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Rooftop
Posted on March 14, 2016 by David M Willis
Hooray!  The Dumbing of Age Book 5 Kickstarter reached $50k, meaning everybody who pledges for a paper book (versus a PDF) will get a free Amber magnet.  That's pretty sweet.

292 thoughts on “Rooftop”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Walky ALSO Batman: CONFIRMED

    1. Doctor_Who

      He would make a good Robin.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Robin wears a brightly coloured costume so he can distract the mooks while Batman does his thing.

        1. Willoughby Chase

          Boy Hostage … I can’t remember who called him that.

        2. EvilMidnightLurker

          Tiny Toon Adventures had Plucky as BatDuck and Hamton as Decoy, the Pig Hostage.

        3. Havtorn

          Two-Face, I think. But it’s such a good line that I can imagine almost every batman villain saying it.

        4. Emperor Norton

          Walky, on the other hand, would wear a top that revealed his caramel abs to distract the mooks with.

    2. Tunaro

      Guess he’s been takin’ Dino Ninja lessons from Dina.
      …DiNinja? DinoNja? DiNja?
      Screw it, goin’ with Dinja.

      1. GreyDefender

        Now I need to go back and read Dr. McNinja…

        1. Anon

          ^ This guy’s got taste! Dr. McNinja, Alice Grove gravatar, AND DoA? Class..

        2. Rowen Morland

          Don’t forget the Grey Defender reference, that’s arguably the best of them all.

        3. Znayx

          And a well-placed fart would just make it perfectly classy…

          Ahem, I mean, read Gunnerkrigg Court. Though maybe you already do. I learned about it from here because it was mentioned often in the comments.

        4. podian

          Oh yes, GC is really awesome.

        5. quarktime

          Hey, I’m cool too…even if I am on hiatus…

        6. Jason

          I stopped reading when a certain… teacher arrived. It just hit too close to home for me to continue enjoying it.
          Which makes me sad.

        7. thejeff

          Things have gotten a bit better since.

        8. kendermouse

          Same here – I have people who are supposed to let me know when it’s safe for me to read again.

    3. Mr k

      So, Walky and Sal are actually the same person?

      1. John

        Modulo a sex chromosome, yeah.

        1. Mr k

          So, he’s like Ramna?

        2. Plasma Mongoose

          Just add water of varying temperature.

      2. Vagabond J

        That theory doesn’t hold much ground. They were in the same room at certain points.

        Unless that was joke… I’m not good with humor.

        1. Cassidy

          It was a joke. Walky and Sal are visually similar to a certain extent, and are now engaging in somewhat similar actions.

          If your thing is a joke, the joke is on you. I actually know people that don’t understand humor. They’re perfectly intelligent people, but I don’t like spending time around them. Other people do, though.

        2. trlkly

          And are flat out said to lookquite similar in comic.

        3. trlkly

          Oh, hey. Links to the comic itself aren’t being moderated anymore. Sweet!

      3. FortMax

        Nah. Sal wouldn’t have taken the stairs.

    4. Fridge_Logik

      Here I thought he was Brad Pitt in Oceans 11, since of course <a href=http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/oceans-eleven-brad-pitt.jpg]he's eating.

  2. LadyThrimbletrimmer

    I would be on roofs more often if I could

    1. Mangaseeker

      Having spent a few summers roofing i will tell you it’s not that great

      1. heyman

        It gets hot early up there.
        Speaking of early, it doesn’t feel like bedtime yet!

      2. Yet_One_More_Idiot

        Yeah, Walky and Amber are both roofies! …wait that didn’t come out right. Eh close enough. 😛

        1. inqntrol

          You could say they are having a high time.

        2. Deanatay

          Raising the roof?

        3. Yet_One_More_Idiot

          They feel so high, they can kiss the sky…that feels like it should be a line from a song, I’m sure I didn’t just make it up. xD

        4. ShawnL

          Dancing on the Ceilings.

    2. Ana Chronistic

      I confess that one of the first things I do when I’m somewhere and I’m bored with no place to be immediately is to find the highest point and take pictures

    3. Undrave

      Perfect place to confess to senpai :p

      1. Mangaseeker

        Why did that bring up memories of Yandere Simulator?

        1. Disloyal Subject

          Because Yandere Simulator is pretty memorable.

        2. inqntrol

          You can murder a whole school only to be closer to your Senpai. I guess that’s pretty memorable.

        3. podian

          Well, rooftops are important in Yandere Simulator.

    4. Willoughby Chase

      I lived in a roof-top in Amsterdam for a while.

  3. Jacket

    *Plays “Just Strolling Along” on the Hacked Muzak*

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIGGebPPiuI

    1. Stephen R. Bierce

      *follows up with “Dreams I’ll Never See”*

      1. Sokol

        Man, this guy’s quick.

      2. Jacket

        I really wanted to comment *Plays “Breach of Security” on the Hacked Muzak* because I thought it’d fit for whenever Amazi-Girl beats up someone, but that hasn’t come yet.

      3. Vagabond J

        I was more thinking this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiwHu6O1hJU

        1. Vagabond J

          Actually, Forget that one. THIS is the more fitting one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LssQzHGzaIo

        2. Jacket

          You’ve given me an idea.

      4. Needfuldoer

        *Slips some Van Halen into the playlist*

        (Some might think it’s a cruel choice, but I think it reflects Amber’s current inner dialogue.)

    2. Willoughby Chase

      View from a bridge – Kim Wilde

      1. Captain Button

        Can’t take any more.

  4. GrayMoon77

    I wish I could do that. :T

  5. TrueVCU

    Rooftops: the official home of brooding

  6. Fish Facade

    My university has one too, but people always go up there on dates to watch the sunset and make out, so I usually find an upper-level cushy chair to procrastinate doing homework in.

  7. Anna

    Walky asking the real questions

  8. Vagabond J

    Building from what Walky said in the last panel:

    Every high school slice-of-life anime will do this at some point. That’s a good question.

    1. Doctor_Who

      But only the main characters get roof access for some reason. One of the mysteries of the universe.

      1. Vagabond J

        Not in Hentai!

        1. Disloyal Subject

          Nah, still there. No one that isn’t important to what passes for plot will end up on the roof.

      2. Jay Eff

        I guess that means we won’t be seeing Faz or Howard up there, will we?

        1. John

          If that hentai exception is true, I sure hope not.

        2. Vagabond J

          What I mean in that comment is that authority also magically appears up there sometimes when the main characters do “it.”

          So unless Howard or Fazberry become cops or professors, you won’t see them up there unless there’s character development involved.

        3. Jacket

          A simple push can ruin someone’s life up there.

        4. Deanatay

          A lot of those schools fence in their roof terraces now. Won’t stop a determined suicide, but prevents a LOT of stupid accidents.

    2. Undrave

      There’s a particular model of school, designed based on what the Japanese imagined American school were, that was VERY popular during the post-WWII era. There’s schools that look EXACTLY THE SAME everywhere all over Japan. One of the feature of that model and it’s inspiration is the rooftop terrace (gotta find open space wherever you can in a Japan, most of the school ground is occupied by sports field) and it’s become ingrained in the socio-cultural background of people in Japan. It’s not as common nowadays but it was when most writers were in high school.

      1. Captain Button

        I read somewhere that in Japan kids getting enough sunlight is considered very important. Roof terraces a good way to do that.

        The article mentioned a case where the builders of a skyscraper discovered the building shadow was going to cover a school playground for much of the day. So they built a playground on the skyscraper roof with it own elevator.

  9. Mr. Random

    Mine was locked. Every building on campus was too. People still figured out how to get up there.

    1. TheLurkerAbove

      I was going to ask – wouldn’t the access be locked?

    2. Disloyal Subject

      There’s always a way. It’s a lot harder when you have to climb the face of the building, though.

      1. Mr. Random

        My high school had a bell tower with a locked gate too.
        The only way up was to climb around the gate, essentially over a four story drop to the base of the stairs.
        Me and some friends went over it to sign our names on the wooden door to the roof.
        I only realized what I did about a year later, and freaked the fuck out when I went back to look at the drop.

  10. Opus the Poet

    Stairway accessible roof = Tar beach.

  11. Jay Eff

    Roof Party!

    Who’s bringing the Roofies?

    .

    Er… I mean… um…

    1. Opus the Poet

      Those are for breakfast ONLY!

    2. No Name

      Ryan is, but if he shows up, I’ll vaporize him with my future-seeing laser eyes.

      1. Jay Eff

        Yeah, you look like you could actually do it, too~

      2. Wublub

        I prefer the baseball bat.

        Oh, wait, that’s Sarah’s thing.

        I prefer… a truck.

        1. Captain Button

          Umm, you have a five story drop right there. Much easier to pass off as an accident.

    3. Mr. Random

      Ran out of forget-me-nows? Didn’t I just buy some?

  12. Itama

    i am walky here.
    or i would be, but STAAIIIIIIIIRRS…..D:

  13. Shana

    It’s not really this cool, the rooftop is caged off to prevent suicides.

    1. Ctrl+C D@

      Yeah that’s what I was thinking. Did Amber and Walky just bust some locks to get up there or what?

      1. Viktoria

        School locks rarely require actual busting. And even if they do, get it open once and you can usually rig a way to get past it again.

        1. Ctrl+C D@

          They still shouldn’t be up there.

        2. Viktoria

          Why not? I’m sure it’s against the rules, but is there a reason for those rules and does that reason apply here? The only reason I can think of is the mentioned suicide thing, but given that AG went up there to de-stress, I don’t think it applies in this case.

        3. Betty Anne

          Actual reason: Arbitrary rule-making for the sake of saying they have them.

          Legitimized reason for the campus and public: Liability. If a college student is suicidal, is stupid, is drunk, or is otherwise inhibited from staying on the roof like a non-dumbass, and said student falls resulting in serious injury or death, the school will be the first target of parental wrath. (Because it’s certainly not their fault for raising someone who manages to not stay on a roof, and it’s certainly not their snowflake’s fault, either.) Parental wrath at college campuses tends to come in the form of major lawsuits and a PR nightmare they’d rather not deal with – hence, bullshit rules.

        4. trlkly

          The real issue? People using it to harass other people by dropping things on them. And then being far enough away that it’s hard to catch them.

        5. Yossarianduck

          Are you… an expert in this field?

        6. Betty Anne

          If you went to college and are not an expert in this field, you missed an important learning experience in college. 😐

      2. Shana

        The roof to Read is perfectly accessible, you can stand atop the building without picking any locks. You just can be out in the open, there’s a big metal cage with it’s own roof around the rooftop, kind of like a tunnel. It’s mostly used for smoking pot

    2. DinaWho

      Which makes Amber’s dramatic pose on the edge a bit more disturbing when you think about it.

    3. begbert

      I was just thinking that’s a crazy-low railing.

    4. Deanatay

      Remember, this is IU seen thru Willis-vision – in his day, schools were not yet heavily-policed prisons with barbed wire and fences everywhere.

      1. iffany

        In fairness, the barbed wire tends to drop off a bit once you’re in college.

        1. NotPiffany

          Why did half my name get cut off? That was weird.

  14. les-be-friends dinosaurs

    I agree with Walky, if my high school had one of those thats where i would have hung out instead of under the stairs.

  15. KarkatTheDalek

    Oh God no, I hate heights.

  16. Peduncle

    Now we know where her uniform is.

    1. cesium133

      She always wears it under her clothes. And then she wears her clothes under the uniform. And another uniform under that. The point being, never challenge Amber/Amazi-Girl to strip poker.

      1. Fridge_Logik

        Well, if you think strip poker is won by keeping your cloths on then yes.

        1. trlkly

          It kinda is, isn’t it? You want the other person to be the one who strips first, so you get an eyefull before sexy time starts.

      2. Leorale

        She’s like Russian nesting dolls under there. There are so many layers of clothes, the actual Amber is like 2ft tall.

        1. Wublub

          So basically a much less creepy version of that story from Wayside school where the dead rat was wearing a ton of raincoats to sneak into the school.

    2. heyman

      No spares?

    3. nkh

      Yep. She was wearing it underneath her shorts and tee-shirt.

      (Amazi-Girl can do anything.)

      1. Roborat

        Hammerspace.

        1. tim gueguen

          “Kasumi, do you have the phonebook with all the international numbers in it handy?

          “It’s right here, Akane. What do you need it for?”

          “I pulled Amber’s cape out. Again.”

        2. Roborat

          And that is what happens when you upgrade your computer to Windows 10 and don’t pay attention to which email address pops up when you post. Sorry Willis.

  17. Tunaro

    To answer Walky’s question, I did try this at my college once, but I got yelled at to get the hell down and then got repeatedly asked if I had any food on my person.
    Apparently, a coupl’a assholes who used to like chuckin’ cantaloupes off the science building and yelling “Physics Mothafuckas!” at passersby ruined shit for ev’rybody.

    1. Durandal_1707

      At my university, this one building had a window that opened onto the roof of the annex, since the main building was taller than the annex was. One day, somebody caught some students hanging out on the roof of the annex like Amber and Walky are doing here. The way they reacted, you’d think they’d discovered an Al Qaeda cell or something. The whole building went into uber-lockdown mode, with security patrols and everything, and they put bars on the windows to keep people from climbing out them.

      Hilariously, they put the bars on the *wrong windows*, though; the window going out onto the annex roof was still accessible, whereas if you’d climbed out the windows they barred up, you wouldn’t have gone anywhere but splat.

      Yay for academic bureaucracy!

      1. Betty Anne

        Ooooh, dang. Too bad the kids who started that weren’t on their toes – a public letter to the editor in the local newspaper about the fire trap hazard those bars on the windows posed (even though there’s no legitimate escaping out most dorm windows during a fire) would have turned that into a hilarious on-going project. XD Our campus considered it for two-tenths of a second because of students who entered and left via their windows, but “reminders” about said non-existent fire threat kept the windows open and accessible.

        1. Havtorn

          I kinda suspect the fire trap hazard might be the actual reason the “wrong” windows were barred. Like, the plan might have been to bar them all and then someone went “Uhm, but wait a minute, what about fire escape paths?” and they agreed on a compromise that didn’t really work for anybody.

          That would be more in line with academic bueraucracy in my experience – nobody gets what they want because of there being too many masters to please.

  18. Leorale

    Ooh, new character interaction time!

  19. Cephalo the Pod

    Are…are we just gonna leave Sal and Danny’s conversation?

    1. Ctrl+C D@

      I’m sure we’ll get back to that sometime this week.

    2. Leorale

      Evidently. Guess it was mainly there to plant “man, I should DO something! I should, right? Um what should I do” for Danny to angst about later?

    3. No Name

      We’ll get back to it.

      Eventually.

      Maybe.

    4. MM

      But of course! How else could we have the requisite “DAMN YOU WILLIS!”?

  20. DinaWho

    Anyone else see parallels between his appearance here and at the questioning meetup in Walking with Dina?

  21. askradicalgoodspeed

    jump plays in the background

    1. askradicalgoodspeed

      jumper third eye blind

      1. LooksLikeDaniel

        That was my EXACT reaction!

  22. Jed!

    Walky clearly watches a lot of anime.

    Also, is this actually true about IU, or is it artistic license?

    1. Someone

      given that Walky is pretty much me, with a dash of Howard tossed in there. I can say, that he probably does.

  23. LimeSheep

    amazi-girl throws nemesis’s brother off a roof, story at 11

  24. Luzahn

    Oh hey, these guys never interact. This should be fun.

    1. John

      Pretty sure Walky’s had more interaction with Amazi-Girl than with Amber. I’m not sure he even knows Amber’s name.

    2. newllend(henryvolt)

      Wait so while Danny and Sal are having a conversation about Amazi-girl, Walky and Amazi-girl are having a conversation about…..?

      1. tim gueguen

        Pajama jeans. Walky will try to convince her that the Amazi-girl costume would be improved by replacing the tights and boots combo with pajama jeans.

  25. Jackie

    For some reason, up to this point, it never struck me how messed up Amber is, but standing like that, on a roof, in broad daylight, suddenly cracked the comic book logic.

    1. Leorale

      She’s communing with her coping strategy. It’s kinda like curling up in your bed with your security blanket, but with more Batman theme music.

      1. Jackie

        Indeed.

    2. Deanatay

      Nah, AG has a grappling hook. If she ‘fell’ off the roof, she could catch herself.

    3. Roborat

      She is just checking to make sure the Amazi-beacon hasn’t been activated.

  26. Goliath

    >_> Why are we cutting to some random scene with Walky and Amber? I want to hear Danny’s answer to Sal’s question.

    1. Leorale

      It is a comic about cliffhangers.

    2. Rukduk

      Because drama is all about suspense so you either feel relief when something good happens, or catharsis when something bad happens?

    3. Bagge

      I want to see them chilling in the laundry room

    4. tim gueguen

      Because what Walky tells here will in the end prove more effective in helping her than whatever Danny does after talking to Sal.

    5. Emperor Norton

      It’s not random. True, it doesn’t move the plot forward as such, but basically we needed to establish a reason for Walky to be on the roof (AG’s reason is pretty self-explanatory), before we can really get to the meat of their conversation.

      Which also gives us time to speculate a lot about what said conversation will be.

    6. Spencer

      By the 16th we’re going to see the laundry room again, so that’s almost definitely where Sal spills the beans to Danny, and the 18th has Amber saying something to a concerned Danny.

      Not sure how long this sequence will last, but it will end by the 21st as that’s when Jonathan and Jocelyne show up.

      1. Peduncle

        Sssssshhhhhhhhhh!

  27. John

    So, Walky and Amazi-Girl get to know each other. Dorothy dumps Walky when she goes off to Yale. Amber picks up another of Dorothy’s cast-offs. Family get-togethers become somehow even more awkward for Sal.

  28. Siyajkak

    I didn’t have an accessible rooftop, but the dorm next to me did. It was for the arts majors, so every night they would flaunt their privilege by playing the bongos from about 8-10 PM

    1. Siyajkak

      And I do mean bongos the instruments. No substitution there

  29. Peduncle

    Panel 1: Mr. Willis just loves drawing those panoramas.

    1. JessWitt

      He must think they’re panorific.

      1. Spencer

        These jokes just aren’t going to pan out.

        1. Peduncle

          Pandemonium ensues.

    2. TheLurkerAbove

      I don’t think he does, there’s normally a moan about the work he has to put in whenever these show up!

      1. Peduncle

        That was kinda the tiny joke. Or sarcasm. Or irony. Or… what are the other choices?

  30. JessWitt

    Walky with Amazi-Girl, Sal with Boy Blunder. Fun encounters all around.

  31. Rukduk

    Good question Walky. Although some people are doubtless not here due to fear of heights, that doesn’t explain why there is no evidence of anyone else here. And, as you appear to be demonstrating, it doesn’t seem like the roof is locked off either. Also, are going to get a one on one pseudo-therapy heart to heart discussion between Amazing Girl and WALKY of all people? Remind me to bring popcorn tomorrow.

    1. TheLurkerAbove

      Normally roof access is locked, at least where I am from. They’re maintenance access, so only building management has the keys.

    2. Disloyal Subject

      It’s a little out of the way and there are no couches. People don’t like stairs, and do like having a minimum distance to travel to their next destination, so they forsake the high ground.

  32. Leorale

    Also that’s a pretty establishing shot, all orange and autumnal. This sort of thing makes the world way more cohesive for me.

  33. Showler

    The bicycles look good, Mr Willis. They were worth it.

    1. ChrisHerself

      Hah!

  34. Mangaseeker

    Amzi-girl begins her decent into villainy by kidnapping her arch enemy’s brother, now she just needs to find an abandoned warehouse with a vat of acid to dangle him from

    1. Vagabond J

      A smoke & fire factory. Perfect.

      1. heyman

        You mean an Abandoned Flame Factory.

    2. caesaria82

      Does she even know they’re related?

    3. Zababcd

      If you’re dangling someone from the vat you’ve gotten the whole process completely mixed up.

      1. Mangaseeker

        Well it is her first day, mistakes are a given

    4. BenRG

      Am I the only one who think that Walky would treat this as a bizarre form of flirting?

  35. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    Very nice she has a proper dramatic wind.

    1. Wolf

      Now just imagine that with the sounds included.

      COME HERE OFTEN!!?

      WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP HERE!!?

      WHAT!?

      I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP HERE!!?

      WHAAAT!!?

    2. Axel

      She probably has to be careful about going up there only on days when there’s enough wind to billow her cape (or she doesn’t look dramatic enough) but not enough to push her off-balance (or she looks too dramatic on the way down).

  36. JetstreamGW

    Oh please, please let Walky have an opportunity to confront Amber about what a jackass she’s being about this whole Sal situation.

    Let it go, darlin’, I’m pretty sure doing a stint in Juvie means she’s paid for her crimes. Also she already got stabbed for it.

    1. Vagabond J

      I dunno, man. People have been talking about Blaine’s contribution…

      1. Havtorn

        Frankly, so what?

        Blaine is a shitstain, granted, but that doesn’t make amazi-girls behaviour better. It just gives us, as outside spectators, context. From Walky’s perspective (assuming he even heard about the car-park incident) she just harassed a person and picked a fight because they had beer they shouldn’t have had.

        1. trlkly

          There’s this thing good people do: they care about people with mental illnesses, and don’t call them a jerk for an illness they have. The same way I don’t call someone a jerk for having diabetes.

        2. Spencer

          I mean, despite Amber’s history, her actions towards Sal are still inexcusable, because Sal already paid for her crimes and either way Amber isn’t entitled to vigilante justice. She’s deeply lucky that when she went after Sal she didn’t hurt anybody (well, Malaya, but who cares about Malaya. Everyone gets to beat up Malaya), and if she continues as is she’ll need to go to jail.

          Amber isn’t a bad person because she’s an abuse victim and probably has DID, but she’s done a lot of really awful shit that we can’t even justify with the thin veneer of comic book violence being acceptable as long as it’s done to jerks.

        3. thejeff

          And even then she only struck Malaya when Malaya attacked her. She did provoke, but physically she only defended herself.

          If she escalates further, she’ll need to go to jail, but that’s about the worst of the “awful shit” she’s done so far.

        4. Spencer

          I agree. Like, no, her actions that night weren’t okay, but she was about as awful as Sal was when she and Malaya had a small fight, and at least Malaya made the first move against Amber.

          And I think that’s the careful balancing act in Amber’s character. That when she does punch dudes it’s always guys who are actively, clearly being awful, and who don’t have character or agency outside of being awful. It’s okay to punch them, and I’d feel okay with any of the character punching them, the way I did when Sarah cracked a bat upside Joyce’s skull.

        5. Spencer

          UPSIDE RYAN’S SKULL.

          goddamn

        6. David M Willis

          D:

        7. Tan

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/bat-2/

    2. Lord Stoneheart

      Does Amber even know they’re related?

      1. John

        Walky makes Amber uncomfortable, but I don’t think she’s figured out why yet.

        1. AgentKeen

          I was trying to remember if his similar look had been brought up (I know Amber and Sal just missed each other at Joyce’s party, after Danny realized they were twins).

        2. Needfuldoer

          In two comic-time weeks, the cast will all bus out to the mall to get ready for Halloween. While everyone is hunting through the racks of costumes, Walky puts on a Cher wig and sneaks up behind Amber…

          And that’s how Walky was murdered at a temporary Halloween store in a closed Old Country Buffet.

        3. Ntrovert60

          Nice – comics AND current events. Well played!

        4. tim gueguen

          The couple of temporary Halloween stores in Saskatoon last year were in the two closed Target stores in town.

        5. caesaria82

          Oh thanks for linking this, I was wondering too if she had figured it out. I guess it’s probably not long now til she finds out^^

        6. CJ

          Now, he just needs to tell Amazi-Girl how his parents are being unfair to his sister…

      2. tim gueguen

        She should be able to figure it out in short order.

      3. Mr.Morningstar

        They look exactly alike besides there hair and the fact that walky doesn’t have breasts

        1. merbrat

          I don’t think Amber has really *looked* at Sal, to register the resemblance. She was *this* close to her, but zoned-out as soon as she saw her. (She sees not so much Sal’s features, just the whole image)
          The Cher wig would do it, as it would complete the image.

      4. JetstreamGW

        I’m hoping she’s about to.

  37. takashid

    So we have Danny and Sal having a conversation around the same time Walky and Amber are having one. interesting.

  38. m-m

    That simple question from Walky might have saved Amber’s life… not bad for a guy munching mcnuggets on a rooftop.

    1. Leorale

      How? AG wasn’t about to jump.

      1. Vagabond J

        Shhh! Interpretation!

      2. Palamdrone

        And even if she did, super hero cartoon physics would allow her to survive the fall.

        1. "Wolf"

          AMAZI-LOGIC, I’d say!

        2. Deanatay

          … and a grappling hook…

        3. merbrat

          Super-hero landing!

      3. Jacket

        A simple push can ruin someone’s life up there.

  39. Random832

    So does Amber know Walky is Sal’s brother?

    1. Leorale

      Hmm, I don’t think she does. Maybe knowing about her wisecracking brother could help humanize Sal a bit for her.

    2. trlkly

      Almost certainly not. She was okay with him at Joyce’s party, without having a single flashback. And we were shown how oblivious people could be about them being related, despite being mostly identical.

  40. Dana

    They’re all playing in the steam tunnels

    1. Betty Anne

      If they’re anything like the steam tunnels on my campus were, that’s…disturbing. Because the tunnels were gross as hell. D:

      1. Victor Riley

        We had steam tunnels, too… they were awesome. (If you knew how to get into them, that is)

        1. Adam Black

          I almost drown in my mine, exiting.

          true Story; they are the basis for TMNT

  41. Bicycle Bill

    Damn right, Walky.

  42. jepmz

    Nice!!!! More interaction!! And possibly mentioning Sal!

    1. inqntrol

      Hopefully Walky will tell Amber/Amazi-Girl that Sal is his sister and also say about his mother favouring him over his sister.

  43. Orion Fury

    Ah yes, always good to have a reminder that Walky is minoring in Obfuscating Stupidity. The forthcoming conversation should be good.

  44. Yotomoe

    I’m just here to remind you that I’m a monster that must be stopped.
    http://i.imgur.com/4KuPyw0.png

    1. Bagge

      Revenge is best served with disturbing mental images.

    2. Disloyal Subject

      Thanks for that. Truly you are the hero the comments deserve.

      1. Deanatay

        History’s. Greatest. MONSTER.

    3. Tan

      I don’t think Sal’s comment is true. I mean, besides the fact that that she’s putting her on in the first place.

      I cannot think of a feasible way to use the handhole without giving up a handhold (teehee, wordplay). Furthermore, I would not think that usage of the handhole would be any more pleasurable for either party than a good firm grip, or even AS pleasurable in terms of physical stimulation… Unless Sal and/or her partner has developed a very particular fetish, I cannot see a benefit.

      Am I overanalyzing? I’m probably overanalyzing.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Run the handhole down all the way, rest fingers on the pubic bone to support weight, and use mouth or other hand on the phallus protruding out the back of the hand as desired. Of course, it would require a metacarpal or two to be missing or freakishly flexible – maybe replaced with cartilage – but human anatomy’s limits don’t usually stop weird fantasies.

        1. Tan

          But why would this be more desirable than using that hand in a more traditional gripping manner? It is not an ‘added hole’ so much as a different, mutually exclusive way to use something that is already used in intimate stimulation, where the already-existing methods are more effective.

          Again, unless Sal and/or her partner has developed a very specific fetish. YKIOK.

        2. Disloyal Subject

          The only practical reason I can think of is to maximize how much of the shaft is hand-free if one wants to test their gag reflex or just get farther motion up and down with the other hand, but thighs are already perfectly good handholds.

      2. Yotomoe

        I promise you a hand stab wound, realistically, would be a bad place to insert a penis or any appendage really. Don’t try it at home kids.

        1. Trolldrool

          Is it okay to try it if you’re already at the hospital?

    4. Deanatay

      I’m sure this would be no worse than ‘nasal sex’.

      1. Spencer

        *sounds of brain breaking into tiny little pieces*

    5. NotPiffany

      It looks like someone took Craft Disturbing Mental Image as their feat last level.

      1. Liliet

        Internet cookie.

        Also, best feat OR best feat? XD

  45. AgentKeen

    One of the science buildings at my school had rooftop access, but there were facilities offices at the top, so I’ve never braved the roof (plus, my luck I’d get locked out).

  46. Bagge

    I love that of all people, Walky develops a chill relationship with amaziegirl. “Do I have to chase you this time? Nah, it’s OK. It’s brooding time”

  47. DaveM

    Does AmberAmazigirl know that Walky is Sal’s brother? This could get real awkward fast.. Mind you, given Walky’s ability to speak without filtering, it’s possible some helpful advice may ensue. Ok, just re-read that, and have realised I’m saying “something bad might happen, unless it doesn’t”…

    On a different topic, I love roofs as well. I’d be on the roof most lunchtimes at my uni, until a couple of unfortunate incidents got everything locked down tight (sadly enough the suicide of the student who everyone thought “was just acting out” wasn’t as much of a factor as the a****les throwing flour & water bombs to the streets below).

    1. Heavensrun

      She has no idea, no. She doesn’t even know Sal’s NAME at this point.

      1. BenRG

        Yeah; Sal isn’t a person as much as she is a symbol of Amber’s trauma. That’s tough for both women, in my book.

    2. Emperor Norton

      John linked to a comic that pretty much states that she doesn’t know; she merely finds there to be something odd about him.

      Here, so you don’t have to scroll back up to find it: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/04-walking-with-dina/goofoff/

      1. trlkly

        Right, I forgot about that. But that establishes it back then. And my comment about her being fine with him at the party shows it hasn’t changed.

  48. caesaria82

    Is Walky eating? Good to know that with everything going on in all their lives, Walky is still Walky, always eating something lol.

    1. tim gueguen

      Give the strip a couple of years and we’ll probably see a “Walky vs. the Freshman 15” plot.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Or someone bongoing that his metabolism’s still going strong while they’ve been hit by the F-15.

  49. Skizz

    Man has a point

  50. Lan

    Dammit Walky you made me choke on my Dr. pepper!

  51. Uniqueantique

    Walky and Sal do resemble each other. I don’t think Amber knows for a fact, but think she sense’s it and it makes her uncomfortable.

    While Walky is an unlikely ‘talk ya down’ person….but then, he is capable of so much more than he shows, because he hates responsibility.
    I think he may actually do something here. No one else has really tried very hard. Sal walked away after telling her to accept and move on. But, looks like she’s realized AG not just acting out here, is in bad trouble.

    Danny abandoned her when she needed him most, and since then has been viewing her more as ‘look what I got to date me’, than a person in trouble. (yes he did have glimpses, but when help didn’t work he gave up).

    1. Historyman68

      I don’t think that’s completely fair to Danny. Sure, he was talking to Sal about it as if it were glamorous, but he seems to legit care about her and is helping her as best as he knows how. He’s accepting her for who she is when he’s been with her, and has tried to get help from Ethan too.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Idon’tcarenomore has been going on about Danny being uncomfortable with Amber’s actions during freshman family weekend for a long, long time now. It’s not remotely fair to Danny, but their opinion isn’t going to change.

    2. Silly Name

      Well, Amber only recognized Sal when she had curly hair, which triggered Amber’s memory. They had seen each other before (at the floor meeting, and it’s not impossible they passed by each other during the day), but it took Amber an extra layer of similarity to recognize Sal. So, I guess she won’t make the connection of “Walky looks like Sal” just yet.

      1. Spencer

        Sal had straightened her hair out by the time Amber saw her again. She was wearing the same clothes, though.

    3. trlkly

      Stop this bullshit. He did not in any way abandon her. She flat out told him she needed to be alone. And he did what she asked, like a good friend would.

      If I told you when I was having a panic attack that I needed to be left alone, and you came and tried to help, I would be extremely angry at you. It would show you didn’t respect me as a human being, and think that you know better than I do about my mental illness.

      Frankly, this way that people want to treat Amber is starting to feel like ableism–a form of bigotry. Stop it.

      1. thejeff

        I think that was actually about when he pushed her away because he was dating Amazi-Girl, before he knew they were the same.

        Which is also bullshit, but in a different way.

  52. Victor Riley

    Oooh… is Walky going to recount a past story about Sal (perhaps taking place after the convenience story robbery) that will make Amazi-Girl realize some epiphany about carrying around her misplaced anger, setting her on the path to true healing over her douchewaffle of an abusive father?

    Or maybe not…

  53. Historyman68

    My freshman dorm totes had an accessible roof, for about one week until the admin realized everybody was hanging out all the time up there (with no railings).

  54. Zababcd

    Don’t startle a person standing dangerously close to a fatal drop, Walky.

  55. No

    Two people thinking of jumping stop for a chat.

    1. caesaria82

      Get two more people up there and you have the plot of A Long Way Down lol.

  56. BenRG

    Well, it looks like the Walkertons are starting a lifestyle advice service for superheroes and sidekicks!

    1. Amazi-Stool

      So where can i apply for this?

  57. BrokenEye, The True False Prophet

    Where’s a good old fashioned gargoyle to crouch on when you need one?

  58. skdk

    a few years ago, my student apartment has a window that led straight out to a flat roof. i was scared of walking there until i was lying in bed and suddenly lots of people started walking by my window. they never did that again, but i would go out there just to sit. in the late night i used to sneak past all the other windows yi get to a larger part of the roof that had a clear view of the sky and watch the stars.
    the roof was “flat” in the sense thst it didnt lean out towarss to road so that id fall to my death, but it wasnt actually all that flat. it kunda went down and up in big squared sections? it was a real challenge to walk on it with socks on

  59. Jimbers

    Well, one answer to Walky’s question would be that not everyone is able to climb a staircase.

  60. JohnF

    Look carefully at Amazigirl. AMBER IS PREGNANT!

    1. Mr.Morningstar

      I

      really don’t think so

    2. ChrisHerself

      http://i.imgur.com/SV1Rpez.gif

    3. Trolldrool

      I don’t see it. Sorry.

    4. Willoughby Chase

      It’s the camera angle making her look pregnant with meaning and foreboding.

    5. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Is Amber pregnant, or only AmaziGirl?

      In the former case, cue Mike to remind her about the cycle of abuse which means she will be Blaine to her child.

      1. Spencer

        That’s still my go-to example for killing the argument that Mike is trying to help people.

    6. Emperor Norton

      Nnnnope. Just nnnnnope.

  61. CJ

    She looks really sad and angry in panel 2. More sad though. Does she realize how broken her perception of reality is when Sal shows up?

  62. Viga

    They should eat lunch there like they do in anime.

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Not enough chain-link fencing for ambience.

  63. Tenzhi

    A roof party is an inherently bad idea. You can’t really raise the roof if you’re standing on it.

    1. deathjavu

      A roof party is brilliant because you start high, and then when you raise the roof while you’re on it you get even higher.

      1. deathjavu

        (1000 internet points for anyone who spots the reference)

  64. LWS

    Walky is right. The dorm I lived in my last 2 years had an accessible roof and people practically partied every afternoon up there.

  65. Willoughby Chase

    At least it’s not the meeting of Batman and Superman in the Dark Knight.

    I like the humour in the last box, undercuts the (typically) Leni Riefenstahlesque view of vexed and disturbed super-hero over-viewing the ants below …

  66. Willoughby Chase

    Ruth Party! Where’s Ruth?

    1. Spencer

      Ain’t no party like a Ruth party ’cause a Ruth party don’t stop until your cynicism rubs off on your friend and you sacrifice your life to save him from driving drunk.

      1. cesium133

        That’s in a different universe. In this universe, a Ruth party is just holding hands while watching Frozen with a bunch of drunk freshmen.

  67. Dara

    “I’m with Walky” is not a thing I usually say but I AM TOTALLY WITH WALKY.

  68. Sigurther

    No kidding, Walky. I would tend to think most colleges would lock rooftop access due to liability from student shenanigans and suicides.

    1. BenRG

      This sort of demands a humorous explanation such as Amazi-Girl having picked the lock but forgetting to lock the door again because she was so busy fretting, brooding and angsting about Sal.

  69. Willoughby Chase

    “Yer dancing?”
    “Yer asking?”

  70. JQuire

    In which Walky gives Amazi-girl some excellent insight into Sal’s past while Sal gives Danny excellent insight into the dangers of vigilantism?

    1. trlkly

      Yes, that is the best possible outcome of all this.

      Though I hope Danny gives Sal insight into Amazi-girl, too. Because, right now, it sure seems like Sal views Amazi-girl as the same as herself. But Amazi-girl doesn’t go rob people–she’s at least trying to help.

      1. Spencer

        I wonder if Sal is more sympathetic to Amazi-Girl than I previously thought. Even after the car chase Sal said that she underestimated her, which I think meant that Sal recognized that Amazi-Girl was, at least, trying to help, and seems to understand that she’s probably motivated by the same despair that drove her when she was a kid.

  71. Captain Button

    Stupid architecture question: What are those rooms on the smaller sixth floor for?

    More dorm rooms?

    Machinery?

    Study rooms like the ones people kept saying Mary should use?

    And why the archways at the end?

    1. Peduncle

      Two words. Soylent Green.

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        Edward G. Robinson as the library?

        1. Peduncle

          What can we do? It’s started. See the Soylent Oceanographic Survey Report, 2015 to 2019.

  72. deathjavu

    Many dorms do not have accessible roofs because depressed, overworked college students might well throw themselves off.

    That’s how I think of it, anyway.

    1. Captain Whoever on the Planet of Things

      Also, drunk people falling off roofs.

      And drunk people throwing things off roofs. Like other drunk people. 😉

  73. RedFloyd

    Why am I so much Walky?

  74. Extramrdo

    It has been five years since she got tired out from carrying Billie strange distances. Look at how buff she’s gotten!

  75. Tenn

    Well, Walky, that’s because 1) this is not a manga, 2) even if it were, there are limits to how many characters are allowed on the rooftop at the same time.

  76. localvigiliante

    No one is asking the important question: Will Walky share the Chicken McNuggets?

    Also pretty sure I have had Amazigirl’s hairstyle at some point.

  77. Brady

    Maybe it’s the art style, but that building looks gigantic for a college building. Just how big is it? Does IU have a lot of buildings that big?

  78. Micki

    Man, maybe it’s the just the “wind blowing through hair” effect, but Walky looks super attractive here.

  79. MortartarSaws

    Is no one else gonna acknowledge that Walky just revealed his obsession with Highschool anime lunchspots? XD jk

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