Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

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May 12, 2026

Garbage

by David M Willis on December 17, 2017 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - This Is the Way that We Love
└ Tags: amber, walky

Discussion (97) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    December 17, 2017 at 12:01 am | #

    “YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO AGREE THAT FAST”

    “why not”

    D8

    • Clif
      Clif
      December 17, 2017 at 11:41 am | #

      Until proven otherwise, I’m going to assume that Amber is up here looking for kittens to kick.

    • Gwen
      Gwen
      December 17, 2017 at 12:51 pm | #

      I mean, he did wait a WHOLE PANEL to respond. That’s what, three seconds?

      • Gwen
        Gwen
        December 17, 2017 at 12:51 pm | #

        Augh! Try Grav Roulette Again!

  2. Shiro
    Shiro
    December 17, 2017 at 12:02 am | #

    Walky’s talking about himself here, right? Not…not to sound like that one guy with the inexplicable Walky hate-obsession, just like, that looks like a “same” kinda yeah going on.

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      December 17, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

      I assume so, what with the voice-warble and the fact that if that wasn’t what he meant I’d probably have to murder David M. Willis for being too mean

    • Haven
      Haven
      December 17, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

      Yeah, that’s probably Walky putting himself down because he feels guilty about Dorothy’s current state of mind. (And possibly Joyce’s current state of foot, by extension.)

      Also, I was going to ask “who does she think Walky thinks she is” until I checked the tags.

    • Tempest
      Tempest
      December 17, 2017 at 12:08 am | #

      I mean, to be fair, there’s a difference between “I hate walky” and “walky clearly hates himself”.

  3. Keulen
    Keulen
    December 17, 2017 at 12:03 am | #

    Wait a minute the tag says Amber.

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      December 17, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

      That’s because Amber’s in this scene, and Amazi-Girl is not.

    • AnvilPro
      AnvilPro
      December 17, 2017 at 12:05 am | #

      No purple speech-bubble. This is Amber in the outfit so that she can go around ruining Amazi-Girl’s good name

      • Kamino Neko
        Kamino Neko
        December 17, 2017 at 7:48 am | #

        The speech balloon is non-diagnostic, being an affectation to obscure the connection between Amber and Amazi-Girl. It’s the cheeks to look at. And they’re Ambery.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      December 17, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

      Yeah, she’s pretty clearly Amber in this strip. She has the cheek blush and she’s not doing the voice.

    • Scoops
      Scoops
      December 17, 2017 at 12:06 am | #

      See her speech bubbles too. And where she says “I’m not who you think I am.”

      • Raijin
        Raijin
        December 17, 2017 at 12:35 am | #

        Speech bubbles. Colour coded for YOUR convenience! 😉

        • Reltzik
          Reltzik
          December 17, 2017 at 12:50 am | #

          Actually, the speech bubble just indicates she’s doing the voice. Amazi-Girl has talked in normal speech bubbles before and Amber’s used the Amazi-Girl voice before. The tags are the best indicator, followed by the (currently mostly-obscured) blush on the cheeks.

          • Cholma
            Cholma
            December 17, 2017 at 1:04 am | #

            The change in voice isn’t a conscious thing on Amber’s part. She speaks in the “A-G voice” when Amazi-Girl is in control of her. What you’re talking about is when her control sometimes slipped and Amber slipped out. (or vice-versa) Basically, she’s suffered a complete split personality, with neither of the two communicating with each other anymore.

            • Fart Captor
              Fart Captor
              December 17, 2017 at 1:16 am | #

              Yes it is, she only adopted that voice after Danny met her as both Amber and Amazi-Girl and she was trying to hide her identity.

              Before that, Amazi-Girl sounded just like Amber, and since then, Amber has used AG’s voice multiple times. Once talking to Sal to trick her, and once to Danny to insist he was wrong about Amber not being awful

              • GoblinScribe
                GoblinScribe
                December 17, 2017 at 2:03 am | #

                Also once to convince Billie that Ruth was okay!

            • Liliet
              Liliet
              December 18, 2017 at 2:15 pm | #

              Amber does have DID (split personality), but the voice isn’t an indicator of that, the cheek blush is. The voice IS a deliberate affectation, much like the mussled hair and the outfit.

        • Woobie
          Woobie
          December 17, 2017 at 7:16 pm | #

          Like dragons!

  4. Mr. Mendo
    Mr. Mendo
    December 17, 2017 at 12:03 am | #

    Walky is immune to Amazi-Girl’s drama!

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      December 17, 2017 at 12:14 am | #

      Unfortunately, this is Amber.

  5. DrWattson
    DrWattson
    December 17, 2017 at 12:03 am | #

    So is the use of the word “cheese” just a thing in the DOA-verse even without the sci-fi elements? Or maybe it’s just Walky being Walky; that actually seems very likely.

    • tim gueguen
      tim gueguen
      December 17, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

      Probably came from Dexter and Monkey Master.

      • ValdVin
        ValdVin
        December 17, 2017 at 2:25 am | #

        If Amber, in costume, starts enacting her idea of ruining AG’s good name, Walky may get to drop “Cheese it–the cops!”

    • hennerson
      hennerson
      December 17, 2017 at 11:57 am | #

      Cheese it is part of the old ‘Thieves Cant’ (Yup, it exists outside D&D) meaning either to stop it or to run away.

      It would please me if Walky had a knowledge of 18th century slang…

      lots more here: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5402/pg5402-images.html

      • Arian
        Arian
        December 17, 2017 at 9:06 pm | #

        I always thought it was a minced oath, because baddies in kids’ shows can’t be heard to curse/blaspheme. Well, live and learn.

  6. AnvilPro
    AnvilPro
    December 17, 2017 at 12:03 am | #

    Lol, a character finally telling Amber exactly what she wants to hear

  7. Opus the Poet
    Opus the Poet
    December 17, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    You may be garbage, but people still worry about both of your personalities

  8. Passchendaele
    Passchendaele
    December 17, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    …is there always a breeze up there?

    • Archivist
      Archivist
      December 17, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

      As long as it makes their hair look cool….

    • Pablo360
      Pablo360
      December 17, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

      It’s part of the costume.

    • Meta
      Meta
      December 17, 2017 at 12:20 am | #

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/super-human/
      Apparently, based on Walky’s last line in this one!

    • CJ
      CJ
      December 17, 2017 at 3:20 am | #

      Because of hight and heat differences, I suppose there always is wind. The direction must be a feature of Amber/AG though…

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      December 17, 2017 at 7:58 am | #

      That’s why she always come up here. This is the best spot on campus for dramatic wind-blown posing.

      • Deanatay
        Deanatay
        December 17, 2017 at 9:20 am | #

        Also for the classic superhero ‘hunch and brood’.

  9. Yumi
    Yumi
    December 17, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    I’m looking forward to this conversation.

    Also, does this building just allow rooftop access like that? I mean, Amber has her ways, just wondering how Walky is there and has been there regularly.

    • David M Willis
      David M Willis
      December 17, 2017 at 12:09 am | #

      It did 20 years ago!

      But I’m pretty sure there are, like, walls of mesh wire or whatever that I ignore because those get in the way of people looking cool on a roof.

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        December 17, 2017 at 12:32 am | #

        Makes sense. I love open rooftops but there’s a lot of reasons to limit them in a college setting…from what Dean implied below to people throwing burning furniture off them because of sportsball.

        But they make for a dramatic place to stand.

        • tirachokko
          tirachokko
          December 17, 2017 at 11:53 am | #

          a dramatic place to throw flaming armchairs off of as well it sounds

      • Woobie
        Woobie
        December 17, 2017 at 7:18 pm | #

        Or locks added to the access doors.

  10. Archivist
    Archivist
    December 17, 2017 at 12:04 am | #

    THE ROOFTOP (friendship…?) CHATTING IS BACK, I LOVE IT. They’re both wrecks who can’t communicate that they feel like wrecks and I so dig that this is a theme now.

    • Meta
      Meta
      December 17, 2017 at 2:05 pm | #

      Yeah I love this relationship, I’ve been wanting more since the cookie chat.

  11. brionl
    brionl
    December 17, 2017 at 12:07 am | #

    Cheese Walky. You’re supposed to say “You and me both, Sister!”
    Not “yeah”.

  12. Dean
    Dean
    December 17, 2017 at 12:10 am | #

    Panel 3 isn’t what you want to hear from someone who’s standing on the edge of a rooftop.

  13. DailyBrad
    DailyBrad
    December 17, 2017 at 12:12 am | #

    I hope Walky’s refreshing bluntness might get Amber to lighten the fuck up, but who knows.

    • Shiro
      Shiro
      December 17, 2017 at 12:20 am | #

      Unfortunately, your own brain turning against you makes that a tad bit difficult.

  14. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    December 17, 2017 at 12:13 am | #

    It would have been easier Walky to shine the Amazi signal.

  15. RacingTurtle
    RacingTurtle
    December 17, 2017 at 12:26 am | #

    “OTHER people have issues? What is this madness?”

    -or-

    “AGREEMENT IS CONFUSING THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE”

    I wonder which it is.

    • Schpoonman
      Schpoonman
      December 17, 2017 at 12:35 am | #

      Walky’s talking about himself, Amber’s gonna think “He’s agreeing?” at first but look at him and realize “Nope, talking about himself.”

      • RacingTurtle
        RacingTurtle
        December 17, 2017 at 12:37 am | #

        I think you are right!

    • Inahc
      Inahc
      December 17, 2017 at 12:47 am | #

      I just hope it’s not “nope nope nope dissociating the fuck away now”. If it’s that she might not be around to hear Walky clarify that he’s talking about himself. Or she might be in that in-between stage where she hears the sounds he’s making but it’s too late, the dominoes already started falling… :/

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        December 17, 2017 at 12:53 am | #

        Well, tags say she’s not Amazi-Girl yet, so.

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      December 17, 2017 at 7:53 am | #

      Someone finally agreed with her but he thinks she’s the wrong persona.

  16. Josh Spicer
    Josh Spicer
    December 17, 2017 at 12:29 am | #

    “Who can relate?”

    Walky apparently.

  17. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    December 17, 2017 at 12:54 am | #

    So Sal’s auditioned for Amazi-Girl’s sidekick, and now Walky’s auditioning for Amber’s sidekick.

    …. he’s such an underachiever.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      December 17, 2017 at 2:29 am | #

      Actually, Walky is auditioning to be Amber’s reality anchor. That’s sort of the same role played by Alfred Pennyworth and Lois Lane.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        December 17, 2017 at 8:00 am | #

        Except he thinks he’s auditioning for Amazi-Girl.

  18. Bagge
    Bagge
    December 17, 2017 at 1:13 am | #

    No racist cookies, Walky? For shame.

    Joking aside, I’m very glad those two are building a support network.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      December 17, 2017 at 9:23 am | #

      You can’t always depend on your Mom to send you racist cookies when you need to talk to a superhero, dood.

  19. Transgressingwaffle
    Transgressingwaffle
    December 17, 2017 at 2:01 am | #

    I got my DA book for the first time and the doodle was amazing! Thanks for also using my preferred name and respecting me as a trans person Willis. You are an amazing human being.

    • Chris Phoenix
      Chris Phoenix
      December 17, 2017 at 3:00 am | #

      Sympathy via appropriate gesture or words… for living in a world where basic decency is so unusual. For whatever little help it is, if I knew your preferred name I’d use it too.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      December 17, 2017 at 9:26 am | #

      I’unno, I like that they’re a waffle. 🙂

      But, yeah, for all the ‘damn you’s we throw his way, Willis is one of the good ones.

  20. BenRG
    BenRG
    December 17, 2017 at 2:23 am | #

    This is the day when Amber learns that her problems, though catastrophic, are far from being the only seemingly-insoluble problem in this world. I think that it is also the day when she finds out that the definition of ‘hero’ is a lot broader than she thinks.

    Will Amber and Amazi-Girl lead the intervention with Dorothy? She is their friend, after all!

  21. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    December 17, 2017 at 2:28 am | #

    Amber’s eye pop and Walky’s meandering word balloon are real big payouts in the last panel.

  22. Reltzik
    Reltzik
    December 17, 2017 at 3:14 am | #

    *plays Imagine Dragons “On Top of the World” on the hacked muzak, because no one more competent, serious, or respectful than him was on the job*

    • Dave M
      Dave M
      December 17, 2017 at 4:14 am | #

      Considers putting either The theme from M*A*S*H (the vocal version aka: “Suicide is painless”)” or Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone again naturally” on the hacked muzak, but decides there’s enough bleak depression in this update without adding any more.

      It feels like Amber is essentially leading up to solving the personality split by committing suicide of the Amber personality and leaving AmaziGirl in full time possession, including creating a new secret identity”Amber” that’s molded to fit the AmaziGirl persona if needed. Troubling to say the least.

      • Reltzik
        Reltzik
        December 17, 2017 at 3:41 pm | #

        Really? I was under the impression that she was trying to kill the Amazi-Girl personality.

  23. Danni
    Danni
    December 17, 2017 at 4:12 am | #

    which ones talking?

    • Dave M
      Dave M
      December 17, 2017 at 4:19 am | #

      Amber, according to the tags. And that’s why I find this whole scene very bleak.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      December 17, 2017 at 4:33 am | #

      Look at her face. Flushed cheeks = Amber, no blush = AG.

    • CianM1301
      CianM1301
      December 17, 2017 at 7:15 am | #

      Amber’s talking. Her voice bubbles are white rather than the usual dark blue.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        December 17, 2017 at 2:24 pm | #

        That doesn’t mean anything. Amber’s used AG’s voice before and AG’s spoken in regular bubbles before. The tell is her face.

  24. newllend(henryvolt)
    newllend(henryvolt)
    December 17, 2017 at 4:57 am | #

    ….Whenever and if ever someone would asked me the question “Are you a good person” I think my answer would definitely be “I hope I am, I try to be.” Because I can’t just assume I’m some sort of Saint no matter how much good I do.

    The saying goes ” You either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain,” but that raises up the question of how do you know when you’ve become the villain ? Honestly I don’t know, but what I do know though is even you doubt that you as good as others think you are that shouldn’t stop you from trying to be.

    That “redemption is a fairy tail” stuff isn’t valid. I won’t lie there are plenty of things you can’t make up for, fix, or take back and sometimes your just going to haft to live with your sin. But that’s doesn’t mean you should just give up in bettering yourself after making a few mistakes.

    At least that how I see it.

    • Zaxares
      Zaxares
      December 17, 2017 at 6:22 am | #

      One of the most difficult lessons to learn in life is that no matter what you do, no matter how good your intentions are, you will always wind up being the villain to somebody. Life is not so much a case of “do no evil”, but more “hurt as little people as you can”.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      December 17, 2017 at 9:33 am | #

      The best superheroes are the ones who are seeking redemption for past wrongs. Those are the ones I have the most empathy with.

  25. Holly
    Holly
    December 17, 2017 at 5:57 am | #

    *sings* “I’m not a superhero… I’m just a boy….”

  26. egg
    egg
    December 17, 2017 at 5:57 am | #

    I’m a tad concerned about what Amber’s doing on the edge of the roof of a six story building tbh

  27. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    December 17, 2017 at 6:02 am | #

    Well I hope ONE OF YOU is amazi- at teaching math

  28. Richard
    Richard
    December 17, 2017 at 7:09 am | #

    “I Am Amazi-Girl, and I DARE to Be Stupid!”

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      December 17, 2017 at 9:36 am | #

      She burns her candle at both ends!
      She looks gift horses in the mouth!
      She sticks her head in the microwave to get herself a tan!
      She eats a bunch of sushi and forgets to leave a tip!
      She squeezes all the Charmin she can when Mr. Whipple’s not around!!

  29. JBento
    JBento
    December 17, 2017 at 7:25 am | #

    Hello. I’d like to extend a super-special hug from across the Atlantic to the US transgender folk, seeing as your president has now violated the actual constitution in another effort to erase you. 8(

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      December 17, 2017 at 9:39 am | #

      Yep, America’s now the land of the Newspeak.

      • JBento
        JBento
        December 17, 2017 at 9:43 am | #

        I suggest that the folks who are no longer allowed to use the word “fetus” switch to “parasitical cell clump”.

        I’d make every single one of those word prohibition’s backfire to as intense a level as I could.

  30. Pacce
    Pacce
    December 17, 2017 at 7:32 am | #

    Another exciting episode of, Amber really needs to be hospitalized before she hurts herself or someone else… again.

  31. Koms
    Koms
    December 17, 2017 at 7:35 am | #

    He thanked Cheese. Reference to another universe? The comic they all read? Why has Walky been hoping to bump into Amazigirl here any way?

  32. thejeff
    thejeff
    December 17, 2017 at 8:02 am | #

    This is not what I expected Walky to be leaving Joyce to go do. Interesting.

  33. Deanatay
    Deanatay
    December 17, 2017 at 9:47 am | #

    Remember, Amber is wearing the Amazi-Suit in an effort to ruin Amazi-Girl’s reputation, in a (highly misguided) attempt to drive her away. Panel 3 isn’t just Amber bagging on herself – it’s a deliberate effort to degrade Amazi-Girl in Walky’s eyes. The last thing she expects is for Walky to AGREE with her – and sympathize!

  34. showler
    showler
    December 17, 2017 at 10:00 am | #

    A part of me wonders if Mr. Willis reused an earlier panel for that first scene or whether he redrew a million bicycles again.

  35. Sam
    Sam
    December 17, 2017 at 10:18 am | #

    “Are you good at Math though? Cause I could use some help.”

  36. Ryan
    Ryan
    December 17, 2017 at 11:35 am | #

    Is it just me or did the alt text buttons for touch OSes recently stop working?

  37. J. A. J.
    J. A. J.
    December 17, 2017 at 12:11 pm | #

    Can I just remind everyone how awesome it is that Willis is using a webcomic character tag as a storytelling device!?

  38. Tenn
    Tenn
    December 17, 2017 at 3:20 pm | #

    I take pride in the fact that I instantly noticed the cheeks.

  39. Delicious Taffy
    Delicious Taffy
    December 17, 2017 at 4:52 pm | #

    Can anyone give some advice on how to deal with innocent reminders of past trauma? The people I live with now have several mannerisms that remind me of an abusive couple I’ve mentioned here before. I don’t feel threatened or anything, but I can’t stop noticing similarities to the abusers, and it’s fucking with my head.

  40. Aprion
    Aprion
    December 17, 2017 at 6:52 pm | #

    >_>

    <__>

    wasn’t me.

  41. mister gray
    mister gray
    December 17, 2017 at 11:02 pm | #

    I think he meant he was garbage too.

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