The Division: CORE

[Uzobono]

Any timeframe for the next issue? And possibly a cover?
Anxiously waiting.

Closer than you think :p. Cover soon .

[Uzobono]

Cover .

[sohta123]

Just when I think you couldn't make a hotter cover than the ones previously you do this.
Blows me away.

Can't wait. Hoping for a near release date.

[bluemax2]

Here here!
Can't wait to see what the talented duo of Uzo and Tabico have come up with.

So far I don't think its a stretch to say this series is above and beyond many other MC series seen in the past. And that is saying a lot because this and related sites put out such consistently great work!

It almost makes you wish that this team could make an animated version of this story.
The detail in the story writing and art make this graphic "novel" on par with anything conventional one can get off the shelf.

Keep up the great work.

regards,

Bluemax

[Sumatra]

Whoa. Fucking awesome news.

Looks interesting, love the puppet theme. Timeline on a date?

-Sumatra

[xarielx]

Hi Uzo, being a long standing fan of Tabico's prolific work, I for one cannot wait for Friday. I have to admit this release was not on my radar, and I know it'll be worth poring through each page. The cover is by itself amazing, and I am simply counting the hours until its posted.

[bluemax2]

Uzo and tabico:
Are you still on for today?

Thank you.

Bluemax

[Uzobono]

It's on :p!

I'm *very* pleased to present the next installment of Tabico's 'CORE'! This issue is quite hefty so sit back and take your time, she's provided a LOT of details to drool over this time .

You can find Tabico's 'CORE #5: Alignment' here:

http://www.mccomix.com/gallery3/index.p ... -Alignment

or at my deviantart @ http://uzobono.deviantart.com/art/CORE- ... -448433978

[sohta123]

Absolutely blew my mind!
You both really have this great ability to create a great story with just the right amount of dialog and complexity as well as the perfect art and lighting to display it.
The next issue can't come soon enough.

I really love the directions you are taking the characters. And the types of control/corruption are just fantastic.

I can't help but wonder how much Tammy has changed since the program run on her involved drug pushing, murder, etc. Since she displays the lesbianism now one could only assume that she'd be perfectly willing to make an addict out of someone and then use that against them.

"Officer" Lilit is something of an enigma it seems. Purportedly on the side of 'the law' she certainly has no qualms in enslaving a fellow officer. I suspect there's much more to her than we know. Not sure where the story is actually going to go but it would be cool to see her make someone else like her genetically.

Officer Rossi more than any other character in all of the over-arching stories seems the truest protagonist. Not that I mind sacrificing the protagonist mind you.

Can we get a timeframe (month) you expect to release the next issue of this?

[xarielx]

I hesitate to even try my hand to review this amazing piece Uzo and Tabico, I somehow doubted that you could surpass "Zonedance", yet you have, and with conviction. While I felt "Zonedance" was slightly stronger visually, the club, the patrons, the amazing room set-pieces, Mistress Ocqua herself, the ebb and flow of "Alignment" felt more natural, as well as many more plot related avenues opening up. The cold open with the two businesswomen did not prepare me in the slightest for the weight of the entire issue, and I'm now curious what that scene portends, or its importance.

Visually, you've delivered once again, it almost feels as if one were watching stills from a film, as many of your work does, and it is all the better for it. I could close my eyes and imagine Doctor Exis prancing about her lab, or the halls of Core ringing with the sound of implanted officers footfalls. Visual highlights from this issue were the scenes such as Doctor Exis conversing with the Director as the drone is strapped idly by, this is an assumption, I would hazard that the drone was captured? Tammy's workout scene leading to her first lesbian encounter was, in my opinion, one of the most erotic things I've seen.

To spare you a wall of text, I believe a review of each pertinent character is in order. Melanie, our primary protagonist throughout Core, seems to be threading the eye of the needle, her remark that the Director is "playing dangerous games" I believe is more indicative of her actions than the Director herself. The character growth for each of the three primaries is powerful, though I believe Melanie has escaped, thus far, with her mind and convictions intact, and this may prove to be her downfall as seemingly everything around her changes.

A point which reflects her tie-in with Lilit. Visually a character that, with her omnitool-like control device, wonderful to look at by the way, seems akin to the Asari of the Mass Effect universe, and at first displays the camaraderie for Melanie that at first glance, seems innocuous. I admit to having been fooled by her demeanor. When she takes control of Nicole, which was delivered masterfully, and making Nicole denounce her friendship, loyalty and swearing herself to Lilit, its clear she has a rock solid agenda, particularly in regards to Melanie. The Director must know that Lilit is not who she says she is, then I question the dog and pony show that was put onto Melanie in her office, perhaps this is a way to get rid of Melanie without getting rid of her? A situation where the newcomer will learn the tricks of the trade and dispose of the teacher.

Lumping in Tammy with Nicole seems unfair, however, both share the similarity of changing their personalities at a fundamental level, for the reason that both seem to be loyal to Melanie and to a large extent, their old personalities. The shift forced on Tammy by Exis seems brutal, as personally I believe a small part of the naive, lovable, friendly persona seems to have been killed off. It dawned on me, personally that here was Tammy who for lack of a better term, was a reprehensible human being, for 13 years in her mind, and woken up to a new outlook on life. Nicole shares this, though her conversion is more direct. We know that while Tammy and Nicole were forced into being implanted, a fact that eludes Melanie still, the forced conversion of Nicole into Lilit's slave, if shown to Melanie, would be a nail on the coffin to whatever altruistic notions that Melanie may have had toward Core. Despite her innate sense of right and wrong, and her actions, which include treating her friends as people rather than slaves, Melanie still loses Tammy to Exis' machinations, and Nicole to the newest officer who claimed her at first sight.

The finishing reveal with the now sleeper Zarah, and Exis as the patron soliciting a deal from the Hive, left this issue on such a cliffhanger that I simply cannot think of waiting for your next issue, which I hope will be soon. There is much more detail in this issue than I could begin to review, such as the implication of the Director offhandedly remarking about Ricki Marks but for brevity's sake, I thank you both for delivering beyond expectations and for your hard work.

[Sumatra]

Holy hell, that was fucking mindblowing.

Can't give you enough props, this issue set the bar higher than I would have thought possible.

Lilit might be the best villain I've read in your stories, thats sayin a lot. How she enslaved Nicole was fucking amazing. Speaking of, how much of Nicole is left lol? First she gets programmed or drugged to be implanted, then last issue she's changed enough for Melanie to notice, now she's fully owned by someone. Definitely not what she thought she'd get into with CORE I think.

Don't think Melanie's going to catch any more breaks. If Tammy and Nicole didn't have her back at the club last issue, Melanie for sure would be serving in the club. Core seems to be just as bad as the club or the Agency or hive, interested to see how Melanie will deal with all this, if Nicole don't stab her in the back first.

Amazing fucking visuals again, Tammy going from normal to militant lesbo was amazing, specially so dominant, wonder how that will go over with Melanie. Loved the part with Nicole even getting shocked, like its way fucking weird.

That scene was fucking great with the drone, nice to see theyre not so dangerous alone.That only for those drones? Cause if they get any like Ruby, there's trouble. Things tied together pretty epicly with the first couple of issue, seems Exis learned from the drones? Or getting tech. If so, that's not good, wonder why they're working with the hive theyre supposed to fight.

Fucking awesome again, can't wait until the next issue, lots of questions here.

-Sumatra

[Adon]

Another grand slam home run. I'm always amazed at how the intrigue just keeps ramping up. Now it appears that everyone has an agenda, and it's a question of who knows what about whom? Melanie has already unearthed something on Lilit, but it's not clear who is holding the trump cards just yet. And the doc, to perhaps no-one's surprise, is interested in forming a working 'relationship' with the Hive. Not to mention that the Hive seems to have grown beyond the Agency, and has its own agenda.

One of the central themes appears to be how easily corruption sets in in this dystopian world. The initial bit with the casual commentary about wishing they could just enslave all the Class C citizens shows just how callous many of those in the social elite are. It's already clear that Class C's can be arrested for blowing their nose on the wrong brand of tissue, and other stories indicate that nobody is really safe if one of these corporations really wants to get their hands on you. Core itself was already pretty iffy, to be generous, and now it's being compromised all over the place. Of course, how much the Commander knows and is arranging is unrevealed. I couldn't help but notice how leery the twins got at some of Melanie's language. Yeah, it could be written off as just kidding... but how much can you compromise your conscience and still be able to be called one of the good guys? Granted, Melanie is the 'whitest' hat out there, but that's just in comparison to the jet black all around her. It raises the issue of whether it is good enough to simply be better than the opposition, when the opposition is pretty vile.

Wondering if this will be one of Tabico's very rare 'good ends', but it's a testament to the writing that I remain interested even knowing chances are that none of the protagonists will come out with their minds intact.

[bluemax2]

Uzo and Tabico:
Any news on the next installment?
We all really look forward to it.

Uzo, I understand you'll be on vacation till sometime in August. If that's the case then have a good vacation and hope to see your great art and stories then.
Although I'm sure a peak at the upcoming art or snippets would be most appreciated by all.

Keep up the great art and story. You both have many many fans and admirers.
This story especially is like "Game of Drones" with many twists and turns that keep us all on our toes.

Hope to see your great works soon.

Thank you both.

Bluemax

[Sumatra]

Timeline on the next issue Uzo? Can't wait to see you back in action.

-Sumatra

[bluemax2]

Uzo and Tabico:
Any news about the next installment of Core?
Can't wait to see what's been happening.

Thank you both.
Keep up the great work.


Bluemax