Yes, That Is His Name
Okay. I’m going to admit it. I’m floored by the response Grace has gotten over the past two strips. O_o I really did not expect that reaction or all these new people coming out of the woodworks (*waves to lurkers* I wuv you all! :D) .
Don’t get me wrong, I’m positively giddy about it because I’ve been waiting for what? Two, three years to reveal him? The fact it’s been received well is awesome. But yeah. Wow.
So…maybe you all can help with a reader participation – what exactly about Grace is making you all squee? XD
(Edit: Thanks for all the answers. XD I honestly didn’t understand the appeal before.)
Oh. And Robot Unicorn Attack is like the most addictive game ever.
After Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, of course. *clings to her copy and proceeds to squee and fangirl happily over the newest Phoenix Wright game*
Song Listening Recommendation:
“Always” by Erasure
38 Comments
I have a guess as to why Grace is so popular… I’ll keep it to myself, though. I’m sure Liliy knows why. XD
He certainly is a jerk though. That poor child is in for a world of torment.
And yay for Robot Unicorn Attack! XD
Im still wondering how Azzie puts up with him.
“I don’t think I care anymore.”
Hee~ Such a perfect response to that type of prodding.
I guess I’ll join the ranks of people yay-ing about Grace’s reveal. So awesome to see him at last! We all suspected that Azrael wasn’t (entirely) crazy. XD
Very nice plot point handling and interest-piquing, there, over these last few pages. Azrael’s recent comment (telling us that there might be something to see, not just hear) was well placed. :D
Liliy’s shota side is showing through… :P
Shhh! We aren’t supposed to mention that. :P
XD Ok, I might as well come out of the woodwork to answer this one, as well.
Grace is a jerk. In a sword. How much more awsome does he have to be?
It’s not really only that, however, I kind of like Grace and Azrael in a combo, however. If there was no Azrael, I think Grace’s awsome-ness would be slightly watered down. I suppose it’s due to the love/hate thing Azrael has for him, and the way Az has to chide Grace almost every page. In example: “Not now, Grace.” “Be quiet, Grace.” “Take that back, Grace.” etc. etc. etc. It goes to stand… there’s no wonder why Grace is such a mouthy jerk; he wants a reaction to his words and he always gets one. XD In short, I do believe he’s attention seeking, and I find that adorable… but he’s a jerk about it, and that’s what I find awsome.
And the title of his debut page “You thought he’d be pretty?” D: I still think you’re pretty, Grace. *loves on*
This! This was what I was going to say. Esp. this line: “I suppose it’s due to the love/hate thing Azrael has for him, and the way Az has to chide Grace almost every page. In example: “Not now, Grace.” “Be quiet, Grace.” “Take that back, Grace.””
Also, I love characters that are big jerks a lot. xD
I love Azreal and I adore Grace! <3
I think Grace's charming point is that twisted, almost sadistic sort of humor and atmosphere that he seems to have about him.
And I also have to say, now that we're seeing Grace for the first time, only one past scene comes to my mind. Way back in the archives when Azreal and Sváfa were watching wrestling and Grace was asking about her bra just to embarrass Azreal makes me laugh so much harder now xD
You just made a very bad day a little bit brighter.
Thank you.
Hey, I’m one of your lurkers. Never had the guts to post before. But for me I think it’s the eyes, the hair, and the overall character of grace that makes me squee. (I’ve always liked darker/creepier characters)
…If I’m completely honest, the thing I like most about Grace is that he’s attractive enough to pair him up with Azrael XD
Amen to that! XD
What I like about him?
Well… I’ve always, always loved the snarky jerks. Can’t help it! Plus… He’s a ghost in a sword. I mean, really. How awesome is that?
What do i adore about Grace?
Well… somehow he;s more *awesome* being all creepy and scary. And I love what a jerk he is- we kinda already *knew* that (see the bra incedent), but theres something just so… delectable about him.
It;s hard to put my finger on… he;s all snarkyand awfull and clearly at least halfway responsible for corrupting a polite little boy into a mass murderer, and for some reason all of that is awesome.
Because Grace is dark, snarky, evil with class, and he’s pretty enough to turn straight men gay. Its very uncomfortable.
You have awesome art! You should try putting your stuff on comichovel.com!
(No relation!)
I like the way his dialogue isn’t centered in his word balloons! That’s a wonderful effect, and not one I recall having seen before!
To be honest, I’m not squeeing. I mean, he’s creeeeeepy. xD But I do like this arc, and the way you’ve built up the tension, and now I’m really curious about what happened the time Azreal finally managed to ditch Grace as a kid. Why did it make his mood change from “Oh god get it away from me I’m free, freeeeeeee!” to wanting Grace back? So, yeah.
Because he’s pretty.
In that creepy, hiding in your closet, stab you when your not looking kind of way.
Nice job drawing all of Grace’s different facial expressions. Also nice touch showing Azrael initially being inclined to refer to Grace at a “what” instead of a “who.” XD
Grace has appeal because he is so strange-looking and has a somewhat twisted sense of humor. He’s amusing because he is a blatantly weird character who doesn’t hesitate to misbehave. XD
i’m feeling kinda sad because my all time favorite characters and pairing was Wiglaf/Mordred but now that Grace is here i..i’m actually having second thoughts! i absolutly love Grace mostly because of his attitude. also his hair kinda fits in with the creepy ghostey thing he seems to have going on.
he is creepily awesome. but thw the that gets me is, if grace is a guy, why does azrael like to cuddle and sleep with him? odd. :/
I don’t really like Grace as much as I like little pouting Azrael. He’s so cuuuute~
You got Ace Attorney Investigations?! I’ve been waiting and waiting for it to come out, and I still haven’t got my copy yet! I’m really hoping it’s good; Apollo Justice wasn’t as good as the others and Edgeworth is my absolute favorite!
Aw~ I liked Apollo. He was a cutie.
And so far so good~ Edgeworth and Gumshoe are an awesome team. XD
Actually, I meant that the game as a whole wasn’t as good. Apollo was probably my favorite there, but I missed all the recurring characters! (Like Edgeworth and Gumshoe! :D )
That’s why Edgeworth and Gumshoe got a game all to themselves. :P
The main thing that makes Grace stand out is the insane build-up you’ve been doing since you introduced the idea that he was more than just a sword. It’s lovely to see him at last. I love his design in general. He looks villainous and it makes you wonder how he ended up in the sword to begin with.
I’ve also got a soft spot for Azrael so getting to know more about him is a major plus.
I definitely agree with this.
I think a big part of it is that there was this huge build up around Grace, but no one really expect you to reveal the truth.
Grace in a way is the greatest fanservice I’ve ever seen.
Not to mention the surprise you stacked on top of everything when you revealed how creepy Grace truly is. I had assumed the sword was a bit jaded but this was quite a bit beyond that.
I think the best bit about Grace is how he his personality and just the way he acts. ^^
Grace is deliciously sardonic and has a sort of just plain look-at-me-I’m-evil thing going for him that I can’t help but love ^^ -huggles Grace-
Well, I suppose this was as good a time as any to cut the lurking act, as well…
Let’s get right to the point, shall we? I like Grace because he’s perfectly at peace with who he is. He knows he’s evil, he knows he’s a jerk, he knows he’s a monster, and he seemingly wants nothing to change all of these things. He just cheerfully points out that he’s not a very nice person, and runs with it. And runs people over in the process, brandishing a self-satisfied smirk all the while. To me, he seems to be the type of person who does evil for the sake of evil. An evil overachiever, as it were. “I spy with my little eye an adorable little redheaded boy! Oh, what FUN we will have…” Wacky hi-jinks ensue!
… I really have nothing else to say about him. Other than that I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Who IS Azrael’s grandfather, anyway, if he had been carrying around such a creepy “thing” until the time this strip showcases? A creepy “thing” that is usually wielded by mass-murderers, no less… ah well, I’ll be patient. Even if you don’t take the story down that particular thread, my Lady, I’ll be far from unhappy. :]
Honestly, I kinda preferred the strip in black and white. Did you think about trying it in monochrome or greyscale?
Not really planning on going back to b&w after making the shift to color. Part of using color was to help tell characters apart. ^^; So it’s serving a function as much as a visual.
(Also coming out of the woodwork. It was quite comfy there, but this is as good a time as any to join the commentors)
I think part of the appeal is we get to see something that wasn’t really hinted at besides the comments Azrael made to his sword, which I, probably along with others, chalked up to crazy. To quote Horatio it is a “house of lunacy.” Which is quite enjoyable by the way :D He’s also very different from the other characters in terms of his eyes, which are rather appealing. And to agree with the others: he’s a ghost(?) in a sword, that’s just cool. :P
Wow, a jerk you can stab people with!
Grace is amazing. I don’t think you’re ugly, Grace! *hugs*
And little Azrael is adorable. Something about that hairstyle is lovely… :$
*is catching up after long haitus and broken internet*
I love Grace because
1. He’s sexy. There I said it.
2. He’s dark/creepy and my recent obsession with darkstuff has gotten out of hand! xD
3. I can relate. My mom gave me a name that means “A Reason to Celebrate” when all I do is rant about how I hate it, make her life hell, have mental issues, and whine.
Oh yeah, I relate
Grace is my new favorite character. Tops all of them. No matter how awesome, amazing they are. Thank you for making him real <3
Oh, how I love r evil evil evil characters with sexy smirking cold manipulative personalities. The true evil chessmasters. :love:
Now I wonder about all those jokes back then when it seems Azrael was rather… loveydovey with his sword; Azrael doesn't seem so taken with Grace at the moment buuut hmmm… *wants to go and reread*