#pandorastale — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

2026-09-24

I had a dream that Xan switched to making Pandora's Tale as a radio drama instead of a comic, and that she was up to Chapter 84 out of a planned 262 chapters.

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2something @[email protected]

2026-09-16

My reread of Pandora's Tale comes to an end! Spoilers incoming.

Chapter 8: Unbecoming
Here it is: the first chapter that was never compiled into a book, along with the first chapter without a cavefish, the first chapter without Veronica, the first chapter without Con, and the second chapter (after 1) with an extended flashback. The cover is really nice. I wonder how many other adaptions of classic art of Pandora we would have gotten if the story had continued. I've never wished wage-theft on any real person, but seeing it happen to the people tasked with brainwashing slaves gives me a weird sort of schadenfreude. I love cute cat-eared Isabelle. Pandora's nightmare feels very relatable, as does the way she smiles while casually dropping the "It's me!" Xan does a great job making the helper with VR trouble look horrified.

Ya know, Pandora, I bet you could figure out how to lie to Isabelle, even if it's just to test if you can. But maybe it seems less important than other tasks you have.

Going back again, I LOVE Pandora's moment of impact. Along with Adrastea, I really wish we'd gotten to see more of Pandora's friends from training. How are they doing now that they are out in the world and (presumably) owned by some rich asshole? How would Pandora react if she met them again and found they are still completely brainwashed? Pandora's despair hits so hard. No, Pandora, you are not bad. As always, I love the way Pandora's facial expressions echo Adrastea's from last chapter.

Noor demonstrates why she's so popular among the readers. I think the ending of this chapter is really sweet, though I am again disappointed that this is the last we see of Pandora's friends from training.

Bonus: A Letter from Isabelle
I wasn't really sure where in my reread to do this, so I'm doing it here. I wish we knew who the in-universe friends Isabelle was writing to are. On the other hand, the letter seems like it is very much addressed to us real-world readers, as the dark and scary real world gets closer and closer to the world Isabelle lives in. I suspect Isabelle's message will remain relevant for a long time.

Also, while I understand the author's decision to make the comic mostly grayscale, I really like occasionally getting to see the characters in full color.

Originally there was a gap of over a year between Chapters 8 and 9, but I'm going to dive right into the next one now!

Chapter 9: Echo, Part 1
I love the color scheme and the fancy border between the two Helpers on the cover. It feels poetic how this chapter gives us dynamic in different contexts of the lines "this is Echo" and "are you a cop?," like the phrases are echoed. Echo has so much courage when dealing with cops and mob bosses, but so little when dealing with Pandora and Hemmel. Van Tilburg's Helper has fought her programming enough to be afraid of cops: I wonder if she'll eventually escape, or if the resistance will rescue her? Also, I get a laugh out of the whole discussion of The Greatest Temptation. I'm glad the tidbit from Zufolene's cast page entry made it into the main comic.

Resistance missions are still happening off-panel, but it's weird realizing that the final four chapters, more than a third of the series, don't have Pandora doing any on-panel aside from planning and recruiting. I love Echo's entrance and introduction to the rest of the main cast. Pandora thinks Echo is confident, and in some ways she is, but in other ways she's even more flustered than the others. Once again, I laugh at the Belgian Vicky jokes.

If you consider "All of Humanity" a character, then they were the hardest character to get a clear picture of for the wiki. Echo, you need to hear your own advice. I once again find myself wondering if Lyra will ever join the resistance. She may be naive sometimes, but Pandora seems to be the best judge of character out of the bunch. I'm always impressed by how calm Echo manages to be (or pretend to be) when getting in the car. This feels like the best cliffhanger ending of all the two-part storylines in the series. Onward!

Chapter 10: Echo, Part 2
Echo on an abandoned road looks so lonely. It's interesting seeing Isabelle happy and cheerful while Pandora is despondent and sad, considering their usual dynamic. I feel for both these characters. I can understand how sometimes it's scariest to talk to the people most able to help you. At the same time, Echo isn't taking her own advice, and she isn't showing the courage Pandora saw in her yesterday. Land of Legends: Lost lists the "alignment" for a generic member of a species in the rulebook, so I see some things have not improved by the 2060s. Why didn't Natalia insist on a GM-less game? That would be more leftist than L&L's authoritarian GM model.

Meanwhile, I love love love how every human in the room is freaked out while Pandora just smiles at Echo. I hope Echo helps Hemmel beef up security after this chapter. The cops' "trust us" flyer raises questions already answered by the flyer.

I remember when Xan posted the last panel of page 13 as a preview, I really had no idea whether it would end up meaning "Echo is actually bad and Pandora doesn't suspect her" or whether it would mean the opposite. Cops are certainly experts in gaslighting. Yeah, I'm with Pandora in wanting to hug someone.

I like how the Echo storyline ends with an echo of the end of Sisters in Arms, the previous storyline in which a Helper joins the resistance before we cut away to the main villain. I tend to forget that The Helper Corporation is based in (presumably) Las Vegas. Ah yes, Stephen Wolfram also called Matthew Cook a "valued research assistant." I guess that Elodie suspects there is something interesting to learn about studying trans Helpers, and Thorton at least has the sense to listen to her. I wish we'd gotten to see Maple interact with Pandora. That's a series-wrap for her.

Pandora's Tarot:
I don't know much about tarot cards, so for me these are just nice-looking pictures. Isabelle as the Empress seems like a callback to A Portrait from Space, and with that in mind, the background of Pandora's looks like it could be in a spaceship as well (but it's ambiguous). It feels weird seeing Andromeda and Cassiopeia without Leo. I wanna know if Con can canonically play the trumpet.

And now, we are ready for the grand finale.

Chapter 11: The Night Shift
Here it is: the last chapter of Pandora's Tale. On the cover, Pandora and Isabelle are not sad that it's over: they are happy it happened. Of course, they don't know it's over, since this chapter wasn't written as a series finale.

I love how quickly Echo has integrated herself into the main cast, and I appreciate the Bookends getting one last appearance. I love Isabelle and Tal's reaction as Pandora suddenly reveals her knowledge of childcare, while Pandora smiles. Talking through your unconscious biases while gay and blowing up police tanks feels very appropriate for the last chapter of the series. I like that Con does actually make the effort to learn, without needing hundreds of pages to do it.

Meanwhile, Isabelle and Pandora both pick the task that is harder for them.

I find it amusing that this random department store clerk ended up being the last new character to qualify for a wiki article (unless I later decide to change the standard.) Pandora is making progress, but she still has a long way to go.

Pandora's "It's brilliant," and really this entire scene, feel like a continuation of her conversation with Isabelle in chapter 4.

Even though Xan didn't intend this chapter to be the series finale, it still feels like she managed to cram a "greatest hits of Pandora's Tale" into 21 pages. We have Pandora struggling to learn to stand up for herself, Isabelle struggling with her own insecurities, and critical infrastructure breaking because the capitalists in charge don't care, while our other gay girls talk about intersectionalism and bigotry while blowing up police cars. All the action climaxes in a calm, serious heart-to-heart conversation between the main duo, ending with childish yet fun and silly mocking of a villain.

And as Pandora and Isabelle run away from the MonoMart Clerk, my reread comes to a close. Usually when a comic I like ends early, I say "I hope this comic comes back, but even if it never does, I'm still glad I read it." Somehow, that boilerplate line doesn't feel like it does justice to how I feel about it this time. Even though this comic was quite short, it had a profound effect on me. Words fail to explain how much these characters helped me understand myself and how I view the world. I can't even tell you how much words fail, because we never got to see Chapter 12: Words Fail. Pandora's Tale also pushed me to get seriously into wiki editing, something I am very grateful for. Goodbye, Pandora, you did well.

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2something @[email protected]

2026-09-14

My reread of Pandora's Tale continues!

Chapter 6: Live Fast, Part 1
Here it is: the first cover page I saw as it was released instead of much later. I already really liked this view of the main cast, and I appreciate the world-building details in the background of the first few pages. I wish we had gotten more of that. Xan is quick to get back to the main topic of Helper oppression and programming. Isabelle's "you're not really answering the question line" feels like an indication Isabelle is autistic.

The "burlesque club" line could have been a great running gag if we'd had more time. I love the contrast in everyone's moods during the discussion of Helper aging. Also, I like how Hemmel remains calm and cheerful through the entire discussion of the plan, even during the detour into Pandora's antics last chapter.

Since this chapter's original debut, I have gotten first-hand experience returning to an unpleasant place that I thought I had left behind for good. Noor's feelings hit me harder now than they did the first time.

Xan really knows how to make a character super hateable in less than a page.

Of all the minor characters in the comic, Adrastea may be the one I most wish we could have gotten more time with. Also, I love Pandora's really awkward approach in talking to Adrastea. The humans all assume Veronica owns Pandora (and the Bookends later make the same assumption in Chapter 11), but I wonder if Adrastea can tell from watching whom Pandora actually imprinted on.

Veronica and Noor are really sweet together. Pandora is so oblivious and cheerful as she completely crushes Isabelle's world. And the wideshot of the Helper Trio's room is another thing that is a lot better in high resolution. I think it's interesting that Noor's explanation leaves out what might be the most important motivation for making Helpers die young, which is that it makes it harder for them to overcome their programming. Noor might not know.

The situation of the Helper Trio reminds me of Toni Morrison's The Big Box, with the key difference being the three big locks are inside the prisoners' minds. It also illustrates how Helpers are not cats. You couldn't tell a cat that they had to stay in one room, but many indoor cats have no interest in going outside, even those that used to live outside. Also, slacker cavefish is a hypocrite.

Bonus art Pandora has left the box behind entirely, and she looks happier now. Overcoming her programming is hard, but it's worth it.

Chapter 7: Live Fast, Part 2
The cover of this volume's final chapter is another page that looks way better in high resolution. Something I'm just now noticing is that Pandora's awkwardness around the trio's naivety mirrors Isabelle's awkwardness around Pandora in the first two chapters, making a nice bookend for the, uh, book. Noor demonstrates why she is so loved by fans. Also, I love getting Veronica and Noor backstory. It's Adrastea time! Pandora's KYAAAA reaction also looks better in high resolution. I love the dynamic between the five Helpers.

I recently saw a fancy marble tic-tac-toe board and I immediately thought of Con. I, too, am bad at optimism. Con gets the most badass line in Volume 1 (there's a reason it's at the top of her wiki article), and this scene really encapsulates who Isabelle has become.

Adrastea and Veronica are the only two who can remain perfectly calm and tell perfect lies under duress, even as everyone else gets super excited or freaks out. I wish we had gotten to see a direct team-up between the two of them. The absolute terror on the young trio's faces when they hear Hamilton's voice is heartbreaking. Noor's swirly eyes always amuse me.

Pandora and Adrastea's conversation really feels like the heart of this storyline. I can't help but see a direct line of inspiration from The Xanimatrix to what Adrastea says on page 17. Noor has her new mission, and the knowing final glance between Adrastea and Pandora is so sweet.

Isabelle finally makes an appearance in the bonus art!

Volume 1 Bonus Content:

First up is Texts from Pandora. I like how the main duo's facial expressions change in their profile pictures. Also, it makes me wonder how Pandora would react to reading about Disgruntled Catgirl. Isabelle's "regular catgirl" lines cracks me up every time. I wonder if there is any overlap between the brainwashing young missionaries get and what Pandora got?

Now seems like the right time to jump online and read "Pandora's First Pride," the other TTMTTP page that I consider canon to Pandora's Tale, even though it isn't in the book. At least I hope it's canon, since it's the only source I have on the wiki for Isabelle's and Con's orientations. It's very cute seeing them all in full color, and shows how much further Pandora has to go to overcome her programming.

Somehow I always forget how tall Isabelle is. The cast page feels like it gives us a lot of hints at things that went unexplored, such as Hemmel's life outside the resistance. I first read Pandora's Tale about the same time as The Psions by Enchanted Pencil, so I had reason to be suspicious of Hemmel, but I always got a better feeling about Hemmel than about Dieus. I feel like the book version of the cast page loses a bit of flavor compared to the online version due to the color scheme change, although the book version is easier for me to read.

And that is the end of Volume 1. Next up: Unbecoming.

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2something @[email protected]

2026-09-11

My reread of Pandora's Tale continues! Spoilers incoming.

Chapter 3: Sisters in Arms, Part 1

Starting with the cover, I love how Pandora has gone in just two days from "I was created to be a slave, that is my purpose," to being a full rebel. I also love the rapid oscillation between Pandora's simple and sweet questions and the deep philosophical question. Yes Pandora, I agree: being a human is tough. The cavefish gag makes me smile every time.

When I was a kid, I always hated it when my mom said something like "Beth would like..." to another adult, while I was there, particularly if it isn't something I actually wanted. I choose to believe Pandora and Isabelle already talked about Pandora getting a job off-panel. Also, "trans catgirl gets petted" remains one of the cutest things I have ever seen in a comic.

I really like Tallulah, Zufolene, and Lyra. I wish we'd gotten more of them. Would Lyra eventually find out about the resistance, or would her running joke of obliviousness continue? Yeah Con, there's a lot you don't know about Helpers: maybe you shouldn't avoid thinking about them. Huh, I'm just now realizing that the cars we see on the street are about the same size as cars in the real world today, meaning the trend for American cars to get bigger and bigger has slowed or stopped by the 2060s. At least that's one good thing about the future?

Explaining why you want something can be hard, even if you know you really really want it. I feel bad for Pandora here (and most of the time). Hemmel makes a real splash with their introduction. We established back in Chapter 1 that Zero is a total fucking asshole, but her skills are too useful for the resistance to pass up. Now, Hemmel shows that their sheer charisma allows them to keep Zero under control and pointed at the bad guys. I really appreciate Lyra and Pandora telling off the Bookends, and how Pandora's fur stands up in anger.

I wonder how Isabelle would react to learning that she is literally a space princess in an alternate timeline? Regardless, it's a nice callback to A Portrait From Space. I love how Zuf and Tal are worried about Pandora reacting badly to burlesque, but Pandora takes it all in stride. Isabelle's determination is a strong end to the chapter.

Ooh, Pandora has tipped the box over in the bonus art.

Chapter 4: Sisters in Arms, Part 2
Con, don't hide stuff like this from Pandora. This feels like forshadowing for Con's issues in Chapter 11. Isabelle really shows a totally different fake personality when dealing with the "cop." Also, I love Pandora's rapid changes in expression. I love Lyra's oblivious comment about the resistance. I kept hoping she would eventually find out the truth and join.

My first time through, I completely fell for the fake-out courier. As someone who gets very confused about what others expect of me, I feel bad for him. Damn, the real courier's smug face when he delivers the signal is so telling of exactly what kind of a shithead he is (or it would be, if he hadn't already made it clear when talking about Pandora).

Part of why I love this comic is that Xan gives us both clear allegories for trans issues, while also giving us non-allegorical explicit discussion of transness. I feel for Isabelle's lesson of "I have bad habits, don't emulate them." And our main duo is very cute together. It sometimes feels like a gut punch for Pandora to cheerfully smile while describing some of the most dystopian aspects of the setting.

We so rarely see teeth in this comic. Pandora and Isabelle may not be able to stick up for themselves, but they can stick up for each other.

The true main villain gets an appropriate imposing introduction. Maple has clearly made a lot of progress in fighting her programming, but she still seems horrified in the last panel of page 20.

Something occurs to me now: do Helpers have some sort of special programming that makes them like all Helper Corporation executives? If so, I wonder how that instinct clashes in Pandora's mind with Isabelle pointing out the obvious about Gabriel.

Also, I'm amused by the fact that Gabriel calls the protagonists terrorists, and I am rereading on this particular date.

Bonus art: Of course a cat who tips a box over would be curious about going back in the box.

Chapter 5: Good Luck Charm
I like Pandora's socks on the cover, and I really appreciate Isabelle's awkwardness when she tries to think about how much money Pandora should owe her. Also, I love how Pandora is looking at the money like a cat.

Isabelle and Con want Pandora to stay out of trouble, but with perfect timing, top trouble-maker Natalya interrupts. I love the irony of Isabelle's assumption that noting important would happen today, and I love the way everyone in the car pets Pandora. The juxtoposition of Ruth, Type B, and Little Discourage petting, while Natalya shows Pandora a Soviet-era gun, while Con freaks out, and Hemmel tries to calm everyone down makes me giggle every time.

Huh, interesting that in all the training Pandora got, they didn't tell her about a common figure of speech humans use. I wish we had gotten more information about "the restructuring." C'mon Zero, if you don't make yourself useful to the resistance, they might stop giving your shitty behavior so much slack.

The moment when Pandora volunteers to go in is possibly my favorite in Volume 1. Isabelle explicitly said she didn't want Pandora to do anything dangerous, and here Pandora volunteers to do something dangerous. After Chapter 1, this is possibly Pandora's next big step in fighting her programming. Also the top-down view of a catgirl climbing the wall is very adorable. Pandora isn't as good at hiding as she thought, but she is quickly learning to distract people. I love Con's wild eyes, and Pandora's careful blocking of the monitors.

There's are bigger bang. Yes, Mr. Cop, you should definitely hand a gun to someone you just met and know nothing about. That totally won't backfire on you in any way. I always get a giggle out of Con's exacerbation with the smoke. The KA-ZAAP looks so much better zoomed in. I love that Hemmel managed to turn Pandora's own self-description into a call sign, bypassing the inhibition of her programming.

In the bonus art, Pandora looks away from the box. Is this an allegory for fighting her programming, or just a cute cat thing?

This is the point where I originally caught up with the comic: I read all subsequent chapters as they released. Come back next time for the end of Volume 1.

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2something @[email protected]

2026-09-09

It's been over two years since the last update to Pandora's Tale by @comicsbyxan . That means it's time for me to do a reread with live commentary! Spoilers incoming!

If you've read any of my previous rambling reread commentaries, you might notice something a bit different this time. In the past, in addition to my opinions on the comic, I include lots of notes of what's happening in the story. I make those notes as reminders of things I expect I'll want to reference later in my reread. I also sometimes note plot points that I forgot about since my previous read through.

For Pandora's Tale, I probably don't need to make any reminders to myself about the plot or character details as I read. I've reread Pandora's Tale many times since it ended, and it's pretty short, allowing me to keep most of the details in my head. If I want to find the page where a specific thing happens, I can navigate the archives to find it pretty quickly without notes. Moreover, I have already organized summaries of the plot and all the characters into a wiki, so I don't need to do it again during this reread.

When rereading parts of the comic to edit Pandora's Tale Wiki, I usually used the online version of the comic. For this reread, I am going to use the ebook (for the parts that are in the ebook.)

So, without further ado, let's start.

Chapter 1: Broken, Part 1
After all these years, the cover page remains beautiful. Maybe it's just my own difficulty reading most Helpers' gender presentation, but I think it's nice that Pandora gets feminine hair here while the other Helpers don't. And who are these other Helpers? We'll never really get to know them, because they have their own Tales, and we just get to see Pandora's Tale. I also really like the effects of the inner cover (which I think is book-exclusive?)

The cold-open of the first chapter always stands out to me, because it's one of the very few times in the comic we see events out of chronological order. I also love how the world slowly becomes clearer as Pandora opens her eyes, literally and figuratively. Pandora's opening question to herself hits me particularly hard right now, as I lost parts of what I thought made me myself, and keep asking myself who I am.

I love how Pandora and her friends keep smiling through most of this seen, even as the events are horrifying. It makes it extra strong when she drops her smile. The wide shot of all the Helpers is really really cute, especially the one leaning against the wall with their leg up. Also, the signs in the background feel like the natural endpoint of the kinds of signs I see hanging in public schools.

I have the ebook magnified more than I would normally have the web version, and Pandora's eyes are so much cuter in large size. I should reread zoomed in more often. Pandora looks so much more attentive at the doctor's office than a cat would be: a reminder that Helpers are not actually cats. And yet, I always get a smile out of her playing with the roll of bandages. Oh hey, that sleeping Helper in the background looks like she's in an uncomfortable position, but maybe being cat-like means she can handle it. Wow, the effect of Pandora going from super smiling to sad to terrified to running in a few panels is incredible. I felt energized as I see Pandora's face turn towards determination.

As the rest of the main cast enters, I like the shift from how everyone at the Helper Corporation facility acts like they're okay with what's going on, to the resistance members (well, most of them) seeing Helper slavery for what it is.

After getting to know Pandora during her escape, the climax of the first chapter is the perfect introduction to the rest of the main cast. I can feel Isabelle's naive benevolence, Con's jaded pessimism, Veronica's thoughtfulness, and Zero's assholeishness from just a few pages. The dynamic between them is so different than it was during the equivalent scene of A Portrait from Space, and I think it flows better this way.

Hey, I forgot about the cute book-exclusive drawing in between chapters.

Chapter 2: Broken, Part 2
I'm like Isabelle, trying in vain to assure myself I can do something really hard. Except she can actually do it. It always feels bittersweet to read the main duo's mutual coming out, as Pandora has learned she's a girl, but still thinks she has to feel bad about it. Pandora's innocent, smiling "no" always feels like a gut punch. Catgirls manage to be cute even when in pain. I love the effects in Pandora's eyes when she tries to think of a name. That was me coming up with my own name. Also, Pandora managing to (albeit momentarily) startle Veronica will always amuse me. Also, I like that Xan managed to get "people wear masks" a year in advance. The pollution and the signs on the buildings clearly establish this world is a dystopia for humans as well as for Helpers. (Also, they are a lot less blurry )

I always get a laugh out of the juxtaposition of Isabelle saying Noor is "super nice," with Noor's initial attitude towards Isabelle. Also, Noor's office has our first non-dystopia wall signs in the comic. I'm not sure if Xan intended it that way, but I like the tone shift it gives. No Noor! Don't tell Pandora she's broken!

I really appreciate that one of the first pieces of worldbuilding we get is "what are Helper endocrine systems like, and how does that affect HRT." The kitty eyes gag gets me every time. This comic always astounds me with how quickly it oscillates between sweet and dark. Oh yeah, the lollipop caused me to go down a rabbit hole awhile back trying to figure out what a Helper diet is like.

Isabelle's apartment feels so nice. Messy, cramped, but home. Panicked Isabelle happens a lot this storyline, and seems to get rarer after this. I like how Helper training didn't take into account the possibility that someone might live in a really small cramped apartment. Isabelle may be naive in some ways, but she's an expert in making sure everyone is comfortable regarding touches or the lack thereof. Oh yay, more book-exclusive bonus art.

The ending of Chapter 1 was intense and shocking. The ending of Chapter 2 is so sweet. No matter how many times I reread this comic, it never stops hitting me just as hard.

Come back next time for Sisters in Arms!

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