It’s an interesting strategy to make the actual big bads of your story the most cartoonish and silliest characters in the piece, and I gotta say I am surprised how well it’s working for me
Hold on what? Why would Burke be behind the Dark Circus? Why would he even need the Dark Circus if he was going to become the mayor? Out of every plot development so far, this is the one that feels most out of left field.
Not entirely, IMO. We know that Burke wanted to get the blood gun to become the new Strongman. For such a tiny, scheming man this might be incentive enough. And a private police force is not to be sneezed at…
Playing both sides has its advantages. The mayor isn’t omnipotent, but neither is a criminal kingpin. Control over the cops lets you do things that you can’t do from the underworld; control over crooks lets you do things you can’t do in an official capacity.
Which does raise the question of what Burke’s trying to do, but I’ve seen more serious villains than him try to take total control of a city for no reason beyond wanting to control the city.
Okay, we were pretty much told that Burke had ties to the Shadow Circus, but I wouldn’t have put money on “he deliberately sought Gilborn out before Gilborn even set foot in Pinfall”. I’m curious to see what Burke gained from this deal.
Also, I’m pretty sure the taller guy in the last panel is the same lawyer who represented Platt at McBell’s trial.
Wait, so… was Gillborn trying to doublecross the mayor, when he tried the blood gun?
Like, I’m confident even Burke would have tested it on *someone* before using it himself, but no way it would have been tested mid-fight with the Corps. Sure he could’ve gotten it swiped if it was taken in as evidence, but risking it getting damaged? Seems a bit risky if there’s only one prototype like it seems.
(Also if there are multiple, why would Burke bother lying about the gun breaking at the auction? A better lie would have been never admitting an interest in it tbh)
It makes sense to me. The clown corps are an old, and undoubtedly popular institution in pinfall. A mayor coming in and trying to muck too openly with it would cost him too much political capital. Instead, Burke gets Gilborn to drag down the Corps, just like he did with the angels; he doesn’t need Gus to win, just create pretext for interfering, ousting the old director and installing his puppet.
The fun part is figuring out how Echo/Maggie slots in to this. Did Burke put out a hit on her? Did she suffer a near-fatal car crash at just the right time to become a tool in his plan? Seems like Burke probably needed Gilborn to brainwash Maggie into being a useful tool, but was she ever meant to be more than just another general in Gilborn’s shadow circus? Hard to tell. Her and Mustard’s family apparently being wealthy might mean they rubbed shoulders with the mayor, and he had his eye on Maggie for her talents, but that’s just my guess.
It’s an interesting strategy to make the actual big bads of your story the most cartoonish and silliest characters in the piece, and I gotta say I am surprised how well it’s working for me
a serious villain can never beat a clown
Wow, I have no idea how this could fit together. Did Burke want the clown corps undermined?
Hold on what? Why would Burke be behind the Dark Circus? Why would he even need the Dark Circus if he was going to become the mayor? Out of every plot development so far, this is the one that feels most out of left field.
Not entirely, IMO. We know that Burke wanted to get the blood gun to become the new Strongman. For such a tiny, scheming man this might be incentive enough. And a private police force is not to be sneezed at…
Playing both sides has its advantages. The mayor isn’t omnipotent, but neither is a criminal kingpin. Control over the cops lets you do things that you can’t do from the underworld; control over crooks lets you do things you can’t do in an official capacity.
Which does raise the question of what Burke’s trying to do, but I’ve seen more serious villains than him try to take total control of a city for no reason beyond wanting to control the city.
Okay, we were pretty much told that Burke had ties to the Shadow Circus, but I wouldn’t have put money on “he deliberately sought Gilborn out before Gilborn even set foot in Pinfall”. I’m curious to see what Burke gained from this deal.
Also, I’m pretty sure the taller guy in the last panel is the same lawyer who represented Platt at McBell’s trial.
Oh my days I think you’re right. I just checked back and… The swoopy hair….
Y’know, the last time an antihero in a bathrobe and a mysterious intruder got into a tussle in a high rise apartment, it didn’t end so well
I love how the guy (prosecutor? Judge?) in the last panel is just sitting there with a literal bag of money…
(That wasn’t meant as a reply)
I just tried to imagine a clown with a Rohrschach mask… I mean they are already scary for lots of people, but still
A judge, I think. Depends on if he’s wearing a robe or an overcoat.
When was that?
inciting incident of Watchmen, by Alan Moore
I dunno. I heard that that incident had a real strong punchline.
Alt text:
Gus’s lawyer tried the bag of money, but not the ice cream, which is what sealed the deal
I can’t read “Who ar you and how did you get in here without hearing Leslie Nielsen say, “I’m a locksmith, and I’m a locksmith.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFhpctuUwb4
I am reasonably certain the reference is intentional
Wait, so… was Gillborn trying to doublecross the mayor, when he tried the blood gun?
Like, I’m confident even Burke would have tested it on *someone* before using it himself, but no way it would have been tested mid-fight with the Corps. Sure he could’ve gotten it swiped if it was taken in as evidence, but risking it getting damaged? Seems a bit risky if there’s only one prototype like it seems.
(Also if there are multiple, why would Burke bother lying about the gun breaking at the auction? A better lie would have been never admitting an interest in it tbh)
It makes sense to me. The clown corps are an old, and undoubtedly popular institution in pinfall. A mayor coming in and trying to muck too openly with it would cost him too much political capital. Instead, Burke gets Gilborn to drag down the Corps, just like he did with the angels; he doesn’t need Gus to win, just create pretext for interfering, ousting the old director and installing his puppet.
The fun part is figuring out how Echo/Maggie slots in to this. Did Burke put out a hit on her? Did she suffer a near-fatal car crash at just the right time to become a tool in his plan? Seems like Burke probably needed Gilborn to brainwash Maggie into being a useful tool, but was she ever meant to be more than just another general in Gilborn’s shadow circus? Hard to tell. Her and Mustard’s family apparently being wealthy might mean they rubbed shoulders with the mayor, and he had his eye on Maggie for her talents, but that’s just my guess.
Knew it.