Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject: CHAPTER 88: ROOT AND BRANCH (Part 1 of 2)
We see several "Us & Them" teams working together to "bag & tag" three targets, on in Antarctica, one in Australia and one in the African Congo. (I'm assuming that Sabine Hazel is the "Us" half of an "Us & Them" consisting of her and Julien Dumont.)
The U&T teams of Thompson Jr. & Donna Dunlap and Bianca Karina & Devin Patterson quickly overwhelm their targets, who happen to be identical, while Sabine's target ("Target Three" - also identical to the other targets) apparently catches wind of her and makes a run for it through the jungle. In the end, he seems to have jumped off a cliff to escape capture.
Back at Primatech, a woman (Sabine? can't be sure here but I think that is who this is supposed to be) questions Julien about whether they have any leads on "Target Three" (who is a "duplicate" who has gone rogue, similar to "Target One" and "Target Two", and likely four [or more] others.) Julien, revealed to be the "Root" of the duplicates (identical to them as well, obviously), says he can sense where "Target Three" is. The narrator (also Sabine?) claims that this strange, seeing as "Target Three" is dead. (Which she seems to be certain of, by having looked down upon his broken body at the bottom of the cliff.)
Editorial Comment: I believe that the last two panels on page 7 are flash-back sequences, taking place immediately after the final panel of page 6, while the top two panels on page 7 (with the "any leads" / "I can sense" conversation) are at a later point in time. This is evidenced by the fact that "Target One" seems to be in the back left corner of the holding cell, and "Target Two" seems to be sitting on the table in the holding cell. These two panels appear to take place after the three agent teams have returned from their mission.
Also, apparently someone isn't telling something - it seems that Sabine (assuming that is her in the top two panels of page 7) hasn't mentioned that "Target Three" jumped off a cliff and killed himself - which it would seem likely that she would have known - why wouldn't she have found her way down there to check, even if she couldn't see his body from above?
Anyway, this was definately better than the "As Primatech Turns" feel of the previous two comics, and it definately was more interesting. However, it also feels like it could either be leading up to something (with more little tidbits dropped that we won't recognize yet) or just be filler. (Which I think the last two probably were - but I could be - and hope I am - wrong.)
One final comment - this Julien Dumont has the ability to duplicate himself. The last time we saw that was with a man named Evan during the American Revolutionary War. He was the guy that fought Adam to a stand-still and made him realise he needed followers. Could Evan have some connection to Julien? Could they be related. Could they be the same person? Could his duplication have given him a form of immortality, and he eventually joined up with the Company (with or without Adam's knowledge and/or consent)? Just like Adam, if you're living for quite a few centuries, he would have needed to occasionally change his identity - just to avoid arousing suspicion. (We learned this from Highlander many years ago - its still true today!)
I'm still wondering where or how they're going to make the connection with Evs Dropper, but I'm enjoying being able to see the operatives and their missions as well.
I also had the nagging curiosity about the cloning. After all, as Ambience mentioned, the last time we'd seen a power like his, Evan had fought with Adam and achieved a draw. Impressive for someone to be able to stand up to someone who's lived for a couple hundred years, wouldn't you say?
Anyway, I am thinking that Sabine is going to be doing her own version of "shadow ops", and be double-checking any information that Julien gives her or any other operative. Mainly because I think she smells a rat.
loved it, especially....how do i say this 'the way it was setup' aka the panels etc....the way i read it was like...reading a book (which is better than a movie in my opinion) it was ...awesome, cool, especially when i had to scroll down.."cuz three is dead" and it showed his body...to be cont...awesome
I think you're trying to say you liked the storytelling style, or the layout so to speak. I really enjoyed that as well. It showed that there were three different stories being told (in the beginning at least) that were happening at the same time, and were connected. I was fairly sure even before I saw their faces that these targets were going to be duplicates of one aother - but I didn't place their "root" as the guy running the mission from home base until he showed up at the end.
After all, WHY is this guy helping to catch his clones?
And if he is working to catch them all, why did he lie about feeling the 3rd one?
Is there some kind of connection, or is he operating on his own schedule?
Maybe he's creating some extras to keep the operatives in the company busy and their attention elsewhere instead of looking for other threats, they're busy trying to chase down a bunch of Xerox copies...
Maybe the clones began to feel like HRG ultimately did and bolted the Company. Also, the Root could still "feel" number three because he has some regenerative powers or someone came across him who did.
ok about the regenerative power thing..u say it like ...you're SO certain like "well..its because ____" not even "i think its because ___" i have no doubt in my mind it had NOTHING to do with 'coming across' someone with regerative abilities
I'm honestly tired of all the folks hoping for another Peter or Sylar, to be completely frank.
I mean, what kind of "Maximum Potential" would Peter be if there were a few dozen just like him out there somewhere? Why would Adam and Primatech hunt him down if there was someone else out there who didn't know half of the things that Peter does?
I'd like to think that Sylar and Peter are two VERY unique individuals with very unique powers, and that we aren't going to be seeing folks like them for a long while, if at all!
Now, I can see a cloning man becoming powerful just because of his ability to make a few extra copies of himself, and keep his body mind and soul going. That would definitely put him on par with Adam, and that makes him one powerful person indeed!
Anyway, just my rant. Pay no attention to the grump guy behind the computer! I'm just having a really bad day, and decided it would be best served to say what was on my mind, and then go. See you tomorrow!
Why are we saying that who was being chased were copies of Julien?
Also, if the perp is like Evan, then if a copy is dead (#3 in this case) that doesn't mean that he's actually dead, does it? So, what Julien said could very well be true. He could have spawned a copy of himself while running in the jungle. That copy run away, while the one Sabine thought she was chasing jumped OFF the cliff... Just my two cents.
The copies that the operatives were chasing down were Julien's. It says near the end that he was the "root". This to me signifies that he's the one who created the clones in the first place. Maybe they got some kind of free will, and ran off to do their own thing, but they still got out and were running from capture.
It does strike me as being quite odd that Julien was the one overseeing the operation, being the instigator of the entire need for the ops in the first place.
Did he cause the clones to rebel, in order to ingratiate himself into Primatech's good graces?
I also wonder why his "partner" put him to the test like that. Knowing that his clone was dead, yet letting him say that he could "sense" where the supposedly escaped clone had run off to.
Maybe the "normal" partners aren't just there to help catch other evolved humans, but they're also there to keep a close eye on the "special" operatives in the company as well!
My only interesting guess as to where part 2 might go is that...
Perhaps Julien is not the root, but rather a branch posing as the root. This might have allowed the real root Julien to escape.
There also could be a hierarchy of layers (ie. Head root makes copies and maintains control and/or influence directly over them, 2ndary branches can make copies but can only sense where the copies go. Third level copies (seen dying in GN) cannot make copies.).
Never know... I imagine that what we'll get though will not be as interesting.
This whole rooting and branching business... I am starting not to like it.
I suspect, a major character next season will be like this. After all, one of the major baddies of the show, Adam, has fought such a power but only to a draw before. It's bound to reappear. It's just a suspicion mind you.
I like the ideas of Julien being a decoy "root" and the real Julien being one of the escapees.
I also like the idea of "Target Three" making a copy of himself in order to evade capture. However, I think that it is likely that Julien would have known if one of his clones made a copy - I mean, he can supposedly sense where they are, so I would think he'd also be able to sense how many there are. But who knows for sure?
I'm certain we'll get a few answers (and more questions) from tonight's GN. Until then...?
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