Chapter 184: Turning Tables and Perceptions
Everyone sighed. Just as everything was getting good... everything just had to be cut off.
Creed Comics' long-running titles were known to blue ball comic fans on a weekly and monthly basis. As such, there was no doubt that every reader was frustrated to see the 'To be continued...' phrase at such a climactic table-turning!
The tables have turned but why did you have to cut off the entire issue there?
Of course, their complaint was only momentary as they grabbed Ace Attorney #4. It was a mass release debut so they didn't have to rage and protest in the Creed surveys with a cliffhanged passion.
They flipped the pages and chose to pay and line up at the Creed buy train later. They just need to finish the intriguing courtroom battle now!
And so... the story did continue.
Marvella's cohorts sought to defend themselves but it only made the entire courtroom rowdy.
The popular "Objection, your Honor!" and the gavel-smacking "Order in the Court!" were even showcased.
In any case, Phoenix Wright's abilities were showcased and everyone can't help but look at this rookie attorney in a new light.
The Marvella camp was still not finished though. They just needed to turn people's attention to Marvella's plagiarism crimes as the explanation for why Aleksei and her were able to intersect their comic strips.
The two of them haven't met before the competition incident and all that, after all. The IPC lawyer wanted to use this indiscernible link to throw the defense camp off guard.
Although their park visitation inspiration was a farce, surely there was no way that this Wright guy can find fault in that as well. This could also write off the entire plagiarism problem as a coincidence of sorts and balance everything out before he could lose this trial and stain his percentage.
Unfortunately for the IPC lawyer, Phoenix Wright happen to know why 'Calvin and Hobbes' got to where it is. Of course, he didn't forget to sarcastically ask the IPC lawyer for asking such a question now, when it could have been relevant earlier.
Anyways, it just goes to show the flaw of their "flawless" script.
Phoenix simply turned his explanation to the rowdy bunch of kids in Marvella's camp and explained.
It's not much of a novelty really. Calvin and Hobbes reaching the hands of Marvella Surprise were not far from her so-called park visitation inspiration.
She, Bald Archibald, and the rowdy kids simply passed around Aleksei's fun project in the park. Thus, Marvella Surprise saw no problem with claiming it as her own.
The rowdy kids made up of Newmer, Miner, the lanky Thomas Twins, and the Haz Bros turn out to be infamous troublemakers at Aleksei's school. They were Aleksei's schoolmates who were notorious as the Twin Bully Group.
With the lanky Thomas Twins and the chubby Haz Twins, and the lackey nature of little Newmer and Miner, these Twin Bully Group did have their own fair share of childish mischief that borders delinquism.
Anyways, their childish troubles did land little Aleksei to be in their crossroads. They simply yoinked off 'Calvin and Hobbes' from Aleksei's hand and passed it around for the fun of it.
They reached the park and eventually met up with Bald Archibald there. Mirroring the Marvella camp's "script", this was the scenario in which Marvella found her inspiration.
However... instead of being a discussion about the tiger animal and Bald Archibald's joke, they joked about the 'Calvin and Hobbes' comic strip. Marvella was not inspired at all but she simply bought it from Archibald and the Twin Bully group from that confrontation.
Phoenix didn't need to put up evidence to support this version of the story as the Marvella camp's credibility was already questionable and their fake script became their undoing.
With the lies laid bare and the truth revealed, the judge and jury already knew which side was in the right.
The Kreid grandfather-grandson duo, with the help of the Ace Attorney protagonist, won the battle!
Aleksei's heartwrenching tears turned into tears of joy and the courtroom crowd and the comic readers can't help but be caught up in it.
Phoenix Wright was also among them as he said. "See that, little Aleksei! Age doesn't limit one's creativity. I, Phoenix Wright, hope that your creative spark burns brighter than ever before and I look forward to reading whatever amazing story and characters you come up next!"
"Yes!" Aleksei's tears of joy cleared up and his smile reflected cheerful brightness.
It was quite the ups and downs. Previously they were found to be a despicable pair of a strayed kid and an unworthy guardian, now they were the victims all along and aroused the sympathy and guilt of the courtroom crowd.
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The 4th issue ended with that calm and relieving sentiment that lingered long.
However, the reeling from the implications still put a storm into the minds of the comic fans.
From this Aleksei plagiarism arc, it can be seen that everything is not what it seems at first glance. One needs to see the bigger picture lest the innocent be painted with a crime they didn't commit.
Marvella and her cohorts' manipulative deception was quite a scary trick to go up against and the comic readers couldn't help but be afraid if they were in Aleksei Kreid's shoes. Wouldn't they lose if they didn't have someone skilled like Phoenix Wright to help them out?
Of course, when they remembered the obvious antagonistic parallels between the characters and the companies found in real life, they can't help but sweat for Alexander Creed and Creed Comics as well.
They saw the bigger picture of manipulation and deception that warped the innocent into villains and villains into saints.
Now! They were enlightened and grasped this Ace Attorney arc's "subtle" message.
Weren't the courtroom attendees such as the judge and jury a representation of them? They cursed these characters for believing Marvella's schemes like gullible people but they as the comic book community seem to be in the same gullible plight as well.
As much as they still read Creed titles, there was no denying that they mostly believed the accusations that were being published in the news. Since Creed Comics is plagued by many lawsuits, doesn't that mean that they are somewhat guilty in some way, shape, or form?
As much as they cursed the gullible comic characters for being the gullible people that they are, the comic readers didn't want to be gullible themselves.
They looked at the Creed accusation articles for the bigger picture that it conveyed and sure enough, they found something and can't help but feel indignant!
It had to be said that the Creed accusations are still at their peak with news articles repeating the pitiful plight of Marvel, DC, Charlton, Archie, IPC Media, Hasbro, Mirage Studios, and a bunch of screenwriters.
These articles could be seen as separate incidents that just voiced out how much these aforementioned companies and people worked on their properties, only to be copied and branded or completely stolen as a new thing by the "evil" Creed Comics!
If one would connect these individual and incessantly repeated claims and accusations together, one could tell that everything is quite scarily coordinated with each other and there is a greater plot afoot!
Just as how Marvella convened and schemingly plotted with her cohorts to push little Aleksei into a corner, weren't these corporate companies also convening and schemingly plotting to take the young Creed Comics down!
It was quite shameless and deceitful so much so that the comic readers were thankful that the Ace Attorney comic enlightened them of such a farce.
Just as how Phoenix Wright turned the unfair tables, he had also inadvertently turned the reader's perception as well.
Everything turned on its head and the momentum that was directed to destroy Creed Comics was now diverted back to its source.
The united front against Creed now had to deal with a united front of Ace Attorney readers who wanted to emulate Phoenix Wright and embody justice!