[1901] You...and him?!

[mynie]

Well there's no accounting for taste, Eggs.

[youwiththeface]

You know at this point I'm with Eggers. The sole attribute Tony seems to have is that he's around when the dragon-slayer-in-training isn't. So basically Surma could've fallen for anybody who just happened to be nearby.

[intotheether]

Bah, beat me to the punch by a few seconds! And here I thought I'd got my first thread.

I see James's training has been paying off. He's bulked up quite a bit since the last (pre Tony/Surma relationship) flashback we saw him in.

[zbeeblebrox]

Meanwhile, right now something awesome is happening by that tree trunk.

[mynie]

Oct 25, 2017 7:10:05 GMT youwiththeface said:

You know at this point I'm with Eggers. The sole attribute Tony seems to have is that he's around when the dragon-slayer-in-training isn't. So basically Surma could've fallen for anybody who just happened to be nearby.

Yeah...I mean it's not like we've seen the most scintillating personality spark from within Tony. He's just...more laid back? Somewhat funnier and more relaxed? 

[mynie]

Oct 25, 2017 7:11:12 GMT intotheether said:

Bah, beat me to the punch by a few seconds! And here I thought I'd got my first thread.

I see James's training has been paying off. He's bulked up quite a bit since the last (pre Tony/Surma relationship) flashback we saw him in.

Olympian athletes have nothing on disappointment/exhilaration on forum members

[Timberwere]

Oct 25, 2017 7:16:28 GMT mynie said:

Oct 25, 2017 7:10:05 GMT youwiththeface said:

You know at this point I'm with Eggers. The sole attribute Tony seems to have is that he's around when the dragon-slayer-in-training isn't. So basically Surma could've fallen for anybody who just happened to be nearby.

Yeah...I mean it's not like we've seen the most scintillating personality spark from within Tony. He's just...more laid back? Somewhat funnier and more relaxed? 

Does it always have to be a scintillating personality spark? Funnier and more relaxed sounds just fine to me.

(*Timber remains an unabashed fan of young outdoor Tony)

[arf]

Surma's look in the second last panel is so Annie...
Or should that be vice versa?

[Angry Individual]

I have never felt more amused. Thank you, Tom, for fulfilling my request of literally everyone staring at them as they do the official break up.

Also, Donald's face is my favorite.

edit;;

There we go.

[pasko]

At least she is very upfront.

[imaginaryfriend]

Oct 25, 2017 7:13:06 GMT lisanela said:

In front of everyone? I wonder if there's a reason for that.

I'm guessing that the duffel over his shoulder indicates that Eggers has just returned and this is the earliest possible moment for them to confront him.

[Fishy]

You know, I think Eglamore's biceps are literally bigger than Tony's head. Nothing humorous to say today, just... Wow I can't get over how incredibly jacked Eglamore is. Like, I always knew he was jacked, but finally standing next to Anja and Donnie, you really get a feel for how huge he is compared to everyone else. Dude could knock me out with his neck muscles.

Yeah on topic maybe I just don't have enough personal experience to judge but this doesn't seem like the sort of conversation you have with an audience. Just mentally piecing together how it could've gotten to this point, I'm almost sure there was a better way to go about this. So I'm glad they didn't. More human. Mistakes are made.

[arf]

Does the next scene involve James* doing something unwise to Tony on impulse?
Does Tony demonstrate some judo moves in response?
Does Jones turn up?
Does Surma try to send Jones off with a fireball?
Does Anje put a safety barrier up to protect Court property (and folk)?
Does Donny try to shunt Tony into a room by himself?

Does none of the above happen?

*"That business with James", who is really not a bad egg, although this is unlikely to be his finest moment.

[arf]

Oct 25, 2017 7:13:47 GMT zbeeblebrox said:

Meanwhile, right now something awesome is happening by that tree trunk.

Coyote remembers that he is not a broken branch, but does remember the slugshumans with fondness.

[speedwell]

"That business with James" means, literally, "it's distasteful in the extreme that the only woman to show a definite interest in me is someone else's girlfriend, but I am not giving it up just because of that because, dammit, I want this, and I'm too much of a gentleman to lay the awkwardness at her feet where it belongs, and too chickenshit to own up to my part in it, so I'm just going to sound like the true source of the unpleasantness is the person we hurt."

Of course, James is bound to be distressed and to express it in a way that makes everyone uncomfortable.

[Anthony]

Oct 25, 2017 7:43:53 GMT arf said:

Does the next scene involve James* doing something unwise to Tony on impulse?
Does Tony demonstrate some judo moves in response?

Tony will be like "I have matters to attend." *leaves*
Then Surma will "deal" with Jimmyjims.

[red4bestgirl]

We've spent three months on boring, shallow, and self-centered characters. I mean, yeah, we can say LAUGHING ON LINE teenagers, which is fair enough, but our main cast is overwhelmingly more interesting. Like of course Surma needed to be straight forward about the breakup to avoid being a total shit, but really? Can't let him put his bags down first?

So all of this time in the story was spent learning that Surma is pretty shallow and impetuous, Tony is sometimes only mostly devoid of personality and humor, teenagers want to boink each other, Tom's artwork has gotten a lot better, and I guess. Is that it? That's it I think.

This is three months+ worth of story. 38 pages.

Where are the people who were insisting that this was all deep and complex and an excellent example of pacing etc..

[red4bestgirl]

Oct 25, 2017 7:43:53 GMT arf said:

Does the next scene involve James* doing something unwise to Tony on impulse?
Does Tony demonstrate some judo moves in response?
Does Jones turn up?
Does Surma try to send Jones off with a fireball?
Does Anje put a safety barrier up to protect Court property (and folk)?
Does Donny try to shunt Tony into a room by himself?

Does none of the above happen?

*"That business with James", who is really not a bad egg, although this is unlikely to be his finest moment.

James is the only one who has done nothing wrong here so far.

[red4bestgirl]

Like in case I have to point this out, cheating on someone and then later breaking up with them is like, well I mean at least you're not leaving them dangling, but it's still cheating. It doesn't retroactively become not-cheating, even if you plan to break up with them later at the time of said cheating.

[aline]

Oct 25, 2017 7:53:37 GMT speedwell said:

"That business with James" means, literally, "it's distasteful in the extreme that the only woman to show a definite interest in me is someone else's girlfriend, but I am not giving it up just because of that because, dammit, I want this, and I'm too much of a gentleman to lay the awkwardness at her feet where it belongs, and too chickenshit to own up to my part in it, so I'm just going to sound like the true source of the unpleasantness is the person we hurt."

Of course, James is bound to be distressed and to express it in a way that makes everyone uncomfortable.

Or perhaps it meant:

"My girlfriend's ex-boyfriend is incapable of understanding the concept of a woman making her own choices, so he refuses to accept the fact that she decided to end her relationship with him, and refuses to accept that this decision hints at a not very healthy relationship to begin with. Instead he decided to blame and belittle me, which was much easier emotionally than dealing with his issues with his ex-girlfriend because he never liked me to begin with. So I was glad to get outta here."

Yes break-ups are hurtful, but they are part of life. Especially when people start dating as teens, they grow up and often find out they're looking for different things in a partner than they did when they were 14. It's entirely justified to be hurt by that, but being hurt doesn't excuse every behavior. I guess we'll see what happens next, but I suspect James is about to be more "aggressively marking his territory like a true Alpha Male(TM)" rather than just "distressed".

[red4bestgirl]

Oct 25, 2017 8:32:14 GMT aline said:

Oct 25, 2017 7:53:37 GMT speedwell said:

"That business with James" means, literally, "it's distasteful in the extreme that the only woman to show a definite interest in me is someone else's girlfriend, but I am not giving it up just because of that because, dammit, I want this, and I'm too much of a gentleman to lay the awkwardness at her feet where it belongs, and too chickenshit to own up to my part in it, so I'm just going to sound like the true source of the unpleasantness is the person we hurt."

Of course, James is bound to be distressed and to express it in a way that makes everyone uncomfortable.

Or perhaps it meant:

"My girlfriend's ex-boyfriend is incapable of understanding the concept of a woman making her own choices, so he refuses to accept the fact that she decided to end her relationship with him, and refuses to accept that this decision hints at a not very healthy relationship to begin with. Instead he decided to blame and belittle me, which was much easier emotionally than dealing with his issues with his ex-girlfriend because he never liked me to begin with. So I was glad to get outta here."

Yes break-ups are hurtful, but they are part of life. Especially when people start dating as teens, they grow up and often find out they're looking for different things in a partner than they did when they were 14. It's entirely justified to be hurt by that, but being hurt doesn't excuse every behavior. I guess we'll see what happens next, but I suspect James is about to be more "aggressively marking his territory like a true Alpha Male(TM)" rather than just "distressed".

Oh my god what is this even

She didn't just break up with him. She cheated on him and then publicly dumped him while standing next to the dude she had been cheating on him with. Like right as he walked back in through the door from his trip, guy didn't even get to put his bags down.

I guess the agency to be a shitty person is a form of female empowerment? Like it's important. But Surma is still just being a shitty person here.

Like the best thing you can say is that she's being honest about having cheated on him.

[frogspawned]

Oct 25, 2017 8:26:29 GMT red4bestgirl said:

Where are the people who were insisting that this was all deep and complex and an excellent example of pacing etc..

Here I am. While I appreciate that some people have not enjoyed this chapter because of a pronounced hatred for the characters involved I don't see any particular dip in quality from Gunnerkrigg's usual fare. It is perhaps a little slower paced, a little less fantastical than we are used to - but it isn't unbearably so, and in my opinion makes the interactions between people feel more human.

And as a side note, following self-centred characters is hardly new.

[stclair]

and there's "Court Tony" again, The Man With No Personality.*

(* that he shows in public)

[aline]

Oct 25, 2017 8:35:32 GMT red4bestgirl said:

But Surma is still just being a shitty person here.

Like the best thing you can say is that she's being honest about having cheated on him.

Yes she is. Totally agree with you on that. No real big surprise here, she was also shitty with Renard. And James has done nothing wrong yet. But I don't know, his reaction is weird. "You have got to be joking. You and him?" <- What even do you mean guy, if it was with somebody else it would be better or something? And yeah, maybe it would be easier for James to lose Surma to someone he respects.

We know James never liked Tony even as kids, and it sounds like James is about to massively shit on Tony, his social awkwardness and his lack of manly muscles or whatever, instead of dealing with the fact that his girlfriend has cheated on him and that they obviously had relationship issues. Be angry with the girl, James. It was her fucking decision to cheat and break up. Deal with the actual James / Surma relationship instead of trying to convince the world that Tony is an unworthy inferior creature who hasn't earned the right to touch your girlfriend.

I could be wrong, we'll see the next few pages I guess.

[imaginaryfriend]

I'm guessing that Anja and Donnie are just here coincidentally to welcome Eggers back. Maybe Surma (and to a lesser extent Anthony) didn't know they'd be there or did and still wanted to confront Eggers ASAP despite that.

But it could also be calculated. Most commonly this sort of thing is used to force a dump-ee to limit their responses and keep things civil to avoid further embarrassment but this tactic can also be used (along with a few choice words) to prod a dump-ee into an overreaction so that the dump-er can play the victim card. I figure it's unlikely this will happen on purpose but if Surma picks a fight with Eggers he likely won't do much to her. However if she needles Eggers until he loses his temper and flips out, or worse punches out Anthony or anyone else here, then the script will have been successfully flipped. The bad guy will be Eggers the violent exbf, not the cheating exgf.

[Jelly Jellybean]

Last I remember, Annie didn't know that her mother had a relationship with Eglamore.  A lot of people could have told her, but I think this is the first time in comic that we've seen Annie confronted with the information.  I don't know if she will notice given her state of mind and all the new information about her dad.  Maybe a bonus page will show it suddenly hitting her in a "What!?" moment.

[speedwell]

Oct 25, 2017 8:32:14 GMT aline said:

Oct 25, 2017 7:53:37 GMT speedwell said:

"That business with James" means, literally, "it's distasteful in the extreme that the only woman to show a definite interest in me is someone else's girlfriend, but I am not giving it up just because of that because, dammit, I want this, and I'm too much of a gentleman to lay the awkwardness at her feet where it belongs, and too chickenshit to own up to my part in it, so I'm just going to sound like the true source of the unpleasantness is the person we hurt."

Of course, James is bound to be distressed and to express it in a way that makes everyone uncomfortable.

Or perhaps it meant:

"My girlfriend's ex-boyfriend ..."

Not an ex yet, and that's the point.

[puntino]

Oct 25, 2017 8:26:29 GMT red4bestgirl said:

Where are the people who were insisting that this was all deep and complex and an excellent example of pacing etc..

I'm not one of those who said such things, but I'm quite enjoying this chapter. It sheds some light onto Tony and Surma's personality while breaking a bit from the last several "let's break annie" ones.

I also believe that cheating or being a general shitty person is bad, obviously, but it doesn't grant the opposing party the free card to explode and do whatever you feel is justified. If that happens next, both sides will be wrong.

[faiiry]

I'm glad we've switched action - the forest was starting to grate on me. And with that being said, I am firmly on my boy Eggers' side here. Also HE'S IN THE SAME OUTFIT AS HE WAS IN THE STONE. Which, for some reason, is blowing my mind more than it should be.

EDIT: According to Chrysoprax, Annie doesn't know the full story, but she is fully aware that Eglamore was hot for her mom. She's a smart kid. Also remember that Coyote openly thought Eglamore was Annie's father way back in chapter 14, which would be a huge clue.

[faiiry]

Oct 25, 2017 8:27:07 GMT red4bestgirl said:

Oct 25, 2017 7:43:53 GMT arf said:

Does the next scene involve James* doing something unwise to Tony on impulse?
Does Tony demonstrate some judo moves in response?
Does Jones turn up?
Does Surma try to send Jones off with a fireball?
Does Anje put a safety barrier up to protect Court property (and folk)?
Does Donny try to shunt Tony into a room by himself?

Does none of the above happen?

*"That business with James", who is really not a bad egg, although this is unlikely to be his finest moment.

James is the only one who has done nothing wrong here so far.

You're forgetting Donny, Anja and possibly Brinnie if she's still around.