Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT: 2626-2630 (Jan 27 - 31 2014) Weekly Comics Discussion Thread
aphanisis81:
--- Quote from: cabbagehut on 28 Jan 2014, 05:41 ---
--- Quote from: aphanisis81 on 28 Jan 2014, 03:26 ---
Oh man, seriously? To each his own, but their subplots just fall completely flat for me. ...some much needed Dora character development instead of two weeks of Dale being harassed by the specter living in his glasses. Marigold practically became the strip protagonist since her introduction, and she is just not interesting enough to carry the strip. But again, to each his own, I guess.
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I completely agree. Though honestly, I've found the romantic relationships the least interesting part of the comic (part of that might be that I have always very strongly disliked Angus and felt he really shoved his way into Faye's life, and that is creepy to me). I really enjoy the friendship parts, because they seem realistic. I may find Dale and Marigold not-so-interesting because I know so many people like them in real life, so they just don't catch my attention the same way.
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Despite how it might sound, I don't mean to come off as disgruntled over the comic or critical of Jeph. QC is probably second only to Breaking Bad as my all-time favorite large-scale narrative across all media forms. And I don't think there has to be romantic tension in every arc for the comic to be fulfilling. In fact, I think Jeph showed remarkable restraint in waiting until #500 to even begin to resolve the Faye/Marten storyline, and the glacial pacing has paid off in numerous other subplots. Like I said before, the confrontation of inter/intra-personal problems is what drives the story for me, and the more rare and/or surprising the moments of smooching and banging, the better; makes them all the more resonant when they do happen.
Marigold has had a little character development, but considering how central she became to the comic and how long she's been around now, it too often goes back to the fact that she's socially awkward and eats too much jerky and pocky. Hanners is a great example of a character who had this kind of one-note definition and then developed into a seriously complex, nuanced figure.
As for Dale, his biggest moments involved glasses-girl (May?), which I thought was the worst arc of the strip (possibly tied w/ Clinton's first major storyline). I'd be interested to see him explored in terms of his particular approach to eking out a living with a bunch of odd jobs (though I guess that's off the table now that he's a CoD barista), but whenever he's presented as gamer nerd/awkward dude/Marigold's potential love interest/vehicle for exploring AI stuff, I sort of tune out.
LittleKing:
--- Quote from: Technetium on 28 Jan 2014, 05:14 ---I mean, it's like saying that slipping a girl a drug in her drink is less creepy if she ends up not pressing charges afterward.
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Are you serious? It's nothing like that! You're comparing drugging and taking advantage of someone to making a somewhat lame pass at a girl you've been talking to at a party... Do you honestly think they're on the same level?
--- Quote from: Technetium on 28 Jan 2014, 05:14 ---And honestly, where is this going? What are Marten's expectations, and what are Delilah's expectations? What if Delilah is looking for "tonight only"? Does Marten have a history that indicates that he easily emotionally detaches from women he has close relations with? He hasn't really thought about this at all (again, this goes back to the whole "directionless" thing) and he's probably going to end up with some big regrets when it doesn't end up how he would like.
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It's a hook-up at a party, don't you think it's too early to be talking of expectations, wondering where it's going, etc? There's nothing wrong with having some "naughty" fun with someone you've just met when you're both up for it and consenting adults. If it feels good just go for it. You can figure out later if you're actually compatible and interested in having a serious relationship, but none of that matters right now.
Marten's taking initiative, being more assertive and letting go of himself a little and Delilah seems to be a free spirited and open minded girl, I see this arc as a really positive and much needed development for our main character. Whether it results in a serious relationship or not is irrelevant at this point (imo).
cesium133:
--- Quote from: aphanisis81 on 28 Jan 2014, 05:53 ---I'd be interested to see him explored in terms of his particular approach to eking out a living with a bunch of odd jobs (though I guess that's off the table now that he's a CoD barista),
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It might not be off the table. He's shown quitting at the pizza place, but he's never shown quitting any of the other jobs. And his CoD job is probably part-time and not particularly well-paid, so it would likely make sense for him to keep the other jobs.
aphanisis81:
--- Quote from: cesium133 on 28 Jan 2014, 06:05 ---
--- Quote from: aphanisis81 on 28 Jan 2014, 05:53 ---I'd be interested to see him explored in terms of his particular approach to eking out a living with a bunch of odd jobs (though I guess that's off the table now that he's a CoD barista),
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It might not be off the table. He's shown quitting at the pizza place, but he's never shown quitting any of the other jobs. And his CoD job is probably part-time and not particularly well-paid, so it would likely make sense for him to keep the other jobs.
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Fair enough, though CoD has always seemed to exist in some alternate universe of service jobs. Faye basically never seemed to have money problems, even well before she became manager (another thing I'd like to see some development on). I mean, therapy ain't cheap I did psychoanalysis for a 6 months, and it cost >$100/hr. Penelope lived by herself in a pretty bitchin' apartment even though she'd transitioned from retail (I'm guessing the Barnes & Noble down the street in Hadley) to barista. The gang has all kinds of free time to hang out. One thing that particularly struck me was an early comic in which Faye shows up at Marten's "office bitch" job saying "Let the weekend begin!" Um, you work in a coffee shop. The weekend should be an abstract, essentially meaningless concept to you!
Hybris:
--- Quote from: Soulsynger on 28 Jan 2014, 00:15 ---Gotta be honest, though, Delilah's armpit and leg hair would be a turn off for me, personally. It wasn't always thus. I think I'm becoming shallow...
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Ancient wisdom say if girl is hairier then you... run away with haste. That is all.
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