrew

    Is it terrible I read Dagre’s lines like Pierrot Le Fou from Cowboy Bebop?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJEJjxuGe9g

  • Shew. And I mean… SHEW! This is powerful – the coloring! Damn!

  • I’ve never seen anyone drool like that over a pair of shoes. He is serious.

  • stephanie

    what is that big piece of tiger off to the left side? looks like a wing or something??
    i assume its a shoulder, and hes just really disporportioned? (like someone kinda mentioned earlier) sorry, i just thought it looked a little odd.

    by the way, im in love with ur comic, tigers are my fav animal lol so i LOVE this page!
    i follow regularly, i just dont comment often. im sure theres plenty of us out there, so just because you only have 200 comments, doesnt mean you dont have 900 followers!! :D

    • It’s his shoulderblade, that leg is still up on the table while the other is on the ground. It’s not -really- a tiger, the anatomy is dis proportioned and exaggerated. DS gave away a wallpaper a little while ago that showed a full body shot of Dagre which explains a little more. But keep watching, I’m sure we’ll see more!

  • Cute Bruiser

    AHHH, THANK YOU FOR MORE NIGHTMARE FUEL.

    Seriously, though, colouring is amazing. *_*

  • DeliciousPineapple

    I feel as though Dagre will haunt my nightmares. And I can’t wait.

    Poor Luca. He’s so broken right now. :c

  • Lis

    That is the most terrifying tiger-spirit-thing I have ever seen.

    And I love it.

  • Whoa, this page is awesome… mind blowing. *applause*
    (and I like the tiny drool detail on Dagre!)
    Btw, your brother is fantastic!

  • Deerinheadlights

    YES, it’s finally here! Now I can make proper fanart with colors. Sooo intense!

  • ChaosEnginner

    Wonderful! This story just gets better! And art is increasingly impressive!

  • You ma’am are a master at lighting and color. I particularly like the whiskers and um … what do you call them … eyebrow whiskers (?).

  • melodycass

    wow….just…..wow…….

    think i can have him as a pet?

  • Beautiful page. :D

    So this is the meanie who roughed up Grandfather..?
    Does that mean Luca is the man Angora must be careful of? :( “The man who hates in the name of love.”?

  • Hel

    Alternate caption: “I can has ur soul?”
    Jokes aside, Dagre’s first appearence and it’s awesome. I love the atmosphere in the first panel, and the strange lights, and his body shape and pretty damn everything. And most of all, the tongue. Little kitty tongue *not*

  • Impy-kun

    Poor Phe! D:

    Well, he’s only slightly terrifying… O_o;

  • A.A.

    And Luca is well acquainted with Dagre because…?
    I mean, it’s a friggin gigantic tiger!! I would be anyting but calm at the side of that! Is Dagre or something then?

  • And now the chapter title has been fulfilled.

  • cherie

    Dagre definitely killed her, or influenced something in order to get her killed. And Luca isn’t going to know, and Dagre will act all sympathetic and tell him what he must do, and chaos will ensue. Damn godlike powers, always fucking with people to achieve their unnkowable ends. :( :( :(

  • AKJLKDSJFlkjdfldkjdfkdjf lksdfj

  • Wolf

    Folk keep sounding confused at WHY he is not confused at seeing the tiger…
    I always assumed http://www.meekcomic.com/2010/01/31/2-23/ page was talking about the tiger. If that is correct, they have known each other for some time.

    • Pair that with the illustration on Der-shing’s site of Dagre with what looks like a young-ish Luca and we might have a bullseye. I never even considered the idea that he was talking about Dagre in that page but now it sure seems like it.

      • pasha

        Which illustration? Could you link–I couldn’t find it (fail).

        • It’s under “sketches” in the portfolio section of her site, I can’t link because it’s a flash gallery. Fourth one over from the right, has a sepia-tone look.

  • Stig Hemmer

    Kitty!

  • Inverted Bomber

    I KNEW IT F YES… sorry ^^; eheheheh

  • colorme

    I love Dagre’s design so much! And the way you made his eyes and the light is great looking! 8D

  • Dagre is so… so badass. o.o (Except he has no respect for nice furniture. TSK TSK.)

    The lighting in the first panel is absolutely perfect. Dynamic. :> The way his ears cast sharper shadows back onto his neck makes it so much more intense. <3 What a great entrance!

    Luca… makes me want to cry. :'( I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

  • Schadenfreude

    WHAT IS GOING ONNNNNNNNNNNN

    I love it.

  • Lumi

    A boy and his tiger.

  • Chris

    just noticed that the picture up top, the little bar thing has Luca putting his gloves on. Random I know but something about it all of a sudden felt important.

  • Megii

    I think the thing that really gets me about Dagre is that his grin is literally curling from ear to ear and the sloping sags of his gums. I can’t imagine his breath smells remotely pleasant. If I were in a room with this tiger, I think I’d have a fear-induced heart attack, especially with those eyes. What DON’T those eyes see?

  • scalesandfins

    uggghh that shoulderblade that swoops off into nothing= instant vertigo. also, NIGHTMARE FUEL.

  • marcutiolives

    Is it strange I find Dagre kind of cute?
    I’ll probably retract that later, but as a person who’s a sucker for interesting designs, I have to say I completely dig this one. He’s not just scary and wrong, he’s gorgeous.

  • Maphysto

    Oh jeez.

    I very nearly jumped when the page loaded. This is getting very interesting.

  • Ducky

    Oh my gosh it’s a big giant tiger!

  • roolsilver

    I think I can see where this is going. I have a horrible feeling about Luca. People do horrible things, when they hate in the name of love. I don’t see him getting his wife back, but I do see him fulfilling that role in ‘grandfather’s’ prophecy. A brokenhearted Emperor can be a dangerous man.

    • I second that. I foresee Luca doing terrible things. This will probably effect the sway of the plot quite a bit later on. A very interesting twist.

  • Katie

    Look what ‘they’ did? Who is the ‘they?’ Surely he isn’t blaming someone (the ambassadors) for Phe’s choking to death…? Unless someone poisoned her, or shoved food down her throat…

    • Joe

      It seems like she was probably poisoned, what with the clawing and the rash. Or maybe it was an allergic reaction. Doesn’t look like simple choking.

  • LOVE this, LOVE. The way Dagre moves is very creepy, as are his monosyllabic speech bubbles.

    • Charmee

      EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID

      Also, I think I just died of happy. <3 Thanks so much for updating! Keep on rockin'!

  • THE RETURN OF GLOWY EYE MC FLOPPY LIPS!!! 8D

    • wyrd

      Win.

  • Aplisco

    o.o That is a BIG cat. Is that his spirit or totem or whatever animal? Ohman, this comic is so amazing. I’ve been stalking it for a while and just wanted to say, “Omg, This is awesome” I looove it <3

  • Awwwoooohhhh want to pet D:

  • Haze

    By the looks of it, Phe suffered from anaphylactic response.
    That’s why the doctor or something tried to cut a slit down around the base of her throat, to allow her to breathe. The same procedure is done when people with allergies to bees/wasps/stinging insects are stung around the throat (if they are not medicated in time).
    However I can’t tell if the procedure was too late.

    Would like to see where this goes.

    • Jon

      Makes sense if it was an allergic response. That would explain why the poison didn’t affect Luca when he tested the food at the beginning of the meal. That suggests that whoever killed Phe knew her extremely well… and who would have that kind of knowledge?

      • Eric

        Are you asking rhetorically?

        I’m a little surprised at the comments. No one has been saying who did it. There was plenty of foreshadowing, so I’m not sure if people are just being polite or what.

        I don’t want Alex to think there wasn’t enough foreshadowing, though. I could figure out that Phe was in trouble before the dinner began. Any more foreshadowing would be too much.

  • AHH! Dagre is here! I’ve actually been excited for this scene since the chapter started.

    • Me too D: I can’t believe its been 9 months since I started… I’ve had this page on my mind for all that time!

      • Hilary

        I bet the pile of thumbnails for this baby was a mile high if you’ve been mulling it over that long. :)

        • Haha, not really, that would probably ruin the spotanaeity a bit.

  • Joe

    Where have we heard the name Dagre before? Was that mentioned somewhere? I didn’t see it…
    Also… could the Emperor be “a man who hates in the name of love”? http://www.meekcomic.com/2009/05/27/chapter-1-page-30/

    • Eric

      The name was used in the Meekipedia. (http://wiki.shingworks.com/Mocheril) I don’t think it’s been used in the actual comic before, though.

      He is referred to on page 1.29, but not by name. “Angora” refers to the girl, but it’s possible to read it as his name, instead. He is also hinted at in the Chapter 2 cover.

  • Elaine

    Oh joy. I can see where this is going.

  • Cestus

    Hoooookay…
    I didn’t see this coming…O_O…with the “Dagre” I mean.
    …Here I thought I was hooked reading this BEFORE!

  • Shay

    LIKES THIS. This is way creepy, and I love it.

    And your comment made me lul guiltily.

  • I’ve been looking forward to this page since chapter one and you really delivered. That introductory panel is just… so many levels of creepy/awesome O_O. Dagre’s face is so haunting.

  • onyx

    Nice tongue :p

    Oooo, it’s getting shady now!

  • duvi

    I have been waiting for this page since the cover of chapter one, and you never disappoint!
    wait…i just realized i wrote the same thing blue-ten did.
    TEAM DAGRE.

  • Ho-ly F&^%!

  • DCMar

    *Dramatic music!*
    So that’s salamander-guy’s brother?
    COOL

  • EternalOne

    Giant Tiger! Called it!

  • sweet_gardenia

    Beeeeeeezooooooooooo. All play and no war makes the Emperor a dull boy. I have been WAITING and WAITING for this moment oh yesyesyes

    Also my cat totally slobbers like that too. I should rename him Dagre.

    • I believe his name is Daggy D. Luscious

  • ysu

    I absolutely love how I can hear the silence in those panels, and the smoothness of the paws on the table. The atmosphere makes me think of the ending in Tekkon Kinkreet, with the Darkness speaking to Black (I suggest you to check it out if you haven’t already because the voice of Darkness is the one I picture for Dagre.)

    And I feel there is going to be bloody vengeance.

  • xjt

    Love how the drool hangs there in the second panel. Ha.

  • SP

    Okay, I feel slow, but what does “bezo” mean?

    • LeDayz

      Bezo is Luca’s false name his aunt gave him when she took him away from the royal palace to live in a small village to avoid assassination – Meek-pedia!

      • Not a royal palace. Luca’s father was the leader of the Pasori Gulo, who are nomadic (but still pretty well-off by Pasori standards)

        • LeDayz

          Nomadic with allll those wives?!! *whistles* I would love to see this done as a tapestry or something in the palace.

  • Emperial

    I believe the proper response to this page can be summed up as follows:

    “Hoshit.”

    :D If I ever get an orange tabby cat, I am so naming him Dagre.

  • Ryl

    I absolutely loooove the attention you paid to Dagre’s form and positioning. He stalks Luca from the shadows of the room while staring at him with eyes that glow with a menacing hunger. Like a creature crawling to life out from a nightmare. Squeeeee!

    The color-phasing of the stripes, particularly on his belly and the ruff of fur being hit by the light (left side of his head while looking at the image), is beautiful. And those slobbering, slavering jowls! Eep!

    Seriously, well done!

    Two questions for Alex, if I may. First, is there a particular reason for Dagre calling Luca “Bezo”? And then, secondly, when you originally designed Dagre was the white coloration on his forehead intentional or did it end up being an adjustment later? It puts me in mind of an Indian bindi but at the same time sort of looks like a third eye (which just adds to his creepy factor).

    • You have to admit that third eyes are pretty cool. All the cool kids have them (tuataras, lampreys, etc)

      • Ryl

        Well, having a third eye is cooler than being a cyclops anyway. >.>

  • Ray

    O_O that tiger is horrifying…

  • Kat

    I am so confused. Do they already know each other?

  • Jon

    First gut reaction? OH NOES WHAT HAPPENED TO HOBBES.

  • This comic is so fantastic. Luca is a fascinating character, and I can’t wait to see what happens. I am, as I have not been in QUITE some time, ENTHRALLED with this comic.

    Love-
    Pheorach

  • Assassin

    I agree with Dagre, I want to ask where the shoes come from.

  • paperjellyfish

    *excited to see Dagre’s sweet dance moves*

  • Holy cow, I wet myself… That’s one intense looking tiger you have there.

  • Gosh, I love Dagre’s design so bad. Sooo bad :U

  • powree

    Awesome. This is truly unexpected, and I love the eerie glows of his eyes!

    With Phe gone, Luca’s wrath is unstoppable..

  • Michael

    “A man who hates in the name of love” eh? So this means Luca is actually an antagonist. o.O He’s so sympathetic right now, though…

  • Lisa

    Whoah. Big cat ftw. I was completely blown away. You should make a biiiiig poster out of the first panel!

  • Kat

    OMG, that totally is Mocheril’s brother!
    oooOOOOoooooOOOOO… :P

  • Ken

    Not sure if it’s the perspective or the design, but Dagre reminds me of the big characters in the Looney Tunes cartoons. Remember how the construction workers and bull dogs all had tremendous shoulders and heads and tiny little feet? That’s what he reminds me of.

    Awesome work, by the way. Love the comic!

  • BEEEEEEEEZOOOOOOOOO

    <3

  • Eeee!

    It’s the Dagre!

    (Remind me what “Bezo” means again? Please?)

    • Merrin

      It’s Lucca’s nickname from when he was a kid.

  • OMG Dagre’s shoulders <3 so awesome

  • AK

    So many obvious things to praise; but I never noticed how detailed the floor was… (lol)
    *looks up* Oooh a tiger xD

  • DoggySpew

    You know, it is scenes like these I think would make The Meek a good movie.
    Unfortunately, I do not think chapter 1 or Angora would translate well to the big screen, for obvious NSFW reasons.

    Which is a shame.

    • Well-placed pasties?

    • Nah, you could totally pull it off w/ the right directing. ;)

    • Verteiron

      Avatar had a female character who is at least half-topless throughout the entire movie and managed to pull off a PG-13 rating. I think American audiences are slowly becoming more able to accept artistic nudity in their movies; a topless (and only pants-less from behind and/or at a distance) Angora just might not be slapped with an R rating. For the rest of the western world, of course, it won’t be a problem.

      • I dunno… there was a fat guy jogging (topless) around where I live the other day and I felt like slapping some kind of rating on him. He should have tried to be more artistic about it.

        • Maphysto

          Fat people are always NC-17.

  • LOL, your brother’s caption’s too funny! Darn thing made me lol, which made me cough, since I’m sick. >_<

  • Lizzy v

    It was so him. The tiger did it. Right after he watched them do it >.> I remember those eyes!!!

  • Carpathian Forest

    Damn, look at that toungue. I’ll be willing to bet that the ladies -love- him. Anywho, I’m a new follower to the comic, and I must say I’m hooked. Amazing illustrations, and compelling atmospheres.

  • Mish

    Oh Sh**

  • Laurens

    Holy crap! Do you enjoy making those giant animals jump at us from out of nowhere? O_o

  • Meghan

    Woohoo big freaky tiger spirit is back! That means chapter three is almost heeeeere *dances*

  • I thank you so much for posting a frame of this comic on DA. I would never have found this otherwise, and making me cry in half an hour is pretty top notch, haaah.

  • Koi

    Masterfully drawn, eerie as ever, and it makes me crave to read more.

    But still… WHERE ARE THEIR CHILDREN?

  • eliza

    YES.
    i have no idea where this is going, but i am ALL about it.

  • Shindel

    OMG. I love the lighting and the shape of his body, I can litteraly see the Tiger moving! Great job!

  • I had a huge idea while reading this chapter, thinking about the characters and everything.

    Dagre wants to destroy the humans and tried to but Grandfather stopped him. So Dagre goes back to Luca, who he’s known forever and has power over since Luca has a bad temper. But when Dagre comes back and everything is playing out the way Dagre wants (Luca not wanting to accept peace, etc), Phe steps in and causes Luca to accept peace momentarily. Dagre decides to rid Luca of Phe, uses his spirit powers to cause a reaction in her body, and kills Phe. Then Luca goes crazy and under Dagres power goes to be a crazy ruler and to defeat the human race.

    :D
    Ahhhh! I want to know if I’m right sooo badly. lol I can’t wait to continue reading this.

    • La-Price

      SPOILERS!!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?

    • Emma D

      Actually, that pretty much sums up my guess too.
      We’ll see XD

      • Eric

        That’s what I’ve been thinking, too. It’s so obvious that it doesn’t count as a spoiler, IMO. Of course, Alex could still surprise us.

  • Is “Bezo” some sort of pet term Dagre has for Luca, or is it a generic term of endearment in their culture?

    • Since a few people have asked this question I’ll make an article in the wiki for it :B It’ll be up in a second.

    • Rachel

      Bezo was name Luca was given when he and his Aunt went into hiding. Maybe this is a personality or something during that time. I wonder if his other personality will show up too?

  • OHMYGODohmigodohmygawd, that tiger looks sooooooo evil.
    :)awesome<3

  • OwlofAthena

    I think it looks incredibly sad not evil

    • Epesi

      Actually, unless it’s my imagination, it’s sporting a smile to put the Cheshire Cat to shame (and to ensure I get no sleep tonight).

      Step one: look at its forehead
      Step two: shit bricks (optional)

      • Android 21 3/7

        Now I’m picturing it saying “Hi! Nice to see ya!”

      • Olivia

        Holy shit. I followed step one and totally hadn’t noticed how far up his smile went. Jesus Christcakes, bricks have been shat.

    • makani

      lol, i suppose if you cover up the sides of his snake-like mouth/grin and take his eye markings as eyebrows, he does look sad xD

  • Michaela

    “you can have revenge, or you can have me. But you won’t have both”

    WELL that problem got cleared up, option 1 it is. REVENGE TIME! O_o

    • wooshra

      that was asshol-ish… but damn funny XD

  • Sunny

    Big kitty, big kitty ♥ Yay I love Dagre now haha.

  • Mr.Tophat

    Is it wrong for me to want to pet it?

    • Owen

      YES. Get out of here.
      (Naw. It looks kind of sad, to me. Someone give that big softy a hug.)

    • pileup

      Actually I kind of want one. >: So fluffy!

  • CragN8R

    My exact thoughts while looking at the last panel: “Holy fuck a giant tiger”

  • Sphinx

    Oh snap! The plot tickens and twists!

    Not sure… but is Dagre’s right paw bloodied?

    • madmab

      i think it might just be a shadow.

  • scalesandfins

    Blink blink. Did Luca have his hands around Phe’s throat when he was beating her up a few pages ago? Viewer perspective does not let me seeeeee.

  • GerunKnarlson

    I’d have to say that this scene is more heartbreaking than frightening.

    Perhaps a touch, but not enough to override the sad tone.

    I love the atmosphere of this comic – I am a writer myself, and can’t for the life of me achieve this sort of feeling in any of my stories.

    Beautiful work.

  • Em

    Its the moments like these when I realize I’m reading something truly and brilliantly epic.

  • Nate

    Huh, he knows Dagre already. That’s probably bad. It would explain how he got his ability to do that scary thing with his hands, and might have helped him get the throne.

    Also oh crap Dagre already has influence on him we’re all screwed.

  • ZR

    Just noticed something.

    http://www.meekcomic.com/2009/05/23/chapter-1-page-29/

    According to this page, Dagre is Mocheril’s brother? (Since Mocheril was pretty torn up so his brother must have claws.) Or is there a Dagre look-alike?

    And then thinking back on Mocheril’s words:

    “The lost one will know the way.” Gotta be referring to Pinter.

    “A man who hates in the name of love.” After seeing this, it’s got to be Luca.

    Now all that’s left is “a woman who cries but sheds no tears.” This is turning out to be very interesting indeed.

  • ColdCedric

    Man, that is one badchronus tiger. I bet they know each other through some deal or something

  • Rika84

    Oh my GOSH that thing’s tongue scares the stuff out of me. o_o
    Incredible tiger. I love it!

  • caris

    i almost crapped my pants when i saw that first panel.

  • Dogy105

    Anyone else notice the crazy shadow that almost looks like that tiger in the last panel of:
    http://www.meekcomic.com/2010/02/21/2-26/

  • Mr.Tophat

    Wait…. where did that thing come from anyway? Was it hiding behind the throne?… or maybe Luca is just CRRAAAAZY.

  • Marion

    Just thought of something… Dagre takes the form of a tiger, because he destroys (rips, tears, etc.), but is Mocheril’s chosen (chosen?) form a thingy salamander because these weird creatures always regenerate their limbs when they loose them and is thus the embodiment of growth, the regenerative power of nature?

    I love the fact that they are brothers. Very Osiris and Seti, yin-yangish. They constantly battle, constantly balance eachother, and in their everlasting strife people grow and sometimes die. Poor Phe… Poor kids (we haven’t seen the kids reaction to their mom’s death yet. Oohh, that’s gonna be *ugly*!)

  • Mani

    How is “Dagre” pronounced, anyway?

    Is it “dagger” or “dah-gruh” or something else?

    • ColdCedric

      I think it pronounce as ‘day-gre’

      • Maphysto

        I’ve been saying it dah-grah.

        • Android 21 3/7

          I’ve been thinking it was “dah-grei”

  • Mouldy

    What’s up with Dagre’s shoulder? Is he, like, forming out of the ceiling or something, or is that a… I wanna say a wing.

    • Michaela

      I think its the shoulder bone tilting up, Its a bit wonky, but i think its pretty close to correct O_o

      • I think that might be his long neck craning around.

  • minetruly

    WHO IS “THEY?”

    My guess is that this man is not in fact a man, but a great spirit creature like the tiger who has taken human form for some purpose. “Look what they did” is a very natural sentence to be spoken to another member of your kind about the actions of a foreign race. Ex: You and your friend are scientists studying geese. When the eggs hatch, the geese attack and kill the last gosling to emerge. You say to your fellow scientist, “Look what they did.”

  • Every pronunciation of Dagre is correct! You can pronounce Dagre however you like.
    At least, until we’re told otherwise by the author. Viva Liberte. My preference is Dah-gruh…

    Mouldy, its shoulder blade is rising in relation to the rest of him descending from the table.
    Apparently spirit creatures have hellacious scapulas!

    minetruly, I’m not sure I understand you. “They” would be whomever Luca believes did this to Phe.
    It is not an expression of solidarity with the person to whom you speak, merely a reference to a group not including yourself. For instance, say I have two darling children who do a cute antic as a stranger walks up to me. I could turn to him/her and say: “Aren’t they precious? Look what they did!”

  • brad

    I just realized that besides a tiger he reminds me a lot of an old basset hound.

  • Lumiere

    It’s that lizard-broccoli-head’s brother!

  • Zeb

    Man, that tigers stripes gives him the same kind of creepy smile as the joker in dark knight…
    Creeeeepy…

  • Erica

    For some reason, the fact that his eyes are perfect circles seriously disturbs me. It’s not even the glowing so much as the circles. *shivers*

  • Rachel

    Eeeekk, I’ve been waiting for Dagre to make his grand entrance! He’s got such an awesome design. @o@ And I’ve been pronouncing his name like “Dah-gray”, but I’m usually wrong about pronunciations.

  • eli

    o shit. I already love Dagre. I am super excited to see more of him.

  • Mr.Tophat

    I also have the perculier urge to pull his tongue. ITs just dangling…. dangling like it wants to be pulled.

  • amadre

    Hmm…is it just me, or is Luca and Phe’s heads glowing? (ugh…grammar)

    Is it just Mr. Dagre’s eyes illuminating them? Or artistic license to draw attention to their forms? Or some other plot twist that has surely been revealed in the sketch comics?

    Hmm….

    (note: once Lost is gone for good I’m pretty sure Meek will replace it for the center of all plot-twist themed conspiracy theories. congratulations)

    • Well, I guess Dagre is kind of like a smoke monster! haha…

  • Jimmy

    In my mind, the only reason Dagre says “Be zo” is because he has to rhyme everything he says.

  • Jen

    This scene is just beautiful. I want that first panel to be my wallpaper.

    I also wish sometimes this could be animated. I’d love to see all that fat fluffy fur to be just bouncing about. His tongue (that gives the best impression it’s too long for his mouth) just flopping around throwing spit everywhere, and those brilliant eyes just expressing a wide range of emotions.

  • LlubNek

    I’m guessing this guy’s related to the badly wounded axolotl earlier…

  • Simply Me

    Soft kitty
    Warm kitty
    Little ball of fur…
    Happy kitty
    Sleepy kitty
    Pur, Pur, Pur~

    Oh sh*t, that doesn’t look like a soft or sleepy kitty…
    Or a ‘kitty’ at all! :O

    • Flamma Man

      Heh, nice Big Bang reference.

  • Emperial

    You know what’s weird? Every time I read this page, I hear Dagre’s voice. It’s throaty and growly and it’s somehow familiar, but I can’t seem to figure out from where.

    It sends shivers up and down my back. Always the same voice speaking those syllables. Where have I heard it before?

    • DoggySpew

      Personally, I visualize Dagre’s voice as just a tad pitched down HAL9000.

      • Maphysto

        I’m sorry, Luca. I’m afraid I can’t do that.

    • muffinpoodle

      Dagre lives in the back of your mind…

  • Morag

    Droooool.
    And headlamps.

    I want to pull one of those long whiskers.

  • LIONS TIGERS AND BEARS!
    and unicorns ^w^ lol

    i alsot fergotmthat there would be stuff like this here, got so caught up in worry D: lol

  • Qwaar

    Holy god what the hell is that abomination.

    Kill it, kill it with fire.

  • shafrelk

    Well that was unexpected.
    Just a little.

    Pretty, though. ^_^

  • In terms of shading/lighting, this is top-notch. In terms of storytelling, I am so far beyond lost and confused I don’t know if I much care at this point.

    Sigh.

    • Haha, really? Quick summary: The Emperor of the North is angry at the Carissi people (who live down south) because of things (some bad things) that happened during the last war. The war was between the old Carissi king, who has since died and been replaced by his daughter, Queen Symon. The Queen has sent ambassadors to this palace to meet with the Emperor and talk about maybe having some peace around here, but Luca is basically really suspicious and not extremely inclined to give them anything they want. The Emperor’s wife, Phe, doesn’t like the Caris either, but is willing to work on it for the sake of the country and wants her husband to do the same. Earlier in the chapter they get into a public fight about this because Luca can’t think rationally when it comes to the Caris.

      Later on, Phe and Luca make up, but not before Rana sees him physically threatening her mom. Phe finally convinces her husband to go to dinner like a normal person and just try to be nice, but then Something happens and Phe dies (horribly). Now the Emperor is alone in the dining room with his dead wife’s body and the Dagre, who is an long-time acquaintance with its own terrible motives.

  • MindofSilence

    I feel I must express my love for this page. The looming effect of Dagre is amazing; you are truly skilled. This page alone compelled me to read your entire comic and I must say that I will probably be following it until it is finished.

  • He reminds me of the Cheshire cat alot, except WAY more sinister. I suspect he was behind Phe’s death >_>

  • Kiel West

    Oh God, I really don’t want her to be dead.

  • ParisD

    Ok, so I’m a little confused, who’s that big Kitty? Is that Dagre? And what was that Black Ghosty thing in one of the pages? I’ve been reading from the start, but I’m a little freaked out.

  • ParisD

    Oh crap sorry, didn’t mean to post more than once. Hurr.

  • Reign of Crows

    Now that The Meek’s hiatus is over, I’m re-reading the older comics. I remembered a few of them faintly, including this one, and wow – even though I’d seen it before and was anticipating it, seeing it again still gives me goosebumps. This panel was amazing.

  • Norppa

    Quite a flashlights you have there, Dagre. He’d make a wonderful museum guard.
    Would like to know how much energy they take to light so brightly.

    But jokes aside, this and Mare Internum are my literal fave webtoons! *__* Thank you for these wonderful comics!!

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