unlike paradron

Funk
Posted on January 27, 2026 by David M Willis

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Tags: dina, joe, joyce

182 thoughts on “Funk”

  1. NGPZ

    “For reals? Her??? PERFECT?!?!”
    “I’m second place to THAT???”
    (-_-)

    1. Gigafreak

      Maybe it could apply to Becky too.

      I don’t think Joe means it in that way, but maybe.

      1. clif

        It’s possible that Dina heard his statement out of context and assumed it was advice about Becky. That has to be a least as likely as interpreting it as referring to Joyce.

      2. someone

        In what way does Joe mean it, then? He’s self-quoting (with quote marks and all).

        Personally I only do that out of irony when the complete falsity of my previous words has been cruelly revealed; but Joe’s expression doesn’t really say “how could I have ever simped for this walking disaster”, so I assume that’s not his use case here.

        1. Adept

          I also hope that this is Joe re-assessing, and realising Joyce is far from perfect. Dina’s annoyed expression gives me hope that Joyce’s high is coming to an end.

      3. DaisyFM

        I accidentally clicked “report comment” on your comments while scrolling! Really sorry!

        1. Wizard

          Everybody does it occasionally, it’s poor design. (Too bad this didn’t get fixed in the site overhaul.) But don’t worry, a post has to get reported five times before it even gets flagged for moderation.

  2. QueenofSodor

    I’m glad we’re getting a callback to this line. (from 10-2, i believe? when he talks to jacob in the exercise room right after the whole fake dating thing)
    —
    “Joyce is imperfect, but she’s getting better, which means all the collateral damage she causes along the way is fine actually” being a thing Joe believes really puts into perspective why he’s been acting the way he has in these storylines!

    1. Rectilinear Propagation

      It sure does! I wonder if he’s also remembering Jacob saying it’s different when you’re the one in the situation.

      1. Throwatron

        In defense of Jacob, he has a strange tendency to incorrectly assume, through projection, that other people have his sense of integrity, or at least, like, a spine.

    2. StClair

      Lately I have to wonder to what degree Willis also believes exactly this.

      1. Esha

        So-called dramatic narrative fans when the narrative has drama

        1. Tequila Mockingbird

          okay, props to you, because i burst out laughing when i read this. thanks for that, fellow audience comrade. much obliged.

        2. StClair

          nah. it’s more that we have a character who is an acknowledged surrogate for the author, and so while they will sometimes do and say dumb things, it’s not their fault, they’re not a bad person they just don’t know any better right now, and once they learn the same lessons the author has, they will be their best selves and everyone will be cool and not blame them for all of those mistakes that are totally in the past, because they are a good person.
          —
          It’s a lovely (self-justifying) story, and wouldn’t it be nice if life actually worked that way?

        3. clif

          Are you related to Rachel by any chance?

        4. flake

          ok, but why does a character being inspired by the author mean everything the character does is good actually? i’m a work in progress to this day. If I was to make a character about me I’d pick interesting characteristics, not idealised ones. Nor would I portray my life as one of linear progress. Did Willis say something to the contrary?
          I got very tired of joyce time from joyce pov but i’m actually getting back into now that other characters are starting to react to her. IMO jury’s still out on where this is going

      2. Geno

        I don’t think Willis has ever claimed to be “Good”tm just a person who writes fun comics. So I think you have your own baggage there. These are teenagers being stupid. Even the smartest of them isn’t a fully formed person yet.

    3. apocryphascribe

      It’s not the Jacob callback I expected (I was hoping the two would get a scene together — and they still might!), but it is welcomed nonetheless.

    4. Rachel

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/comic/situation/ here’s the strip

      1. Thing 2

        I just spent all evening trying to find the strip, and it was linked down here, all along! Thanks…

      2. Ophidiophile

        Thank you for the link.

      3. GUIGUI

        Thanks.

        Edit: nice to know we now have a window to edit typos out after the comment was already posted.

      4. Needfuldoer

        I look forward to the day when we can search for multiple character tags at the same time again.

    5. GreyICE

      Joe is a rather imperfect person who has caused a lot of collateral damage – far more than Joyce has ever done.

      Maybe his plea for understanding wasn’t entirely about Joyce?

  3. AshleyMagica

    Somebody please do my bidding and dig up the strip that references what Joe is calling back to.

    1. Doopyboop

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/comic/situation/ Ta daaa~

      1. TrueVCU

        I crown you God’s Strongest Soldier

      2. ElderlyMarxist

        the hero every comments section needs

  4. Doopyboop

    https://www.dumbingofage.com/comic/situation/

    Obligatory link to the strip being referenced here. I am… not entirely sure how to read this strip. Is Joe regretting trying to be with Joyce? Regretting not dating her sooner? Realizing she’ll never be perfect?

    1. Blibdoolpoolp

      Thank you for your service.

      1. Doopyboop

        You are welcome and I love your name.

    2. xis

      i see it more like… he’s just reminiscing what he once thought and realizing that joyce in fact got way better in a lot of aspects. i also believe when he said that in the original reference strip he was starting to fall for her — he wasn’t this joe right now that’s trying to be kinder, smarter, a make better decisions.
      it’s like a “hey, she in fact got perfect. who’d have known >i< would be the one wishing i'd gotten in. dang", at least how i see it

    3. xis

      i see it more like… he’s just reminiscing what he once thought and realizing that joyce in fact got way better in a lot of aspects. i also believe when he said that in the original reference strip he was starting to fall for her — he wasn’t this joe right now that’s trying to be kinder, smarter, a make better decisions.
      it’s like a “hey, she in fact got perfect. who’d have known >i< would be the one wishing i'd gotten in. dang", at least how i see it

    4. Quinn

      Thanks for the reference link.

    5. DashWallkick

      Joe is deeply in love with her and giving her everything she wants at some of his own expense. Saying that Joyce is “perfect” is just underlining Dina’s insecurity about Becky still not being over her.

      1. AndysDrawings

        I don’t read it as “She’s perfect now” as much as “She continues to improve”.

        1. DashWallkick

          I think it’s ambiguous setup for something later. Maybe she’s not perfect and just won’t be and Joe sees it, maybe Dina doesn’t think she can be with someone who’s not over Joyce, idk.

  5. Astariel

    Oh dear, that’s not a good look.

    1. NGPZ

      Yeah ya THINK? 🤪😑

      Dina DEFINITELY overheard and resented that “funk” comment as well.

    2. saltchocolate

      I haven’t seen that look on Dina’s face before. Yikes

    3. apocryphascribe

      You’re right. It’s a GREAT look. I adore that look. I hope it leads us to interesting and dramatic places.

      1. NGPZ

        Dina just witnessed the equivalent of a mother not only forgetting to pick up her kid after soccer practice, but the moment she just happens to drive by the school she remembers its the last day to get a McRib, and floors it to prioritize THAT.

        Well, kinda worse actually, given getting the McRib does not usually entail giving unsolicited bullshit relationship advice to someone having one of the worst days of her life

        given Joe is Dina’s friend whose getting short ended like THIS?!?!?!

        make no mistake — she is PISSED.

        and for good reason too 👀

        1. Taffy

          Before I go to bed, I suggest a petition to temporarily replace Joyce with a McRib. For some significant amount of time, any instance of Joyce Brown should be replaced with a McRib sandwich, with every other character behaving exactly the same as they would if Joyce had actually appeared.

      2. Astariel

        Joyce is my favorite character and Dina is my second favorite, and I just want them to be friends, so this look makes me sad. And a little scared.

  6. Yotomoe

    I rarely dare to dream but maybe that face at the end is meant to indicate that maybe Dina takes umbrage with Joyce’s advice.
    I hope.

    1. Alongcameaspider

      I think I’d like this whole interaction between Joyce and Dina more of it ends up making everything worse

    2. AshleyMagica

      I genuinely think anything else would be the result of a complete and total failure to properly convey information. To me, Dina is very clearly supposed to read as “getting annoyed at Joyce” here.

      1. Thag Simmons

        I struggle to see a plausible alternative read

        1. The Lurker

          Or she’s irritated at being referred to as being in a “funk”, which might devalue her emotional state, and thus mad at Joe.

        2. Rectilinear Propagation

          I did think that she might be annoyed at the idea of staying with someone because one day they’ll be perfect, but she’s glaring a Joyce not frowning at Joe, so I think Joyce is who she’s irritated with. (And following my initial thought still leads to annoyance with Joyce anyway.)

      2. Noted

        There’s two main things I’m parsing here, and I’m unsure which one to lean harder on as the right interpretation:

        1) Dina takes umbrage with Joyce’s advice. She thinks it’s short-sighted, insufficiently realistic, rose-colored, etc. and a band-aid solution to a problem that’s a legitimate issue for her. ‘You want to be with her, so just do’ doesn’t address the problem, and regresses to something Joyce has, mostly, progressed past — throwing a rug over problems rather than facing them if the problems are in service of Good Thing.

        2) Joe’s obvious pining over Joyce is reminding her of Becky’s pining, and the suggestion that Joyce is ‘perfect’ recalls the idea that despite everything that’s happened since then, Becky’s half-processed feelings of her crush towards Joyce is something that’s embedded in her self-image. There’s a whole life Becky and Joyce shared that Dina doesn’t have access to, and as those waypoints crumble (Becky’s first love and lesbian awakening having her lesbian awakening, but not with her; their seemingly immutable best-friendhood losing touchstones as Joyce changes as a person) she’s getting lost in the sauce of what could have been — but Dina can never be her and doesn’t want to be her, and if that, on some level, is Becky’s permanently enshrined ideal, the relationship fundamentally can’t work.

        I’m looking forward to seeing where this arc goes. Becky crashing out and falling into the impulse to isolate and push Dina away scans for her, and I really liked Dina’s “it’s been a while since I felt like a consolation prize” observation. They’ve had a strong relationship but both Joyce and Dina kind of stand the risk of not necessarily being seen as themselves, but as symbols important for Becky’s process/perception of herself in some way or another — Joyce being her lesbian awakening and representative of childhood and old comforts, Dina being her helping hand out of the church, tour guide to cool science as well as her sexual awakening, helping her deal with her internalized fear towards intimacy. I think Becky does legitimately love Dina and that her spiral was a mix of self-flagellation and a bunch of pent-up emotions crashing down, but that it would probably be good for her to take a break for a while, sorting out what she can do for Dina rather than just what Dina means to her.

        That said, I’ll admit that I’ve been an off-and-on reader, so I hope I’m not missing or mischaracterizing any big part of their relationship development.

        EDIT: oh my god I edited this three times trying to get line breaks right I hope this isn’t an enormous brick of text

    3. Armadillo

      Agreed. Taking Joyce’s advice would be such a step backwards for Dina as a person/character. As much as she’s unhappy to not be with Becky, taking a firm stance on not playing second choice was a moment of strength that deserves only praise.

      Though it could be better: Dina could express why she made her decision to Joe and convince him to respect himself by not pining over Joyce further. That would be the most perfect outcome to this disgruntled Dina face that I can think of.

      1. Coatl

        True, besides, Joe’s face in the last panel and Dina’s comment seem to imply that his perception of Joyce… well, I think we understand.

    4. NGPZ

      Yes. YES.
      She played along with her bullshit last strip only really because she didn’t want an argument with Joyce on TOP of the other shit she had to deal with today.

      I also have come to reckon with a GRAND PREMONITION.

      Between Joe and Walky and Dina,

      The League of “Evil” Exes,

      Will soon BEGIN. 👿

      *plays “Start of the Counter-Attack” from Pokemon Movie on hacked muzak*

      1. Big Z

        Your lips to Willis’s ears!

  7. Dot

    Putting a little stank on that look, I see you Dina

    1. Big Z

      It’s honestly probably too much to hope for, but I really want Dina to let Joe know exactly how bad Joyce’s advice was such that it generated that look. I need someone to knock Joyce off her pedestal in Joe’s head so he can move forward.

      1. Elf grrl

        We still have (in-comic) Tuesday science class to get through. So looking forward to that confrontation.

        1. Big Z

          Sure, but I really also love the Joe/Dina friend dynamic and I want more of it.

  8. DiDi

    Ah… so he did step outside to give them privacy. I am generally pleased with this. He did not have to hear the bullshit. But I’m also concerned about the call back which I cannot remember but it sounds like it’s biting him in the ass.

    But oh look… Dina looks like she’s a little pissed. Was she just going with the motions to shut Joyce up? Or did the brief moment Joyce walked away give her more negative thoughts? Questions… questions.

    1. clif

      Could be that Dina feels Becky prefers Joyce to her and now Joe (apparently) feels that Joyce is perfect.

      I dunno. I just read these things. The last time I was absolutely certain, I was wrong.

  9. Nono

    Sunk cost fallacy does not work in relationships!!

    1. clif

      I think the fact that it doesn’t work at all is what makes it a fallacy.
      Unless you’re saying it’s the being a fallacy part that doesn’t work.

  10. StClair

    How’s that working out for you, Joe?

  11. Cameron Stone

    Well he wasn’t IN the room, but he was still standing awkwardly by the door! Maybe Joe will have grown a backbone when we seem him again in 3 months, but I highly doubt it.

  12. darkoneko

    someday… who will be perfect ?

  13. RassilonTDavros

    You’re either perfect, or you’re not Dina.

    at least three people are probably gonna beat me to that one but screw it

    1. clif

      To the contrary. I’m not Dina AND I’m perfect at not being Dian.

    2. clif

      To the contrary. I’m not Dina AND I’m perfect at not being Dina.

      1. clif

        So much for changing it after hitting post comment and then rapidly hitting Post Comment again.

        1. Shade

          The site does have an edit feature now for a few minutes after posting.

        2. clif

          This is a feature I’ve seen exactly once. It is certainly not consistent,

  14. Grimey

    Dina in Panel 5: I believe the current lingo is ‘fuck outta here, b.’

  15. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    JACK: You’re quite perfect, Miss Fairfax.

    GWENDOLEN: Oh! I hope I am not that. It would leave no room for developments, and I intend to develop in many directions.

    – “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde

  16. RexLatro

    *Sigh*
    So close, yet so far away with Joe here. Like, c’mon man. She keeps showing him just how much she values him and he’s standing there musing about her being “close to perfect”.
    –
    Definitely agreeing with the Dina face right now

    1. Coatl

      At least that expression suggests that Joyce’s word should not be taken as absolute.

    2. Grimey

      I think we have officially gotten to the point that Joe was so horrified at the idea of becoming his father, and how his behavior around the whole list thing turned, that he became his mom.

      Repeatedly taking it on the chin, convincing himself that the person who will be “perfect someday” will get there.

      1. clif

        The thing is both Joe and Dina are ambiguous here, although for different reasons.

        It’s unclear whether Joe is echoing his earlier statement because, although circumstances have changed, he still agrees with it, or if he is echoing it because he no longer agrees with it. With Dina, it’s because we don’t know if she’s reacting primarily to what Joyce said, what Joe said, or the situation with both Becky and Joyce apparently pedestalling Joyce.

      2. DashWallkick

        This is almost certainly the case, at least eventually.

    3. Lumino

      Right? Joyce just walking by Joe, with nothing pressing going on, infuriates me. She has absolutely zero respect for somebody who has been nothing but kind and helpful to her.

      Queen of the Bongos.

      1. Allen Alberti

        she is an extremely selfish character.

  17. K

    Dina please talk that man out of his own funk

  18. Mr. Random

    The way she gave advice is very telling about her current state of mind and her priorities.
    It’s been a very… tumultuous 24 hours for the group. And it’s because it’s so little time I’m giving some grace here, but saying all of thst in earshot of the guy you still have on the hook and I’m assuming he’s allowing this because he’s viewing it as a necessary experience for her coming to terms with a big part and he’s scared of losing her…
    There’s a lot here showing how destructive taking that selfish action can be.
    I hope Dina finds her OWN reason to reconnect with Becky, but selfishness shouldn’t be it.

  19. Shogo

    That “someday” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Joyce is rotten. Sure, there are worse people in this comic, but a piece of shit is still a piece of shit whether it’s big or small. The only question is how long it’s going to take for her to be tolerable again.

  20. Claire

    I love love love how Dina and Joyce have consistently been foils for each other. They have been friends since the very beginning (or at the very least Dina has been part of the group) but they are often on opposite sides of things, the God debate, dinosaurs, Joyce’s discovery of her autism while Dina had a difficult time receiving a diagnosis due to racism, Becky sometimes forgetting Dina to help Joyce out, Dina is always very careful with her words and is a very kind person versus Joyce is very kind but not careful with her words and sometimes ends up hurting people because of that. etc. It’s good writing and we see it again here.

    1. Fail Earnhardt

      Joyce has a history of condescending to Dina and using her as a measuring stick for how “normal” she is in comparison. Now Dina can tell she and Joe are using her situation to cope AFTER Joyce indirectly blew up Dina’s spot in the first place. I don’t think Joyce has ever had to reckon with the disconnect between them and I’ve often questioned the extent to which Dina considers Joyce a friend vs somebody she tolerates for Becky’s sake.

      1. Wendy

        Dina’s reactions to and interactions with Joyce make the latter come across to me as “that well meaning but oblivious and obnoxious person you tolerate because someone you care about is close to them” for Dina. And given aforesaid reactions and interactions between the two of them, that’s completely justified on Dina’s part.

    2. Fail Earnhardt

      Joyce has a history of condescending to Dina and using her as a measuring stick for how “normal” she is in comparison. Now Dina can tell she and Joe are using her situation to cope AFTER Joyce indirectly blew up Dina’s spot. I don’t think Joyce has ever had to reckon with the disconnect between them and I’ve often questioned the extent to which Dina considers Joyce a friend vs somebody she tolerates for Becky’s sake.

    3. HueSatLight

      TBH, Dina’s “friendship” to Joyce has felt more obligatory to me than her friendship with Joe.

      1. Armadillo

        Since long before the Joe friendship was officially declared non-obligatory, yes.

      2. Dot

        It’s always been less a friendship and more a toleration on Dina’s part.

  21. Fail Earnhardt

    OOF, that look in Panel 5. That’s how real beef starts.

  22. ClaudeLemieux

    Starting to wonder if Becky won’t resolve things with Dina by saying she no longer wants anything to do with Joyce.

    “She’s selfish. She’s destructive. I choose you.”

    1. StClair

      I doubt it.

  23. apocryphascribe

    See, this is why I need to practice patience this year. SO much relief in seeing this strip today.

    -cautiously wheels my SICKOS.PNG back in from off panel-

  24. Shepsquared

    Well, I guess we’re done with Joe for the storyline. What a shame, he was having an interesting conversation with Dina before Joyce showed up.

  25. Francoinblanco

    Ok Joe start strife from support into cant be wrong goddes worship

  26. Kyulen

    I hope Joe realizes soon that he deserves better than Joyce, who is definitely not perfect and has actually become a much worse person since she got together with Dorothy. And while it would be nice if Dina and Becky talk and they get back together, if Dina doesn’t want to do that she shouldn’t feel like she has to just because Joyce and others in her friend group want her to.

  27. Sirksome

    Hm. Perhaps my wish for Joe and Dina to ally in a campaign to destroy their enemies will come true.

    1. NGPZ

      ya may not trust many things bruh
      but if ya wanna trust *something*?
      trust my premonition above

      1. clif

        Don’t trust Evil Exes.

        It’s either that or don’t trust premonitions.

        1. NGPZ

          HA! They are “evil” really only in the same sense that Joyce is supposed to be “good” and “perfect” just because she’s the main character 🙄

        2. Leorale

          I really don’t think Joyce is supposed to be good or perfect.
          Willis loves writing jerks who make poor choices. Why would their main character be immune?

        3. NGPZ

          honestly? I just wanted to make a Scott Pilgrim reference XD

  28. IntangibleMatter

    I know Dina’s looking slightly concerned/upset/disgusted here but to me she looks like an action movie protagonist.

    1. Armadillo

      Dina once jumped out of a bush and attacked an armed gunman with her bare hands, she is an action movie protagonist.

      1. clif

        It was the best she could do.

  29. anonymsly

    Looks to me like Dina’s taking serious issue with Joyce – selfish cheater and uncaring ‘friend’ – being described as perfect by someone who is genuinely her friend, that being Joe.

    Dina is collateral damage from Joyce’s selfishness and Becky’s inability to move on, Joe got stabbed fully in the back (by Joyce) and she does not give a single solitary shit, and then Joyce just *dared* to give Dina advice on how to correctly handle romantic connections as she sailed out the door?

    Go for the jugular, Dina.

    1. Corey C.

      I think Joe has acknowledged that the Joyce we see right now ISN’T perfect, but he still has hope that this destined “talk” will set her straight (so to speak) and she’ll embrace polyamory with him AND Dorothy.

      Dina has seen that Joe is just as delusional as Joyce.

  30. Newlland(Henryvolt)

    In Retrospect maybe Joe helped Jacob dodge a bullet

  31. Suet

    Haven’t seen that typa look from her since……

    so you better think (about it)

  32. embe13

    that face at the end is screaming to me that dina is disgusted by the thought of joyce being perfect.whch is understandable perfection is an illusion to be shattered than obtained

  33. clif

    I’m going to go way out on a limb here and assume that Paradron was a transformer.

  34. Taffy

    I don’t think I’m especially fond of Joyce, lately. It’s probably not worth examining the reason.

  35. Zaxares

    Might be just me but Dina does NOT seem at all convinced by Joyce’s intervention. XD

  36. Bogeywoman

    This is one of those strips where I have to accept that I do not have the interpretive skill to grasp the intended meaning of the characters’ words and expressions

  37. Corey C.

    I get why Dina cringed at the thought of Joyce being “perfect” in Joe’s head. Joyce HAS changed since that chat with Jacob… in the worst way imaginable. She’s completely ruled by her romantic fantasies and fails to grasp what her sudden relationship with Dorothy is doing to her friends, and when faced with an actual consequence (Becky and Dina being on the outs because Becky hasn’t gotten over her crush on Joyce and Dina doesn’t want to be a “silver medal”) she thinks she’s a relationship Buddha and a simple pep talk which amounted to “screw what Becky wants. Go get her like I did Dotty!” will magically fix everything.

    Speaking of Buddha, I do see some parallels with him, only in reverse- Joyce started out totally repressed and way too devoted to the restrictions of her religion, then she decided God doesn’t exist and fully embraced carnal pleasure to the extent that she literally shouted how great sex is to the masses… to everyone’s annoyance. Buddha himself found out that the path of pure pleasure and the rigid path of asceticism didn’t work, and found a middle path that led to his enlightenment. I don’t want to say that Joyce will eventually become the DoA version of Buddha, but I do hope something snaps her out of this mindset that you can get everything you want if you’re just selfish about it, other people’s feelings be damned. That’s the furthest from perfect that I can fathom.

    1. SanoSS7

      Yep. This seems like a very real response to shedding an oppressive situation – you take that lid off of the tupperware, and it explodes. People go overboard, over correct. They swing 180 degrees and indulge in everything they’ve ever been denied. It’s a rush, it’s dopamine, it feels free and fantastic and righteous.

      Whether we are talking binge eating/drinking/drugging, promiscuity, spending, etc – once we give ourselves permission to do something we have been consistently denied, we often go so far overboard that we steam right through to a different kind of toxic or oppressive behavior.

      Not condoning, but truly this is a ‘normal’ way people react when going to college. They’re free to make their own decisions often for the first time, they’re deciding who they want to be, who they are vs who they were raised to be, and it often ends in ugly drama. Sometimes in legal trouble, or even serious health problems.

      It’s one of those things that once you are on the other side, hopefully having stabilized, you kind of look back on with this sad nostalgia. How could freedom that felt so good have caused such consequences. Especially seeing younger people go through it. You see it and you try and warn and you try and help guide and you try to explain but people need to experience things themselves often times in order to learn. I remember things I’ve done that I would never want my child to do – and even though I wasn’t hurt (and I certainly could have been. I was lucky), and even though there’s a fondness to the memories, I KNOW that it was dangerous, reckless.

      Selfish isn’t always wrong. It’s sometimes something you need to practice. “You can’t pour from an empty cup” and “put your own oxygen mask on first” are the other side of “me first and fuck everyone else” and “I do what I want”.

      Sometimes I’m jealous of people who do what they want and fuck how it effects others. Sometimes I wish I had whatever it was that lets them do it – whether that be a personality disorder or thin-pretty-bongo privilege, or money or whatever it is – but I’m glad I grew out of it. Glad I learned to evaluate what I want vs need, and how my world interacts with other people’s.

      Of course as a story, I want this to end in a very complicated google-calendar 30 person polycule so none of these characters I love are ‘really’ hurt.

      But in reality, the friends you make and love and hurt and are hurt by in college when you’re learning how to be a person are not always friends you keep. Sometimes you have to cut the person you love so much out of your life because you can’t keep saying “I know they can be better” and them not proving it. Sometimes you have to face the fact that you have grievously hurt people, that you are the villain in someone’s story, the fact that you have done things that maybe had no malicious intent and seemed insignificant to you but destroyed people you didn’t mean to.

      There are no perfect people, especially in stories. That would be boring. Maybe one day Joyce will remember the people she hurt and hopefully she will have learned how to navigate her own wants and emotions in a way that doesn’t drop a bomb on other people, but she will probably also remember how good it felt to love so hard that she was willing to throw so much away. Maybe one day Joe will find a relationship that makes him feel comfortable and accepted and remember the people who treated him as disposable or like he lacked the internal emotional complexity to be hurt by this and it will be a bittersweet memory of having tried and having believed in people who let him down.

  38. Acher4

    *almost perfect :P

    (in some years?)

    1. Corey C.

      I’m reminded of my own college experience and Freshman year I was basically just a horny idiot who had no idea what he was doing. It wasn’t till mid-JUNIOR year that I was finally able to course correct and mature, and that was basically because everything that was forbidden when I was 18 became available at 21 but I decided “nah.”

    2. Jammy

      At this rate, she’ll be perfect six months after the author passes away from old age in 50-60 years.

  39. EmTaya

    I really like the angle of this shot

    1. Leorale

      Me too. Joe is tall, Dina is dramatic, it’s a good choice.

  40. YourCousinJay

    Having trouble reading Joe’s expression but it makes me feel like what we’re ment to take from this is that Joyce is backsliding. One in five things she used to do were messed up, it used to be one in three, but now her messes are getting bigger.
    //
    Like Joe’s holding on to this idea of a perfect Joyce despite her now actively leaning into some of her worst behavior, all while Dina can’t even pretend like that’s a possibility

    1. DashWallkick

      I think he’s telling himself “it’ll be worth it, I just have to hold on.” As someone else pointed out, it’s too likely that Joe overcorrects not being his dad into just being his mom.

      1. YourCousinJay

        Yeee… Man, poor guy..

  41. Ornathe

    I mean, I’m kind of hoping the look in that last panel is Dina preparing to use the power of spite to propel herself into marching directly up to Becky to grab her and kiss her in front of everyone in a “it’ll take more than this to get rid of me” type moment while telling her in clear terms that while she’s willing to give Becky space to process if she asks for it, she has no intention of dumping Becky unless Becky genuinely wants her to. I think Becky would swoon so hard she’d pass out, or be so relieved she’d pass out, or maybe both, or possibly just cry.

    I’m curious to see what’ll actually happen, either way, but in the meantime, the pace lets me daydream, I guess. :P

    1. Rimwalker55

      Y’know, I can see that approach being a good one. Sounds a little like Dina when she touched Joe’s ass (for science!) and Becky asked which she liked better “Joe’s ass or mine?”. Dina’s response was great, “YOUR ass? Don’t misunderstand me. Your ass is MINE!”

      If my memory was fuzzy on this, somebody throw up the link. I could find it quickly. Thx.

      1. Rimwalker55

        https://www.dumbingofage.com/comic/ruleout/

  42. Bill Erak

    I figure Dina’s face at the end is her being annoyed at Joyce being ‘perfect’ due to their history of not seeing eye to eye

    1. Yumi

      My hope, I guess, is that it’s about her being angry with Joyce for cheating on Joe. I like their friendship and it makes sense to think someone who hurt your friend isn’t approaching “perfect.”

  43. Jerna

    Dina is just confused about the use of the word “perfect”, because she thinks Joyce’s booty doesn’t hold up to scrutiny

  44. Hof1991

    Joyce is now perfect. Perfectly indifferent to Joe. Just as Jacob predicted.

    1. apocryphascribe

      Fully expecting Joe to return that “okay turns out it IS different when you’re in a situation” sentiment next time he sees Jacob.

  45. Pocky

    I see you getting people to reread those old strips Willis

    you can’t fool me!

  46. zee

    Holy shit. Oh my god. Well fuck, that sucks. I’ll miss your insights. God damn thats, fuck idk how to even react to that information

    1. Nymph

      Thanks, Zee.

      1. zee

        *Internet hug/preferred form of comfort and affection*

  47. zee

    Can later just,,,,fucking happen already? I’m tired of getting strung along by this loose plot thread, where is she even going?

    1. Taffy

      She’s going wherever her feet happen to be pointing at any given moment, like a DVD screensaver. It makes life more interesting for her.

    2. Donovan

      Plot thread turning me into a rabid dog

    3. Jay

      No.

      This plot ploint will drag its feet and take another 6+ months to receive any resolution and you’ll like it or else you’re a bad fan

      1. clif

        What you said, but without the sarcasm.

        Well, okay, maybe a teeny bit.

    4. Dot

      To suck face with Dorothy, natch.

  48. Doopyboop

    I’m sorry to hear that. Even reporting a comment for just not liking an opinion on the comic is shitty in my opinion, let alone something of this kind of scale. I agree that people should 100% be wary of where they send their money when trying to help people. It’s just basic safety and you being punished for that (if that’s what is happening) is shitty. I wish you all the best in life going forward.

    1. Nymph

      I appreciate that, doopyboop.

  49. HueSatLight

    I just reported you because you’re accusing someone of committing fraud without evidence, and I’m not NGPZ.

    1. Nymph

      You’re so right.
      –
      For anyone reading, the above is just my opinion. I figured that was obvious, but I’ll say it anyway.

      1. HueSatLight

        an opinion is a different thing than a factual claim that hasn’t been proven. “A specific individual is mass reporting me” is not an opinion.
        “It is bullying to have harassment removed through moderation” is an opinion.

      2. Nymph

        I’m not arguing with a stranger, bud. Sorry it made you mad.

    2. Big Z

      And yet Nymph is not wrong — statistically, you are better off assuming any given unvetted request for financial help on the internet is a scam.

      1. Nymph

        Thanks, Big Z

  50. superglucose

    Dina remains easily the most clear-headed member of the cast.

    1. NGPZ

      you can say that again
      even when she drank that one time she remained a startlingly sobering influence

    2. Jammy

      Booster’s level-headed in a rational sense, but emotionally they find all this a bit too entertaining. Wait, is Booster supposed to represent US, the AUDIENCE?!

  51. Big Z

    I, for one, will miss your comments and insights.

    1. Nymph

      And another thanks for this. I’m glad I decided to stick around today to say goodbyes, it’s been mostly nice.

  52. Yumi

    I missed all of whatever is going on, apparently, but I’ll miss your efforts in campaigning for messy poly (even if it’s seeming less and less likely to actually happen at this point… idk, maybe someday).

  53. Donovan

    I didn’t get to see it, what did she say?

    1. YourCousinJay

      I don’t have all the context but from what I recall she said NGPZ has been mass flagging their comments and just getting them removed repeatedly so she’s seemingly taking a step back for their own sake and to avoid the harrassment.

      1. Annarchy

        I think the community deserves receipts on this. Nymph might be wrong but it sounds like something I’d expect out of NGPZ. Which is why it being rumor mill is damaging. Either some one should confirm its not NGPZ and show it is not NGPZ. Otherwise I’d say most people believe the accusation weather or not its founded.

        Also if it is true then either the mod team is allowing a troll to bully others and make the comment section there own personal hunting grounds to police with harassment or some other harassment is going on.

        My bet NGPZ is a troll who uses bulling and intentionally acerbic demeanor
        to control the spaces they are in.

        Id take Nymph’s insightful commentary and perception’s any day before I’d even talk to the obvious troll NGPZ is. So I’m obviously bias and shouldn’t be the judge.

        MODs please don’t let a online bull take over and control your comment section. Instead do your job. In this instance either Nymph or NGPZ is absolutely doing just that. Collect the data and prove which side is in the fault and do your jobs. Baseless accusations and baseless reporting are both bulling one of these two is a bully trying to bully the community to there benefit. Show the community which one and ban them.

        But shadow removing the complaint and not showing the innocence or guilt of one of the two party’s is not doing your jobs. Its ignoring your community and asking that bullying happen covertly so you don’t have to comment.

      2. NGPZ

        Wait, WHAT???

        Honestly that’s right up there with DoA Reddit’s theory that Taffy is “”actually”” Willis’s puppet account. 🙄

        …I can’t even fucking believe what I’m hearing, please tell me this is a joke. 👀

      3. Taffy

        Annarchy, there are no moderators. Only Willis gets to see the back-end stuff. There’s no team of people who can put evidence together to find the truth who just aren’t doing their jobs. Unless specifically Willis looks at the posts in question, nobody’s gonna know who reported what from which device under what IP address and when.

        Though I would gladly become a moderator for this website, given the opportunity.

      4. Amós Batista

        NGPZ, bullying? What??

      5. Dwampre Scorrigank

        @Annarchy on what grounds do you say NGPZ is an “obvious” troll? Or a bully? I do think there is trolling and bullying happening here but it’s interesting that they are the one pointed out as a likely instigator. If it’s the case that that’s what Nymph claimed, I would like to hear why from her as well.

      6. Annarchy

        @Taffy “Unless specifically Willis looks at the posts in question, nobody’s gonna know who reported what from which device under what IP address and when.”
        Yep and someone should if no one does its bullying of false accusations being made flippantly or bullying of a hidden system only someone with mod privileges would be able to address.

        @Dwampre Scorrigank this my be a me thing. I don’t like the way NGPZ talks. I don’t like the tone NGPZ uses. IMO The points NGPZ raises are flippant and pot stirring most times. For my own sake I avoid reading NGPZ and avoid conversations with NGPZ. IMO an obvious troll. But this my be my bias with there demeanor and a personal blockade, if they aren’t spam reporting then nothing should happen and they should keep on keeping on as there IMO obnoxious self and ill just continue not liking them personally.

        @NGPZ Go away. I don’t wish to talk to you ever.

      7. Bryy

        NGPZ is not a troll.
        Annarchy, you can choose not to respond. You control the buttons on your keyboard. The only one keeping this shit going is you.

  54. Nymph

    My last comment in this comment section: I asked that the comment be removed, it did not get nuked in this instance. I still think what I think, but I wrote it when I was feeling really hurt and sad about what’s been happening and didn’t like how I phrased it so rather than leave it up to continue to start drama I wasn’t even going to be here for, I asked Willis to take it down.
    –
    One last thanks to the people who were awesome all these years. Have a good one.

    1. Bryy

      Yeah, this is just a comic. If it’s unhealthy for you, good on you for realizing that and stepping back.

      1. clif

        You were an interesting person with worthwhile things to say. I’ll certainly miss you!

        Personally, I think you should ignore your emotional and mental health and continue to post for my benefit. But that’s me.

        If we don’t hear from you again, take care of yourself, Nymph.

    2. Annarchy

      If you do go I hope you the best and just know you made this comic richer with your interaction and will be missed in your leaving. Still do what’s best for you but you made my reading experience better.

    3. YourCousinJay

      I’ll ask for the same for this comment then, sorry for perpetuating drama. I’ll still miss your insight on the comic despite me making kind of an ass of myself during our last interaction together

    4. Amós Batista

      Take your time and take care youself.

    5. Li

      *internet hugs* :( I’m so sorry. I missed whatever’s been going down… but I’m really sorry.

  55. YourCousinJay

    One me for being nosey, At this point I’m just perpetuating drama
    –
    Willis wwould you mind deleting this?

  56. Peregrinus

    A prophesy. Mark it down.
    If someone will cheat with you, they will cheat on you.
    A union of two cheaters who cheated with each other is destined for misfortune. Each knows, on some level, that they cannot trust the other, and eventually, that well-grounded lack of trust will manifest.
    People who commit such intimate treason, then tell themselves it was acceptable behavior, because they got “swept away in the moment,” will find another excuse to get “swept away,” then another. Lack of self-control doesn’t just go away because they got what they wanted this time.
    Dishonesty is a habit, as is being cavalier about hurting other people. It is a deep and decisive character flaw that carries into the whole personality.
    This was expensive wisdom to gain. I hope you heed my warning, rather than finding out the way I did.

  57. Li

    Okay, all comments even mentioning Nymph have now been deleted. That’s weird, regardless of who’s doing it.

    1. Adept

      Surely only Willis can?

      1. Li

        If you report the top comic on a thread enough times, the whole thread gets deleted automatically.
        —
        And people can be one-person report raids by manipulating cookies.
        —
        So no. It doesn’t have to have been Willis. And there’s no reason to think they would have wanted to delete a thread where Nymph literally just tried to say “I asked for my other thread to be deleted, I didn’t want my last post to be drama-stirring,” followed by saying goodbye.
        —
        The only person with any motivation to nuke THAT thread is the person who’s been report-bombing Nymph’s previous comments.

        1. Adept

          Thanks Li. What a bad system, wide open to exploit.

        2. Yumi

          Oh, I can clarify on that– the person who made *that* thread also asked for it to be deleted. They said something like how they didn’t want to bring it up more knowing that Nymph had been the one who asked for it to be deleted. And of course, Willis could restore a thread if they disagreed with it being reported to deletion; they would have to take the time to look through it to do that, though.
          —
          I think in general we could be more careful with things like “it must have been this person.” When the comments get deleted, we are often lacking a lot of context that could be important.
          —
          ETA: I see this has been addressed on the comments for today’s comic; I prefer to keep my reply here to not continue dragging things forward. For clarity’s sake– since clearly people keep getting confused and going “what did I miss”– it would be helpful if there was a record of things, but I get the wishes of the OPs to delete the threads.

  58. ALBI

    Okay, NOW I’m annoyed that Joe’s being put on the backburner (I’ve been annoyed, but…)

    COME ON JUST TALK TO THE DUDE

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