Zules gets Tamara to read Exvulnerum

[Zules]

Welcome to... the first ever Exvulnerum readlog, hosted by none other than your favorite dork of an author, ME. ZULES.

Let me introduce you to Tamara, who, as a NEW READER, has no account here because she's still in the process of reading Exvulnerum and cannot be exposed to Cresnov.com and all its spoilers until she catches up to the latest updates!!

I neither have been nor am a comic book person, in all honesty. I do enjoy short strips of comics from time to time but I have never been one to commit to a full-length comic which is why my interest was piqued when I was asked to create a readlog of an online comic by the name of “Exvulnerum”. I have never done a readlog and I have also never given a review of a comic in the past so I am indeed very excited to do so. It is rather interesting that the author of the comic is collecting readlogs from its readers; I have always been fascinated by how many people can look at the same thing and see something different so it would be quite an experience to be able to read the comic not just through your own eyes but also through the eyes of others which may see things that you did not see.

Tamara was linked to a version of the Exvulnerum website that has no author comments or Disqus comments, so all her comments are completely uninfluenced by any spoilers, aside from the very few images she was exposed to in the special introduction page she was linked to.

The introduction has just the right amount of content to arouse my interest in the comic but does not reveal enough to provide me with an idea of what to expect which makes this all the more exciting. I’m very curious as to what is going to follow so I’ll just go ahead and flip the page now.

The first strip of the comic took me by surprise. When I first read the title of the comic, I certainly had many expectations as to what was to come but it opening with a young male adult dressed in overalls working as a self-described ‘small-time farmer’ pondering one of the world’s most renowned poultry-related riddles wasn’t one of them. Speaking of which, I’m only three sentences into the comic itself and I already have an appreciation for its humour; a pre-established pecking order is nightmare fuel that triggers a flashback of George Orwell’s Animal Farm for me!

I disagree with Evey, he was funny and interesting back then, whenever ‘then’ is supposed to be.

…Well that escalated quickly.

I was waiting for a continuation of the adventures of our particular farm boy and his creatures when all of a sudden, a fiery abyss opens up at his very feet and threatens to swallow him whole? Talk about a minor inconvenience! Well, now the title seems a tad bit more appropriate!

Jesus walked on water but Marta and her mother walk on fire, hah! I would definitely pay to see a spin-off series about our new fire bending avatars. Back to the story, it seems as though this chasm was programmed with a particular target to attack and that just so happens to be Evey while he is simultaneously being ridiculed by a little girl’s scout. Today really isn’t his day.

Bless the local shopkeeper’s wife but screw his daughter and Sergio!

Evey comes up with a solid theory that he won’t be able to see the chasm if he closes his eyes (which is technically the truth) and he succeeds in becoming a triumphant fire bender himself. But why?!

Because it was all in his mind! And I thought I had a vivid imagination! Oh Evey, I don’t think reading until 3am is a strong enough drug to make you hallucinate a gorge filled with fire in public in broad daylight!

Oh. It actually was an illusion as is explained by a mystical creature with a purple aura and the very same outfit I dreamed of having when I was 13. She has that confident badass vibe to her and has only said ten words so far but I love her already.

Evey has all the questions which is convenient because so do we!

Whoever would have thought that curses required guardians? Imagine being a demon and minding your own business when suddenly you’re teleported into the house of a middle-aged man to make sure that he always stubs his pinkie toe against his nightstand and steps in a puddle of water when wearing socks. Fancy that! Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Back to the story and how I appreciate the way Evey reaches for his motor oil while facing the very real fear of having vivid visual and auditory hallucinations in public in broad daylight. Support your local farmers, folks; they have their priorities sorted out!

Also, I’m stealing Dzuna’s quote. “Oh, I’m real but I’ve misrepresented myself” should definitely be my new slogan as a socially awkward introvert.

NEXT READLOG POST: > here >

...Aaand that's it for the first post! I have plenty of Tamara's readlog still left to go!

(Just so it's clear, this is a model readlog, and it doesn't count towards the #TuesdaysToo rewards, hehe. But Tamara IS a real person and a new reader, so give her some appreciation if you like her commentary!)

 

[Oegyein]

"She has that confident badass vibe to her and has only said ten words so far but I love her already. "

NOOOOO! She hasn't even seen Cresnov yet and she's ALREADY consigned to the Kult!

 

[Zules]

You know, I think I’m just going to go ahead and call dibs on everything Dzuna says because I resonate with them (out of context) more than any human should.

Dzuna is also giving more flashbacks of my (mental) conversations with my crushes than I am proud to admit. How is this fairylike demon so relatable?!

Ooo, I wonder what’s in the shed.

I like how Dzuna’s personality is a balance between sassy and serious; I have a feeling that we won’t even be able to tell the difference between the two as the story progresses.

Oh Evey, you have broken a number of main character stereotypes so far and I have been so proud of you but it seems as though you couldn’t maintain that streak after your ‘I’m going to go to that very same place I was warned not to go to’ stunt.

Also, RIP motor oil but on a side note, I love the artistic depiction of Evey’s reflection on the spilled liquid.

Oh no, what has happened to the producer of Evey?!

Flashback time! I don’t know why but Mr. Goglio reminds me of Rich Uncle Pennybags (or the Monopoly Man, as some of you may be familiar with) who, by the way, never wore a monocle (damn you, Mandela effect!).

Perhaps it’s all the talk about property and acquisition.

There’s the potential for a pun about Mr. Goglio ‘seeing everything’ but I can’t quite formulate it right now because my sense of humour has turned itself off for the night. Barry Kendrickson is mighty fine for a small-time farmer!

And his fineness becomes even mightier when you find out that he has *drumroll* buried treasure! I wonder what secret’s he’s been hiding.

Well, it turns out that he either hasn’t been hiding any secrets or is great at hiding them. Either way, he’s still mighty fine.

And Mr. Goglio is mighty suspicious.

Life pro tip: Never trust a man in a suit and monocle who speaks in proper, pompous English when he says that he will split something of value fifty-fifty. Either he’s in trouble or you are.

Fortunately, Mr. Kendrickson sees through all that grand demeanour and gets straight to the point although judging by where the story was cut off before the flashback, I can’t imagine that whatever decision he made regarding the deal was profitable for him.

You have to appreciate Mr. Kendrickson’s eye for farming; how many farmers are there out there who will still be distracted by grounds unsuitable for farming when they stand the chance to inherit half the treasure even an obviously wealthy man is keen on unearthing?

Yes, Mr. Goglio is definitely one to suspect. Nobody’s getting 50% of anything here.

NEXT READLOG POST: > here >

 

[EstherTb]

I'm excited to see more of Tamara!

 

[Zules]

I'm excited to see more of Tamara!

Thank you, I'll let her know!
I'll try to post more soon. It's really fun to add to this thread!!

 

[Avidro]

This update has reignited my desire to voice-act Mr. Goglio's lines. Also, I love Tamara's witty reactions!

 

[Oegyein]

This update has reignited my desire to voice-act Mr. Goglio's lines. Also, I love Tamara's witty reactions!

@Avhow much do we have to pay you (in fake dollars) to record sample lines?

 

[Avidro]

@Avhow much do we have to pay you (in fake dollars) to record sample lines?

Bout tree fiddy

 

[EstherTb]

This update has reignited my desire to voice-act Mr. Goglio's lines. Also, I love Tamara's witty reactions!

I mean you've got a great voice I think you should do it

 

[Avidro]

I mean you've got a great voice I think you should do it

D'awwww, thanks! I'll put it on my to-do list!

 

[Zules]

Mr. Kendrickson is such a fine, wholesome father. Characters like Evey usually have a backstory which involves a father forcing his son to follow his footsteps and pursue his line of work despite the child having an interest which can be considered as a polar opposite to what he’s doing. It’s refreshing to see a father like Mr. Kendrickson who does a day of hard work with hopes that it can contribute to a future his son will love and enjoy.

My oh my, what do we have here?! It looks like we may have very different definitions of the word ‘treasure’!

Some poor unfortunate soul finally got to have a good night of sleep after a hectic life just to be unearthed from his final resting place by an incarnation of the Monopoly Man. Sucks to be him! Rule number one of treasure hunting: if you see a coffin wrapped up in chains, do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to break those chains! This is not going to end well but I can’t say they didn’t have it coming.

Done in by a redneck! The worst possible way to go! Never trust a man in plaid? More like never trust a man who feels the need to unironically wear a monocle!

… shovel fight to the death? It’s like you’re begging to be killed, Goglio.

Oh, the dead hobo woke up. Poor guy couldn’t even get 5 minutes of uninterrupted sleep on the surface of the Earth.

Attacking your saviour is a rather unconventional way of thanking them but I would also be pissed off if someone woke me up from a deep sleep so rudely.

Turns out the undead hobo isn’t pissed off at all but rather the opposite! Pardon the dirty mind in my head but the second panel would look so wrong out of context.

Also, who even uses the term ‘plummeting moons’ as an incredulous expression?! Mr. Goglio hasn’t even done anything threatening yet but I still dislike him more and more the longer he’s there!

Woah! Well, that took an unexpected turn! We have some sort of a soul infusion here; I hope the undead hobo has some good chakras to transfer! I love the style of art depicted in this page; it has a mystical vibe to it that is perfect for the scenes illustrated.

Hmm. Perhaps I may have been wrong about Mr. Goglio. I would usually have my doubts about a man who is a self-proclaimed person of high compassion but his actions speak louder than his words and thankfully; they are both in lieu with each other.

Mr. Goglio has all the wrong impressions about hotbeds of crime, that’s where all the business is! Ah well, there’s a lost opportunity for another rich man, can’t say I’ll be crying about that.

Ooo, a wild Dzuna appears!

A flashback within a flashback! Flashback-ception! So, there appears to be a younger Evey and Mr. Kendrickson along with two women who haven’t been mentioned earlier in the story. I wonder who they could be.

i

And of course, Mr. Kendrickson being peak dad by trying to word hard to be punny. Ah, dads. I would say I can’t wait to be one but it might be a bit of a hindrance that I’m one with the female species.

NEXT READLOG POST: > here >

 

[Avidro]

"I hope the undead hobo has some good chakras to transfer" should be an Exvulnememe.

 

[Oegyein]

Man, you gotta learn to blitz your chakras, you know?

 

[Zules]

Aww, Mr. Kendrickson is just so wholesome! My heart is so full looking at him having so much love for his one and only son! Excuse me while I go and fangirl over this man for a while!

I love the relationship between Evey and Mrs. Pickford! They’re just like mother and son and it’s great that he has such strong parental figures in his life. Evey has a great sense of humour and an even greater sense of appetite; a great catch indeed!

I love all the random expressions the characters in this comic use; you won’t find your average everyday Joe exclaiming “plummeting moons!” or calling someone “weaselly needlebones”!

Yep, Mrs. Pickford definitely sounds like a typical wife and mother alright! I definitely would have thought she was Evey’s mother if he hadn’t referred to her as “Mrs. Pickford”.

In other news, wholesome Mr. Kendrickson has an equally as wholesome son, I hope there is a lot more of this wholesomeness throughout the comic although I highly doubt it. Ah well, I’ll at least enjoy it as it lasts!

*awkward guilty Chapter 13 fidgeting*

You’re telling me that this woman is always telling Mr. Kendrickson to take care of his back and insisting that his son sleep over in order to avoid walking home in the dark and he still hasn’t wifed her up yet??? Yes, I know, she’s a ‘Mrs’ for a reason but I can’t help shipping the three of them as a family!

Ooo, seems like a certain father has been up to no good!

Oh no he did not just disrespect Mrs. Pickford like that! My ship has sunk! Gee, what did that undead hobo’s essence and Dzuna the edgy curse guardian do to this once fine and wholesome man?! I’m just as concerned and curious as Evey is!

Ah ha, so that’s why Evey so highly prioritised the motor oil that even a fiery abyss which threatens to swallow him in broad daylight doesn’t distract him from delivering it! Mr. Kendrickson looks like he’s just one question away from losing it, let’s hope he at least survives until he receives the motor oil he’s freaking out over.

Aww, there’s the Mr. Kendrickson we know! Look at how he realises his mistake as soon as he has made it and apologises immediately! I’m going to be angry if anything happens to him! To either of them!

It’s interesting that the art style is different for the one panel where Evey is physically touched by his father; it’s the same as the panels in which Mr. Kendrickson fell victim to a soul transfusion. I wonder if Evey has been recruited into the train of transfusion…

NEXT READLOG POST: > here >

 

[Zules]

Side question: Are you guys having trouble loading this thread with all the images? I could put them in spoiler tags if y'all think that would improve the reading experience. Or I could make the images thumbnails.

 

[EstherTb]

Side question: Are you guys having trouble loading this thread with all the images? I could put them in spoiler tags if y'all think that would improve the reading experience. Or I could make the images thumbnails.

Nah it’s been fine so far!

 

[Syril Dawntreader]

Side question: Are you guys having trouble loading this thread with all the images? I could put them in spoiler tags if y'all think that would improve the reading experience. Or I could make the images thumbnails.

I've had no problems

 

[Smiley100P]

I’m going to be angry if anything happens to him! To either of them!

Oh no.

 

[Avidro]

Tamara's fangirling over the wholesomeness of the Prologue is both heart-warming and gut-wrenching.

At least she has some idea that there's no way it can last. Also, I'm impressed with her putting together the pieces between the two black silhouette transfer scenes! I'm sure I missed that on my first read of the old prologue...

*awkward guilty Chapter 13 fidgeting*

(Can this be the official Chapter 13 emoticon?)

 

[Zules]

Nah it’s been fine so far!

I've had no problems

Thanks for the feedback; I'll just continue on like I have been, then.

(Can this be the official Chapter 13 emoticon?)

Or we could use... an image from chapter 13!