Trigun Bookclub: pancake-breakfast: Trigun Maximum Volume 8: Chapter 3-4

Original Tumblr Post: Chapter 3-4

Oh, good. I’m glad I have time for a couple more chapters because I wasn’t too keen on having to stop where I did last night.

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 8, Chapters 3-4 below.

Table of Contents

Chapter 3: Counter Attack!!

CW: Body horror?

Who in the heck is even capable of launching a reasonable counterattack here? Vash would have to get free, Eye of Michael and/or the leftover Gung-Ho Guns would have to care…. Do the people at Home know something we readers don’t? (I mean, they probably know a lot we don’t, but still.)
Ah, yeah, looks like Home is doing stuffs.
Heh, Home is equally skeptical of counterattacks, I see.
So, basically, it sounds like their plan is to cause enough trouble for Vash to appear somehow. I wonder if any of these folks actually know (or even suspect) where Vash is. They could really use Wolfwood right now.
Oh, man. Meryl really did get a huge dose of Vash’s memories, didn’t she? She looks pretty grim about it.

Forty men chasing Knives anywhere sounds like a trap set by Knives.
Awww, flashback Vash! Look at that floofy blond hair! He’s not even wearing glasses! He’s just… Vash.
It feels like this is a mixture of Luida telling the story in the present and panels showing the flashback. If I were to take a wild guess, this one panel is actually young Luida wanting to chase after Vash.

Man, Luida’s sharp. She’s gambling all of this on what she knows of Vash.
THE PLANT SMILED. GOSHDARNIT, STOP PRETENDING THEY’RE UNAWARE AND NOT SENTIENT TO SOME DEGREE!!! SHE SMILED BECAUSE SHE WAS THANKED!! Always remember to thank your Plants, people.
Yeah, take THAT memory, Knives! Your weird vat of sisters is fighting back in their own way.
WTF, did the plants project that vision?? Did Wolfwood see it, too?
Uhhhh, that ship seems to have grown some… appendages….

Dang, look at that crazy old military plane. That’s probably some fancy-pants tech for them.
Knives, honey, you look like a mess.
The Plants really are fighting back, aren’t they?
LOL, this panel, though.

CW: Blood, body horror

Hells yes! Let’s get to escaping!
I mean, seven months of restraining Vash with very little in terms of breaks would drain anyone. And it’s not like Knives cares if he’s burning through his most loyal and dedicated underling.
Vash looks exhausted.
Ohh, this could go poorly….
Heh. Can’t hold ’em both, Legato.
“Everything’s different when I’m back to back with him.”

Dang, as tired as he is, Vash is showing incredible control over his own abilities.
That’s right, carry your man out of there, Wolfy.
Ugh, Livio! Now is not the time!!!
Ah, they’re on the path to the orphanage. No wonder Wolfwood’s desperate enough to try moves like this.
LIVIO!!! NOW. IS NOT. THE TIME!!!!
Dammit, Livio’s not alone, either.
No thoughts. Just pain.

Aww, is that… little Livio? He really was just a twink.
Ugh, this is so beautiful and painful. I love his prayers. They’re so simple and heartfelt.

VAAAAAAASH!!! SAVE YOUR MAN!!!
Oh, man. Something something about Vash being the one to answer Wolfwood’s prayer. Wolfwood, you are deeply beloved by a literal angel.
Mini angel arm! Angel finger!
Vash just spitting their words back at them. He doesn’t have the patience for this after seven months of suffering.
Oh, shit. It’s Knives.
I think Elandira’s got it figured out.

I think Knives’ plan wasn’t very well thought out. Chances are this is gonna mess with Knives’ sense of self. Actually, that’s probably why so many people saw that vision. If he’s got their memories in him and he already exudes weird Plant aura even when asleep, then chances of him accidentally exuding a memory like that are high.
Yeah, they all underestimated how far Vash will go to save people. A person. It could just be one person. That person doesn’t even need to be as close to him or have done as much for him as Wolfwood has. His body is a testament to how far he’ll go to save others.
Knives looks like he might have realized he done fucked up. Or, at the very least, that his plan’s about to fall apart royally.
And for once, Vash is in full control of his angel arm even at full power like that.
Gods, I love his cheeky little smirk here. Elandira’s telling him to stop, and he’s just like, “Make me.”

Ohhhh, he reversed it to get them out of there! Now they just have to… uh… survive falling all the way to the ground, I guess.
Knives isn’t thrilled about this, I see.
Dude. IDK what’s going on here anymore, but it’s gross and scary.
It’s over? Bullshit, this is only volume 8.