Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

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June 1, 2026

Talking now

by David M Willis on March 7, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 03 – Trial and Sarah
└ Tags: amber, ethan

Discussion (88) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    March 7, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Be careful what you even kinda sorta ask for, you just might get it

    (Today’s experiment…FAILED)

    • Decidedly Orthogonal
      Decidedly Orthogonal
      March 7, 2022 at 12:31 am | #

      Then again, they are friends because of shared interests. So maybe it failed… flawlessly?

    • Rose by Any Other Name
      Rose by Any Other Name
      March 7, 2022 at 12:32 am | #

      I don’t really get what she sees in Jason-

      **falls over bleeding for no apparent reason**

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 7, 2022 at 2:25 am | #

        And I thought I could beat a dead horse. But truly, you are the master.

    • PB
      PB
      March 7, 2022 at 1:06 am | #

      I LOVE THAT SHOW BUT IT GIVES ME A HEADACHE

  2. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    March 7, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    Neither of them have went to see the new movie because they wanted to watch it together I bet.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      March 7, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

      Eh, by this time next year this strip’ll be set in 2023, so they’ll retroactively have been able to watch it together. (Similar case as to Walky making a reference to “the first Spider-Man 3 movie” several months before No Way Home came out, Willis having made a similar assumption there.)

      • Nono
        Nono
        March 7, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

        Someone pointed out that in the new movie, Bruce’s parents would have been killed in 2001, so I guess they were on their way to see Shrek or something.

        • anonymsly
          anonymsly
          March 7, 2022 at 12:28 am | #

          They went to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, obviously. I say this mostly because I don’t think Thomas and Martha Wayne would take their smallish child to see Donnie Darko even if he IS Bruce Wayne.

          Another contender is Ocean’s Eleven.

        • AbacusWizard
          AbacusWizard
          March 7, 2022 at 1:57 am | #

          That’s *almost* the right timing for them to be watching The Mask of Zorro in the theaters, which would be more thematic.

        • Inbar Fink
          Inbar Fink
          March 7, 2022 at 9:18 am | #

          It has been foretold
          https://www.shortpacked.com/comic/the-first-movie

          (amusingly featuring two very different versions of the characters featured in this very strip)

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        March 7, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

        Honestly I can just say “the new Batman movie” and it will always be relevant because they will never stop making Batman shit, or Spider-man shit for that matter.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          March 7, 2022 at 8:16 am | #

          Why make a new thing when remaking an old thing is a guaranteed success?

        • Spencer
          Spencer
          March 7, 2022 at 8:51 am | #

          “Making another installment of that really popular old thing” is sensible enough, it’d be nice if they stopped making the exact same kind of installment every time they circle around the block.

          (Also it’d be nice if the American comics industry wasn’t cannibalized by two company’s stranglehold with one kind of story because of some gay panic in the 50s)

          • Ana Chronistic
            Ana Chronistic
            March 7, 2022 at 11:10 am | #

            Waiting for the Batman Beyond movie ⌚👈

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      March 7, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

      Also Batman is even more emo than usual in this one, and Amber doesn’t want to encourage Ethan’s current trajectory more than necessary.

      They see Death on the Nile instead, but alas, now Ethan is thinking of growing a horrid mustache.

      • Nono
        Nono
        March 7, 2022 at 12:11 am | #

        I mean, we’ve seen his dad. Moustaches might be inevitable for him.

      • John Campbell
        John Campbell
        March 7, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

        Ethan should absolutely grow a huge ridiculous bandito mustache.

  3. The Wellerman
    The Wellerman
    March 7, 2022 at 12:11 am | #

    I am intrigued. Does such a list exist? And if so, would anyone mind sharing?

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      March 7, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

      Given the sliding timescale it’s probably going to remain vague

      • Clif
        Clif
        March 7, 2022 at 2:15 am | #

        Pah. I bet you could construct the list directly from the rap verses.

  4. BBCC
    BBCC
    March 7, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

    Of course Amber loves Jason Todd.

    Hey, if the plan is to appeal to his interests, she’s picking a strong one.

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      March 7, 2022 at 12:18 am | #

      Batman is there to make us all feel better…

      Except for that one time he watched Ace die, that didn’t make anyone feel better.

      • Kyrik Michalowski
        Kyrik Michalowski
        March 7, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

        If anyone doesn’t get the reference or if anyone would like to just watch it again, here it is: https://youtu.be/jWHHsdE_oQg

      • True Survivor
        True Survivor
        March 7, 2022 at 12:36 am | #

        Are you talking about the meta-human girl in the Royal Flush gang or Bruce’s dog in Batman: Beyond (presumably named after her), as I don’t remember the dog ever dying (at least on screen, he may have died from old age over the course of the several decades covered in the DCAU)?

        Fun Fact: The royal flush gang in Batman: Beyond also has an Ace which is a super strong android. One more Ace and we’d have enough for each suit.

        • Kyrik Michalowski
          Kyrik Michalowski
          March 7, 2022 at 12:58 am | #

          The girl.

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        March 7, 2022 at 2:04 am | #

        I mean it kinda depends on the Batman.

      • Khyrin
        Khyrin
        March 7, 2022 at 7:47 am | #

        I beg to differ.

        Ace’s final moments make me cry, yes. But it’s also aspirational. Whether you call him Bruce or Batman, He was sent in to kill a child to save the world… and instead he threw away the killswitch device, and sat with that terrified child who knew she was going to die and provided her comfort while her life slipped away.

        If only we could all be so kind.

        • Spencer
          Spencer
          March 7, 2022 at 8:40 am | #

          Yeah.

          The only thing anyone needs to know about Batman is that his parents were killed by some punk with a gun when he was a kid, he spent the next 20 years practicing to become a ninja detective in a fursuit, and then when some kid’s parents were killed by some punk with a gun and so Batman adopts him and molds him into the most beloved superhero in the world. It’s his immediate victory, the proof that what he’s doing is right; no one’s ever gonna go through what Batman did, because they won’t be alone and consumed by anger like he was.

          Batman is one of the most blindingly optimistic fantasies ever conceived in fiction, even from within a kind of story that is supposed to be aimed at audiences young enough to believe a man can fly.

          Naturally, Robin gets left out when the movies come around. Of course he does, they’re boring, dour, mean-spirited, more than a little fascistic, and ultimately just a masturbatory power fantasy for grown-ass dudes. Robin can’t be here, these movies are for adults.

          • StClair
            StClair
            March 7, 2022 at 1:56 pm | #

            From Batman/Planetary:

            “Do you remember your parents? Do you remember their smiles? Do you remember times when they made you feel safe?”
            “Yes.”
            “That’s what you hold on to. That’s what you can do for other people. You can give them safety. You can show them that they’re not alone. That’s how you make the world make sense.
            And if you can do that, you can stop the world from making more people like us. And no one will have to be scared anymore.”

  5. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    March 7, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

    Almost finished that thing. Just adding finishing touches.

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      March 7, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

      *chews on a brick while waiting*

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      March 7, 2022 at 12:19 am | #

      Does it have a dinosaur in it?

      Either way, I’m still intrigued! 😛

    • Yotomoe
      Yotomoe
      March 7, 2022 at 12:35 am | #

      https://imgur.com/a/MQKtf59 (NSFW) (Seriously the most NSFW thing I’ve ever posted here)

      So a few strips ago Liz mentioned soaking and I had to look that up and like. Yo, it sounded pretty hot so I wanted to draw out that sequence in my head. It’s really messy cuz I drew like a billion drawings and my hands are tired.

      • Kyrik Michalowski
        Kyrik Michalowski
        March 7, 2022 at 12:47 am | #

        Excellent work, I’ll have to save it, for uh… research.

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        March 7, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

        Holy shit dude this looks ABSOLUTELY SPLENDID!!! 🤩🤩🤩

        Bruh, I think your skills are good enough to make it to the big leagues now. Like, true Porn Lord, making and selling this kinda stuff. 🤑

      • Throwatron
        Throwatron
        March 7, 2022 at 1:05 am | #

        I love how us horny people hear about something like “soaking” which is supposed to be like, less sex than sex, and immediately the next impulse is “well shit, that sounds kinda hot, actually.”

      • Rose by Any Other Name
        Rose by Any Other Name
        March 7, 2022 at 1:24 am | #

        Downloaded.
        Hm. I’d worry that without any rubbing, the guy would lose his erection eventually. Kinda a bummer.
        I guess if one was super good at Kegels and could pull off a rhythmic ‘squeeze and release’, then maybe, but I don’t get the impression that most Christian virgins have studied Kegel control.

        • Rose by Any Other Name
          Rose by Any Other Name
          March 7, 2022 at 1:28 am | #

          … that aside, beautiful work.
          Sorry, I meant to include that after ‘downloaded’ but I got distracted by the discussion of how hot it sounds.

          I will also add that having a man remain motionless inside me is a lot hotter AFTER sex when we’ve both just had orgasms and want to bask in the afterglow while still being inside one another. That only works for raw sex, though, since staying inside after orgasms is a No-no for condoms.

          • Yotomoe
            Yotomoe
            March 7, 2022 at 1:32 am | #

            o3o That does sound pretty hot yeah. Also didn’t know that for condoms. That’s pretty useful info.

          • The Wellerman
            The Wellerman
            March 7, 2022 at 1:42 am | #

            I am intrigued. Is it due to discomfort only, or is there another reason you don’t want a condom in there too long?

            • Laura
              Laura
              March 7, 2022 at 2:07 am | #

              If your erection softens while wearing a condom the semen can spill out the sides of the opening at the top. To prevent spilling in the vagina, you pull out right away after ejaculation while holding the condom on by putting your fingers at the base of the penis, outside the condom. Then you remove the condom carefully, making sure the semen doesn’t spill out, and tie it off in a knot before putting it in the trash. And wash hands before touching again. Sex is messy, and condoms can only do so much to protect, which is why it’s important to be careful when using them.

              I apologize if that was TMI. I grew up as a queer kid in the 80s and 90s — this stuff was drilled into us by rote.

              • The Wellerman
                The Wellerman
                March 7, 2022 at 2:10 am | #

                That’s alright! In fact thank you for sharing, ’cause you know, luck favors the prepared, right?

                Also, what do you mean by “drilled into us by rote”?

                • Laura
                  Laura
                  March 7, 2022 at 2:16 am | #

                  Oh, sorry, no pun intended there! *facepalm* *blushes*

                  I just meant that we learned condom use techniques by rote because they were repeated (like a military “drill” routine) over and over. Very technical training, just the physical mechanics of it.

              • Laura
                Laura
                March 7, 2022 at 2:12 am | #

                Sorry, I should have said, “vagina, anus, or mouth”. Apologies!

                • The Wellerman
                  The Wellerman
                  March 7, 2022 at 2:20 am | #

                  That’s alright! It’s the internet, a multicultural frontier, and misunderstandings are better treated as the rule, not the exception, you know?

                • Laura
                  Laura
                  March 7, 2022 at 2:38 am | #

                  “Misunderstandings are the rule.” I love that. 🙂

        • Yotomoe
          Yotomoe
          March 7, 2022 at 1:30 am | #

          So I have never had a chick sit on my dong but, I imagine the scenario would, itself, be hot enough to maintain an erection for a while. Like you can get and maintain a boner just by like…watching a sexy video. If a hot girl is sitting on your crotch and being flirty and stuff I dunno. Especially if she can still lean forward and make out or something.
          (She’s still got her bra on too so she’s not even using her FULL POWER).

        • eh, whatever
          eh, whatever
          March 7, 2022 at 6:36 am | #

          Oh, don’t worry. There’s a reason why it’s worded “if it lasts longer than four hours, see a doctor”.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        March 7, 2022 at 8:30 am | #

        Yotomoe made soaking look hot.

        His smut powers are horrifying and awe-inspiring.

      • Amós Batista
        Amós Batista
        March 7, 2022 at 8:32 am | #

        yeah, you did it

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        March 8, 2022 at 2:53 pm | #

        I think you could have a successful career on Slipshine.

    • milu
      milu
      March 7, 2022 at 3:07 am | #

      okay wow!
      that is a work of love.

      next panel: Joyce walks in without knocking and before she can run out again Liz is like, “oh wait wait, listen can you do us a solid”. (i know you don’t have characters do things they would never actually do. But… wouldn’t she? truly Yoto, I ask. Wouldn’t she.) (…yeah ok she wouldn’t)

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        March 7, 2022 at 3:32 am | #

        Fun fact I was planning on including Joyce but I just drew like a billion drawings and decided not to. So you’re not too far off.

  6. Schpoonman
    Schpoonman
    March 7, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

    Amber is 17 moods right now, but I think the strongest is that anxiety/depression crossover sweet spot where something finally makes you feel anything and it therefore becomes all-consuming (though that could be a bit of ADHD I’m projecting) and the second you find yourself able to break through the anxiety wall you go immediately to 100 talking about it with someone.

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      March 7, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

      Yeah, sorting through your unique neurodivergent stripes like that is quite the process. Believe me, I know! 😅

  7. Derek
    Derek
    March 7, 2022 at 12:21 am | #

    I’m still holding out hope that this reconciliation attempt doesn’t go well for Amber because she damn well does not deserve it after one perfunctory apology. She’s been a shitty friend to Ethan and he’s will within his rights to cut her off.

  8. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    March 7, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

    *plays “Fruggin’ The Riddle” by The Villains (off the BATMAN THEME: Let’s Dance With The Villains! Album) on the hacked Muzak*

  9. StClair
    StClair
    March 7, 2022 at 12:41 am | #

    in panel four, that was almost a smile.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      March 7, 2022 at 8:32 pm | #

      I hope he was just ribbing her, because unspoken “tests” where you can determine the outcome regardless of the other party’s actions are bullshit.

  10. PB
    PB
    March 7, 2022 at 1:07 am | #

    He hasn’t gone back to frowning yet, sooooo yeah, keep going Ambs.

  11. Dr. T
    Dr. T
    March 7, 2022 at 1:16 am | #

    You know, I wasn’t crazy about Amber’s new look when it first was presented to us, but now I think I’ve taken quite a shining to it.

    • King Daniel
      King Daniel
      March 7, 2022 at 1:35 am | #

      I think the phrase is “take a shine to it”. Unless you’re implying that you want to come at Amber’s new look with an axe.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      March 7, 2022 at 8:24 am | #

      Same. It’s reminiscent of her look for the second half of Shortpacked!.

  12. Clif
    Clif
    March 7, 2022 at 2:12 am | #

    See, Ethan. You knew there was a reason you loved her.

    • Zaxares
      Zaxares
      March 7, 2022 at 4:05 am | #

      Yeah. One of my ex’s was a fellow gamer geek and I deeply miss how we could just talk about various geek things like D&D lore or superhero morality or science/techy stuff for HOURS without ever getting bored with each other. We didn’t work out in other ways, but I always missed that about our relationship. Never managed to recapture it in other romances. 🙁

      • Azhrei Vep
        Azhrei Vep
        March 7, 2022 at 7:53 am | #

        I feel ya. Used to have that kind of thing going on with my ex-wife. Until she lost interest in all of that. Sigh … such a loss.

  13. Darkoneko
    Darkoneko
    March 7, 2022 at 4:09 am | #

    wow.

  14. Daibhid C
    Daibhid C
    March 7, 2022 at 4:18 am | #

    “Jason Todd, everyone’s third favourite Robin.” — Al Kennedy House to Astonish.

    I always thought that was unfair though. I mean, is he not counting Stephanie?

    • JBento
      JBento
      March 7, 2022 at 7:34 am | #

      Stephanie as Robin means you don’t get Spoiler, sooooo…

    • geno
      geno
      March 7, 2022 at 12:48 pm | #

      I would say he’s number 2 for me. Though Tim has been getting a lot more interesting lately. Steph is better after being Robin

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      March 7, 2022 at 10:41 pm | #

      So we all agree that Grayson is the best Robin?

      • Council
        Council
        March 7, 2022 at 11:14 pm | #

        *Teen Titans theme starts playing amidst silent but palpable agreement*

    • Cattleprod
      Cattleprod
      March 9, 2022 at 12:00 am | #

      She was a Robin for 5 minutes in her very worst story arc, so I’m okay with people leaving her out.

      But I like the implication that the highest people think of Jason is that he’s not their LEAST favorite out of the main four.

  15. Bagge
    Bagge
    March 7, 2022 at 6:56 am | #

    That’s… that’s actually adorable.

  16. Kamino Neko
    Kamino Neko
    March 7, 2022 at 7:06 am | #

    That shadow over Ethan’s eye is driving me nuts…the fact that it’s always there is making him look like Zuko.

  17. Azhrei Vep
    Azhrei Vep
    March 7, 2022 at 7:39 am | #

    Never. Ever. At any point in my life, have I ever been this incredibly attracted to Amber, entirely on the basis of her Batman priorities.

    Doesn’t hurt that she’s also very attractive, but the Batman Priorities definitely take the top spot.

  18. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    March 7, 2022 at 8:27 am | #

    I guess it’s comming to the end of the chapter, as we keep transitioning between characters faster.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      March 7, 2022 at 8:32 am | #

      We haven’t even gotten back to Sarah and Liz yet!

      There’s a month left of strips according to twitter, so I’m hoping most of those are about Sarah.

      ngl I’m kinda bummed it’s looking like Joe’s not gonna follow up on that “see you tomorrow!” he had with Liz.

      • Keulen
        Keulen
        March 7, 2022 at 10:06 am | #

        At this point I’m kinda glad we haven’t gotten back to Sarah and Liz yet, since every strip with them two results in huge arguments in the comments.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          March 7, 2022 at 8:33 pm | #

          It boosts engagement!

          I wonder if we’re going to get an additional chapter of Sarah and Liz at Ball State. It seems like this chapter has a lot to wrap up in only a few weeks.

          • Clif
            Clif
            March 7, 2022 at 9:27 pm | #

            We’ll just cut away to Jennifer/Billie eating cereal in a flashback.

  19. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    March 7, 2022 at 8:47 am | #

    I don’t think that try to do like nothing happened is a good thing.

  20. Keulen
    Keulen
    March 7, 2022 at 10:07 am | #

    Amber is kinda making me think of Faz and his charts in the last panel. Except she’s talking about Batman, which would almost certainly be better than whatever Faz would want to talk about.

    • Council
      Council
      March 7, 2022 at 11:12 pm | #

      Faz wants to talk exclusively about Faz, and so I tend to agree.

  21. Neto
    Neto
    March 7, 2022 at 10:09 am | #

    But also… Tim Drake’s boyfriend? Maybe kick that up the list 🙂

  22. geno
    geno
    March 7, 2022 at 12:45 pm | #

    The most recent Wayne Family Adventures better be at the top of the list

  23. Thecrowbar
    Thecrowbar
    March 7, 2022 at 2:27 pm | #

    Glad to see someone likes Jason Todd. All i ever hear about is Tim Drake who i like even less than Damien.

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