I wouldn’t have assumed she pops any wings. At this point, she can belly-flop the concrete and walk away from it, and the only thing she has to fear from it is being yelled at by her grandma Phix for showing off in public.
You know, when Paul decides to end this comic i fully expect to find out Monica never left the loony bin when she was a kid and this has all been an elaborate world she created in her head as a coping mechanism.
What purpose would that serve for the story? Except for making it sh!t? If Monica was imagining it all, why would she steadily make herself more powerful – all the way to demigod status – only to then relegate herself to a secondary character?
Yeah. And the whole “dealing with inner demons” thing was cool, and there was the overarching plot of dealing with the calendar machine. But now, it doesn’t seem to be “about” anything in particular and isn’t going anywhere.
I suspect that what we’re seeing here is a bit of a “Wapsi Square: The Next Generation”, as in it’s kind of a spin-off that isn’t quite really a spin-off. Or a soft-reboot if you prefer, into something that doesn’t rely on a storyline and can tell slice-of-life high school schenanigans on a long-term basis.
Wasn’t that how this started: just a few short stories that didn’t have any real over-arching plot? And then 2012 popped up on everyone’s radar and things started getting all para’ed
I do not see any Mary Sues around. Paul’s characterization is and has always been top-notch.
That said,
I’m unsure about the manner in which Paul put his original cast out to pasture. But it’s his right to do so. I’m especially unhappy with what Shelly is doing here. Sounds like she needs a mom like Katherine to help straighten her out…
Yep – you really don’t know what “mary sue” means, do you?
The original, specific meaning of the term, derived from Trek fandom, is described by TVTropes:
The name “Mary Sue” comes from the 1974 Star Trek fanfic A Trekkie’s Tale. Originally written as a parody of the standard Self-Insert Fic of the time (as opposed to any particular traits), the name was quickly adopted by the Star Trek fanfiction community. Its original meaning mostly held that it was an Always Female Author Avatar, regardless of character role or perceived quality. Often, the characters would get in a relationship with either Kirk or Spock, turn out to have a familial bond with a crew member, be a Half-Human Hybrid masquerading as a human, and die in a graceful, beautiful way to reinforce that the character was Too Good for This Sinful Earth. (Or space, as the case may be.)
The Girl Genius short story that begins here, written by the creator of Narbonic and illustrated by Foglio, is a perfect example of the classic Mary Sue.
The Girl Genius short story that begins here, written by the creator of Narbonic and illustrated by Foglio, is a perfect example of the classic Mary Sue.
It is not possible for a canonical character to be a Mary Sue. The concept of a Canon Sue is ridiculous on the face of it. Leonardo da Vinci, Horatio Nelson, Erwin Rommel, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, and Christopher Lee would all be viewed as Canon Sues if they were fictional. The thing about great people is that they are… well… great. They have fascinating lives that we want to read about. Like the Main Characters of any work of fiction. Superman, Wolverine, Batman, Spiderman… they’re all powerful, good looking, and cool. They’re not Marty Stu’s because they’re part of the canonical story… and they’re not Canon Stu’s because the point of the story is how people with incredible powers deal with the situations that people with incredible powers get up to. Ditto Wapsi. The story of Wapsi is not how normal people deal with incredible things… It is the story of how incredible people discover their inherent incredibleness and deal with incredible things. We were eased into the universe of Wapsi by starting with instantly relatable characters so as they grew we understood how those changes to their lives affected them emotionally.
Oftentimes Monica has rederred to herself as a sociopath, but sociopaths/psychopaths usually show an almost physical inability to feel empathy and remorse.
It’s fun to go back to old tricks but this is kind of cruel. This is not necessary, fun from her point of view, yes but hardly necessary. I get the need to want to do silly tricks to people or even friends. This kind of crosses the line in terms of innocent prank to possibly life altering thing involving the police.
I look at it like Samantha going all out against Gladys Kravitz without Darrin’s prissy intervention and demands she hide her true nature. Who are we to judge the ‘Supes with our human morals? They’re not us and we’re not them. Being who *I* am? If I could repeatedly fake my death to mess with a nosey, bothersome neighbor I’d surely do it.
“Strait jacket”. As in narrow, confining.
Didn’t work, though. Did it?
Not yet.
This is the first round of a new offensive.
Can Shelly pop her wings fast enough to avoid being pavement pizza is she DOEA jump?
“…if she DOES…”
Arrgh.
Well she seems to be indestructible (at least according to her mom)
You mean, Shelly the Sphinx? Who use to toss engine blocks before she went into the Forest?
Well, she’s saying she’s done it, and is about to do so again, this time with the added bit of “talking to herself”, so…
I wouldn’t have assumed she pops any wings. At this point, she can belly-flop the concrete and walk away from it, and the only thing she has to fear from it is being yelled at by her grandma Phix for showing off in public.
Gawd it’s so much fun F@%#in with the mundanes. 😀
…And it’s so easy.
You know, when Paul decides to end this comic i fully expect to find out Monica never left the loony bin when she was a kid and this has all been an elaborate world she created in her head as a coping mechanism.
The “it was all a dream” ending? Bad form. Tritest, least satisfying ending possible.
`One of many reasons I will never forgive MGM for what they did to L. Frank Baum’s “… Wizard of Oz”. ╰_╯
I hear you, Bratty Roger.
What purpose would that serve for the story? Except for making it sh!t? If Monica was imagining it all, why would she steadily make herself more powerful – all the way to demigod status – only to then relegate herself to a secondary character?
sigh…. i remember when the characters in this comic were lovable, quirky humans instead of uberpowered mary-sue a-holes.
Yeah. And the whole “dealing with inner demons” thing was cool, and there was the overarching plot of dealing with the calendar machine. But now, it doesn’t seem to be “about” anything in particular and isn’t going anywhere.
I suspect that what we’re seeing here is a bit of a “Wapsi Square: The Next Generation”, as in it’s kind of a spin-off that isn’t quite really a spin-off. Or a soft-reboot if you prefer, into something that doesn’t rely on a storyline and can tell slice-of-life high school schenanigans on a long-term basis.
Nobody forcing you to read it, is there?
Wasn’t that how this started: just a few short stories that didn’t have any real over-arching plot? And then 2012 popped up on everyone’s radar and things started getting all para’ed
Are you sure you know what “Mary Sue” means?
I do not see any Mary Sues around. Paul’s characterization is and has always been top-notch.
That said,
I’m unsure about the manner in which Paul put his original cast out to pasture. But it’s his right to do so. I’m especially unhappy with what Shelly is doing here. Sounds like she needs a mom like Katherine to help straighten her out…
Yep – you really don’t know what “mary sue” means, do you?
The original, specific meaning of the term, derived from Trek fandom, is described by TVTropes:
The Girl Genius short story that begins here, written by the creator of Narbonic and illustrated by Foglio, is a perfect example of the classic Mary Sue.
Not to mention damned funny.
The Girl Genius short story that begins here, written by the creator of Narbonic and illustrated by Foglio, is a perfect example of the classic Mary Sue.
Not to mention damned funny
It is not possible for a canonical character to be a Mary Sue. The concept of a Canon Sue is ridiculous on the face of it. Leonardo da Vinci, Horatio Nelson, Erwin Rommel, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, and Christopher Lee would all be viewed as Canon Sues if they were fictional. The thing about great people is that they are… well… great. They have fascinating lives that we want to read about. Like the Main Characters of any work of fiction. Superman, Wolverine, Batman, Spiderman… they’re all powerful, good looking, and cool. They’re not Marty Stu’s because they’re part of the canonical story… and they’re not Canon Stu’s because the point of the story is how people with incredible powers deal with the situations that people with incredible powers get up to. Ditto Wapsi. The story of Wapsi is not how normal people deal with incredible things… It is the story of how incredible people discover their inherent incredibleness and deal with incredible things. We were eased into the universe of Wapsi by starting with instantly relatable characters so as they grew we understood how those changes to their lives affected them emotionally.
Shelly: “Wow, wasn’t even trying this time!”
Time for your medicine, Gladys.
The ones who think they’re sane, are typically the ones who are most dangerous
Boo, not cool, Shelly.
Why is Shelly saying Monica is a Psychopath? A little aggressive maybe, but not Psychotic.
[pedantry] Being a psychopath is not the same as being psychotic. [/pedantry]
Oftentimes Monica has rederred to herself as a sociopath, but sociopaths/psychopaths usually show an almost physical inability to feel empathy and remorse.
I just don’t see it.
Why do I get the feeling that Aunt Shelly is going to be having a heart-to-heart with Pickle?
SHELLY!
It’s fun to go back to old tricks but this is kind of cruel. This is not necessary, fun from her point of view, yes but hardly necessary. I get the need to want to do silly tricks to people or even friends. This kind of crosses the line in terms of innocent prank to possibly life altering thing involving the police.
I look at it like Samantha going all out against Gladys Kravitz without Darrin’s prissy intervention and demands she hide her true nature. Who are we to judge the ‘Supes with our human morals? They’re not us and we’re not them. Being who *I* am? If I could repeatedly fake my death to mess with a nosey, bothersome neighbor I’d surely do it.
Exactly my thoughts, Hawk! I can just hear Gladys on the phone yelling in a squeaky voice; “Aaabnerrr!”
Relax neighbour lady, she’s just talking on a Bluetooth earpiece!