Insolent Children Punch Ghosts Real Hard: Paranatural

It's that or he's DJ's brother, I think, buuut this makes more sense, probably.

 

This town, man.

 

Spoiler: Wait a minute

Is that how vampire rules work? You can revoke the invitation at any time? I thought once you said "come in" you couldn't say "get out" anymore, but this makes a lot more sense.

Spoiler: Also

wait WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN, CODY'S SCHOOL?!

EDIT:

Spoiler: I just realized

"he hurt my friend" - Cody considers Max to be his friend? d'awwwwwww, I guess the mysterious kid who's president of the school and the son of a vampirate who wanted to murder Hijack isn't a bad guy. That's so sweet!

 

Spoiler

CODY IS STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT????

is. is cody setting up this weird anime-esque shenangianry just because he.... loves anime...? he is just that anime...? WHAT IS GOING ON WITH CODY.

 

Paranatural is the second work of fiction I've seen to use this concept without some kind of massive ritual spell thingy. The other is Sluggy Freelance. I'm so, so happy to see it in play, because it's just the best, and, yeah, makes way more sense.

 

Spoiler: A few thoughts

One: What vampire traits did Cody inherit from his father (we saw some strength and speed in the hitball fight, but what else)? Mainly a consideration because of the next question: are Davy's vampirism and apparent spectral abilities linked? If he's a turned vampire, then the whole undead thing would certainly count as the sort of death-related experience that would trigger becoming a spectral. Assuming that it isn't completely tied into the whole ghost/spirit thing. As opposed to like, gently interconnected with the whole death-> spectral trigger. I have barely slept in two days I may not be making much sense. ANYWAY. If Cody did inherit anything, with death -> spectral trigger theory he's not any kind of undead or pseudo-undead because he can't see Hijack. And if there's some innate tie between vampirism and Ghost/Spirit Shit then Cody didn't get enough to have spectral traits, even as basic as ghost vision.

Also: That brief shit-flip a couple pages back over the VP. "I thought we defeated her" and Davy's talk of keeping Hijack out of the hands of "the witch."

ALSO ALSO: What if the anime bullshit and the whole student council thing... is a distraction? Like the town is ass deep in Weird Shit and even without things coming to a head there's fighting grudges in the hallways and such. And if the VP is/was involved in things, and a major player, and apparently enough of a threat to trigger a freakout, then Cody (who may know these things because of his dad) might be running a spectacular sideshow that keeps the VP constantly chasing after rulebreakers (which she clearly has a Thing about) instead of... doing vague Evil Things? And the student body is pulled into it and enraptured, playing along, so they don't notice the Weird Shit happening elsewhere.

 

i'm just. loving. that this comic does a Thing i love where - you expect that there's just ONE group of weird kids, right? you have your club that fights ghosts. and everyone else is normal, except for if they get involved with the ghost kids. but no. everyone at this school is weird. the whole town is like this. the math club probably pilots robots in another universe on the weekends. the scholastic decathalon team probably visits narnia. everyone has their own Thing going on!

also

Spoiler

theory: lisa is cody's sister, y/y

 

Spoiler

so--so cody operates under vampire rules? ???? does that make him a... vampire-in-progress or something? because he's not undead, but clearly he at least appears to be bound by them. and, okay, the school is.. his, but his father can still give him orders? what the heeeeeeeeeck is going on here
that hooksword weapon is pretty sweet, but can cody bisect hijack without seeing him? i mean, he's dizzy enough, but. shrugs.
(worst case scenario: hijack possesses cody, cody is obligated to chop himself in half)

 

Spoiler

I'd guess that "the school is his" specifically means that he has authority to revoke entry permission, and Orders From Dad are operating on a separate Vampire Rule, probably "obey your sire." Which, yeah, could mean he's a half-turned vampire or a dhampir who some rules and powers apply to and some don't, though I don't think we're going to be able to guess well until we know a little more about how vampires work here.

 

Spoiler: I think I know where this is going

He didn't say anything about them having to be equal parts. If he cuts off a pseudotentaclefinger, that's cutting him in two.

 

Spoiler

I just noticed that Lisa's eyes are the same sort of usually-plausibly-deniably glowing pale blue as Cody's.

 

Spoiler: An update

THIS IS THE THING I DON'T WANT

 

Spoiler

OH THAT'S SO GOOD BUT O H NOOOOOOOO

 

Spoiler

today in "things that should not have happened:

FUCKING.

THIS.

 

D:

 

Spoiler

Me@Hijack:

 

Spoiler

honestly, i kind of feel like morrison is screwing with us. like, we're gonna find out that hijack can survive being bisected, or that cody didn't actually cut him right down the center, or something.
that could be majorly wishful thinking, though.

 

That's the great thing. Morrison is good enough at playing with expectations that either option is entirely plausible.

It's also the TERRIBLE thing, for the same reason.

 

Spoiler: Fun fact about brains

It is possible for the two halves to survive separately. Sometimes.

 

Spoiler: panel edit

this panel screwed me up so here it is transparent
it's kinda screwy outline-wise, but. yknow