I feel vindicated in the fact that other people have apparently come up with the same theory as I did, (the face switching theory) it seems to make the most sense from a story structure standpoint. it's generally good form to only introduce details if they come into play later in the story. Jerry and Mike are definitely aware of this which is why i think the scene where we learn that model parts are interchangeable and the betty and pearl "know" each other, is a setup for us to know that something, if not the face then the eyes, has been switched between betty and pearl before the end of the story. additionally, I think that certain details others have mentioned further corroborate the theory of the face switch. since the robot regal is attacked by in the apartment has had its mouth damaged in addition to its eyes, and the fact that the eyes are likely direct indicators of brain function, as evidenced in the first Automata storyline, it seems like its more likely for the faceplate to be switched rather than the eyes. as to what the motive for any of this could be, i'm afraid i'm still in the dark, but that's what makes automata such an engaging and thrilling story. i only wish we could get more of it on the regular.
@IamFred: wow, yeah, wonder what's up with that? No updates for almost two weeks now. I hope it doesn't go the way of The Trenches. I really like what the guys are doing with this story, and this has always been my favorite storyline at PA.
I believe the current storyline is "done". Automata storylines rarely get closure, alas.
Next they'll probably return to one of their other side-settings: the Eyrewood, the planet of Sand, or something else.
What?! But... I wanted to see where the battery and the.... awww, nooo. I was actually following this and that's IT? That's NOTHING. That's not even a chapter! That's like they just got sick of illustrating or whatever and just walked off and called it 'art'. Or whatever. Jesus, this could be a topic of one of their daily strips! None of it makes much sense, left like this. Why did they bother?
I am not talking about 'closure', I am talking about continuing the story - as it stands, there's nothing there to 'close', for Pete's sake. I don't mind using my imagination, but dropping a bit of story in there and then walking off as if to say 'finish it yourself' is bogus. The previous installment featured another artist, and it was a good little chunk of story, filling in a lot of continuity, and promising more. It had a beginning, a middle and an end. This is just a beginning, and a stuttery one at that.
It's like the whole thing, with Child's Play, the various strips, their own lives and families, and all the interesting things they see and do, are just too much for them to juggle. I know the feeling, especially as I get older. Not enough time to do all the cool stuff your brain keeps turning out. But I don't turn out half a finished electronic project or story, and then tell the reader or customer that they will have to finish it on their own. I knows those two ain't lazy, but after this, I begin to believe they are spread a little too thin.
Curious. I'm leaning towards Pearl face switched with the victim Betty.
Is it coincidence or deliberate that in scene where the "Betty" model that attacked Regal, her clickwise is the exact same phrase as Betty's conversation with Carl except the phrase is flipped vertically upside down? Also, the final line spoken by the green-eyed "Betty"-- perhaps Pearl-- has a different font than whatrobots like Carl or Betty use: the font is more similar to the humans speaking.
I love the art. I THINK I love the story, but I'm confused, like I think many are. Is the man in the last picture even Regal? I'm guessing not?
I believe Carl changing his faceplate was a significant Chekov's gun relating to Pearl/Betty, but that's all I got...
So the corpse at the beginning of the comic isn't Regal? Cause from the beginning I thought that it was him.
Yeah this kind of got lost in all of the attempts at sussing our the correct interpretation of the ending. Does kind of seem like a red herring. The corpse's hair color is different I guess?
There was a discussion about the corpse in one of the earlier page threads, somewhere around five, plus or minus. I weighed in and thought the corpse didn't really look like Regal, which seems to be a correct interpretation given how this story "ended."
So... is this the intended end of the story? If this is the end I'm never going to be excited about Automata again. You never find out what happens to anyone or anything. Your investment in the story is a complete waste of your time.
Even in the other one they did, where last one, where the final page at least seems like an ending, you get a story where Regal and Carl discover a song that can infect robots and apparently do nothing about it. And then we move on to another story with the same characters where the previous story might as well not have happened
And this one is even worse! We don't even get any clarity as to who killed who, what anyone within the story thinks is going on, and whether everyone is even alive at the end of the day. The last page feels like it should be a page in the middle of the story.
Heck, I enjoy ambiguity in stories. I'm a huge fan of Primer, which intentionally didn't answer questions or lead to anything resembling closure. But what Automata does isn't ambiguity. All they ever do is stop stories in the middle and never return to them, not letting the audience know what happened. And not even because the characters don't know what happened. And not because we're supposed to question what happens in the future, because we get sequels that shows what happens to the characters in the future without answering any questions. Mike and Jerry just can't be bothered to tell us what happened.
This is crap. This is complete crap. Jerry Holkins is a bad writer.
Finally created an account because I still can't figure this one out...
Am I going crazy or is that Regal dead on the cover, sitting under several inches of snow (and his own blood)? If so, can we take that to mean that he was on the short end of the altercation on page 10?
I also think the alley ambush wasn't a coincidence. Betty knew Regal was coming, and it was basically her idea that he leave Pearl alone. The timing is too perfect.
Posts
When Carl talks about the kinship shared with other Swangee men he says;
"There are things only another swangee would know."
And then in response to Regal's question as to whether Betty & Pearl know each other;
"No one else could."
I'm pretty sure those two statements, taken together, confirm it.
I agree, but I think they like to leave the story ambiguous.
Next they'll probably return to one of their other side-settings: the Eyrewood, the planet of Sand, or something else.
I am not talking about 'closure', I am talking about continuing the story - as it stands, there's nothing there to 'close', for Pete's sake. I don't mind using my imagination, but dropping a bit of story in there and then walking off as if to say 'finish it yourself' is bogus. The previous installment featured another artist, and it was a good little chunk of story, filling in a lot of continuity, and promising more. It had a beginning, a middle and an end. This is just a beginning, and a stuttery one at that.
It's like the whole thing, with Child's Play, the various strips, their own lives and families, and all the interesting things they see and do, are just too much for them to juggle. I know the feeling, especially as I get older. Not enough time to do all the cool stuff your brain keeps turning out. But I don't turn out half a finished electronic project or story, and then tell the reader or customer that they will have to finish it on their own. I knows those two ain't lazy, but after this, I begin to believe they are spread a little too thin.
Is it coincidence or deliberate that in scene where the "Betty" model that attacked Regal, her clickwise is the exact same phrase as Betty's conversation with Carl except the phrase is flipped vertically upside down? Also, the final line spoken by the green-eyed "Betty"-- perhaps Pearl-- has a different font than whatrobots like Carl or Betty use: the font is more similar to the humans speaking.
I believe Carl changing his faceplate was a significant Chekov's gun relating to Pearl/Betty, but that's all I got...
Yeah this kind of got lost in all of the attempts at sussing our the correct interpretation of the ending. Does kind of seem like a red herring. The corpse's hair color is different I guess?
Even in the other one they did, where last one, where the final page at least seems like an ending, you get a story where Regal and Carl discover a song that can infect robots and apparently do nothing about it. And then we move on to another story with the same characters where the previous story might as well not have happened
And this one is even worse! We don't even get any clarity as to who killed who, what anyone within the story thinks is going on, and whether everyone is even alive at the end of the day. The last page feels like it should be a page in the middle of the story.
Heck, I enjoy ambiguity in stories. I'm a huge fan of Primer, which intentionally didn't answer questions or lead to anything resembling closure. But what Automata does isn't ambiguity. All they ever do is stop stories in the middle and never return to them, not letting the audience know what happened. And not even because the characters don't know what happened. And not because we're supposed to question what happens in the future, because we get sequels that shows what happens to the characters in the future without answering any questions. Mike and Jerry just can't be bothered to tell us what happened.
This is crap. This is complete crap. Jerry Holkins is a bad writer.
Am I going crazy or is that Regal dead on the cover, sitting under several inches of snow (and his own blood)? If so, can we take that to mean that he was on the short end of the altercation on page 10?
I also think the alley ambush wasn't a coincidence. Betty knew Regal was coming, and it was basically her idea that he leave Pearl alone. The timing is too perfect.
Looks like him. Same suit, same nose. I guess the chin is a little too narrow... I just want answers!