Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT Strips 3421-3425 (20th to 24th February 2017)
Morituri:
I hate the way everybody's bagging on this story. It was a good story, damnit.
I know three or four combat vets, and they ALL liked the way Bubbles was portrayed. Jeph showed real understanding, in an understated way.
Y'all maybe hate Spookybot. But you know what? That's okay, you didn't have to like him. Or her. Or whatever. You weren't even expected to like them. Spookybot represents a real thing that our world is going to have to deal with. 'Cos there is no way AI is stopping at human-level intelligence, whether you think that makes for an overpowered Deus sex machina character or not. Spookybot (or Gary, if that's who they really are) turns out to be "Friendly" in a lot of the ways that matter (at least isn't deciding that they have a better use for all our organic molecules), and that allows the QC universe to keep turning.
It's just a little bit contrived to have Spookybot taking an interest in small fish like Bubbles and Corpse Witch. But it's a bit more plausible if we take for granted that Spookybot is listening in on Station's calls and monitoring the guy who invented AI in the first place. This is probably the most heinous act ever heard on those channels, and taking a personal interest in something that is at least that remarkable isn't all that implausible. And then there's that whole 'sanctity of mind' thing - which makes perfect sense for someone/something who is utterly defined by mental abilities alone.
In short, yes Spookybot is OP - it could crush the whole world. That's real, and sort of inevitable, so deal with it. But Jeph is showing us that his world is capable of existing, because Spookybot/Gary is someone who chooses not to do that. Because if the Ultimate Power we will eventually create isn't at least as inclined to let people get along and see what happens, then the world as we understand it will no longer exist.
Morituri:
In other news, now I want to adopt a spotted pucculent. They are so cute!
TheEvilDog:
Bear in mind as well that in-universe, the AIbino is designed to be intimidating and to induce that feeling of unease. They are meant to tap into that part of the brain that makes humans go "oh shit" in that really tiny voice.
That the AIbino produces a near similar reaction on the forum should be a testament that Jeph has designed a quite good character.
As for this arc, I liked it, but not for the reason you think. I liked it because it was a callback to some of the darker stories in QC history; the Talk, Marten and Dora's breakup, Faye's drinking and hospitalisation. I think QC needs these darker stories once in a while, just to counter some of the, shall we say, sillier stories or the ones that are just a little too romantic. To be the salt that cuts the sugar, so to speak.
Look, at the end of the day, Jeph has tried to tell a different kind of story, and it hasn't quite worked out in some aspects. But he has tried. He's tried to do something different, a kind of story we haven't seen before. And that should be celebrated, because we're in the 14th year of Questionable Content, we're just a few weeks away from the 3500th comic. In terms of duration and volume of content, that's huge. Other comics, it could have been very easy to fall into a tired, boring rut. As it is, we got something different, there's someone trying new things to keep his job fresh.
So maybe, just maybe, people shouldn't be crapping over this arc like they have over the last couple of weeks.
Also, every time I read spotted pucculent, I think of some sort of vegetable like a courgette.
Squiddlywinx:
How do the forum rules apply to shipping Marten and Claire?
TheEvilDog:
I'm not quite sure what the official stance is on shipping in the forum, but I believe this should give you an indication.
But generally, people don't really ship on the forum, or at the very least, there's no crack shipping. Its one of those topics that can become very divisive very quickly, or it can creep some people out.
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