Serious consideration of current overall arc

[coriolis]

On the one hand, The Coroner and this situation provide exposition on the exact nature of Val's powers. On the other hand, vivisection of living persons? Ew! When did this fun, lighthearted comic become Hellraiser? OK, it wasn't all lighthearted, it poked and/or lampshaded many superhero tropes -- that's one of the things that attracted me to this strip in the first place.

But now Sidekick Girl is subverting its own paradigm. Because normally, in comic-book universes, a hero's death is a temporary inconvenience. Only sidekicks die for good, and usually only unpopular ones at that. (Unless you're Spoiler, but that's a whole other argument...). If death is real and permanent for heroes, part and parcel of the risks they run, well, then they apparently ARE worthy and deserving of being lionized in the way that they are in the strip. Morituri te salutant. Like the US ideal of how military veterans should be treated (not necessarily the way the are *actually* treated, mind you)

This all makes Val's quest for proper recognition (i.e. "justice") within the system that dispenses justice to the rest of the world much less central of a theme. This story shift means that the injustices of the system that Val experienced, the superficiality of qualities that are "required" to be classified as "hero" aren't really important, after all. Hell, LET them die!

Other subversive looks at cape-worship, like Adam Warren's Empowered, where unwritten "codes of conduct" are observed (humiliation of captured heros ok, rape & murder NOT), posit that a main reason that capekilling is considered a Very Bad Thing is that vengeful "heros" will band together to locate and destroy the offender, descending like the wrath of God, all niceties (like due process) gone out the window. Not that heros are exactly subject to due process, anyway.

I'm only registering my dismay at the dark turn the story has taken. Not upset enough to abandon the strip, but there had better be some good to come out of this. Not roses and puppies and marriages breaking out all over, but something good.

[whitefire]

It is an interesting point you raise, Coriolis, but I must disagree.

I'm actually a HUGE fan of the turn the strip has taken. Until now the lighthearted nature of the strip has been enjoyable, but I think this darker turn really helps delve into the social injustices that are at the story's core. Certainly the hero's deserve the idolization that they receive if they are out there every night fighting the evil forces that we have encountered in this arc - I'm not sure that was ever in question. I think the point is that the sidekicks, despite doing the same job, taking the same risks, receive none of the social benefits and credit. They are out there doing the same thing but get nothing for it, and are thus the real hero's.
To me this has ALWAYS been the core of the Sidekick Girl comic.

Val's quest for recognition is central to everything, ESPECIALLY if she's out there taking these kind of risks. The point is that the system itself is so blatantly arbitrary that real hero's like Val receive nothing compared to their hero counterparts, who just look pretty and have good PR skills.

I say bravo for taking the path less traveled. It's easy for a comic to stick with the same stories and themes from start to end. This darker look into the Sidekick Girl universe (I initially wrote SG universe but then realized that Stargate had nothing to do with it!) really opens things up and, I feel, reveals how deep seated the injustice of the sidekick's social plight is.

I'm extremely eager to see how it all turns out!

[tarmagon]

Well, I have to admit that in the big, lets-make-a-ton-of-cash, world of comics, the 'death' of a hero is usually nothing more than a device to boost readership and sales. I find it refreshing that there are serious repercussions in this heroic universe to go with some of the silliness of the 'heroic stereotypes'. We already knew death happened here, due to the back story of Illumina's previous sidekicks, and this just brings it into the fore.
Also, I'm glad this isn't a world like the old G.I. Joe or Power Rangers universe, where thousands of rounds are fired and no one is hit, or the bad guys patiently wait their turns. Think about it seriously for a moment. G.I. Joe team and Cobra fired literally thousands of rounds at each other, and no one got hurt?! The worst marksman in the world would have hit someone. The hospital should have been overflowing with wounded. And the Power Rangers.. Ugh. It goes fight, transform timeout, fight single opponents again. Try meeting a mugger Rangers. "Freeze! Gimme yo cash." "We have to transform..." blam blam blam... "I said freeze you dumb kids."
Being a super doesn't make you smarter, with some exceptions, or invulnerable, or immune to stupidity. Your actions still carry consequences, both for you, and those you act upon. Also, just by being a super, you have made yourself a target. I applaud the fact that even this lighthearted foray into the world of supers takes all this into account. Please, keep up the great work.

ps. Even though the societal differences in attitudes towards heroes and their 'competent npc's ' are a major factor in the comic, I am glad to see that at least within their own community, the npc's know that they make significant contributions, and it's good that at least a couple of the 'hero's' admit it.

[joe]

Every Wednesday I get to work and the first thing I do is come to read this comic. Wait a sec, actually I read boy parts Tracy first, but that is because it wouldn't matter as much after reading this comic (I like to leave the best for last). I actually enjoy that it has both humor and good stories. I love the fact that the authors listen to suggestions, have contests to put other's people characters in, and in general listen to their readers. I also like many of the suggestions that people have made. I even had some of my own thoughts about what would be good for the comic, but I try to never say them, and there is a reason for that.

So here is my thought about this, and please, this is only my opinion, so nobody get offended. I don't want to write this comic, or steer it in any direction. I think the authors are doing a great job, and I just want to go along for the ride.

[joe]

I don't remember typing in 'boy parts'. That kind of makes me sound like a perv.

I promise I don't read those kind of comics.

[Erika]

Heh. "Boy Parts" is the auto-correct on the cussing filter. It replaces D i c k. Which isnt dirty here, but the computer doesnt know that.

[faerieknight]

I too think this darker turn is interesting. And it shows just how dangerous the world setting is. Sure it's a light and humorous story overall. But humor has it's black side too. And even the most whimsical of tale can have an edge.

Alice in Wonderland for example has the title character threatened with decapitation. the Adam West batman series ended every other episode with the heroes trapped in a murder device. In mainstream Batman the joker's plans are frequently amusing, yet decidedly twisted too.

But that's not to say serious stories are bad either. Not all subjects are funny. Nor should they be. Sometimes heroes get into situations where there is no humor possible. Case in point, vivisection of a living person.

Sometimes when telling a story involving heroes, villains, and social injustice there just isn't a joke to be made. No sight gag fits. No one liner makes sense. I applaud Sidekick Girl for not shying away from such subjects.

[MalkavianMarine]

Humor can be found in anything. The right person just has to have the right timing with the proper audience. I knew a Marine who could make a joke and someone would think it was funny, no matter how crappy the situation was.

To quote Mel Brooks: Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.

[coriolis]

Yeah, I was being a little harsh about the superficial heros. There are several heroes who aren't, which is a wonder, given that the "education" system seem geared to produce Illuminas by the score.

Okay, immediate danger resolved. Even so, this day's going to live in Val's nightmares for the rest of her life.

Ambiguity with time between panels, and Val's blackouts. Has it been five minutes or five hours since the Coroner was distracted by the other customer? She has no way of knowing, so we don't. Has he had time to get all the samples he wanted? Is he done with Val or not? Another nightmarish element for her to contend with.

But this does bring a degree of realism in that most comics lack; if powers were real, there *would* be superpowered Hannibal Lecters out there, because there are mundane serial killers.

I hope my worries about balance between light and dark were premature, with this, SG is still right on the beam.

MalkavianMarine, ain't gallows humor wonderful?

[coriolis]

Going back and re-reading some of the earliest strips, why was I so surprised at this? Dr. Wright was Coroner Lite.

[faerieknight]

The steampunk robot too is a more serious storyline. Although maybe not as deadly serious as the current one.