One of few comics that is light on text. Graphically, it has a nicely done crescendo from silence to a massive pursuit.
Cast
Transcript
- Panel 1
A Tropical island. Big purple peak in the center, forested lowlands and sandy beaches.
- Panel 2
A tortoise quietly eats grass in the forest.
- Panel 3
An arrow flies over its head.
- Panel 4
Elan comes running.
Elan: *huff!* *huff!* *huff!*
Elan steps on the tortoise, "thumph!"
- Panel 5
The tortoise looks up, irritated.
- Panel 6
Daigo, carrying Durkon, steps on the tortoise, "thumph!"
- Panel 7
The tortoise looks up, angry.
- Panel 8
mungo and crong run past and step on the tortoise too: "thumph! thumph!"
- Panel 9
gok, Short-haired Female Orc and another orc run past, stepping on the tortise, "thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph!"
- Panel 10
27 orcs run past: "thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph! thumph!"
- Panel 11
The tortoise, carrying a suitcase, rushes past and overtakes Elan.
Elan: Awww, man! I hate it when a scene begins "in medias res"!
Elan: I never know what's going on until like two strips later!
D&D Context
- Orcs are a staple monster of D&D, drawing their inspiration from the race of creatures of the same name created by J.R.R. Tolkien in his Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Trivia
- In medias res, is when a narrative picks up in the middle of the action, filling in the details of how it got there through subsequent exposition.
- The title, and the tortoise, refer to Aesop's Fable of The Tortoise and the Hare from the 5th century B.C.
- This is the first appearance of some of the Orcs of Orc Island: crong, mungu, Balding Orc, gok, Long-bearded Scarred Orc, Tan Loinclothed Orc and Short-haired Female Orc.