Given that half the commentariat thinks he always was a a constructive asshat and that he’s established as hugely deceptive and manipulative, I’m going to need a lot more than his word that he’s turned over a new leaf.
It’s possible that’s his character arc, but we’ve got to go farther with it.
anonamousethatscurriesinthedarkness
He may have turned over a new leaf but is it exchanging Nettles for Poison Ivy? Mind that is still an improvement compared to going the Gympie Gympie route.
Lailah
Ehh, referring to the narrative while pretending to drop your omniscient viewpoint is for the birds. It’s pretty clear his arc will include him making a good faith effort. Whether he’ll succeed is anyone’s guess.
Note: I have basically never liked mike and expect I will still not.
I don’t find a lot of his assholery funny anymore, so I’m afraid I can’t relate.
Pongles
I’ve always thought of his assholery more as a plot device than funny.
Clif
I’m sorry you don’t enjoy Mike. Hopefully the other characters make up for it.
BBCC
Sometimes he can still be funny, but most of the time I want him to fuck off. I love most of the rest of the characters though, so yeah, more than made up for.
SillyGoose
I’m with you, he’s long past “endearingly prickly” (that would be Sarah) and now firmly into “kicking supposed friends when they’re down”.
I’m all for him getting his own redemption/”new leaf” arc. Let’s see this, Mike, we know there’s a real person inside, now give them some screentime and put that awful persona away.
JetstreamGW
Y’all need to learn the joy of schadenfreude.
thejeff
I could probably still find him funny if I wasn’t reading the comments. 🙂
The constant drumbeat of “Mike’s doing good by being an ass” really cuts into my enjoyment. If we could just let him be a jerk and a foil for the others, I wouldn’t have a problem.
BBCC
This.
JetstreamGW
I’ve never understood why the opinions of random people on the internet ever mattered to anyone enough to affect their enjoyment of a thing.
begbert2
Assholery usually fares better when it’s cartoonish assholery, or when (as in shortpacked) there was an endless flow of one-off douchebags who could alternate with the main characters as targets. This setting, which borders on realistic and where all the one-off douchebags have all been claimed by Amazi-girl, doesn’t show him off to his best.
Lailah
It’s an interesting thought that he’s going to try to hurt people helpfully for real, and when it doesn’t work, then have to make a decision. Because if this is a more realistic setting, then it should, indeed, not work.
That’s intentional. He deliberately exposed himself to nuts like this to build up tolerance so he can survive more time on the Transformers action figure forums.
Four years of high school with these two, and now when someone gets mad about a toy being aimed at children, or calls every primary color “neon”, he barely bites through his desk
Also, gonna reiterate my late comment from yesterday:
Is it just me, or has Mike gotten hotter lately? Like, I don’t remember him being a super sexy character, but suddenly he’s super hot whenever he appears.
No, I think he has genuinely gotten better looking. He’s not my type, exactly, but I feel like he’s gotten better and better about translating to the art style of DoA versus Shortpacked, where obviously it was somewhat more cartoony.
I was going to say that his features seem softer somehow, like he’s being humanized. His facial expressions seem less hostile and more possibly empathetic or kind (for him – less glaring). I feel like based on the art change we are supposed to be taking him more seriously now as a character, instead of him being a very one dimensional presence that provides nothing but hateful comic relief. I think this started ever since the flashbacks and especially since he hooked up with Ethan. Very subtle windows into his vulnerability (through those softer facial expressions).
Maybe it’s because he’s strarting to act like a person and you are in fact turned on as much or even more by personality than by actual physical features?
I don’t think I’m demi, but I can safely say Mike has never been hot because he’s been an utter shitstain since his Walkyverse incarnation. Take a future baby crossed between Jacob, Ethan, Joyce, and Grace, and you’d still have a bottom five most unattractive character if they had Mike’s personality.
imo their friendship continues purely out of momentum/nostalgia, and the way neither Amber or Ethan has the self-esteem to bring themself to actually cut Mike out of their life entirely
I don’t think that’s quite true. They knew him before he was such an ass, and he shows a lot more of that side of himself with them than with anyone else. They’re genuinely friends, maybe just in an unusual way.
Helios
I think that might be part of it but I definitely feel like part might just be that neither of them has the heart/spine/self-esteem/whatever to cut mike out.
I don’t think so. I think that Amber gets rightfully pissed at him, but she also counts on his honesty, because she doesn’t let herself get too close to Danny out of guilt, and Ethan’s not going to confront her on things, so Mike is sometimes her wakeup call, even if it can be a cruel one, which I do think he was somewhat remorseful about in the previous strip, but I am not really sure with this guy sometimes.
And I think you’re giving Mike’s abuse credit for things Amber did on her own.
She doesn’t get too close to Danny because she thinks she’s poison and he’s better off. Mike repeatedly feeding her self hatred is not exactly something she seems at all grateful for
Amber called back something from Family Weekend (7 or 8 years ago IRL) that Mike said that was actually completely inexcusable. They are not friends with Mike, and they should not be. They tolerate his presence and he does theirs, except when he’s trying to hurt them.
Fuck Mike, I hope that Amber’s and Ethan’s self-esteem both upswing enough that they realize they don’t need to keep emotional abuse in their pocket.
I suspect Amber would have and that it’s mostly Ethan keeping them together. He regularly hangs out with Mike and Amber almost never does, except when Ethan brings them together.
Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.
I believe that children are our future. And that terrifies me.
Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.
I am curious about Mike’s “new leaf” – whether this is Ethan-related (either realising that telling somebody you like you wanna mess around with them because bored is a bad way of building intimacy, or just the epiphany that even a friend he can Slipshine with thinks he’s a jerk who doesn’t care about anybody else) or if he realised he crossed a line telling Amber she was just like her father, or if he’s screwing with her about the whole thing – why…
In the comic strip Peanuts, every so often Lucy swears that this time she will hold the football for Charlie Brown to kick, and every time he falls for it, and every time she pulls the football up at the last instant and Charlie Brown falls on his butt.
Every time someone falls for Mike claiming he’s turned a new leaf, that person is going to fall on their butt.
Discussion (128) - “New leaf”
Ana Chronistic
yeah, can’t say this sounds super consensual, Mike
“who said it was”
um
Ana Chronistic
(sorry, idk how to joke about trauma bc it’s really not funny Mike)
Br44n5m
You didn’t do as bad as some, I applaud you for being minimal creep
Clif
Walky needs a jolt to get him going for his own good. By this point Mike knows Walky’s weaknesses. Mike is definitely the man for the job.
Zee
You get good at it when you’ve been through trauma dw
lightsabermario
To be fair, the act of waking someone up is never consensual in the moment.
Ana Chronistic
idk, I love when cats do it
ego
and by happy coincidence i have cats who love to do it. what is your mailing address, ana?
Ana Chronistic
if your cats are like what I’m thinking instead of like my departed Gabey:
Abu Dhabi
ValdVin
“How traumatized will he be?”
“He will still put out.”
Awww, they’re longtime friends.
Dana
He knows her priorities.
LeslieBean4shizzle
“He will still put out.”
Criteria met. All is satisfactory.
BBCC
No, no, Mike, you back off. You gotta prove those new leaf bonafides first before you can be trusted with not being a humongous asshat.
AeromechanicalAce
Oh, he’ll still be a humongous asshat regardless. The new leaf is him being a CONSTRUCTIVE asshat.
BBCC
Pass. Give it to the dog.
SillyGoose
I initially read your post as “a humorous asshat”.
…still an improvement.
thejeff
Given that half the commentariat thinks he always was a a constructive asshat and that he’s established as hugely deceptive and manipulative, I’m going to need a lot more than his word that he’s turned over a new leaf.
It’s possible that’s his character arc, but we’ve got to go farther with it.
anonamousethatscurriesinthedarkness
He may have turned over a new leaf but is it exchanging Nettles for Poison Ivy? Mind that is still an improvement compared to going the Gympie Gympie route.
Lailah
Ehh, referring to the narrative while pretending to drop your omniscient viewpoint is for the birds. It’s pretty clear his arc will include him making a good faith effort. Whether he’ll succeed is anyone’s guess.
Note: I have basically never liked mike and expect I will still not.
JetstreamGW
If Mike wasn’t a humongous asshat, he wouldn’t be funny anymore.
Ass-on, Mike. Ass-on.
BBCC
I don’t find a lot of his assholery funny anymore, so I’m afraid I can’t relate.
Pongles
I’ve always thought of his assholery more as a plot device than funny.
Clif
I’m sorry you don’t enjoy Mike. Hopefully the other characters make up for it.
BBCC
Sometimes he can still be funny, but most of the time I want him to fuck off. I love most of the rest of the characters though, so yeah, more than made up for.
SillyGoose
I’m with you, he’s long past “endearingly prickly” (that would be Sarah) and now firmly into “kicking supposed friends when they’re down”.
I’m all for him getting his own redemption/”new leaf” arc. Let’s see this, Mike, we know there’s a real person inside, now give them some screentime and put that awful persona away.
JetstreamGW
Y’all need to learn the joy of schadenfreude.
thejeff
I could probably still find him funny if I wasn’t reading the comments. 🙂
The constant drumbeat of “Mike’s doing good by being an ass” really cuts into my enjoyment. If we could just let him be a jerk and a foil for the others, I wouldn’t have a problem.
BBCC
This.
JetstreamGW
I’ve never understood why the opinions of random people on the internet ever mattered to anyone enough to affect their enjoyment of a thing.
begbert2
Assholery usually fares better when it’s cartoonish assholery, or when (as in shortpacked) there was an endless flow of one-off douchebags who could alternate with the main characters as targets. This setting, which borders on realistic and where all the one-off douchebags have all been claimed by Amazi-girl, doesn’t show him off to his best.
Lailah
It’s an interesting thought that he’s going to try to hurt people helpfully for real, and when it doesn’t work, then have to make a decision. Because if this is a more realistic setting, then it should, indeed, not work.
Needfuldoer
Stinging nettle and poison ivy are also leaves, but which is his new one?
Nono
Ethan is too soft a bean to have these two as best friends and not come out a little jaded with the world.
Doctor_Who
That’s intentional. He deliberately exposed himself to nuts like this to build up tolerance so he can survive more time on the Transformers action figure forums.
Four years of high school with these two, and now when someone gets mad about a toy being aimed at children, or calls every primary color “neon”, he barely bites through his desk
drs
Ethan did avoid rooming with Mike.
LeslieBean4shizzle
Also, gonna reiterate my late comment from yesterday:
Is it just me, or has Mike gotten hotter lately? Like, I don’t remember him being a super sexy character, but suddenly he’s super hot whenever he appears.
Deathjavu
He was always stated to be hot, so I guess this is just the art getting better?
Nono
Username does not check out?
Steve C.
I dunno. Maybe he combed his hair and decided to wear something besides black?
DailyBrad
No, I think he has genuinely gotten better looking. He’s not my type, exactly, but I feel like he’s gotten better and better about translating to the art style of DoA versus Shortpacked, where obviously it was somewhat more cartoony.
Meagan
I was going to say that his features seem softer somehow, like he’s being humanized. His facial expressions seem less hostile and more possibly empathetic or kind (for him – less glaring). I feel like based on the art change we are supposed to be taking him more seriously now as a character, instead of him being a very one dimensional presence that provides nothing but hateful comic relief. I think this started ever since the flashbacks and especially since he hooked up with Ethan. Very subtle windows into his vulnerability (through those softer facial expressions).
Sunfish
Insightful humanistic observation. Avatar checks out.
SillyGoose
Maybe it’s because he’s strarting to act like a person and you are in fact turned on as much or even more by personality than by actual physical features?
Jaime Sprague
It’s not really Mike. It’s his good twin.
darkgloomie
Maybe he’s drunk
Schpoonman
I don’t think I’m demi, but I can safely say Mike has never been hot because he’s been an utter shitstain since his Walkyverse incarnation. Take a future baby crossed between Jacob, Ethan, Joyce, and Grace, and you’d still have a bottom five most unattractive character if they had Mike’s personality.
Unusually Angry Hippie
Some people go for assholes, which is perfectly acceptable and can even be healthy as long as they know what they’re getting into.
Woomy
Mike looks hot in the last panel
LeslieBean4shizzle
I know, right?
Madock345
Mike is hot in every panel
Stephen Bierce
*plays “Meat Man” on the hacked Muzak*
Stephen Bierce
This was a DJ’s favorite on the station I used to listen to in Florida when I was a teenager.
Shane Wegner
The important measures of functionality, really.
William Leonard Reese Jr.
. . .. I still can’t tell if these two are the best of friends or not. At the very least they have a very strong bond.
AntJ
Their relationship is so fun to read.
Fart Captor
imo their friendship continues purely out of momentum/nostalgia, and the way neither Amber or Ethan has the self-esteem to bring themself to actually cut Mike out of their life entirely
Madock345
I don’t think that’s quite true. They knew him before he was such an ass, and he shows a lot more of that side of himself with them than with anyone else. They’re genuinely friends, maybe just in an unusual way.
Helios
I think that might be part of it but I definitely feel like part might just be that neither of them has the heart/spine/self-esteem/whatever to cut mike out.
DailyBrad
I don’t think so. I think that Amber gets rightfully pissed at him, but she also counts on his honesty, because she doesn’t let herself get too close to Danny out of guilt, and Ethan’s not going to confront her on things, so Mike is sometimes her wakeup call, even if it can be a cruel one, which I do think he was somewhat remorseful about in the previous strip, but I am not really sure with this guy sometimes.
Fart Captor
And I think you’re giving Mike’s abuse credit for things Amber did on her own.
She doesn’t get too close to Danny because she thinks she’s poison and he’s better off. Mike repeatedly feeding her self hatred is not exactly something she seems at all grateful for
Schpoonman
Amber called back something from Family Weekend (7 or 8 years ago IRL) that Mike said that was actually completely inexcusable. They are not friends with Mike, and they should not be. They tolerate his presence and he does theirs, except when he’s trying to hurt them.
Fuck Mike, I hope that Amber’s and Ethan’s self-esteem both upswing enough that they realize they don’t need to keep emotional abuse in their pocket.
thejeff
I suspect Amber would have and that it’s mostly Ethan keeping them together. He regularly hangs out with Mike and Amber almost never does, except when Ethan brings them together.
And even Ethan isn’t sure they’re friends.
Marsh Maryrose
I am reminded of a Seventies-era poster: “We’ve been through so much together…and most of it was your fault.”
hof1991
Demotivational posters at https://despair.com/collections/posters. Yes, that’s a real thing and they’re hilarious.
Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.
I believe that children are our future. And that terrifies me.
Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.
Megan Rivera
#Priorities
Miri
I am curious about Mike’s “new leaf” – whether this is Ethan-related (either realising that telling somebody you like you wanna mess around with them because bored is a bad way of building intimacy, or just the epiphany that even a friend he can Slipshine with thinks he’s a jerk who doesn’t care about anybody else) or if he realised he crossed a line telling Amber she was just like her father, or if he’s screwing with her about the whole thing – why…
Marsh Maryrose
In the comic strip Peanuts, every so often Lucy swears that this time she will hold the football for Charlie Brown to kick, and every time he falls for it, and every time she pulls the football up at the last instant and Charlie Brown falls on his butt.
Every time someone falls for Mike claiming he’s turned a new leaf, that person is going to fall on their butt.
Needfuldoer
Then Charlie Brown goes right back to Lucy for advise and psychological help, for which she charges him a nickel.
Mike is Lucy Van Pelt confirmed?
Bicycle Bill
Did you ever see this one, Marsh?
Zee
Has he ever claimed he was though (genuine question, shitty memory)
thejeff
First time I remember. He’s lied about other stuff though.