Panel 2: Can't say for certain, but I strongly suspect that the wee little square insert panel of Emp at lower right is a storytelling riff cribbed from the comic Outcast by Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta, in which such wee insert close-ups appear constantly. I loved the approach of adding a li'l dose of facial expression without burning an entire, full-sized panel on such a shot, hence my borrowing of the riff.

Next week on the webcomic, stand by for some emotionally charged exposition that will reveal a few key details about the Empverse and the series as a whole, okay?

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. So, who knows what today's post might feature? Could be Life Drawing or Distressed Damsels content (both of which are featured at least three times per month), or something in the Work Stages, Vintage Con Sketches or Design departments, or possibly something entirely new, such as updates on fantasy test project The Chaste and the Chained. Golly!

-Adam Warren