Ruth has a partial amount of responsibility. She’s the one who got Danny to drink. It was Danny’s decision, of course, and he owns that. But Ruth is not 100% blameless.
The list probably goes, in ascending order of blame: Billie, Danny, Truck Driver, Willis.
Billie gave Danny the beer (and talked him into drinking it), and Ruth the car keys. If she’d just said, “No, that’s stupid. Just call the cops on the nerd,” everyone could be alive now. At the very least, Ruth would be alive.
Also worth keeping in mind is that while we, as readers, know that Ruth made a deliberate decision to save Danny’s life at the cost of her own, nobody in-universe has any way to know that.
Whoa, this comic took a nihilistic tone real fast. No more sitcom mood? Would have made a joke about Ruth being stuck in overalls for eternity, but now I guess I have to cut myself and realize were all dust in the wind.
Seriously though, Im glad that seeing Ruth in DOA has eased the pain of going through this storyline again. She deserved better than a grisly death. I kinda wish Danny had been the one to see her (after a long wait) near the end of Its Walky to see her for some kind of reconciliation.
Ehh, I think that Walky seeing Dina was close enough. I mean, he was definitely not anywhere as directly responsible as Danny was for Ruth dying, but he still inadvertently helped start her spiral of depression, and was also hit the hardest by her death.
Willis, if you feel ever embarrassed at your emo writing from this period, know that I’m just as embarrassed at how deep and meaningful I found it back in the day.
I always thought Dumbiverse-Sarah was more like Ruth before Ryan, what with her attitude about having your priorities straight and that dumb high school drama doesn’t matter. Since she still seems to want a good career, she isn’t full-on nihilistic just yet.
You know, while I was reading through Shortpacked! and vaguely recognizing loads of characters, I was thinking “Hey, I haven’t read this set of comics since I lost my old bookmarks when my last computer died. I should reread it all.” And then I found this, and it made my day.
Even if right now it’s in Depressionland.
And that ought to cheer you up guy.
…Yaaaaaaaay. Party.
Not a party without be– Oh, right…
They can only drink Ruth Beer now.
Oh god. Is that why there was nothing left? Damn you whimsical microbreweries, you’ve gone too far with your silly experimental beers!
I think upon death the spirit of Ruth may have entered Sarah’s body.
“Was reborn then, free to scrawl own design on this morally blank world.
“Was Sarah.
“Does that answer your questions, doctor?”
… Wait but none of what happened to her in DOA happened here.
Will THAT back story be explored.
Not here of course, this is the last we see of Sarah for a while.
…Y’know, I forgot just how ridiculously dark this comic got.
Dark and preachy…
The good ol’ days when you came home, read this, and got even more depressed.
(I started reading pretty late, sue me)
I’ll win.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Billie. That way you don’t have to believe that it was you and Danny that got Ruth killed.
I thought it was Danny and the truck driver that got Ruth killed.
Ruth has a partial amount of responsibility. She’s the one who got Danny to drink. It was Danny’s decision, of course, and he owns that. But Ruth is not 100% blameless.
The list probably goes, in ascending order of blame: Billie, Danny, Truck Driver, Willis.
Damn You, WILLIS!
Billie gave Danny the beer (and talked him into drinking it), and Ruth the car keys. If she’d just said, “No, that’s stupid. Just call the cops on the nerd,” everyone could be alive now. At the very least, Ruth would be alive.
Also worth keeping in mind is that while we, as readers, know that Ruth made a deliberate decision to save Danny’s life at the cost of her own, nobody in-universe has any way to know that.
Whoa, this comic took a nihilistic tone real fast. No more sitcom mood? Would have made a joke about Ruth being stuck in overalls for eternity, but now I guess I have to cut myself and realize were all dust in the wind.
Seriously though, Im glad that seeing Ruth in DOA has eased the pain of going through this storyline again. She deserved better than a grisly death. I kinda wish Danny had been the one to see her (after a long wait) near the end of Its Walky to see her for some kind of reconciliation.
Ehh, I think that Walky seeing Dina was close enough. I mean, he was definitely not anywhere as directly responsible as Danny was for Ruth dying, but he still inadvertently helped start her spiral of depression, and was also hit the hardest by her death.
Life has no meaning? I see Sarah has never experienced the joy of hot wings. Did they have hot wings back then?
Yes we in the 90’s enjoyed Hot Wings while riding on the back’s of MotherFuckin’ T-Rex’s.
We’re so thankful you’re alive, Danny!
By the way, you’re a piece of shit.
Willis, if you feel ever embarrassed at your emo writing from this period, know that I’m just as embarrassed at how deep and meaningful I found it back in the day.
I always thought Dumbiverse-Sarah was more like Ruth before Ryan, what with her attitude about having your priorities straight and that dumb high school drama doesn’t matter. Since she still seems to want a good career, she isn’t full-on nihilistic just yet.
You know, while I was reading through Shortpacked! and vaguely recognizing loads of characters, I was thinking “Hey, I haven’t read this set of comics since I lost my old bookmarks when my last computer died. I should reread it all.” And then I found this, and it made my day.
Even if right now it’s in Depressionland.
Nothing will ever be happy again!
Originally posted:
March 27, 1999