DJ Kirkbride and Adam P. Knave: Krandle’s Got a Handle, and Amelia Cole Buys the First Taco

Amelia Cole Amelia Cole 

The issue saw Hector acclimating to the non-magic world, while Amelia’s trip to the magic world put her at odds with law enforcement. Both of them, though, found unlikely friends.

Remember: This is a spoiler-filled conversation. If you haven’t read Amelia Cole #20 yet, buy it here and read along with us.

DJK: Magic! And luck. And time in-between panels…?

APK: That pile of “crap” as you call it was a specially stacked filing system made from… oh no, she dropped all the books last time through, so it was just a pile, huh? Yup. Musta been magic and luck. Also- – did we really want to read an entire issue of “Nope not this book?”

DJK: That might be a bold experiment, Adam. Get the internets a’ tweetin’, you know?

We see Hector freed from the crush of responsibility for the first time here. It’s got to be tempting for him to just throw up his hands, say “f— it,” and stay in the non-magical world, doesn’t it?

APK: Hector’s road is a rough one. When we met him he was a long-time hero and then after a disgrace he ended up in a military unit and this is the first time we’ve seen him have any downtime at all. Any Hector-time. We all need breaks. But will duty overcome that need for him? That’s what Hector needs to work out.

DJK: Yeah, Hector doesn’t know what to do with this new life at first! It was easy to peg him as a bad guy at worst, jerk at best at the start, but we’ve seen him grow and develop into a pretty heroic fella. Now he finds himself in a situation he doesn’t understand at ALL. Unlike Amelia, he knows nothing of these other worlds, nor does he even conceive of a way to get back. He’s more of a warrior-type, while we’re seeing Amelia has some hankering for the book smarts, maybe a little more like her Aunt Dani. So while her first inclination is to find a way back, he doesn’t even conceive of it. This is his life now. What does he do with this new life? And, hey, there’s a pretty lady who seems to like him, so… that’s cool! He’s never had this before, and there’s a lot of fun to catch up on.

DJK: APK: Was Amelia TRYING to send Krandle down the stairs? The surprise lines over her head make it look like it wasn’t strategic. APK: DJK: So if she’s got this badass reputation, what’s wrong with Krandle that he just comes after her alone? DJK: APK: DJK: APK: DJK: What are the odds Hector just bumps into Laura without there being some great design at play? APK: DJK: DJK: APK: I feel like “Doctor Krane’s” should be a Scarecrow reference but instead it reminds me of “Mr. Plow.” DJK: APK:

DJK: I straight up did not notice that at all. How can expect people to pay attention to our book when I myself don’t know what’s going on half the time. I need to be more like Krandle. I need to… get a handle.

That said, I’m pretty sure the “who’s got you” counts as a Superman: The Movie nod.

APK: Worse it’s a call-back to issue 2 as well. We had Amelia’s first big hero moment on the Blended World be her saving a woman falling from a helicopter. So Hector’s in a world new to him, also echoed one of the greatest superhero movie scenes of all time.

DJK: Adam says “worse,” while i say “better”! Yeah, total Superman: The Movie nod. My whole LIFE is a Superman: The Movie nod.

DJK: APK: DJK: Amelia is getting into the swing of this whole evil conspiracy thing, no? She puts it together without too much work. APK: DJK: What is it about Amelia that she seems to find a way to make fast, loyal friends wherever she goes? DJK:

APK: Also she buys the first tacos.