I don't hate Dora. I think she's a necessary character in the wider QC story, and when she's doing what she does best, she's awesome. Thing is, what she does best isn't dating Marten. It's running the coffee shop with flair and sass. She also needs to stop meddling in the lives of her friends. Even if she has the very best of intentions, she doesn't have the right to tell Hannelore, Faye, Sven or anyone else who they should be fucking, taking on pseudo-dates or otherwise romantically interacting with. Everyone in this strip is an adult, and Dora just isn't that much more mature that she gets to play matriarch. I do give her credit for running a moderately successful business, but that doesn't translate to being an all-round expert on other people's lives.
Especially when her own is only saved from being an emotional trainwreck because she has the most understanding boyfriend ever.
Or should that be
had?
Contrary to how all the above might sound, I really
don't hate Dora. I just think she should learn to concern herself less with the lives of others, and I also don't believe she's a match for Marten. She's really just suited to being his good friend. Unfortunately it often so happens that when a relationship fails with an acrimonious breakup, the process has poisoned the well of friendship by way of collateral damage.
I don't honestly recall when Marten ever expressed a particular interest in her. Seems to me like he's expressed his interest in Faye and (way back when) in Sara, but not in Dora. I'm frantically plundering the archive right now in order to prove myself wrong, because I don't want to make unsubstantiated assertions, but I fail to see anything that proves Marten is
attracted to her. If that's really the case, then maybe they should have stayed friends instead of dating, because I'm pretty sure that's all Marten really ever saw her as... a friend. It's not so unlikely that Marten decided just coast along in a relationship, going with it because it is easy and convenient rather than because he really cares for her in that way.
Comic
#564 is the start of their relationship, and the closest I can see to Marten being interested is that he 'kinda doesn't mind' when Dora presses herself against him. For the next few comics he's kinda-sorta-maybe into it, but mostly just in a lukewarm way. Dora is the one who is really into it, and Dora is the one making all the running. I can understand entirely if Marten eventually developed feelings of attachment, because the longer a relationship goes on, the less you want it to end... but still it seems like the flame never burned all that brightly to me. Aside from anything else, a man attracted to Faye probably doesn't find all that much appeal in Dora physically.
I will be glad if this means they are ending it. I just hope Marten has the backbone to say to her that it just isn't working out for him anymore. Whether that means Faye breaks off her nascent relationship with Angus, or not... it's for the best that Marten not be with someone he isn't into. Maybe he'll end up with Marigold, and Tai will end up with Dora. That way everyone can be happy... except Sven. Poor Sven...