it would help if the "humor" was so sitcom-y.
I would agree that the Dale/Marigold thing was a bit clichéd (we all knew it was going to happen, but the way it happened seemed like it was pushed forward, rather than a natural thing). Other than that... I'm cool with the comic.
You do notice that he tends to go back to music when he gets in this state though, so don't be surprised if we see more of Deathmole in the near future.
Maybe (and hopefully) that is the direction that Jeph will take. I mean, because of Marten's influence (is the only word that comes to mind at the moment, but hopefully you know what I mean), Faye (fear of attachment, and more specifically, loss of attachment), Dora (control issues, insecurity), Hanners (extreme OCD, anxiety with human contact), and even Marbear (non-social, bordering on reclusive) have managed to pull themselves together through various means and make Normal Human Beings of themselves (more or less).
Marten has had relationships in the past, and has been happy during those times, but his character is still drifting. Maybe music is where he will find himself. Only time will tell, I guess.