Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
RSS
‹
›
  • Home
  • About/Read before posting
  • Archive↓
    • by calendar
  • Cast
  • Store↓
    • Main Store (books and stuff)
    • T-shirts
  • Patreon↓
    • Patreon (regular)
    • Patreon (NSFW)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
aren't you glad book 10 didn't last ten more seconds
First Previous Random 223Comments Share Next Latest
Reddit Digg Facebook MySpace Delicious Stumbleupon Buzz Up! Mixx Technorati Google Bookmarks Yahoo Bookmarks Yahoo MyWeb Windows Live Propeller FriendFeed Newsvine Xanga LinkedIn Blinklist Twitter
Discover more Hiveworks comics
Kochab
Sarah Webb
A YA F/F fantasy comic about Sonya, a lost skier trying to survive a snowy wilderness and find her way back to her village; and Kyra - a fire spirit trying to fix the home that she let fall apart around her.
Cut Time
Juby
Rel and her trusty avian friend Fugue are on a quest to save a world that's lost track of time. Follow them and their new recruits, in a story written with help from the stars.
Awaken
Koti Saavedra/Flipfloppery
Superpowers, monsters and conspiracies. Piras, the spoiled Dameschi heir, fights to recover his identity after becoming a terrorist!
Hazy London
Scotty
A story about messy relationships. From friendly foes to crazy families. Nothing is black and white, just full of color. But, all colors can get a little hazy...
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Fireweeds Moors
Gato Iberico
A cat-headed man and a girl with a sandwich hankering accidentally end up in a myth-infused country where magic chalices are a really big thing.
Astral Aves
Moon Cabal
A fantasy coming-of-age following the adventures of Astra The Black and friends, as they navigate the mysterious world around them. It's politics, adventure, and the supernatural; oh, and crazy hair.
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Monster Pulse
Magnolia Porter Siddell
Four kids run afoul of a creepy secret organization's experiments, which turn their body parts into fighting monsters. Part sentimental coming-of-age story, part monster-training shonen manga, with just a bit of sci-fi body horror.
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
Paranatural
Zack Morrison
Superpowered middle schoolers fight evil spirits in their rural hometown. Come for the jokes, stay for the cast, the creatures, and the mystery that ties them all together!
The Witch Door
Anni K.
Katariina Lehto discovers her neighbor is a witch called Jousia Muotka. Jousia introduces Katariina to the strange people and places beyond the witch door...
Love Not Found
Gina Biggs
Abeille is on a quest to find someone who wants to do it the old-fashioned way in a time when touching has become outdated.
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
Tigress Queen
Allison Shaw
A barbarian warlord and a pampered prince try to avoid a marriage alliance that could end decades of violence.
Sam & Fuzzy
Sam Logan
Troubled by gangster rodents, lovesick vampire stalkers, or confused ninja assassins? Don't panic! Sam and Fuzzy are here to help. (For a reasonable fee.)
Whomp!
Ronnie
A depressed, portly, hirsute anime fan stumbles through life in the ever-pursuit of chicken nuggets and other life-shortening indulgences.
Star Impact
Jack McGee
A young, energetic woman fights her way up in the world of super-powered boxing after discovering the mighty gloves of her missing idol!
The Sanity Circus
Windy
Magic, monsters and mysteries await in the odd city of Sanity. It's up to Attley and a colorful group of characters to find out just what is going on.
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
This is Not Fiction
Nicole Mannino
What do you do when the person you're in-love with is an anonymous romance novelist? Get your best friend to hire your worst enemy for help!
Girl Genius
Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World...with mixed success.
Alice and the Nightmare
Misha Krivanek
Alice finally attends University to learn to collect the dreams of humans, meet new friends, and deal with a pesky reflection along the way.
Kiwi Blitz
Mary Cagle (Cube Watermelon)
Steffi thinks she can use her kiwi mech to become a superhero. This idea turns out to be very stupid.
The End
August Brown, Cory Brown
Two aliens crash a sci-fi convention and accidentally take seven nerds on an adventure that spans the galaxy!
Guilded Age
T Campbell, John Waltrip, Florence Machina
Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
Devil's Candy
Rem, Bikkuri
A lush fantasy about boy genius Kazu Decker, the girl he constructed for his 9th grade science project, and the world of devils and monsters they live in.
Widdershins
Kate Ashwin
A series of light-hearted Victorian-era adventure stories featuring grumpy bounty hunters, accidental thiefkings, and more, in England's magical capital city Widdershins!
Go Get a Roomie
Clover
Experience the queer journey of an upbeat hippie and the friendships she makes along the way! A tale of self-discovery and love of many forms.
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
Jailbird
Charlie Davis
An all-ages comic about a recently escaped prisoner's struggle to understand the outside world, and vice-versa. Also, a magic cape!
Monsterkind
Taylor C
Wallace Foster, a young, bright-eyed human social worker, has his entire world view rocked when he's suddenly relocated into a city primarily inhabited by monsters.
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
The Lonely Vincent Bellingham
Diana Huh
Vincent is an unkind man looking to disappear, and finds himself in the care of a vampire and her two wicked children.
Wychwood
Varethane
When Tiara's pyrokinesis is finally noticed, she is captured by a magical research organization for study. If she cooperates, she could be helping to save humanity from a dire threat - but can she trust them?
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
Goodbye to Halos
Valerie Halla
Cuddles, gay flirting, weird feelings, and magic-fueled knife fights - it's an adventure across the queer multiverse!
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
Lilith's Word
inkPangur
If you had the power to make any wish come true using just one word, what would you say?
Between Failures
Jackie Wohlenhaus
The low stakes adventures of an assorted group of 20 somethings trapped in the declining years of American retail. They are naughty and say lots of swears.
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
Godslave
Meaghan Carter
Edith has been thrown into the dangerous world of modern-day Egyptian mythology. Fighting monsters and dealing with family drama of godly proportions.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
Caramel Corn
Potchimew
Sarah is the only human left in a world full of mythical creatures and monsters. All she wants to do is live a quiet life, but everything changes when she meets her guardian angel, Jacob.
The Automan's Daughter
Mike Stamm
Aisha Osman and her uncle Siddig outwit bikers, spies and kidnappers while gearing up for a showdown with the formidable Widowmaker mecha.
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
Cassiopeia Quinn
Gunwild, Psudonym
A cute, pantsless thief is pursued across the stars by a buttoned-up military officer in the spacey, laser-filled future.
Ghost Junk Sickness
Studio CARTRIDGE, Laura Lee
Two hunters try to survive and end up being pushed to pursue a deadly bounty dubbed "The Ghost".
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Goto TagClear Tag


BUFFER WATCH Comics are currently drawn and uploaded through:

May 12, 2026

Longer

by David M Willis on July 5, 2022 at 12:01 am
  • 05 – This Was Halloween
└ Tags: amazi-girl, amber, danny, dorothy, jennifer, joyce, ruth, sarah

Discussion (223) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    July 5, 2022 at 12:05 am | #

    Ghost Mike: your MOM had longer

    …

    wait no

    • carl320
      carl320
      July 5, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

      Not like that

    • Decidedly Orthogonal
      Decidedly Orthogonal
      July 5, 2022 at 2:03 am | #

      More like his new album is getting released:

      Mike – Unplugged

      • Bobcat
        Bobcat
        July 5, 2022 at 10:22 am | #

        Brutal and horrible. I like it.

      • moriarty70
        moriarty70
        July 5, 2022 at 7:18 pm | #

        Using his preferred art style, flatline.

  2. Thag Simmons
    Thag Simmons
    July 5, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    Oh that’s even worse than him dying on Halloween.

    • Clif
      Clif
      July 5, 2022 at 2:53 am | #

      Before they made it off garbage roof when the book ended.

    • powerpowerpow
      powerpowerpow
      July 5, 2022 at 4:15 am | #

      Finding out Mike died literal seconds after the timeskip was an absolute GUT PUNCH that I was not expecting to be hit with moments after waking up in the morning.

      • two-star
        two-star
        July 5, 2022 at 4:30 am | #

        Probably before. Danny’s face looking like that seems less incongruous if Ethan messaged both Danny and Amber, and Danny has already seen the message.

        • Diane
          Diane
          July 5, 2022 at 5:11 am | #

          Doubt Ethan would have messaged Danny, Danny’s face isn’t even in this which has me confused. He’s currently freaking out about his hat flying away. Ethan and Danny did just literally have a fight over Mike, so I doubt he’d message him. This looks like exactly what power says, literally seconds after the timeskip. (Also I hit flag instead of reply at first, please ignore that Willis.)

          • Carla's #2 Fan
            Carla's #2 Fan
            July 5, 2022 at 7:35 am | #

            I guess you both would mean literal seconds into the time skip. The roof/hat flying scene happens and then we don’t see the characters for months. The stuff after those months would be after the time skip, so this would be during? It’s all just semantics though. I still got what you meant!

          • Kelibath
            Kelibath
            July 6, 2022 at 8:13 am | #

            The flag/reply confusion seems to be happening a lot. Maybe because Flag is the furthest out? I wonder if swapping the two over could fix it (and if it’s possible)?

        • Darasara
          Darasara
          July 5, 2022 at 9:21 am | #

          Danny lost his hat; that’s what that expression was about, he was going to chase it.

      • Anon A Mouse
        Anon A Mouse
        July 5, 2022 at 5:14 am | #

        Wish it had been sooner. Would have liked to see him die onscreen.

      • Ana Chronistic
        Ana Chronistic
        July 5, 2022 at 12:13 pm | #

        Sometimes the difference between a happy ending and a sad ending is where you stop reading

        • True Survivor
          True Survivor
          July 5, 2022 at 12:40 pm | #

          Very true.

  3. alongcameaspider
    alongcameaspider
    July 5, 2022 at 12:06 am | #

    Oh so it was like, just after the camera faded for the time skip that Mike died

    • Laura
      Laura
      July 5, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

      …Leaves open the possibility that it was one of the cops, just waiting for all the kids to leave to allay any suspicion that might be aroused by the 2 deaths’ (Mike’s and Blaine’s) happening at the same time.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 5, 2022 at 12:34 am | #

        Mike fell from a height of 20-30 feet or so and landed on his head. Honestly, living for 72 hours after that (and without prompt medical attention, and having been moved by someone who wasn’t medically trained!) is fairly impressive.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          July 5, 2022 at 2:48 am | #

          He held on exactly as long as necessary to make the timing of his passing extra-tragic.

          Exactly the way he would’ve wanted it. :'(

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 5, 2022 at 12:38 am | #

        Also, Ethan very pointedly remained at the hospital (and Mike’s bedside) when the others left. He might have been present when Mike died.

        • Laura
          Laura
          July 5, 2022 at 12:48 am | #

          OK, yeah, that makes more sense. Thanks, King Daniel! 🙂

          • Laura
            Laura
            July 5, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

            …Of course, they might have used the lockdown while the hospital was evacuated to slip something into Mike’s IV…

            • Laura
              Laura
              July 5, 2022 at 12:52 am | #

              Something slow-acting.

              • Laura
                Laura
                July 5, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

                See, e.g.:

                https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/evacuated/

                et seq.

              • Bysmerian
                Bysmerian
                July 5, 2022 at 1:02 am | #

                Eh. I feel like making Mike’s death more sinister doesn’t necessarily accomplish anything. Like King Daniel pointed out, he was already in really bad shape and him dying was always gonna be possible-to-probable. I don’t see what having him deliberately offed at that point adds to the story.

                Of course, if it turns out that way, then so be it. I’m just going to need to be sold on why that was necessary.

                • Laura
                  Laura
                  July 5, 2022 at 1:31 am | #

                  I just wouldn’t think the cops would want to leave loose ends open.

                • Jamie
                  Jamie
                  July 5, 2022 at 2:37 am | #

                  I also like conspiracy theories, so clearly it was Jason. That was the price his father levied for letting him stay in America.

                • King Daniel
                  King Daniel
                  July 5, 2022 at 2:42 am | #

                  Would they have even known that Mike knew? Blaine didn’t tell them, at least on-screen.

                • Laura
                  Laura
                  July 5, 2022 at 3:09 am | #

                  Mike was concerned enough about police in the flashback with Amber (https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/03-when-it-crumbles/ninest/) to refuse a call to EMS. My inference was that Mike knew he was known to the police already by then, through Blaine, and that his knowledge of their financial arrangement was his insurance for safety.

                • King Daniel
                  King Daniel
                  July 5, 2022 at 3:25 am | #

                  I was more under the impression that Mike refused the call there since Blaine was still a present threat on-scene at that moment. Chalk it down to different interpretations, I suppose.

                • Laura
                  Laura
                  July 5, 2022 at 4:07 am | #

                  Yeah, I guess we’ll (maybe) find out (or not).

                  There’s also this other strip:
                  https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/03-when-it-crumbles/predator/
                  Where Blaine threatens to have Mike killed in the hospital. The implication I read into it was that Blaine had already informed some of his contacts that Mike was dangerous to them, and that they were keeping an eye on him but not killing him yet as leverage against Amber.

                  …’Course, Blaine could have been lying.

                • King Daniel
                  King Daniel
                  July 5, 2022 at 4:14 am | #

                  As far as we know, no one in the Mob knew about what Blaine was up to with his private scheming until it blew up into a whole Big Deal. That was kind of why they ended up killing him in the end.

              • Laura
                Laura
                July 5, 2022 at 9:43 am | #

                True, true. I suppose you’re right…

        • JA
          JA
          July 5, 2022 at 1:06 am | #

          Would explain his appearance and mood post-skip.

      • cbwroses
        cbwroses
        July 5, 2022 at 1:22 am | #

        Why off Mike as opposed to anyone who was kidnapped when it was the fallout from the kidnapping that got Blaine killed, not the fight with Mike?

        Only Amber/AG know that Blaine had anything to with Mike’s condition since Mike was in a coma and Toe dad was already dead.

        The mob themselves might not even know.

        • Laura
          Laura
          July 5, 2022 at 1:40 am | #

          Because Mike kept track of all the money laundering that the mob was doing through Blaine’s business, and which police were taking bribes to look the other way:

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2018/comic/book-8/04-of-mike-and-men/receipts/

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/smash-2/

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/03-when-it-crumbles/ninest/

          Mike was keeping tabs on Blaine’s (mob- and dirty-cop-entangled) finances from the beginning.

          • King Daniel
            King Daniel
            July 5, 2022 at 2:44 am | #

            Yeah, but as far as we know Blaine didn’t tell the Mob that Mike knew. He got killed right after claiming that Amber “would like people to think that she’s” Amazi-Girl.

            • cbwroses
              cbwroses
              July 5, 2022 at 6:07 am | #

              Exactly. There’s seemingly no reason for the mob to kill Mike.
              There’s reason for Blaine to kill Mike, but whatever that leverage or Mike’s had amounted to, apparently wasn’t enough to murder him over since he had it for years.

          • Otl1973
            Otl1973
            July 5, 2022 at 2:46 am | #

            But only Blaine (and Ross, if he picked up on Mike’s comment) knew that, and they were both already dead. Neither the mob nor the cops were aware.

        • BarerMender
          BarerMender
          July 5, 2022 at 3:19 am | #

          Why off Mike? Maybe because coming up with new ways for Mike to be a jerk was getting tedious?

    • Masumi
      Masumi
      July 5, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

      Rather fitting, as the aftermath of this could very well feel like a timeskip in someone’s memory.

    • AbacusWizard
      AbacusWizard
      July 5, 2022 at 1:50 am | #

      Based on the poses, literally a *fraction of a second* after that cheery final panel. For old times sake, DAMN YOU WILLIS

    • jeffepp
      jeffepp
      July 5, 2022 at 2:50 am | #

      (Frack! Accidentally flagged.)

      So the Federal Marshals said to say.

  4. Yumi
    Yumi
    July 5, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    Well that sucks.

  5. Caro
    Caro
    July 5, 2022 at 12:07 am | #

    …jesus christ. i have two seconds before this moment on my wall. im looking at it right now. this is
    wow

    • RassilonTDavros
      RassilonTDavros
      July 5, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

      Until today, I would have said that I wish I’d gotten into DoA a few months earlier so I could’ve bought that print while it was available. Now, I’m not so sure.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      July 5, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

      I got that poster too!

      I regret nothing. It’s what Mike would want.

    • Radiance
      Radiance
      July 5, 2022 at 12:33 am | #

      Yeah, it’s amazing how completely this changes the tone of that moment. “May we be blessed with uneducational times!” “Mike’s dead.” God.

      (Also, so sorry for accidentally flagging you instead of replying – haven’t used the comments in a while)

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        July 5, 2022 at 3:48 am | #

        Nobody can tell you’ve flagged them, and the flag limit is like 37 or something.

        • Ana Chronistic
          Ana Chronistic
          July 5, 2022 at 4:21 pm | #

          I think it’s reflexive, since “unflag” isn’t an option. Not so much an apology to the flagged person so much as a declaration of accident toward whoever is reviewing the flags, to indicate it’s not supposed to be 🤷🏻‍♀️

          • StClair
            StClair
            July 5, 2022 at 7:18 pm | #

            definitely the case when I’ve done it.

  6. ThunderNight
    ThunderNight
    July 5, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    Wait what was there time for?

    • alongcameaspider
      alongcameaspider
      July 5, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

      Presumably for him to recover, but without more context it’s hard to say

    • Kyrik Michalowski
      Kyrik Michalowski
      July 5, 2022 at 12:10 am | #

      I think, time to say goodbye to Mike.

    • Sirksome
      Sirksome
      July 5, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

      Mike apparently died essentially the same day all that shit went down with the kidnapping. Ideally there was a chance he would hang around for a bit maybe. But death rarely happens like that. As someone who just recently suffered a family loss it might sound cliche but it really happens unexpectedly.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 5, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

        Well, the day after. The gathering on the rooftop was the next chapter (and they refer to “the kidnapping yesterday” in it a few times), so it wasn’t the same day.

      • Laura
        Laura
        July 5, 2022 at 6:02 pm | #

        I am so sorry to hear about your recent family loss, Sirksome. Take gentle care of yourself during your time of grieving, please. <3

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 5, 2022 at 3:40 am | #

      Mike not dying yet, wym

  7. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    July 5, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    …DAMN YOU DAMN YOU DAMN YOU

  8. Sunday
    Sunday
    July 5, 2022 at 12:08 am | #

    MIIIIIKEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

  9. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    July 5, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    It’s almost like time skipped forward for Mike isn’t it?

  10. butts
    butts
    July 5, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    oh my god

    a flashback within a flashback

    • BarerMender
      BarerMender
      July 5, 2022 at 3:21 am | #

      A pluperfect flashback!

    • Mturtle7
      Mturtle7
      July 5, 2022 at 1:20 pm | #

      Flashbackception!

  11. Nick Piers
    Nick Piers
    July 5, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    Flashback within a flashback!

    • AbacusWizard
      AbacusWizard
      July 5, 2022 at 1:51 am | #

      We have to go deeper! How many meta-flashback colors are possible? THE WORLD MUST KNOW

      • tbf
        tbf
        July 5, 2022 at 11:05 am | #

        Amber’s traumatic flashbacks have always been red.

  12. Kyrik Michalowski
    Kyrik Michalowski
    July 5, 2022 at 12:09 am | #

    Welp, that took a turn very quickly, I’ve got some serious emotional whiplash. But I’m slightly confused. Is Amber’s concern that Mike woke up but died a short time later and she could have said goodbye? Or is Amber concerned because he died comatose and she wasn’t there?

    • Laura
      Laura
      July 5, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

      Maybe that there wasn’t time to make her peace with Mike (and Ethan).

  13. not someone else
    not someone else
    July 5, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    …Am I the only one whose mind immediately went to the idea that she was talking about her Dad, who despite the absolute bullshit she went through, she might want to see one last time?

    Or am I the only one whose mind is on that inevitability due to real life circumstances, I guess…

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      July 5, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

      But her dad was already dead? Unless I’m misunderstanding you.

      • not someone else
        not someone else
        July 5, 2022 at 12:40 am | #

        Ahh, okay. I mixed up the timeline. In fairness, it’s been a while. 😛

    • Johan
      Johan
      July 5, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

      Her dad was shot while they were at the hospital iirc.

      There was a lockdown.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      July 5, 2022 at 12:19 am | #

      Pretty sure her dad didn’t survive getting shot.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 5, 2022 at 12:49 am | #

        Who knows, maybe Blaine had Dad-Joker Immunity

  14. Dara
    Dara
    July 5, 2022 at 12:12 am | #

    oh damn

    that’s brutal

    nicely done, and also brutal

  15. newlland(Henryvolt)
    newlland(Henryvolt)
    July 5, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

    Fuuuuck.

  16. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    July 5, 2022 at 12:13 am | #

    Why do we play? And why do we lose?
    It’s a dangerous life we live, We Two…

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      July 5, 2022 at 12:14 am | #

      We all play dice with and float within this beautiful, crude universe…….

  17. Viktoria
    Viktoria
    July 5, 2022 at 12:15 am | #

    Here’s the original strip from right before the flashback, in case you want to read it.
    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/transformative/

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      July 5, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

      Way to lob the universe an easy one, Joyce.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      July 5, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

      I guess this was a series wrap for Mike as well.

    • epitome of incomprehensibility
      epitome of incomprehensibility
      July 5, 2022 at 12:45 am | #

      Thanks! I was looking to see if someone linked it, so I could compare the two. Gotta say, I love the art on that one, esp. the light and shading.

    • Tan
      Tan
      July 5, 2022 at 4:53 am | #

      As the camera pans out, coincidentally in the direction of the hospital, and strip fades out to black, you start to hear the steady beep of a heart monitor. The volume on that, too, starts to fade, but not before it changes to a flatline. Fainter still, sounds of people, indistinct but hurried, yelling no louder than a whisper. The sounds of people fade even faster, so that the last sound left fading out is that flatline, until you think you can still hear it but in fact it has been silent black screen for a full second now. A few more seconds of the silence pass. You see movement at the bottom of the screen, but it is simply the credits beginning to scroll as a soft acoustic version of the usual credits theme plays. At the end of the credits is the simple message in white text on black background: “Dumbing of Age will return in the spring semester.”

  18. thakoru
    thakoru
    July 5, 2022 at 12:16 am | #

    He died as he lived: Being inscrutable and unpredictable in a way that seriously inconveniences everyone he knows.

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      July 5, 2022 at 12:17 am | #

      I couldn’t have said it better myself! BRILLIANT!!!

  19. Dot
    Dot
    July 5, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

    Hahahaha oh man this is evil even for you

  20. k
    k
    July 5, 2022 at 12:20 am | #

    Mike died literally hours after Danny told Ethan “would that be so bad?”

    • DailyBrad
      DailyBrad
      July 5, 2022 at 12:23 am | #

      I still don’t actually blame Danny for that. Certainly imprudent, but Mike was a piece of shit to him on a regular basis, including on the night he got critically injured. I doubt he’d have said it if he knew for a fact what was going to happen, and he likely regrets it, but one of his biggest flaws/boons is being honest to a fault, so I don’t think it’s in him to pretend he was torn up when he just wasn’t.

      • k
        k
        July 5, 2022 at 12:43 am | #

        Oh I agree with you 100%. It’s just the timing of it all is really the, ah, final nail in the coffin that contains Ethan’s friendship with Danny.

        • Zach
          Zach
          July 5, 2022 at 1:02 am | #

          The final? Wasn’t it the only?
          And I thought on party night Mike was nice to Danny. He was certainly in the same headspace regarding his worth.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            July 5, 2022 at 8:11 am | #

            If you look at the party night, Danny wasn’t concerned about how Mike treated him, but about how he treated Amber and especially Ethan. They’re the ones he thought would be better off without Mike for awhile.

        • lsdf
          lsdf
          July 5, 2022 at 2:22 am | #

          And after I spent years waiting for a payoff on that ship…

      • Meagan
        Meagan
        July 5, 2022 at 2:46 am | #

        I agree with you. I remember people being so offended by that, but like you said Mike was awful. I’ve known some awful people who passed away and it sucks how people expect you to act like the horrible things they did when they lived didn’t happen.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      July 5, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

      It’s just twisting the knife in a little deeper.

    • Otl1973
      Otl1973
      July 5, 2022 at 3:29 am | #

      Though Danny was responding to the comment that Mike might not wake up for a while, not that he might die. i don’t take that to mean Danny (necessarily) wanted him gone forever, just not able to abuse him more right away. Still not a good thing to say to Ethan, but not as bad as people are making it.

      • Keulen
        Keulen
        July 5, 2022 at 12:49 pm | #

        Yeah, people forget that Danny wasn’t wishing Mike dead, just that he was ok with Mike being in a coma for a while longer. And considering how awful Mike treated Danny pretty much every time they interacted with each other, it’s not that surprising that he said that. If a person who bullied me and treated me like shit any time I was around them got injured and was in a coma, I’d probably be glad to not have to deal with them for a while too.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          July 5, 2022 at 3:21 pm | #

          And particularly, if you look back to their last interactions at the party, Danny was more concerned with how he treated Ethan and Amber than with how he treated Danny.

  21. cmasta1992
    cmasta1992
    July 5, 2022 at 12:22 am | #

    I don’t know why it’s more shocking that Mike died literally right after the camera panned away for the time skip but damn

    • Clif
      Clif
      July 5, 2022 at 12:03 pm | #

      Because it retroactively went from a moment of uplifting hope to a moment of brutal loss. Particularly for Amber.

  22. Nono
    Nono
    July 5, 2022 at 12:23 am | #

    Remember that this happened literally right after Joyce said ‘well, here’s to uneventfulness’.

  23. BBCC
    BBCC
    July 5, 2022 at 12:24 am | #

    Probably for the best book 10 ended that way. I think the comment section would’ve imploded.

    That said – I like seeing Sarah be the first to ask Amber what’s wrong.

  24. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    July 5, 2022 at 12:25 am | #

    I’ve been there. I mean, not having a friend murdered by a supervillain father, but the whole “finding out one of my best friends is dead, when I dearly hoped a miracle could kick in.” It sucks.

    • k
      k
      July 5, 2022 at 12:46 am | #

      My condolences, I can’t imagine the pain you must have felt.

      • DailyBrad
        DailyBrad
        July 5, 2022 at 5:27 pm | #

        It was rough. It’s one of those things where you find yourself asking, “What could I have done differently?” countless times until you make the decision for your own sanity to make peace with having done what you could, you know? What-Ifs can drive us nuts.

        • Bathymetheus
          Bathymetheus
          July 5, 2022 at 10:07 pm | #

          Some therapist (this was years ago so I forget the name) said the two most dangerous words in the English language are:

          “If only …”

          • Yumi
            Yumi
            July 5, 2022 at 10:36 pm | #

            If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs,
            The bark on the tree was as soft as the skies.
            While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely,
            Crying to the moo-oo-oon, “If only, if only.”

            Anyway, Holes references aside, my therapist doesn’t seem to love the word “should.”

    • Masumi
      Masumi
      July 5, 2022 at 12:50 am | #

      It truly does.

  25. Nono
    Nono
    July 5, 2022 at 12:26 am | #

    Soooo I’m guessing Ethan’s not showing up for the Halloween party.

    • Proxiehunter
      Proxiehunter
      July 5, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

      If he does he’s probably going to cause one hell of a scene and probably be very very drunk.

  26. Nono
    Nono
    July 5, 2022 at 12:27 am | #

    Also reminder that Walky and Amber didn’t survive Halloween, and… yeah this might be a contributing factor.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      July 5, 2022 at 12:34 am | #

      I’m surprised they made it to Halloween. That’s, what, ten days after the red panel events?

      • Nono
        Nono
        July 5, 2022 at 12:44 am | #

        They were more on ‘friends with benefits’ situation by midterms because of the Sal thing. Seems more like Walky said or did something that just made Amber not want to be friendly towards Walky after.

        • Yumi
          Yumi
          July 5, 2022 at 10:34 pm | #

          Sure, but I’m still surprised they made it to Halloween– as whatever they were– when it was ten days after Mike’s death.

    • epitome of incomprehensibility
      epitome of incomprehensibility
      July 5, 2022 at 12:49 am | #

      Okay, I first read this very literally, and my brain was all, “But Walky and Amber are still alive??” 😛

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 5, 2022 at 1:05 am | #

        Plot twist: Amber could see Ghost-Mike because she was actually undead herself.

  27. StClair
    StClair
    July 5, 2022 at 12:29 am | #

    There was time now… time enough at last.

    • k
      k
      July 5, 2022 at 12:47 am | #

      Glad to see I wasn’t the only one thinking this!

      • Schpoonman
        Schpoonman
        July 5, 2022 at 7:34 am | #

        Didn’t Amber make this exact reference earlier? With Mike pulling her away from her computer?

        • StClair
          StClair
          July 5, 2022 at 1:31 pm | #

          Yup!

  28. Suet
    Suet
    July 5, 2022 at 12:32 am | #

    ♪ Won’t you please make way for a very special guy ♫

    Oh snap, it’s Pepsi colors time!

  29. Mr D
    Mr D
    July 5, 2022 at 12:36 am | #

    Jesus mike, did you decide to die just in time to be a dick?

  30. Carl Muckenhoupt
    Carl Muckenhoupt
    July 5, 2022 at 12:37 am | #

    Is this the first use of flashback-within-a-flashback coloring?

    • Masumi
      Masumi
      July 5, 2022 at 12:51 am | #

      Also, what color is the next layer?

  31. Blue62
    Blue62
    July 5, 2022 at 12:45 am | #

    Oohhhhhhhhhh

    Witness protection. Ninety five percent of the cast was elsewhere when he ‘died’, shortly after someone else tied to the same incident was silenced by the mob.

    I don’t actually think that’s the case, since Amber had her whole ‘say goodbye’ chapter, but I’m banking this one in the off chance that I can say ‘I told you so’ later.

    • Masumi
      Masumi
      July 5, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

      I choose to believe this is a possibility.

      Doesn’t ever work in real life, but here there might be a chance :V

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      July 5, 2022 at 1:33 am | #

      That’s really not how witness protection works in real life.

      • crow
        crow
        July 5, 2022 at 6:14 pm | #

        I still think it’s plausible that it could happen in this comic

    • Awaiting Moderation
      Awaiting Moderation
      July 5, 2022 at 2:27 am | #

      Honestly I’ve been thinking of this as a possibility for ages now. I’d imagine the process normally takes longer, but when a shooting happens in the same hospital? I’d say that’s fair grounds to speed things along.

    • Meagan
      Meagan
      July 5, 2022 at 2:48 am | #

      Yeah that seems plausible. I guess Mike died and then came back in the other comics Willis does (which I haven’t read in their totality) so people were predicting it would happen here too. Witness protection seems like a viable scenario.

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 5, 2022 at 3:29 am | #

        Mike is hardly unique among Walkyverse characters to have died and come back (even Walky died and came back)—the most you could say for him is that the method by which he was resurrected was left unexplained for the better part of a decade, while it was explained fairly promptly or even preemptively for all the other post-mortal characters.

    • Otl1973
      Otl1973
      July 5, 2022 at 3:31 am | #

      Why would anyone think to put him into witness protection? As far as we know, the only people that knew Mike had goods on the mob were Blaine and Ross.

      • Regalli
        Regalli
        July 5, 2022 at 6:34 am | #

        Ethan and Amber probably know he knew about the mob thing – Stacy knew and felt safe enough with that knowledge to tell Richard, so it was apparently not really a secret anymore, and AG wasn’t surprised when he told her not to call an ambulance because of the risk of dirty cops – but the financial details Mike had? Much less likely they knew he had those.

        Also, speaking of the ‘AG and Mike post-rooftop’ scene, I am now seriously wondering if part of the reason he deteriorated so quickly is that you really shouldn’t be carrying someone with, among other things, serious head trauma that knocked them unconscious in your arms, without training, however far AG had to go to get him to the hospital. Because precisely what Amber and AG need is more guilt that following Mike’s advice could have caused his death.

        Mike’s dead, people. And his death is extremely plausible given what we know.

      • Auroki
        Auroki
        July 5, 2022 at 10:38 am | #

        My only guess is, the FBI would want some more info on the the mob using whatever Mike knows about Blaine’s involvement to get closer. Or maybe the the mob themselves took him, or even a different crime group in general who heard through the grape vine bout a young kid who was good with numbers and decently in the know about dirty cops

        Even without information to give, Mike shown quite a bit of skills in secret info gathering, blackmail and how to for the most part keep it as a secret till the end of his “life”

        • Regalli
          Regalli
          July 5, 2022 at 11:34 am | #

          But because he kept things secret, there would be no one to tell the FBI Mike was a potential witness who could link this guy who just died under shady circumstances to the mob.

          For anyone to put him through witness protection, they would have to know that he’s a witness. NO ONE, to our knowledge, knew that he knew things.

      • StClair
        StClair
        July 5, 2022 at 1:36 pm | #

        Because some people here desperately want to believe he’s not really dead.
        That’s it. That’s the reason.

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          July 5, 2022 at 2:35 pm | #

          “Surrounded by floodwaters, a drowning person may grasp for even the flimsiest object floating within reach.”

  32. Doopyboop
    Doopyboop
    July 5, 2022 at 12:54 am | #

    Aah that’s a familiar reaction. When my mom was dying, I sat with her for the entire 8 hours it took for hospice to pick her up. I collected my mother’s day gifts (she passed April 29th, but I thought ahead enough to get my gifts for her ahead of time just in case) but by the time my dad and I got to hospice… she was asleep. Resting, for the first time in two months. I gave her my gifts (one of which was a teddy bear, that kept her company from hospice, to funeral home, and now rests alongside her urn), sat with her for a while, and eventually went home. I COULD have stayed with her… but after everything, I wanted the one night, just the one, to sleep in my home. She had been given an estimate of 48 hours left to live so… I had time right? …5 hours later, my dad woke me up and handed me my cellphone. Hospice was calling… and she had passed. For a long time I felt guilty that neither of us were physically there when she passed, but thinking on it… I think she would prefer it that way. She wouldn’t want to pass with us there. It’s a small comfort to offer for Amber, or others in these situations, but the image of watching someone die haunts the memories, and our loved ones usually want to spare us this.

    …Except Mike, I’m sure he just heard Joyce’s optimistic little words from beyond the pale and decided to be a fuck. Very on brand.

    • OBBWG
      OBBWG
      July 5, 2022 at 3:10 am | #

      Both a friend of mine and I had each our mothers pass in a similar way. A nurse told us that it is surprisingly common for a person to pass shortly after the family leaves, possibly for the exact reason you suggest.

      (Mike, as you surmised, just did it to be a dick.)

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      July 5, 2022 at 7:36 am | #

      “I can sense they have summoned the dragon. Be a real dick move to die right now.

      Hurk!”

  33. EpochFlame
    EpochFlame
    July 5, 2022 at 1:06 am | #

    wonder what color a triple nested flashback merits

  34. ESM
    ESM
    July 5, 2022 at 1:11 am | #

    FLASHBACK X2 COMBO

    (Though, didn’t “red tint on panels” already mean something else?)

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      July 5, 2022 at 1:35 am | #

      Red panels are usually traumatic flashback time.

    • The Wellerman
      The Wellerman
      July 5, 2022 at 2:00 am | #

      I wonder if this will become like an epistolary novel like Frankenstein, like flashbacks inside of flashbacks inside of flashbacks?

      • The Wellerman
        The Wellerman
        July 5, 2022 at 2:02 am | #

        And i hope this counts as non-triggering discussion, because I promised an opportunity for it and otherwise I’m drawing a blank. 😅

        • Laura
          Laura
          July 5, 2022 at 5:55 pm | #

          Since we got the Pepsi colors, red and blue, how about a new game?

          1) What is your favorite kind of soda pop?
          2) Is there a flag (of any kind) or logo that you find particularly aesthetically pleasing, regardless of significance? If so, why?

          • Laura
            Laura
            July 5, 2022 at 5:59 pm | #

            I’ll start:

            1) I like French sodas: seltzer with a layer of cream and a little flavoring (usually chocolate or mint).

            2) I love the Lebanese flag: a cedar tree surrounded by two sunset-kissed mountain ranges. It just makes me think of such a quiet landscape.

          • The Wellerman
            The Wellerman
            July 5, 2022 at 11:31 pm | #

            1. Dr Pepper, but classic coke is always a favorite

            2. NASA, ’cause imma STEM geek 😛

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      July 5, 2022 at 2:41 am | #

      We have to go deeper!

      Traumatic flashbacks, wrapped in traumatic flashbacks, shoved into more traumatic flashbacks. It’s a traumatic flashback turducken.

      Maybe we’ll find teal and purple flashbacks if enough are nested together, but at this rate only the parents have a working memory of the 90s.

      • spriteless_auntie
        spriteless_auntie
        July 5, 2022 at 3:16 pm | #

        B&W flashbacks for someone watching old TV.

  35. Kitschensyngk
    Kitschensyngk
    July 5, 2022 at 1:11 am | #

    DAMN YOU WILLIS NOW I CAN’T GO BACK AND REREAD THAT MOMENT WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT THIS

    • Clif
      Clif
      July 5, 2022 at 3:07 am | #

      It’s traditional to shake your fist at the sky for accompaniment.

  36. Solace
    Solace
    July 5, 2022 at 1:49 am | #

    Wait to ruin the moment, Mike

    • eh, whatever
      eh, whatever
      July 5, 2022 at 4:57 am | #

      …[what a] way to?

    • Dot
      Dot
      July 5, 2022 at 7:51 am | #

      He died as he lived!

  37. Dr. Gonzo
    Dr. Gonzo
    July 5, 2022 at 1:55 am | #

    Sigh. I don’t like being reminded of the death of the only consistently likable character in the strip (other than Sarah).

    • Awaiting Moderation
      Awaiting Moderation
      July 5, 2022 at 2:28 am | #

      It’s weird that I agree with this sentiment, because I know and fully understand what kind of person Mike was and yet he was still my favorite character.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      July 5, 2022 at 7:38 am | #

      Yeah, sometimes I feel the desire to root for the villain, too.

  38. Retrikaethan
    Retrikaethan
    July 5, 2022 at 2:16 am | #

    i’m still on team “mike faked his own death to fuck with literally everyone.”

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 5, 2022 at 3:43 am | #

      Mike 👏 is 👏 “Jennifer”👏

      • King Daniel
        King Daniel
        July 5, 2022 at 4:17 am | #

        #WillisConfirmed

  39. Needfuldoer
    Needfuldoer
    July 5, 2022 at 2:38 am | #

    Big oof.

    Now the post-skip Brain Mike chapter is extra-tragic; Amber didn’t take the opportunity to ‘properly’ say goodbye, and now it’s too late.

  40. Daibhid C
    Daibhid C
    July 5, 2022 at 3:02 am | #

    Oh, hey, not only are we Cerebus Retconning the gang on the roof, but we’ve also got a call back to Amber’s funny intro strip, where she’s quoting Buster Meridith in The Twilight Zone.

    • Daibhid C
      Daibhid C
      July 5, 2022 at 3:04 am | #

      Burgess Meredith, I mean. I shouldn’t be posting at not-yet-eight-in-the-morning UK time.

      • Clif
        Clif
        July 5, 2022 at 3:17 am | #

        Buster Meredith was killing spiders in TheTwilight Zone?

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      July 5, 2022 at 3:37 am | #

      I don’t think this is a retcon, this feels like something that was always the plan

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        July 5, 2022 at 3:44 am | #

        But i thought retcon was when I don’t know a thing and then a character informs me if the thing.

        • King Daniel
          King Daniel
          July 5, 2022 at 4:09 am | #

          That’s an infodump. Retcon is when you go to scout out an area to get a feel for what it’s like.

          • Taffy
            Taffy
            July 5, 2022 at 4:10 am | #

            I thought that was the company Ant Man runs in his sequel movie.

  41. AlexaSpuds
    AlexaSpuds
    July 5, 2022 at 3:37 am | #

    Mike was the awfulness singularity and he prevented a very large amount of awfulness by channeling it through himself and being only one person being medium awful, that was his superpower
    and so the moment he became comatose, all the awfulness that was removed from the world by him returned which is why the kidnapping happened in the first place and why everyone became more shitty towards each other afterwards

    Mike was the true secret superhero all along 😢

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 5, 2022 at 3:46 am | #

      I’m still not sure y’all aren’t just imagining this alleged recent shittiness.

      • Clif
        Clif
        July 5, 2022 at 12:17 pm | #

        It’s a scientific principal known as the conservation of Mikosity.

    • Rabisch
      Rabisch
      July 5, 2022 at 4:16 am | #

      Make sense.

    • spriteless_auntie
      spriteless_auntie
      July 5, 2022 at 3:18 pm | #

      So Mike is Nny?

  42. Taffy
    Taffy
    July 5, 2022 at 3:45 am | #

    And good fuckin’ riddance, too. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy

    • AGV
      AGV
      July 5, 2022 at 6:57 am | #

      It could have happened to worse guys too

      • Taffy
        Taffy
        July 5, 2022 at 11:24 am | #

        It did. Twice.

  43. Acher4
    Acher4
    July 5, 2022 at 3:59 am | #

    This feels like a pure “Damn you Willis” moment.

    One of the most wholesome moments on the strip, “retconned” into having one of the worst moments, only 10 secs later.

    Amazing! I salute you Willis. This is top 😛

    But also…

    “DAMN YOU WILLIIIIIIIIIIIS!!!!” *shakes fist to the air, while getting weird looks from coworkers*

    • Regalli
      Regalli
      July 5, 2022 at 6:25 am | #

      Ugh, flagged rather than replied again. That’s gonna be a learning curve.

      Right? Up there for me with the triumph of Amber punching her shitty, shitty dad (which I submitted to the Crowning Moment of Facepunch Tumblr way back when), immediately running and putting a hall full of people between herself and him, and then shortly afterwards Amber having a breakdown as she felt guilty for enjoying punching him.

      Amber gets this a lot, unfortunately.

  44. Lewi
    Lewi
    July 5, 2022 at 4:20 am | #

    man i knew we’d be getting something like this in this arc but i didn’t exactly expect it to be so soon. well, it seems like now we have clear confirmation…unless mike did actually fake his death and we’re all just being bamboozled. i know what it’s like to have a very sudden loss of someone very close to you, so i can really relate to amber here. makes me worried about her tbh

  45. JepMZ
    JepMZ
    July 5, 2022 at 4:36 am | #

    Oh okay. So Mike’s death was literally offscreen

    • Sharaku
      Sharaku
      July 5, 2022 at 5:45 am | #

      Honestly i was convinced when it was revealed that it was all a ruse to protect him from any lingering remnants of the mob Amber’s dad was connected to. Took me a while to accept he was dead dead.

      Unless it is a ruse and even Amber is unaware…

      • Mr.Morningstar
        Mr.Morningstar
        July 5, 2022 at 5:27 pm | #

        I mean, if it was a ruse, considering amber hallucinates Mike talking to her out of guilt of his death she definitely wouldnt have known

        But yeah he died like, immediately after the big “things are gonna be okay!” Like an emotional whiplash

        • JepMZ
          JepMZ
          July 6, 2022 at 1:49 am | #

          Yeah, I thought I was reading Dumbing of Age, not Kingdom Hearts

  46. Anon A Mouse
    Anon A Mouse
    July 5, 2022 at 5:17 am | #

    Thank you for reminding me Mike was dead, I needed a pick me up. Thank god they didn’t have to wait around for that to happen.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      July 5, 2022 at 7:43 am | #

      It’s like getting a reminder Rush Limbaugh is dead, or that the fucks behind Enron’s bankruptcy being prosecuted: Sometimes there’s a little beauty in the world.

      • Opus the Poet
        Opus the Poet
        July 5, 2022 at 10:55 am | #

        Except Rush should have died in prison for his little sex tourism trip to a place where there was no statutory rape law.

  47. foducool
    foducool
    July 5, 2022 at 5:47 am | #

    knowing mike, he just thought “f*ck this sh*t I’m out” and noped himself from his coma into death

  48. Darkoneko
    Darkoneko
    July 5, 2022 at 6:05 am | #

    red, blue, blue red

    • Laura
      Laura
      July 5, 2022 at 11:21 pm | #

      *Plays “Black and Blue” on the hacked muzak*:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LDPUfbXRLM
      “What did I do, to get so black and blue?”

  49. Zaxares
    Zaxares
    July 5, 2022 at 6:58 am | #

    Actually alt-text, I’m not sure that I agree. The screams of “DAMN YOU, WILLIS!!!!” would probably be like nothing we have ever seen.

  50. thejeff
    thejeff
    July 5, 2022 at 8:18 am | #

    Kind of wish we’d seen this when it happened. Definitely more of a downer ending, but it would have given the audience a bit of a chance to get closure and not be as weirded out by the cast having had some time to move on while we still didn’t know for sure.
    It was like we were supposed to assume he was dead, but at the same time couldn’t be confronted with it because that would be the wrong tone.

    • Adept
      Adept
      July 5, 2022 at 9:34 am | #

      Agreed. I was super confused about whether Mike was dead or not. I don’t understand this time jump.

    • spriteless_auntie
      spriteless_auntie
      July 5, 2022 at 3:20 pm | #

      We may yet get an Ethan flashback

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      July 5, 2022 at 3:49 pm | #

      Yeah. I didn’t really mind the time skip, but this is making me like it less.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        July 5, 2022 at 8:54 pm | #

        This doesn’t really change my opinion. Some things about the time skip, including how Mike’s death was hidden and then anti-climatically revealed always irked me, but just finding out it happened right away doesn’t really bother me. Other than reminding me of it.

        • Yumi
          Yumi
          July 5, 2022 at 10:32 pm | #

          That’s fair. I guess it bothers me because if it had been, say a week into the time skip, I could see not cutting back in just for that. But when it was right away?

          Also, since the time skip, I’ve had some more discussions about nonlinear story in general, and combined with now being more reminded of it has shifted my perspective some.

          • thejeff
            thejeff
            July 6, 2022 at 9:18 am | #

            Sure, but it happened when Willis wanted it to happen, not at any fixed time.

            • Yumi
              Yumi
              July 6, 2022 at 4:10 pm | #

              …Okay? Like, obviously? Not sure the point of this comment.

  51. Juanoku
    Juanoku
    July 5, 2022 at 8:43 am | #

    Wow literally like 5 seconds
    Looks like we didn’t miss much then, at least about that situation

  52. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    July 5, 2022 at 9:05 am | #

    Mike has had time for what?

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 5, 2022 at 11:27 am | #

      Not dying.

  53. Sombrero
    Sombrero
    July 5, 2022 at 9:59 am | #

    Ooooooh so this will be much more than just explaining the Ruth/Billie breakup. Well played (as usual), Willis.

  54. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    July 5, 2022 at 10:40 am | #

    Flashbacks within flashbacks!

    Love the color palette.

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      July 5, 2022 at 12:42 pm | #

      Yeah. It is sorta of sad how many of Ambers memories get to be red though.

  55. C.T. Phipps
    C.T. Phipps
    July 5, 2022 at 10:45 am | #

    This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Blaine and now has seen the end of Mike.

    🙂

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      July 5, 2022 at 2:04 pm | #

      Worse. This may also be the day (in the “blue flashback”) that Amazi-Girl hangs up her mask. Almost like a third death.

      • Laura
        Laura
        July 5, 2022 at 5:51 pm | #

        Amizi-Girl still plays roller derby.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          July 5, 2022 at 8:55 pm | #

          But she’s still hung up her mask. She doesn’t wear the costume or beat up bad guys.

          • C.T. Phipps
            C.T. Phipps
            July 5, 2022 at 9:12 pm | #

            Yes, with Mike dead, there is no true evil left for her to fight.

          • Taffy
            Taffy
            July 5, 2022 at 9:38 pm | #

            So she changed hobbies. If I quit playing Yu-Gi-Oh! and start painting model trains, that doesn’t mean I’ve died.

  56. Heavensrun
    Heavensrun
    July 5, 2022 at 1:12 pm | #

    Willis, you MONSTER.

  57. Anon A Mouse
    Anon A Mouse
    July 5, 2022 at 4:21 pm | #

    No, no, you misunderstand. We are HAPPY Mike and Blaine died. Amazigirl would be the only tragic loss in this.

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      July 5, 2022 at 7:10 pm | #

      Can you kill an alter without killing the entire body?

      • Laura
        Laura
        July 5, 2022 at 9:49 pm | #

        I think so. From what I’ve read, sometimes alters “die” in the mind, reintegrate, go away, etc. I could be wrong.

  58. Mr.Morningstar
    Mr.Morningstar
    July 5, 2022 at 5:25 pm | #

    Flashback inside a flashback.

  59. Roe
    Roe
    July 5, 2022 at 7:24 pm | #

    :[

  60. Jungle Dwayne
    Jungle Dwayne
    July 5, 2022 at 10:28 pm | #

    Yo dawg I herd you liked flashbacks so I put a flashback in your flashback so you can flashback while you flashback

Who should be the default doodle for Book 14?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
CONVENTION APPEARANCES


May 3, 2025 - FCBD @ Laughing Ogre Comics in Columbus, Ohio

David M Willis! avatar
David M Willis!
@damnyouwillis.bsky.social
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2h
today in #9chickweedlane i learned we have to be shown children learning and relearning what sex is, for Reasons, even though they already clearly know and have prepared nuanced questions about it! also that Gran must hate, if she's still alive, how Old Juliette is the same but with gray hair
12
24
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2h
one of my favorite things is when a commenter explodes WHEN DO THESE CHARACTERS GET THERAPY but directed towards a character who canonically has a regular therapist
3
1
44
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3h
www.ebay.com/itm/23609624... Three hours left on this murder machine
header image - Transformers MPM-4 Movie Optimus Prime, boxed/complete but with extra hooks! | eBay
www.ebay.com
Transformers MPM-4 Movie Optimus Prime, boxed/complete but with extra hooks! | eBay
He's been opened, stood on a shelf for a while, and placed back inside.
6
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 4h
mary: dawn says your girlfriend is trying to murder her wilbur: but what about MY happiness okay can we kill wilbur now
8
5
59
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 12h
help I had a big yawny stretch after I got into bed and threw out my back
4
1
54
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 12h
Dumbing of Age: "Dotty" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic
www.dumbingofage.com
Dotty
2
3
38
 
reposted by David M Willis!
brandyjensen.bsky.social's user avatar
Brandy Jensen @brandyjensen.bsky.social ⋅ 19h
fuck off
409
751
10542
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
Phew, they made NoHo Hank wear pants.
A McFarlane Toys action figure of Metamorpho, from James Gunn's Superman movie.  He's wearing pants.
6
3
45
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 17h
where's my hour loop of Vader fist-dancing
preternia.com's user avatarpreternia @preternia.com ⋅ 1d
Hot Toys Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith 1/6 Scale Darth Vader Deluxe ($495) & Standard ($315) is up for preorder at Sideshow - shrsl.com/4wcx6 #ad If you preorder make sure to hit the Exclusive versions since they include a commemorative plaque and cost the same.
2
1
15
 
reposted by David M Willis!
ryannorth.ca's user avatar
Ryan North @ryannorth.ca ⋅ 1d
hey, FANTASTIC FOUR got an Eisner nomination for best ongoing series!! I think this news is... really great! Fantastic even :0
the cover of FF #1 featuring some beautiful art of said Fantastic Four
70
82
873
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 19h
oh no, new content over at the nsfw patreon joe introduces joyce to fingers that aren't breaded chicken www.patreon.com/posts/joe-fi...
tastefully cropped art of joe and joyce discovering the joys of fingers
5
6
71
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 20h
I may have to pin this
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatarDavid M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 4d
btw if you're one of those rando bluesky weirdos who doesn't know me but sees me in the wild being sarcastic and don't know i'm being sarcastic because you haven't taken like 30 seconds to, like, maybe look at my user profile or something, keep walking, you're not going to score internet points here
4
1
71
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
#relatable
header image - a man in a hospital gown says
media.tenor.com
a man in a hospital gown says " stop pooping " to another man
ALT: a man in a hospital gown says " stop pooping " to another man
1
29
 
reposted by David M Willis!
osmote.net's user avatar
OSMOTE @osmote.net ⋅ 1d
Screenshot of Jonathan Frakes on the set of Beyond Belief
brendelbored.bsky.social's user avatarBrendel @brendelbored.bsky.social ⋅ 1y
Politico: Ever been slapped by breasts?
16
446
1715
 
reposted by David M Willis!
joshuajfriedman.com's user avatar
Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com ⋅ 2d
Here's an entertaining cite at the bottom of the first page
The problems with this prosecution are legion, but most immediately, the
government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts. Immunity is not a defense to the prosecution to be determined later by a jury or court; it is an absolute bar to the prosecution at the outset. See Trump v. United States,
603 U.S. 593, 630 (2024).
joshgerstein.bsky.social's user avatarJosh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
JUST IN: Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan moves to dismiss federal criminal case against her for allegedly helping immigrant hide from ICE. Her lawyers say she's protected by official acts & judicial immunity and 10th Amendment. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com

46
851
3790
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
Dumbing of Age: "Up, continued" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomic #webcomics
www.dumbingofage.com
Up, continued
3
5
37
 
reposted by David M Willis!
theonion.com's user avatar
The Onion @theonion.com ⋅ 2d
Where did Hollywood go so wrong? I thought movies were supposed to be an escape from reality, a chance to put your worries aside and not have to think about any underlying ideas or concepts. Well, not anymore. theonion.com/you-can...
header image - You Can’t Even Watch A Movie Anymore Without Seeing Some Theme Explored
theonion.com
You Can’t Even Watch A Movie Anymore Without Seeing Some Theme Explored
I’ve loved movies ever since I was a little kid. Just stepping into that dark theater, with the smell of fresh popcorn, was like being transported to a whole other world. It used to be so magical. But now I’m thinking about boycotting movies altogether. Why? Because I can’t seem to watch one anymore without […]
33
284
1978
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
GOTTEM
15
12
122
 
reposted by David M Willis!
parsnip.bsky.social's user avatar
geoffrey @parsnip.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
the 90s were a wild time. if i told you how many magazines there were you wouldnt even believe me
314
807
7627
 
reposted by David M Willis!
aubreygilleran.bsky.social's user avatar
Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
It's not a new argument, of course, but Chesterton dismissed it effectively in 1908. "You will hear everlastingly... this argument that the rich man cannot be bribed. The fact is, of course, that the rich man is bribed; he has been bribed already. That is why he is a rich man."
atrupar.com's user avatarAaron Rupar @atrupar.com ⋅ 2d
Hawley dismisses Trump lining his pockets with his memecoin: "Listen, I think nobody believes that Donald Trump can be bought. I mean, what does Donald Trump need more money for?"
60
636
2264
 
reposted by David M Willis!
catacalypto.bsky.social's user avatar
Cat Manning @catacalypto.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
1984 calendar meme reading 1529, the year of the first Ottoman siege of Vienna
spavel.bsky.social's user avatarPavel🐀 @spavel.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
Who can forget the Swiss-Austrian Union, or its famous capital - Istanbul.
AI generated ad by a company called Travello showing the 10 most visited cities in Europe, except the cities are hilariously poorly placed. London is in Wales, Paris is in Ireland, Rome is in France, Rom (yes like Rome but without an E) is in Spain, Barcelona is in Morocco, Prague is in Germany, Vienna is in Italy, Istanbul is in Austria, Milan is in Libya, and Antalya is correctly shown as in Turkey but is in the wrong place. Also a few of the borders like Switzerland and Austria or Hungary and Slovenia are missing.
19
242
1308
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
*at the very end of Andor, cassian travels through a vortex that makes everyone look a decade younger*
2
3
79
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
(May 14, 2026)
a bemused lucy watches as somebody collapses on her dorm room floor
7
3
49
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
wilbur, savvy enough to know he's in a comic strip but still not a great actor, awkwardly lifts a muffin up into frame so that we, the audience, understand that he has a muffin right now, which is very important narratively, but he's not really selling it well as an organic, human action
5
2
35
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Dumbing of Age: "Up" www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/b... #webcomics #webcomic #dofa
www.dumbingofage.com
Up
2
7
50
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
i mean i... guess there are people who want toy-accurate hyper-articulated original-toy-look guys but in cartoon colors for some reason
3
2
34
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
Fuck you, Clayface!!!
6
7
119
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
www.ebay.com/itm/23609982... selling my LG34 Mindwipe, minus Servant
header image - Transformers Generations TakaraTomy Legends LG34 Wipe (Mindwipe), incomplete | eBay
www.ebay.com
Transformers Generations TakaraTomy Legends LG34 Wipe (Mindwipe), incomplete | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Transformers Generations TakaraTomy Legends LG34 Wipe (Mindwipe), incomplete at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many pro...
1
2
8
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
Menace Level: up to date on his vaccinations
3
3
76
 
damnyouwillis.bsky.social's user avatar
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
Today in #9ChickweedLane I learned Gran is back from the grave so she can jerk it to furry porn with her daughter
10
6
65
 

©2010-2025 Dumbing of Age | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Privacy Policy | Back to Top ↑