Jump ToStormtroopersI'm not here to chat.Rubber baby buggy bumpers!Sure you will.All you bastards are DEADUnderstood, sir.Today's our day!Everything's RIGHT.I love you.Rome, huh?I'm gonna phone inWhat's the occasion?Aliens are a cowardly, superstitious lotAh'm HAPPY NICE SalThe Airforce has been tailin' us...British ninjas?So why are you ruining my life?That's why it has to be you.Is it really you?If it were up to me, Ah'd still be in there.Start mindwiping 'emDid you have something to say to me?BZZAAP!set up them the bombAll my work!Harm youWe'll just have to shoot you.Got to make it up the stairs...We're just wrapping up over here.Eeep!RRUNK!This was the best I could do.YOU did this to her!We've got our OWN grudges to work out.WALKYYY!!
YOU did this to her!
by David Willis on May 2, 2018 at 12:01 am
Chapter: "The Best I Could Do"
Characters: David Walkerton, Hooks, Mandy Kowalski, Marcie Diaz, Mike Warner
Location: Transparent Steel Chamber
As mentioned in yesterday's commentary, I drew this about a month after the previous strip. I needed some brain-fixy time. …I think my coloring technique's changed a bit in the meantime? Things look more vibrant to me.
And I think I needed a strip in between this one and the previous one in which Mike and Walky are silent and processing what they've seen. I dunno. Some breathing room, in between the "SHE'S DEAD!" and "I WILL NOW PUNCH YOU" moments. After a month's wait, I'd had time to process events myself, but the characters didn't, and I lost that moment in my jumping back into the story wanting to hit the ground running.
On the other hand, it makes Walky more of a violent weirdo, which I think I'm legitimately trying to go for here, so, uh, hey, in that respect it works.
Wtf Walky, it's the Britjas that killed her, preventing her to leave the room with the bomb, it's them you should punch, not Mike.
Damn it Walky, punch Mike later after you've defeated all the Britjas.
Drakey
But, like, still punch Mike, 'cause Mike.
This fits because I can see Walky blaming Mike as one of the many reasons for her self destructive downward spirals. He's probably also blaming himself because he made a small error of judgment of telling her to go to the lab where she'd be safe…and it turns out she's wasn't.
Ophidiophile
Does seem to be a bit of an over-reaction. He's probably taking the anger and guilt he feels about his role in Dina's death out on Mike.
As someone pointed out yesterday, on some level, Mike is probably okay with this.
Mike has always struck me as someone who *wants* other people to give him a proper clap upside the head.
Like, he knows how much of a jerk he is and is extremely pissed no one else seems to care much.
Nothing like the nice warm orange glow of a smoldering cast member.
More proof Mike is seriously effected by this. He's not calling Walky on his hypocrisy here.
He's also in the middle of getting punched. Hasn't had time to respond yet.
Like it's watching your dog get run over only to get close lined the minute after.
There's rage inside of you, Walky. Blind rage.
Oh almost forgot-"This is my last serenade"….this one feels out of taste.
Darkside much, Walky?
Palpatine: Yeeess. Let the hate flow through you.
(There's a sudden noise, and Walky looks behind himself.)
Walky: …Actually, I think that's the Taco Bell I had for lunch. Along with seventeen cases of Nachitos.
Did I ever mention how good Walky was at finding scapegoats?
T Campbell
I argue pacing a lot these days, and I have to disagree: I don't think this one would benefit from an extra beat. It might have needed it if the last Mike-Dina-Walky plot hadn't laid the groundwork for this moment, but as it is, we know everything we need to know about how each of those three felt about each other. And this way, Walky refuses to process what he's seen beyond the initial shock: he just channels it into rage. The extra beat would've just given us time to see what was coming. As it is, it's firmly in character yet more surprising, it's more vibrant, it's better.
Pablo360
What it definitely could have used, IMO, is maybe an extra panel or two. Only the last panel really needs to be full-width.
and we follow one of the most powerful and impactful set of strips of the comic, with the worst.
fuck you Walky, you immature pathetic self-centred little brat. While Mike and Dina's relationship was far from healthy, at least Mike was honest about what it was. Walky used her to make someone else jealous, refused to commit to any part of the relationship or compromise on any part of his childish 'fun' then dropped her like hot garbage at the end.
If you must blame someone besides the people that actually caused her death, then you're the one who planted all the seeds of self-doubt and self-loathing that led to her feelings of uselessness and willingness to sacrifice herself. But then, self-reflection is the opposite of being a childish brat, and we've seen how hard walky will work to never grow up. Especially if it means he gets to throw a temper tantrum against his team rather than the people who shot her and brought the bomb you goddamn idiot…
still, at least this arc confirmed for us, without a doubt, Sal and Walky are twins. I miss Danny, at least his hypocracy wasn't tied with assault.
Adept Arcanist
To be fair, Walky's very much not supposed to be in the right here, or even doing things he would agree with. He's kind of in the throes of an ongoing mental breakdown.
I think if you are saying, "fuck you Walky" then you can't really call this strip the worst.
That's what you are supposed to be saying — strip worked!
no, I can say that and still think this strip is the worst. something can have the intended impact and still be abysmal – this strip made me drop the comic before, and while I later came back and reread the first release (and kept up with this one) it still made me drop the comic hard, and that's why I call it the worst strip.
since it brought me to the point where I honestly disliked every driving character in the story. it's more than a 'fuck you walky' so much as a 'fuck you and your entire story, walky'
Joebo
The good news is that we're going to get Robin soon. Everyone loves Robin.
I admit to harboring a secret hope that Willis would include an original strip showing Dina escaping through the time/space hole to SP! to lessen the blow. I know it would defeat the power of the original, but it was still nice to fantasize.
Nah, even with Shortpacked!, Dina was still dead for years. She doesn't escape through a hole. She dies, she stays dead, and 10 years later suddenly reality starts warping randomly and she's spat out of a tear in the universe. If she hopped through a portal from here to there, she'd've shown up in Shortpacked! bleeding all over the place.
(also it would contradict an important later scene at the very end of IW!.)
TheWanderingMist
The thing I like most about the previous strip is that it shows Mike does have a human side because of his reaction to Dina's death.