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Brun and the Mystery of Elliott (Why Does He React That Way Around Her?)

The Bubbles and Pintsize Show (Is Pintsize dumb or just suicidal?)

Who are that dark-haired guy and his redheaded girlfriend who live with Faye?

Marigold has come to consider Sam her Sensei in the ways of "Let's Play" shows

Hannelore has a personal life too!

The Return of the Bianchis, the worst parents in Northampton!

The Gods Meet to Discuss Creepybot (Station and Dr E-C dialogues)

Bubbles thinks that there is something odd about Emily and wishes to investigate

Time for the adults (specifically, Veronica and Jim) to have a week in the sun

Other

[BenRG]

Friday's strip had the feeling to me of an arc ending. Jeph may choose to continue on with epilogue strips but I think that he has the chance to start something new. What could it be though?

I'd like to move the focus back to Martin and his friends and family, specifically how he is doing with a surrogate baby sister and a man who seems very likely to be Dad #3. There hasn't been much interaction between Jim and Martin and I think that having the two normal ones in the bunch having some time off to talk about normal stuff might actually be interesting and funny. Especially if it is the shared dread of what Veronica, Claire and Sam may be up to on their "Ladies' Day Out".

[shanejayell]

Voted 'Other' as I expect we'll check back in with Coffee of Doom. Plus, we can have Bubbles smelling tea, which I find oddly adorable.

[WareWolf]

Even though I'd like to see more about the Squid and how they deal with CW, I too expect a new arc beginning Monday. 

 I hope it's not more Brun and Renee.

[jheartney]

Brun, Faye and Bubbles are all now unemployed and in job hunt mode. Waiting for them to get discouraged and decide to start a robot repair clinic together.

I think we've seen the last of both CW and Creepybot, at least for a while. Creepybot will go on the back burner with the offhand reference to "Gary" as a piece of unexplained backstory, and CW may end up being mentioned but not shown when Punchbot comes into the new robot repair clinic and spills the beans about things going down the toilet at the skate park.

[Morituri]

I like Brun.  So far though, this most recent incarnation of Renee annoys me.  I don't think I had any problems with her back when it was just post-breakup with Marten & Dora.  She seemed cool when Marten met her and Padma and Elliot for the first time when he went to the Secret Bakery.  But the Renee we've seen since Brun was introduced has been overbearing, vaguely hapless, banal, and seems like she's only bluffing that she even knows what's going on most of the time.  She's so lost and seems bewildered so much that it's hard to even imagine her managing the secret bakery. For a while I didn't even think it was the same character, because the two incarnations don't seem to have the same personality. Art evolution aside, I don't think they even look much alike.

And she's utterly banal because there's nothing she's interested in.  She'd be more credible or interesting or likeable as a character if, I don't know, maybe she was obsessing about the effect of different varieties of yeast on bread rolls and the possibility of making sourdough donuts or something, or had a youtube channel where she does movie reviews, or even something simple like being a big fan of roller derby. Something just to make her not so damn bland.

[Gyrre]

Brun, Faye and Bubbles are all now unemployed and in job hunt mode. Waiting for them to get discouraged and decide to start a robot repair clinic together.

I think we've seen the last of both CW and Creepybot, at least for a while. Creepybot will go on the back burner with the offhand reference to "Gary" as a piece of unexplained backstory, and CW may end up being mentioned but not shown when Punchbot comes into the new robot repair clinic and spills the beans about things going down the toilet at the skate park.

Imagine steampunk enthusiast AIs getting custom clockwork chassis.

[TheEvilDog]

Raccoon City, ugh, that city is just always dead. Never anything going on there.

[Is it cold in here?]

I had just been thinking that I'm wondering what Sam is up to.

It is a good thing that Marten's mom's new family is keeping her busy instead of overwhelming him.

[Method of Madness]

Raccoon City

Take me down to the Raccoon City, where the grass is green and the girls are ZOMBIES OH SHIT.

[cesium133]

Take me down to the Racoon City, where the trash is full, and the lids are shitty.

[Mad Cat]

Anyone else thing panel 1 is at a really weird angle?

[Method of Madness]

Because it's overhead? Why's that weird?

[pwhodges]

Faye's torso looks just slightly too long to me.  No biggy, though.

[ZoeB]

Starting to get your life back together.. and the first thing you do is to think of others, and try to right a past wrong, however minor.

This bodes well.

[BenRG]

Well, that's one of my personal pet theories confirmed: Faye won't let Bubbles sleep out in the main room of the apartment and has, instead, found her a spot next to her bed. The question is whether having Bubbles next to her will let her sleep at all or whether there will be this nervous self-aware chit-chat all night. Bubbles won't mind; I'm pretty sure that she can run fairly well on AC. Faye, on the other hand, probably needs her full eight hours.

Prediction: "The Trash Can Incident" will, in Faye's perspective, become "The Noodle Incident" with a side order of "I didn't do it; nobody saw me do it; you can't prove anything!"

"What was the Trash Can Incident?"

"Why are you asking me? No-one can prove I had anything to do with that!"

[Is it cold in here?]

Faye looks different with her glasses off. In an early cartoon Marten suggested she was using them as armor. Hmm.

[jheartney]

They might want to have a care with unburdening themselves to Basilisk. If Basilisk is even slightly unethical, or even just vengeful, both Faye and Bubbles could find themselves jammed up with legal trouble once they go in and admit they were part of a criminal enterprise. At most they should just tell Basilisk in general terms that she was right about someone being victimized, but that the victimization is now over.

If CW does flee and leaves the robot fights, the whole thing may shut down, leaving, as May observed, plenty of AIs with no livelihood. Hank the Dismemberer may end up on the dole, or living under a bridge.

[shanejayell]

Assuming Corpse Witch DOES flee, could Bubbles and Faye take over her operation? Someone has to take care of the AIs.

[brasca]

So Corpse Witch will just disappear like a lot of the other characters we actually liked.  Fine by me since the vengeance porn was getting tiresome. 

I don't think Bubbles should feel too guilty about trapping Officer Basilisk in the trash can.  She was intimidating Faye and Bubbles reciprocated accordingly. 

They might want to have a care with unburdening themselves to Basilisk. If Basilisk is even slightly unethical, or even just vengeful, both Faye and Bubbles could find themselves jammed up with legal trouble once they go in and admit they were part of a criminal enterprise. At most they should just tell Basilisk in general terms that she was right about someone being victimized, but that the victimization is now over.

If CW does flee and leaves the robot fights, the whole thing may shut down, leaving, as May observed, plenty of AIs with no livelihood. Hank the Dismemberer may end up on the dole, or living under a bridge.

I think Bubbles is smart enough not to divulge anything that could incriminate her and Faye.  And the best thing about Corpse Witch going on the lam is they can blame her for things she didn't actually do.  I still think Bubbles is going to ultimately take over the skate park for the sake of the other AIs.  Even though Corpse Witch was ultimately there to exploit them she did provide them a home when no one else did and I doubt Bubbles has forgotten that. 

[WareWolf]

If CW does flee and leaves the robot fights, the whole thing may shut down, leaving, as May observed, plenty of AIs with no livelihood. Hank the Dismemberer may end up on the dole, or living under a bridge.

There's always work for a good dismemberer.

[BenRG]

Faye looks different with her glasses off. In an early cartoon Marten suggested she was using them as armor. Hmm.

This may be significant: Jeph has recently put a working sketch of Faye on Twitter.

(click to show/hide)

It looks like Faye is going to be stopping wearing glasses at least for one scene. I wonder if someone told her that she looked better without them?

[Thrudd]

Don't worry, Faye will still be wearing glasses, at least when she is working,
Contact lenses and metal work does not mix well in any positive manner.

[theMarc]

Raccoon City

Take me down to the Raccoon City, where the grass is green and the girls are ZOMBIES OH SHIT.

Take me down to the Racoon City, where the trash is full, and the lids are shitty.

When I first heard the song Paradise City, I thought they were singing "Prairie Dog City". I got very confused.

[JohnTheWysard]

Prediction: "The Trash Can Incident" will, in Faye's perspective, become "The Noodle Incident" with a side order of "I didn't do it; nobody saw me do it; you can't prove anything!"

And if there were noodles IN the trash can...

[Method of Madness]

Also, I just noticed Jeph made a Paradise City reference, too, so my post probably seems a lot less clever now.

[Kugai]

It will either be a case of CW simply being 'Put on the Bus' as with other Characters that are no longer part of the Comic, or there will be some denoument with her and perhaps Bubbles and Faye taking over the Skete Park/Fight Club.

[blt]

Also, I just noticed Jeph made a Paradise City reference, too, so my post probably seems a lot less clever now.

Slash's original idea for the lyrics to that song might fit well here too.

[cesium133]

Raccoon City

Take me down to the Raccoon City, where the grass is green and the girls are ZOMBIES OH SHIT.

Take me down to the Racoon City, where the trash is full, and the lids are shitty.

When I first heard the song Paradise City, I thought they were singing "Prairie Dog City". I got very confused.

Take me down to the prairie dog city where the grass is brown and the ground is holey...

[Tova]

Faye looks different with her glasses off. In an early cartoon Marten suggested she was using them as armor. Hmm.

And there I was thinking Faye looks cute in this comic without consciously realising why... 

[Squiddlywinx]

Friend of a friend. I knew you when.

[Gyrre]

That's one hell of a Cheshire grin there, CreepyBot.

So much for CW being 'put on a bus' or a 'bus crash'.

[Is it cold in here?]

Eminence Gris expected Bubbles to know who they were.

Corpse Witch didn't recognize Eminence Gris, who is unsurprised at this.

Hmm.

Annd, I just succeeded in feeling sorry for Corpse Witch, while still fully aware that she created this horror for herself by hurting others.

[Gyrre]

Raccoon City

Take me down to the Raccoon City, where the grass is green and the girls are ZOMBIES OH SHIT.

Take me down to the Racoon City, where the trash is full, and the lids are shitty.

When I first heard the song Paradise City, I thought they were singing "Prairie Dog City". I got very confused.

I know their burrows are usually reffered to as "towns". If memory serves, there are a few particularly large prarie dog burrows that are called "prarie dog cities".

[shanejayell]

Ooooh, Corpse Witch is HOSED.

[Gyrre]

Eminence Gris expected Bubbles to know who they were.

Corpse Witch didn't recognize Eminence Gris, who is unsurprised at this.

Hmm.

Annd, I just succeeded in feeling sorry for Corpse Witch, while still fully aware that she created this horror for herself by hurting others.

"The people who do the most harm are the ones who can look at other people and believe that they aren’t capable of feeling pain the same way; that they are less than human. They lose their empathy for others, if they ever had it."
-- Jackie Wohlenhaus

[TheEvilDog]

This is going to be good!

[David F]

Ooooh, Corpse Witch is HOSED.

Yeah.  I wonder if pulling a gun on Them even registers on the scale...

[slaufer]

I just want to speculate that the reason Bubbles never takes her armor off is because underneath she's the same size and proportions as Momo's original body

[TheEvilDog]

You know, I just realised what is so terrifying about the AIbino.

Its the eyes and the mouth.

Its the near reptilian appearance, almost serpentine. The eyes have the slitted pupil of a snake, while the mouth is that little bit too big for something human or humanoid. You look at the AIbino and you're reminded of something that used to hunt humans so long ago.

Its almost as if someone designed the AIbino to be terrifying on so many levels.

[shanejayell]

Worse, they designed themselves that way.

[OldGoat]

Oh Corpse Witch, you didn't skedaddle quick enough (not that it would have done you much good).

And the best thing about Corpse Witch going on the lam is they can blame her for things she didn't actually do.

I doubt if Bubbles would allow that.  The whole point of this thread seems to be to establish that she is a highly ethical entity.

Starting to get your life back together.. and the first thing you do is to think of others, and try to right a past wrong, however minor.

This bodes well.

Exactly.  She's more emotionally mature than most of the humans around her.  I wonder if she's going to turn out to be another prototype that was unintentionally sent out from the lab (remember Pint Size's revealed origin)?

[jheartney]

I'd figured we were done with CW and Creepybot. My bad.

Will Jeph actually show CW's fate, or leave us to imagine what Creepybot will inflict on her? Or will we get an explanation from CW of what she did with Bubbles' memories? Or, will it turn out the memories aren't actually gone, but just in storage? (This last seems a bit unlikely, as you'd think CW would have brought it up when Bubbles came calling with threats to dismember CW.) Or maybe it'll turn out that CW had a good reason to deep-six Bubbles' memories: Bubbles was evil before, and taking the memories out was what turned her benevolent. Perhaps Evil Bubbles had Done Something Really Bad to CW, and taking her memories was the only way to defend against her?

The good news is it's only Tuesday, so we have lots of time to explore these possibilities. Unless Jeph would rather show us Steve eating cereal, or revive Yelling Bird.

[Gyrre]

I'd figured we were done with CW and Creepybot. My bad.

Will Jeph actually show CW's fate, or leave us to imagine what Creepybot will inflict on her?

I was guessing that her fate would be revealed in a newspaper headline in the background of the next comic, a comic which would start the next story arc.

I just want to speculate that the reason Bubbles never takes her armor off is because underneath she's the same size and proportions as Momo's original body

Good to know I'm not the only one who had this thought.

[BenRG]

Corpse Witch? Welcome to hell because I really don't think that They will particularly care about the ethical implications of what they do to you so long as they get what They want.

For what it's worth, I've never bought Creepybot's claim that They were only interested in helping Bubbles; oh, that was a bonus but They simply didn't bother to explain Their other motives. No, I suspect that They wanted something from Bubbles' memories. The only remaining hope of getting them now is Corpse Witch's own memory logs of the procedure.

I doubt that They will be particularly gentle in extracting them.

Eminence Gris expected Bubbles to know who they were.

Corpse Witch didn't recognize Eminence Gris, who is unsurprised at this.

It may be a reflection of education and curiosity. Bubbles has used her spare time to learn more about the outer edge of the members of her species' and has sat down to think about the implications. Corpse Witch is quite happy thinking only about herself and researching only what she needs for her own benefit. She dwells (or at least dwelt) in the happy ignorance of the inwardly-regarding.

[lawoot]

Wonder if CW maybe downloaded Bubbles memories into herself, where she has control over them, and can release them as she sees fit.

[Is it cold in here?]

The only remaining hope of getting them now is Corpse Witch's own memory logs of the procedure.

I doubt that They will be particularly gentle in extracting them.

Now we find out whether the Squid Collective is sincere when they say they value sanctity of mind. Will they respect Corpse Witch's mental autonomy?

[DrizztLink]

Am I strange for actually really liking Them? I mean sure, They are probably a horrid entity with some serious alternative motives, but you can't deny They do it in style. I liked Them after the first strip with the "Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" line. Really clever bit of writing.

Also, I'm fairly certain whatever happens to CW will happen off-panel. Hitchcock's "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it" sort of thing. It'll end very, very, HISTORICALLY badly for CW, but I think it'll be left to the imagination.

[MrNumbers]

"Hey, you know how we're a group currently struggling for basic civil rights? You're kind of... impeding that a little right now. Let us show you how we deal with obstacles to progress, Corpse."

[DrizztLink]

"Hey, you know how we're a group currently struggling for basic civil rights? You're kind of... impeding that a little right now. Let us show you how we deal with obstacles to progress, Corpse."

"...My name is Corpse Witch."

"I know what I said."

[oddtail]

In my personal opinion, there's something vaguely unsatisfying about a villain/antagonist getting their comeuppance from a "God Mode" character. Feels less than natural in a forced sort of way.

YMMV, naturally.