Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

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May 12, 2026

Envy

by David M Willis on March 17, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 03 – Trial and Sarah
└ Tags: becky, dina, joe

Discussion (96) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    March 17, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Suspiciously Specific Affirmation

    *runs away*

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      March 17, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

      I’ve always wondered, is there a trope for using too many tropes?

      • Kyrik Michalowski
        Kyrik Michalowski
        March 17, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

        Also i just noticed we both have Sal gravatars(even if yours is custom.)

        Sal gravatars, unite!

        • Clif
          Clif
          March 17, 2022 at 1:17 am | #

          Or untie as the case may be.

          • MIB4u
            MIB4u
            March 18, 2022 at 8:16 am | #

            I heart it. I wish I could upvote. ♥♥♥

      • Schpoonman
        Schpoonman
        March 17, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

        Kinda.

        https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/JustForFun/TropeOverdosed

        Depends if you really define a meta “trope” like this as a trope like the SSD.

        • Stu
          Stu
          March 17, 2022 at 9:31 am | #

          There’s also “TV Tropes Will Ruin Your Life” if we’re talking in terms of reader/viewership.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            March 17, 2022 at 5:19 pm | #

            Wikipedia can be just as bad if you stumble onto a good vein of interesting content. (My weakness is articles about the Space Race… I still can’t believe they thought about sending an extended Apollo mission on a flyby of Venus, or one of the Gemini capsules actually flew twice and the Air Force wanted to have a manned reconnaissance space station in the early 60s.)

            There needs to be a browser plugin that limits how many pages on those rabbit hole sites you can click on in a row. You can lose hours and open dozens of tabs on an “oh, that’s neat” trawl.

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    March 17, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    He must’ve seen the Joe Signal in the sky.

    (Joe Signal not shown because it is incredibly vulgar)

    • Jamie
      Jamie
      March 17, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

      Can’t be that vulgar. Joyce drew it all over the dorm.

    • Gash
      Gash
      March 17, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

      Joe signal is a pair of bouncing spotlights in the sky

      • True Survivor
        True Survivor
        March 17, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

        This made me chuckle. Thank you.

      • Opus the Poet
        Opus the Poet
        March 17, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

        Giggles.🤪

  3. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    March 17, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    Oh Joe, this is going to get worse before it gets better, isn’t it?

    • ThunderNight
      ThunderNight
      March 17, 2022 at 12:39 am | #

      depends if he can find a lab partner in time

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      March 17, 2022 at 2:57 am | #

      It could get better first!

      You know, a smidge better, just enough to make him feel like thinks are normal again, for a few fleeting moments before things suddenly get lots lots lots worse.

      • Prince Mech
        Prince Mech
        March 17, 2022 at 2:59 pm | #

        just in time for him to have emotionless and unfulfilling sex with Malaya, again!

  4. The Wellerman
    The Wellerman
    March 17, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    So WONDERFUL!!! 🥲

    How very fitting for a moonlit night like this one! 🎑

    *plays “Fly Me to the Moon” on Hacked Muzak*

    • Casi
      Casi
      March 17, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

      I was hoping it was this version of Fly Me to the Moon! Not that Sinatra isn’t great, but this version has much more emotion behind it

    • Opus the Poet
      Opus the Poet
      March 17, 2022 at 12:32 am | #

      Ahh yes the closing theme from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

    • Azhrei Vep
      Azhrei Vep
      March 17, 2022 at 8:10 am | #

      Aah yes, the battle theme from Bayonetta.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      March 17, 2022 at 1:15 pm | #

      Ah yes, that song by Frank Sinatra, whose other classic, My Way, is featured in-universe in Final Fantasy Origin.

      (that one game where the guy says CHAOS a lot, it’s actually really good)

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        March 17, 2022 at 2:19 pm | #

        I’ve seen like one trailer and two clips, one where three dudes reveal that they all have the same sort of crystal and immediatley become bros, and the bit where the blond dude ends a conversation by saying bullshit, turning on his limp bizkit, walks like 50 feet and then turns the music off to continue the conversation

        It looks incredible

        • Spencer
          Spencer
          March 17, 2022 at 2:25 pm | #

          What if I told you that the instantly iconic scene of Jack Garland calling someone’s speech about the nature of hope bullshit and then playing Limp Bizkit on his smartphone, an act he is doing in-universe that the cinematography conveys he did the entire time the group walked out of the Chaos Shrine, was made even better in the final game?

          The best way I can describe Final Fantasy Origin (other than that the combat is legitimately stellar) is that every ten minutes, something happens that makes me laugh my ass off, and it’s usually because Jack Garland has absolutely zero ability to parse through conversations with other human beings that aren’t about being pointed in the direction of Chaos.

          He’s like if Dina was Doomguy. It fucking rules.

  5. BBCC
    BBCC
    March 17, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

    Oh no! Feelings!

    Quick! To the escape hatch!

    • Keulen
      Keulen
      March 17, 2022 at 9:36 am | #

      Ew, feelings, disgusting. Not on my watch.

  6. King Daniel
    King Daniel
    March 17, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    Is Ball State Girl one of those anonymous rando babes, Joe?

  7. ADLegend21
    ADLegend21
    March 17, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

    [chanting] address the self loathing! address the self loathing!

  8. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    March 17, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

    “No one will ever know!”

    • Clif
      Clif
      March 17, 2022 at 1:23 am | #

      They don’t suspect a thing.

  9. goggleOgler
    goggleOgler
    March 17, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

    Honestly, to me it seems like Joe is dealing with an internal struggle here. Most of the comments I’m seeing are about how Joe is still after the same thing he’s been after since the comic began, but he really hasn’t been interested in that at all.

    Honestly Joe seems like he’s trying to keep up the “manly man who has all the sex” facade, but it’s just a facade now. With everything that’s happened to him, whether it’s stemming from the idea that his life failed a reverse Bechdel test, or any of the insanity that happened with Becky’s Dad, he doesn’t seem to actually care about the sex and sexuality aspect of everything now.

    The Joe we knew at the start of this comic wouldn’t have ever tried to understand Dina, because the way her mind worked was just too far outside his personal experience, and it wouldn’t help him get some action. But now, we’ve got a Joe that seems to interact with her on her level, and to not only respond to her in the same way, but also seems to have a firm understanding of why she interacts that way, and he relates to it.

    Joe is not a horndog anymore; he’s just afraid of what it means to stop being a horndog. It’s all the dude’s known.

  10. crow
    crow
    March 17, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

    And they were lab partners…

    • Clif
      Clif
      March 17, 2022 at 1:20 am | #

      But how did Joe know that they had been doing Science?

      • PirateTawnee
        PirateTawnee
        March 17, 2022 at 2:33 am | #

        They didn’t blind him with Science.

    • Jenn
      Jenn
      March 17, 2022 at 5:22 am | #

      Oh my god they were lab partners!

      • Arianod
        Arianod
        March 17, 2022 at 10:37 am | #

        They did science together!

  11. Tan
    Tan
    March 17, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

    The straights are not okay.

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      March 17, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

      Its called puppy love but it hits like a Mac Truck.

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 17, 2022 at 1:24 am | #

        What is it with this comic and trucks?

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        March 17, 2022 at 5:34 am | #

        you ever been bitten by a puppy? still hurts

        • True Survivor
          True Survivor
          March 17, 2022 at 8:42 pm | #

          I have. Their teeth are like needles, but their body is soft and bendy. They are like furry worms with fangs and gangly legs.

  12. True Survivor
    True Survivor
    March 17, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

    I believe Joe is mistaken. They may be good “lab partners” but I have feeling that as lab partners, Dina does all the work and Becky’s job is just to sit there and look pretty. Though it is very nice that Dian takes the time to teach Becky science – the pinnacle of romantic gestures.

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      March 17, 2022 at 12:30 am | #

      Surely Becky does her share of work as she learns about the science she loves, right?

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        March 17, 2022 at 12:36 am | #

        Right. Dina’s got a huge head start, but I do think Becky’s enthusiasm has been genuine. She really did seem energized by rejecting “Young Earth” schlock.

        • True Survivor
          True Survivor
          March 17, 2022 at 4:06 pm | #

          I know. I think Becky wants to help, but seems like she’s just behind the curve due to her upbringing. Also, she seems like the type to try and have some fun and be a bit of a goofball while working while Dina is more focused.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      March 17, 2022 at 1:08 am | #

      I dunno, Becky seemed pretty enthusiastic to me.

    • Tan
      Tan
      March 17, 2022 at 3:24 pm | #

      While Becky certainly has gaps in her understanding, she isn’t completely clueless, and more importantly she is equally ENGAGED, which counts for a lot in a classroom setting. If Becky were more passive, or if Dina were less willing to accomodate Becky’s background, it could easily wind up being Dina doing all the work, but they’re actually a fantastic complement to one another in that way.

  13. Jay M Ferguson
    Jay M Ferguson
    March 17, 2022 at 12:35 am | #

    I wonder if Joe’s rilly going to fix Joyce with his penis, as advertised.

    • seregiel
      seregiel
      March 17, 2022 at 12:37 am | #

      Joycestick not included and must be purchased separately.

  14. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    March 17, 2022 at 12:37 am | #

    Joe: “Fuck, I accidentally allowed myself to be emotionally vulnerable for a moment! With casual friends!”

    I say that, but he might be MORE uncomfortable if it were, say, Danny or Dorothy, people he knows much more.

    • WanderingLynx
      WanderingLynx
      March 17, 2022 at 1:24 am | #

      He doesn’t have a decade-long facade to keep with Dina (and Becky). TBH I’m glad he’s slowly building some spaces to be more sincere, it’s good for his soul

    • Reltzik
      Reltzik
      March 17, 2022 at 3:02 am | #

      Except Becky’s far more likely to share any suspicions she has with Joyce than Dorothy is.

    • Azhrei Vep
      Azhrei Vep
      March 17, 2022 at 8:16 am | #

      I think if it were just Dina, he might actually be willing to be a bit more open than usual. She’s someone he’s only on casually positive terms with, doesn’t seem to have any sexual interest in, and crucially, has never been a close friend of Joyce’s with a habit of being very loud about things.

      No expectations, no history to maintain, no need for more pretense than he’d show a mirror, but more likely to make a useful sounding board.

  15. Regalli
    Regalli
    March 17, 2022 at 12:40 am | #

    Dina and Becky: Well, that was weird.

    • drs
      drs
      March 17, 2022 at 2:44 am | #

      No, no.

      Becky: “Well, that was weird.”

      Dina: “I am pleased to have confirmation that that was weird.”

  16. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    March 17, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

    Ah yes, the Joe Secret Technique.

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 17, 2022 at 12:45 am | #

      Something something Jojo reference something.

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        March 17, 2022 at 12:56 am | #

        To be continued… 😛

        *plays “Roundabout” by Yes! on Joe’s Phone*

        • Azhrei Vep
          Azhrei Vep
          March 17, 2022 at 8:17 am | #

          Oooh, thanks. That’s a great song that I haven’t thought about in a while now.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      March 17, 2022 at 8:13 am | #

      Joseph Joestarenthal

  17. WanderingLynx
    WanderingLynx
    March 17, 2022 at 1:18 am | #

    I wanna hug this dude so bad. He’s been having all sort of realizations and getting closer to Dina (and Becky) apart from Joyce but… I think this is the first time (that I remember) he blatantly says something like “you know what? I envy your monogamous relationship that’s so healthy it doesn’t even have to fall back on sex to have a good time and communicate”.

    Which is one hell of a run-on sentence. Took 3 panels to process. He was only wanting to say something nice to two girls he platonically likes and look what happened!

    • WanderingLynx
      WanderingLynx
      March 17, 2022 at 1:21 am | #

      PS: As far as he knows Dina and Becky aren’t fucking, but Dina did say how bad she’d wreck him in an hypothetical sex situation. Casual as weather in small talk! Which adds a bit of spice at this Envy Cauldron Of Swirling.

  18. FlamestAndLight
    FlamestAndLight
    March 17, 2022 at 2:00 am | #

    The further we get on this Joe having revelations about himself and his emotions the more I get trans vibes from him. Idk if that’s what we’ll get but it would be interesting

  19. Bagge
    Bagge
    March 17, 2022 at 3:03 am | #

    Or maybe a lot of anonymous science?

  20. Charlie
    Charlie
    March 17, 2022 at 3:32 am | #

    historians will say they were great lab partners

  21. Carms
    Carms
    March 17, 2022 at 3:53 am | #

    FUCKING AMAZING. SHIT ME. GO BE A GOOD LAB PARTNER JOE

  22. BubbaFett
    BubbaFett
    March 17, 2022 at 4:00 am | #

    I’m liking the lack of snark between Joe and Becky

  23. foducool
    foducool
    March 17, 2022 at 4:16 am | #

    so that’s his coping mechanism…

    • Eldritchy
      Eldritchy
      March 17, 2022 at 5:35 am | #

      [insert Eddie Murphy-looking guy tapping the side of his head with a smile]
      You can’t get emotionally hurt if you don’t care.

  24. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    March 17, 2022 at 4:31 am | #

    Envy is never a good thing. Joe is really in pain, unable to understand how to deal with his feelings. Poor Joe.

  25. CruizySuzy
    CruizySuzy
    March 17, 2022 at 4:47 am | #

    Ooooh so he envies the relationship but is head sees it as relationship ‘with a lab partner’ demonstrating that he specifically wants what they have with his lab partner (Joyce).

    Join me next time on “Suzy explains things that you’ve probably already noticed”

  26. Arianod
    Arianod
    March 17, 2022 at 5:50 am | #

    For science! 😀

  27. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    March 17, 2022 at 6:35 am | #

    Thought the lab partners would finish after that evolution work. They will have to wrok together in the entire semester?

    • Amias
      Amias
      March 17, 2022 at 9:28 pm | #

      When I was in college, we were assigned seats in our physics lab class, and the person sharing the bench with you was your lab partner for the whole semester.

  28. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    March 17, 2022 at 6:36 am | #

    “Will they have to work”
    Sorry, it’s 7AM, still sleepy…

  29. Amelie Wikström
    Amelie Wikström
    March 17, 2022 at 6:44 am | #

    Remember ten years ago back in first week when Joe thought he had life aaall figured out? Just never involve yourself in anything or anyone on any even slightly deep emotional level and you can have fun all the time and never get hurt or remember your parents yelling at each other. Such simple times, six months ago.

  30. thumb
    thumb
    March 17, 2022 at 9:57 am | #

    Yes, Joe. Growing up is hard. You’ll get there.

  31. InTheory
    InTheory
    March 17, 2022 at 10:18 am | #

    I wish there really was a world where you could say things like “Obligatory Greeting” and it’s accepted for what it is instead of getting the shit beat out of you.

  32. Smooti
    Smooti
    March 17, 2022 at 12:29 pm | #

    🎶 No chance, no way, he won’t say it, no no 🎶

  33. Proxiehunter
    Proxiehunter
    March 17, 2022 at 12:55 pm | #

    “You can’t catch me romantic feelings!”

  34. Spencer
    Spencer
    March 17, 2022 at 1:11 pm | #

    I would like, to state, for the record, that when two of these characters were presented with Joyce acting outside of her status quo to her obvious distress, one of them told Joyce that everything about her was real even without her God and that included the things she was repeatedly made fun of for, and the other insisted that she had been lying constantly about her entire person.

    (Joe being stupid and romantic about Joyce is my exact jam but I live in mortal terror of what disaster is going to transpire when the two of them are left to their own devices in this perpetual drama engine)

    • Joyfulldreams
      Joyfulldreams
      March 17, 2022 at 4:24 pm | #

      YOU AND I ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH JoJo for life

  35. JAMIE
    JAMIE
    March 17, 2022 at 1:15 pm | #

    Dear Joe,

    If you find yourself envying lesbians, you may want to start reading up on gender dysphoria. Just a… suggestion… from someone who’s been there.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      March 17, 2022 at 1:24 pm | #

      I envy lesbians but it’s because they get to wear flannel out of season.

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        March 17, 2022 at 2:21 pm | #

        Wait Flannel goes out of season?

    • BubbaFett
      BubbaFett
      March 17, 2022 at 7:54 pm | #

      Pretty sure hes envying the the relationship the two of them have

  36. zee
    zee
    March 17, 2022 at 1:56 pm | #

    Ohhh he got it bad

    • Keith
      Keith
      March 17, 2022 at 9:46 pm | #

      Which it? Because, the “feeling like a jerk for wanting something” is kind of winning with this stupid old fart. (can’t prove I ain’t one!)

      • zee
        zee
        March 17, 2022 at 10:48 pm | #

        “it” is tons of love for joyce

  37. Hazel
    Hazel
    March 17, 2022 at 2:09 pm | #

    I want them to get together and be happy but I know things don’t work like that in this comic.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      March 17, 2022 at 2:21 pm | #

      That’s why we need to destroy Becky and Dina.

      They’re hoarding all the Good Relationship Juice.

      • Keith
        Keith
        March 17, 2022 at 9:46 pm | #

        are not. (pouts)

  38. Rabid Rabbit
    Rabid Rabbit
    March 17, 2022 at 3:23 pm | #

    So this would be the Duke of Thingley’s cousin we just saw scooting away, yes?

    • Keith
      Keith
      March 17, 2022 at 9:47 pm | #

      Better than Sir Robin. Yes?

  39. Keith
    Keith
    March 17, 2022 at 9:44 pm | #

    Hey, just a big THANK YOU. You do a dang good comic. Heh, even if this old fart gets it while being udderly lost the whole time. Mind, I’ve never been lost. I just didn’t know where I was.

  40. Spencer
    Spencer
    March 17, 2022 at 10:22 pm | #

    new Sayid character art

    God fuck yes

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