prediction: this is the beginning of Rachel being into Joe.
Gilthwixt
I’m concerned this is leading into her trying to seduce Joe just to prove her point, which is a recipe for disaster if that’s happening at the same time Joyce x Dorothy is boiling over.
Stephen Nedland
I was thinking the same thing; now that Joe is no longer interested in her, Racheal is going to want to get on the Joe-ride, in a bad way.
I imagine it’s not about Joe. Rachel has to have spent more time today in the same room with Joe than all their previous encounters combined. Now she’s going to want to keep talking about how he hasn’t changed when this is the only version of Joe she has actually seen somewhat up close; to me that would suggest her interest isn’t Joe but being right about her simplistic little personal philosophy.
Adept
I also don’t think she’s keep talking to him if that was all of it. She’s hanging around to engage with him.
Nymph
I mean, I imagine she was hanging around to exercise mostly, since that’s what she came down to do. There’s no doubt she is continuing to engage as well, but I doubt that’s why she’s sticking around rn.
The problem is the shipping urge is too intense. Joe and Sarah need to have a whirlwind romance… before parting on decent terms so the Rachel arc can begin.
The end game should be Joe and his Dorothy/Joyce/Walky harem.
I realise this is kind of hypocritical from someone whose dislike of Roz stems about 60-70% from something she did in Shortpacked! (but nothing this Roz has said or done convinces me she wouldn’t have done it too), but I’m not sure that what Walkyverse characters did is a guarantee of anything.
People can change, but they don’t change across a set route that will always be the same regardless of other factors.
Formedras
Well, no, it’s not about “Rachel is gonna be into Joe,” and honestly I’d prefer avoiding that. It’s more that everybody is still the same core person, just in a different scenario. Someone who is capable of becoming more open-minded in Walkyverse is likely still going to be capable of it in Dumbingverse. (That said, if Rachel suffers a traumatic experience or two, that can change things rather immensely.)
Honestly, I think the opposite. Rachel is paying attention, and while she pokes, it’s with far less vitriol. She ain’t there, but she is dealing with the challenge to her worldview
She’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop. She “knows” Joe is going to be unable to resist horndogging out, and she wants to be there to see it when it happens, so she can tell herself (and Joe) “There it is. that’s what I was expecting.”
I don’t disagree, but this doesn’t make much sense in context? The comment you replied to is about who’s more entertaining, not who’s a better person.
ZombieKyrik
I suppose it’s because the people I find the most interesting are the characters that I like, or relate to. However you are right that I was not talking about the same thing as the original comment; my apologies.
That’s exactly WHY Mary’s more entertaining. Rachel’s a hardened super-cynic, you get nothing out of interactions with them. Everyone hates Mary, but at least she’s *fun* to hate!
thejeff
Mary can be more entertaining as a villain, especially in her big arc with Carla and Ruth.
I’m more interested in Rachel – there are enough hints that there’s something behind her attitude that I’d like to know what it is.
No, Mary needs to give in to everything she’s ignored about herself and get with Carla. Then get pregnant. Then be abandoned by Carla because that’s “The ultimate prank.” Then she ends up with Jacob so it all works out.
Scolopendra
As a trans girl I’ll cosign this because I cannot get enough of insane evil woman yuri.
Rachel made some awful comments about an recently suicidal abusive authority figure. Mary attempted to blackmail that same person for her own bigoted purposes. They’re not at all the same.
Even from the perspective of “a villainous character I enjoy hating” Mary hasn’t been entertaining since she got punched. She’s too much of a loser to take seriously as a villain but too much of a villain to laugh at her for being a loser so she’s just kind of vaguely unpleasant for no reason.
Rachel is a nothing character but that’s because we almost never see her, and when she says something mean she’s usually prompting another character to reflect on their character arc. Rachel is being mean so that Joe can have Deep Thoughts in response. She’s a Greek chorus commenting on the plot/themes pretending to be a character. And I get why people don’t like her but there’s a reason for her to be in this comic and she gets like three lines a year so she’s not worth getting mad about.
If you like superpowered dickheads bickering and betraying each other while they make out, you might like Young Justice.
Tequila Mockingbird
I mean, my knee-jerk response to that would be “no, not really” but then I remembered how much I adore the lovable assholes that comprise the cast of Sword Art Online Abridged… Not to mention, as per your Castlevania avatar (one that serves as clear evidence of great taste), I’m tempted to argue that Treffy and Sypha kinda had that dynamic for a bit, at least in the beginning.
While I admit my affection for the show may just nostalgia as I watched it as a teenager and I found the fourth season and end of the second not very strong, I still deeply recommend the show. For a show for young adults I think it touches some strong themes and I deeply enjoy the characters and their very real development. It is also, I believe, the best representation of the Justice League. Not necessarily for character (they aren’t the focus of the show), but unlike many DC projects the world feels interconnected and believable. Rather than feeling like just 20 different heroes’ settings and rogue galleries mashed together with all the disjoint and power scaling problems that entails – the setting feels built from the ground up. To me it really seems like a world were Superman and the Flash would teem up with Batman, because they aren’t so powerful that he would not be a vital asset. It feels like a place where Lex Luther and the Joker would be willing and able to partner not simply because its a story that happens to have both Batman and Superman and they need somebody to fight, but because Metropolis and Gotham are two cities in the same nation connected by culture and friend groups and trade. The villains aren’t a slapped together group of weirdos that teamed up in a swamp just so they can beat up their rival heroes’ new friends, they are believable independent terrifying secret cabal with their own motivations the heroes are just in the way of it. I also love the show’s strong current of James Bond / Ocean’s 11 style spy thriller themes. Its more than just punching the villain of the week in the face till he stops his evil plans, its a continuous murky shadow war waged by the Justice League using their protege. It feels like the missions matter, not just because you don’t want Catwoman to get away with all those diamonds, but because the audience is aware that those diamonds are probably going to help fund the Madhatter’s mind control research so, he can help Vandal Savage destabilize Atlantis for Black Manta so he can hijack a nuclear sub or whatever. Its all connected and important. Its not crime-fighting its a war. A war waged by a fantastic cast of often delightfully dysfunctional teenage superheroes. Its great.
209 thoughts on “Energized”
butts
wow, it’s almost like people can surprise you
ZombieKyrik
No don’t you remember what Rachel said; people never change./s
Allen Alberti
prediction: this is the beginning of Rachel being into Joe.
Gilthwixt
I’m concerned this is leading into her trying to seduce Joe just to prove her point, which is a recipe for disaster if that’s happening at the same time Joyce x Dorothy is boiling over.
Stephen Nedland
I was thinking the same thing; now that Joe is no longer interested in her, Racheal is going to want to get on the Joe-ride, in a bad way.
Tan
Gross
VicMortimer
Yeah. Eww.
anon
im suirprised she didn’t assume it was just him putting on a show b/c she was in the room
Freezer
There’s still time.
Amelie Wikström
I imagine it’s not about Joe. Rachel has to have spent more time today in the same room with Joe than all their previous encounters combined. Now she’s going to want to keep talking about how he hasn’t changed when this is the only version of Joe she has actually seen somewhat up close; to me that would suggest her interest isn’t Joe but being right about her simplistic little personal philosophy.
Adept
I also don’t think she’s keep talking to him if that was all of it. She’s hanging around to engage with him.
Nymph
I mean, I imagine she was hanging around to exercise mostly, since that’s what she came down to do. There’s no doubt she is continuing to engage as well, but I doubt that’s why she’s sticking around rn.
Decidedly Orthogonal
Good on you Joe. You can give people time to adjust as you improve as a person, but you don’t need to accept their endless abuse.
not someone else
Ow, the burn.
Lumino
Good, she’s had it coming for a while and will continue to have it coming for as long as she’s being a brat.
anon
honestly i’m surrpised she’s still engaging with joe even if it’s to get a jab in versus just leaving
True Survivor
Well done.
Longshot97
Joe’s silhouette has grown much more defined. It’s incredible just how much shade he’s casting.
Clif
Har.
Doopyboop
I’m happy for Joe and Sarah. This is the start of a nice friendship.
TrueVCU
She is going to want to murder him the moment the DOMS starts to hit
And then do so after it recedes
(72 hours remain)
ZombieKyrik
I’m glad that Joe was able to help Sarah without making her uncomfortable; except for the incoming muscle pains.
If Joe and Sarah can be friends then almost anything is possible.
Insanenoodlyguy
The problem is the shipping urge is too intense. Joe and Sarah need to have a whirlwind romance… before parting on decent terms so the Rachel arc can begin.
The end game should be Joe and his Dorothy/Joyce/Walky harem.
DailyBrad
They’ve had their moments before, but yeah, they’ve found a pretty comfortable dynamic.
Pergola
Improved Joe and Cheerful Sarah are getting useful practice at being better people. Win-win.
NGPZ
oh, you mean like this Rachel? 9-9
Slartibeast Button, BIA
Joe isn’t living down to your expectations, Rachel? How sad.
Alongcameaspider
I suspect Rachel will learn nothing from this
Opus the Poet
I suspect you’re absolutely right.
Tatterhood
I suspect Rachel has a harder lesson coming.
Decidedly Orthogonal
New patreon strip coming in 5…
Nymph
I’m not sure what this means.
Insanenoodlyguy
The hard lesson is Joe’s erect Phallus. Coming. Hence the need for it to be behind the paywall.
NGPZ
one already came, and it’s about Asma
because apparently SOME PEOPLE just couldn’t get why Asma couldn’t afford to take any risks at the protest go fucking figure 9-9
Zero
Well, improvement doesn’t exist after all.
Formedras
If her Walkyverse version wasn’t Joe’s wife, I’d likely agree. But nah, she’s gonna figure it out.
Daibhid C
I realise this is kind of hypocritical from someone whose dislike of Roz stems about 60-70% from something she did in Shortpacked! (but nothing this Roz has said or done convinces me she wouldn’t have done it too), but I’m not sure that what Walkyverse characters did is a guarantee of anything.
People can change, but they don’t change across a set route that will always be the same regardless of other factors.
Formedras
Well, no, it’s not about “Rachel is gonna be into Joe,” and honestly I’d prefer avoiding that. It’s more that everybody is still the same core person, just in a different scenario. Someone who is capable of becoming more open-minded in Walkyverse is likely still going to be capable of it in Dumbingverse. (That said, if Rachel suffers a traumatic experience or two, that can change things rather immensely.)
Wraithy2773
Of course she won’t, that would involve her changing, and she’s outright stated that never happens!
Shogeton
Honestly, I think the opposite. Rachel is paying attention, and while she pokes, it’s with far less vitriol. She ain’t there, but she is dealing with the challenge to her worldview
Michelle J Caboose
She’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop. She “knows” Joe is going to be unable to resist horndogging out, and she wants to be there to see it when it happens, so she can tell herself (and Joe) “There it is. that’s what I was expecting.”
Schpoonman
Mary is more entertaining than Tall Rachel.
ZombieKyrik
Tall Rachel might be an asshole, but she’s not as bad as Mary. Mary needs to take a long walk on a short pier.
Andrusi
I don’t disagree, but this doesn’t make much sense in context? The comment you replied to is about who’s more entertaining, not who’s a better person.
ZombieKyrik
I suppose it’s because the people I find the most interesting are the characters that I like, or relate to. However you are right that I was not talking about the same thing as the original comment; my apologies.
Wraithy2773
That’s exactly WHY Mary’s more entertaining. Rachel’s a hardened super-cynic, you get nothing out of interactions with them. Everyone hates Mary, but at least she’s *fun* to hate!
thejeff
Mary can be more entertaining as a villain, especially in her big arc with Carla and Ruth.
I’m more interested in Rachel – there are enough hints that there’s something behind her attitude that I’d like to know what it is.
Insanenoodlyguy
No, Mary needs to give in to everything she’s ignored about herself and get with Carla. Then get pregnant. Then be abandoned by Carla because that’s “The ultimate prank.” Then she ends up with Jacob so it all works out.
Scolopendra
As a trans girl I’ll cosign this because I cannot get enough of insane evil woman yuri.
Astariel
Ew, no! Carla doesn’t deserve that.
Taffy
And hotter! Let’s never forget hotter.
PedanticJerkass
[Citation needed]
Nymph
You actually don’t need citations for personal opinions.
Astariel
Eh, they’re basically the same person, except Mary dresses up her moral superiority in God stuff and Rachel doesn’t.
thejeff
Rachel made some awful comments about an recently suicidal abusive authority figure. Mary attempted to blackmail that same person for her own bigoted purposes. They’re not at all the same.
ESM
Even from the perspective of “a villainous character I enjoy hating” Mary hasn’t been entertaining since she got punched. She’s too much of a loser to take seriously as a villain but too much of a villain to laugh at her for being a loser so she’s just kind of vaguely unpleasant for no reason.
Rachel is a nothing character but that’s because we almost never see her, and when she says something mean she’s usually prompting another character to reflect on their character arc. Rachel is being mean so that Joe can have Deep Thoughts in response. She’s a Greek chorus commenting on the plot/themes pretending to be a character. And I get why people don’t like her but there’s a reason for her to be in this comic and she gets like three lines a year so she’s not worth getting mad about.
Nono
Rachel’s talking a lot to someone she supposedly despises.
anon
sometimes you just gotta snipe/get teh last word in, i suppose
True Survivor
More wholesome Joe kind of reminds me of Superboy from Young Justice. I really like that show.
Tequila Mockingbird
Heard good things about that show, but haven’t taken the plunge quite yet. Does it live up the mild hype I’ve heard about it?
Theozilla
If you enjoyed the animated series Gargoyles, you’ll probably enjoy it. It is very recognizably written in Greg Weisman’s style of storytelling.
Tequila Mockingbird
Surely another Godzilla fan would not steer me wrong. Adored Gargoyles as a wee lad, so that’s certainly a point in its favor.
Taffy
If you like superpowered dickheads bickering and betraying each other while they make out, you might like Young Justice.
Tequila Mockingbird
I mean, my knee-jerk response to that would be “no, not really” but then I remembered how much I adore the lovable assholes that comprise the cast of Sword Art Online Abridged… Not to mention, as per your Castlevania avatar (one that serves as clear evidence of great taste), I’m tempted to argue that Treffy and Sypha kinda had that dynamic for a bit, at least in the beginning.
Yumi
Depends on the season. I find it uneven, even within seasons, but enjoyable enough overall.
True Survivor
While I admit my affection for the show may just nostalgia as I watched it as a teenager and I found the fourth season and end of the second not very strong, I still deeply recommend the show. For a show for young adults I think it touches some strong themes and I deeply enjoy the characters and their very real development. It is also, I believe, the best representation of the Justice League. Not necessarily for character (they aren’t the focus of the show), but unlike many DC projects the world feels interconnected and believable. Rather than feeling like just 20 different heroes’ settings and rogue galleries mashed together with all the disjoint and power scaling problems that entails – the setting feels built from the ground up. To me it really seems like a world were Superman and the Flash would teem up with Batman, because they aren’t so powerful that he would not be a vital asset. It feels like a place where Lex Luther and the Joker would be willing and able to partner not simply because its a story that happens to have both Batman and Superman and they need somebody to fight, but because Metropolis and Gotham are two cities in the same nation connected by culture and friend groups and trade. The villains aren’t a slapped together group of weirdos that teamed up in a swamp just so they can beat up their rival heroes’ new friends, they are believable independent terrifying secret cabal with their own motivations the heroes are just in the way of it. I also love the show’s strong current of James Bond / Ocean’s 11 style spy thriller themes. Its more than just punching the villain of the week in the face till he stops his evil plans, its a continuous murky shadow war waged by the Justice League using their protege. It feels like the missions matter, not just because you don’t want Catwoman to get away with all those diamonds, but because the audience is aware that those diamonds are probably going to help fund the Madhatter’s mind control research so, he can help Vandal Savage destabilize Atlantis for Black Manta so he can hijack a nuclear sub or whatever. Its all connected and important. Its not crime-fighting its a war. A war waged by a fantastic cast of often delightfully dysfunctional teenage superheroes. Its great.
Nono
I like how every response Joe is giving could sound like a euphemism.
ZombieKyrik
Gonna need a senzu for that one.
Animedingo
I understood that reference
Cloud