SDB 15-01-19 My best self

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SDB 15-01-19 My best self

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OllieOrOlly
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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by OllieOrOlly »

This detour into SDB has lasted longer than I had expected, but I suppose this is a lighter note to end on than previous options.

I'm ambivalent about Angel apparently blaming Dillon and Jerzy; although, it does seem like they (Angel) aren't exactly blaming them for his/her darker impulses, but rather citing them as negative influences, which he/she would prefer to, I guess, protect Richie from. Still, feels a little disingenuous, in that Angel appears to claim that without outside influences, they are saintly or at least "best self," the latter not necessarily claiming to be innocent, but even so, this doesn't quite gel with how horrible we've seen them be before; regardless of understandable if exaggerated spite against Zii and Dillon, Angel seemed to be a bad person due to the callous way with which they treated their bandmates, as well as the way they carried a grudge to the point of violence.
Nevertheless, suppose best not to tear apart a sweet moment between Angel and the much more reliable Richie, as well as the adorable, if currently pesky, little brother, Jacob.

That all said, I don't know how this will factor in the main Ma3 story, though. If Richie makes Angel happy, it'd be odd if they were just as petulant and spiteful with Zii as before; while friction would believably still exist, this Angel and the previous Angel feuding with Zii from the main comic don't resonate well. Without the Angel and Zii conflict, there doesn't seem to be any significant thread to follow besides the heartless, hollow relationship between Zii and DiDi (there are actually quite a few other threads, but in terms of seeming like *significant* open plot lines that could be reasonably developed further before time runs out).

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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by Opus the Poet »

It seems Angel realizes that they react badly to Dillon and a lesser extent Jerzy, and that Angel would rather not have to exert that much control around Richie (and Richie's little brother). It takes some maturing to know that and work towards controlling anger around those they have that kind of reaction to.
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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by worldshaking00 »

OllieOrOlly wrote:
Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:28 am
This detour into SDB has lasted longer than I had expected, but I suppose this is a lighter note to end on than previous options.
I thought it was a nice touch to add Angel into the strip, even if off to the side of Dillon & Jerzy. Angel is right, in that they react poorly when confronting with their past. Plus, they tend to not think that they make mistakes. Whether it is because they surround themselves with mediocrity, or they are too much of a perfectionist who lacks patience... or both even, Angel is too high strung and needs to just chill. If they are truly trying to turn over a new leaf and have a healthy start to a new relationship with Richie, it is always best to leave your ex out of the mix... and other detractors. Richie doesn't deserve that, let alone Jacob. As to the other options, surely you've read my commentary on fatal car accidents and certain cast members. Not that I want one to occur, but it would get us quicker to Ma3 proper... after the obligatory funeral.

Perhaps Richie can act as a voice of reason for Angel. Heavens knows they don't talk to anyone about their issues with Zii, who could be therapeutic rather than just agreeing with them on a personal level that Zii had done them dirty too. Richie is a breath of fresh air for Angel who has a displayed a surprising amount of maturity and tenderness to them. I'm not sure if karmically Angel deserves a Richie in her life, but maybe that is why Jacob is always hanging around Richie. Jacob requires Angel to think first, rather than just explode reflexively.

Saying that Angel chills out, and maybe even partially forgive/forget their past, I forsee the Troublemaker's tour going off without many bumps. As artists, hearing the applause of their fans should also help to adrenalize future successful endeavors. Getting signed to a record label would also be top shelf 'happy place' material too.

I still don't think that Didi & Zii's relationship is truly that shallow. Didi is shallow. Zii is lusty, but considering how long she has desired Didi I can't help but to think that what small spark they share is legit. Could Zii do better for herself? Maybe. I think what she had with Erik was solid, and that scared her. I think she is curious about the safety/security/sexual training that Gary has to offer. But bottom line is that Zii hasn't truly cheated on Didi since pairing up. Using ZIi's rather short measuring ruler, that is quite substantial. All this is beside the point, in that the creative team have said that they do love one another. The characters' idiosyncrasies and the 4-panel layout sometimes make it difficult to unambiguously display that to us readers. How the creative team take it now is anyone's guess. An engagement ring from Zii to Didi? Didi and Zii go shopping for a jack-hammer level vibrator for Didi, nicknaming it after Zii so that Didi can build an emotional attachment to it, and Didi promising to not look for les orgasmes elsewhere while Zii is on tour? Or Zii and Didi having the talk about mutual acceptance of an open relationship - on both ends - because they agree that their love is strong enough to withstand it?

Although I wholeheartedly agree: the number of strips left until the end of February is frighteningly few (although the creative team can always push past their self-imposed deadline). Anyone else left in the SDB realm that needs to have their 'happy place' box checked off the list?
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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by brasca »

Opus the Poet wrote:
Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:32 am
It seems Angel realizes that they react badly to Dillon and a lesser extent Jerzy, and that Angel would rather not have to exert that much control around Richie (and Richie's little brother). It takes some maturing to know that and work towards controlling anger around those they have that kind of reaction to.
I can sympathize. Dillon would tax every bit of my patience and I don't even have a personal grudge.

While I would like Angel to find out that Jerzy actually cheated on them first I don't think they need any additional confirmation that Richie is better.

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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by Spidrift »

Aaaand another couple of characters get checked off the list before the comic is wrapped. It’s still a rather mechanical-looking process at times, but it’s still being handled with a reasonable amount of grace. And I don’t see that Angel is “blaming” anyone here; saying that someone or something brings out one’s bad side is just admitting that one has a bad side and a minor weakness, and that one needs to just walk away. That’s more mature than striving for unattainable perfection and then screaming at people.

(And Angel can still have that bad side, and still have it triggered by Zii. It’s just that Richie doesn’t get to see Angel with Zii very often, so there’s no great problem with that, from Angel’s point of view. The tour can still be a histrionic circus.)

I also note that Richie now seems comfortable going out with Angel when Angel isn’t in girly-girl mode. I’ll put that down as a small point of personal growth for him, maybe; loving Angel for Angel, not just for how she looks in a skirt.

I don’t know if this is the final SDB strip; I can see that all the major plotlines have reached some sort of conclusion, and sure, time is nominally pressing for both comics. But it doesn’t say so, no earlier strips are echoed that I can think of, and nothing feels quite concluded. I’d expect to see at least one more exchange between Dillon and Jerzy about Dillon’s resolution to be less of a pratt, and also probably a scene with Ruby and Amber hanging out together, actually beginning the process of repairing their relationship that they both now see is needed. Oh well, we’ll see on Thursday.
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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by VoxPopuli »

*Hopes the next update is Menage a 3"

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Cortez
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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by Cortez »

I am happy to see Angel being happier with Ritchie and even realizing that being with Ritchie is healthier.

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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by samtheman »

Please let the next update be the end for SDB so we can get to the final chapter of Ma3 next week. This is getting annoying.

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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by Spidrift »

Cortez wrote:
Tue Jan 15, 2019 8:01 pm
I am happy to see Angel being happier with Ritchie and even realizing that being with Ritchie is healthier.
It’s a positive end state for Angel. However, we didn’t see Angel getting there.

Hey ho tiddly pom.
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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by worldshaking00 »

Granted that we did not see Angel go to Assholes Anonymous meetings to recover from being one. However we did see how they have lost just about everything, even revenge of Zii, truncated though it might be due to the creative team's decision to wrap it up. The Zii hate club that formed into Angel's last iteration of their band was doomed from the start, considering how capricious Sonya & Yuki are. They jammed, sure. But they are all competent musicians. There was no drive displayed by Angel to keep them focused as a band; iirc, the tour was kept secret by Angel & Erik.

The only real avenue for revenge - if they decide that it is worth it still - is for Angel to live a better life that Zii. I think you'd agree that Richie is head and shoulders a better partner than Didi is... with the acceptable arguments to be made for sexuality of their partner preference of the character of course. For all her good intentions, Didi is inexperienced at being nicer to those she cares for than for her own needs/wants. But I think she is learning, which counts I guess. Richie has a tag-along younger brother and is most likely very inexperienced at just about anything. Perhaps someone moldable by Angel? To each their own though.
"Be excellent to each other." - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by samtheman »

Something just occurred to me. When Zii goes on the band tour who's going to replace her at the comic shop to sell comics while dressed up in Jung's cosplay outfits?

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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by worldshaking00 »

Kiley maybe? If she lost her job at the magazine shop. Or if she wants second job to get a leg up on paying off her college student loans.

Or Didi? Woof!
"Be excellent to each other." - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
"Like my old grand daddy used to say, 'The less a man makes declarative statements, the less apt he is to look foolish in retrospect.'" - Chester Rush, Four Rooms
Chivalry isn't dead, it just followed wherever being lady-like went.

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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by OllieOrOlly »

Spidrift wrote:
Tue Jan 15, 2019 4:02 pm
Aaaand another couple of characters get checked off the list before the comic is wrapped. It’s still a rather mechanical-looking process at times, but it’s still being handled with a reasonable amount of grace. And I don’t see that Angel is “blaming” anyone here; saying that someone or something brings out one’s bad side is just admitting that one has a bad side and a minor weakness, and that one needs to just walk away. That’s more mature than striving for unattainable perfection and then screaming at people.

(And Angel can still have that bad side, and still have it triggered by Zii. It’s just that Richie doesn’t get to see Angel with Zii very often, so there’s no great problem with that, from Angel’s point of view. The tour can still be a histrionic circus.)

I also note that Richie now seems comfortable going out with Angel when Angel isn’t in girly-girl mode. I’ll put that down as a small point of personal growth for him, maybe; loving Angel for Angel, not just for how she looks in a skirt.

I don’t know if this is the final SDB strip; I can see that all the major plotlines have reached some sort of conclusion, and sure, time is nominally pressing for both comics. But it doesn’t say so, no earlier strips are echoed that I can think of, and nothing feels quite concluded. I’d expect to see at least one more exchange between Dillon and Jerzy about Dillon’s resolution to be less of a pratt, and also probably a scene with Ruby and Amber hanging out together, actually beginning the process of repairing their relationship that they both now see is needed. Oh well, we’ll see on Thursday.
Perhaps "blaming" wasn't the best choice of words, though can you understand the point I was getting at? That is, Angel is avoiding responsibility for their "worst selves" because of X, Y, and Z. So, not exactly trying to make themselves entirely innocent, but neither are they owning up to their own BS (which, perhaps and arguably, helps make Angel seem more human, as it is a fairly human thing that they just did).

Maybe the old "end with a whimper," applies to what could be the finale of SDB - as you noted, the creators - even if slightly mechanically - have checked off most of the characters, certainly the most relevant ones: Dillon has learned to restrain his hysterical self, which will remain, but seems to be held back enough so he doesn't sabotage his romance; Ruby more or less overcame her fear of sex, and while still in an awkward phase, seems to be in a mutually comfortable place with her boyfriend; and Amber's main, at least relevant, story importance was to repair the sisterly bond between her and Ruby - while Ruby's epiphany was not shared directly with Amber, the latter overhearing it and the fact Ruby had such a realisation seems to suggest that they will have a better relationship than before, in spite of not having any face to face resolution.
That all said, maybe the finale of SDB will be in Ma3, as it is the source off which it spun.

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Re: SDB 15-01-19 My best self

Post by OllieOrOlly »

worldshaking00 wrote:
Tue Jan 15, 2019 3:10 pm
OllieOrOlly wrote:
Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:28 am
This detour into SDB has lasted longer than I had expected, but I suppose this is a lighter note to end on than previous options.
I thought it was a nice touch to add Angel into the strip, even if off to the side of Dillon & Jerzy. Angel is right, in that they react poorly when confronting with their past. Plus, they tend to not think that they make mistakes. Whether it is because they surround themselves with mediocrity, or they are too much of a perfectionist who lacks patience... or both even, Angel is too high strung and needs to just chill. If they are truly trying to turn over a new leaf and have a healthy start to a new relationship with Richie, it is always best to leave your ex out of the mix... and other detractors. Richie doesn't deserve that, let alone Jacob. As to the other options, surely you've read my commentary on fatal car accidents and certain cast members. Not that I want one to occur, but it would get us quicker to Ma3 proper... after the obligatory funeral.


I still don't think that Didi & Zii's relationship is truly that shallow. Didi is shallow. Zii is lusty, but considering how long she has desired Didi I can't help but to think that what small spark they share is legit. Could Zii do better for herself? Maybe. I think what she had with Erik was solid, and that scared her. I think she is curious about the safety/security/sexual training that Gary has to offer. But bottom line is that Zii hasn't truly cheated on Didi since pairing up. Using ZIi's rather short measuring ruler, that is quite substantial. All this is beside the point, in that the creative team have said that they do love one another. The characters' idiosyncrasies and the 4-panel layout sometimes make it difficult to unambiguously display that to us readers. How the creative team take it now is anyone's guess. An engagement ring from Zii to Didi? Didi and Zii go shopping for a jack-hammer level vibrator for Didi, nicknaming it after Zii so that Didi can build an emotional attachment to it, and Didi promising to not look for les orgasmes elsewhere while Zii is on tour? Or Zii and Didi having the talk about mutual acceptance of an open relationship - on both ends - because they agree that their love is strong enough to withstand it?

Although I wholeheartedly agree: the number of strips left until the end of February is frighteningly few (although the creative team can always push past their self-imposed deadline). Anyone else left in the SDB realm that needs to have their 'happy place' box checked off the list?
Sorry to say I haven't read your commentary on fatal car accidents and certain cast members; truth be told, I'm trying to return to old methodology with regards to forums, i.e. Say my piece, then get out. Aha. But please feel free to do a brief refresher on the car accident thing, because I'm curious.

As for the Zii and DiDi thing... I can see your point, though still favour my own belief that their relationship is hollow - Zii's part is mainly from a long lustful obsession, combined with her strong ego needing to be the proverbial champion at whatever she attempts (which seems supported by her temporary abandonment of a musical career - if she couldn't be the best, then she'd rather not try at all), so the blonde Amazon is her living trophy at her main other interest (obviously, sex. Aha); there could also be the implication that Zii has sacrificed too much to *claim* DiDi (a few previously diehard loyal friends/occasional lovers, and her accolade-worthy band), thus losing the bimbo will make the sacrifice feel meaningless. As for DiDi... Well, I think she is irrevocably warped, perhaps due to how she had been treated, or just her own nature, she is incapable of handling a relationship that requires compromise; less than a month without sex from Zii, and DiDi was already desperate but too stupid to think of any opportunity to fulfil her lustful desires.
Sorry for rambling on. I have more thoughts, but best cut off shorter. I will just add that it is refreshing to have a disagreement that can remain amicable.

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