Batiukmobile® – Page 32 – Son of Stuck Funky

Naus-talgia

It’s over? The wedding is over?? You’ve got to be kidding.

Les and Cayla set up dozens of chairs; for whom? We saw, but never got to meet, a couple of Cayla’s presumptive relatives; and didn’t see any relatives of Les’ except Summer. Instead of a heartfelt, moving toast to the happy couple, we got Bull’s backhanded “overpunted his coverage” compliment. Nothing whatsoever to show us what is so special about these two becoming one, aside from the fact they did so on their front lawn. Trust Tom Batiuk: on those rare occasions when you want him to spend more time on a story arc, he drops it like a Scapegoat dropping an end zone pass.

Married for ten years already, Jess and Darin have just moved into their “first real place” (the apartment over Montoni’s). At this rate, who knows, they might even have their own car before the decade’s out. Meanwhile they must depend on Fred and Ann for a ride home, which mean they must endure a “newstalgic” tour of the Fairgoods’ old neighborhood.

Nice to See You Too

It was just a couple weeks ago that Les rented a trailer to schlep Summer and Keisha off to KSU. Today the girls return to Moore Manor to find their respective parents setting up chairs (a lot of chairs) and schlepping around potted plants. Naturally the first thing out of Summer’s mouth is a wisecrack, which naturally is met with withering glares from the bride and groom soon-to-be. In a refreshing change of pace, Summer has retired her Westview hoodie in favor of…a Kent State hoodie.

She's (Not) Having a Baby

BeckoningChasm
October 11, 2012 at 10:35 am
Well, with Batiuk’s penchant for leaving plots unresolved (Becky-Roberta, Cory enlisting), my bet is that this Maybe-Maybe Not Pregnancy is never mentioned again.

Link to today’s strip

A good number of you savvy snarkers correctly called “bullshit” on Cayla’s supposed pregnancy. Her announcement turns out to be Batiuk’s biggest “gotcha” since he pretended to kill off Sgt. Wally five years ago.

You’d think that with a one-year lead time, Batiuk would have a little more control over the narrative flow. But the plot pacing, such as it is, is getting even more out of whack, as TB tries to shoehorn in major plot events. Hence, we see Summer and Keisha starting college at the end of September, and Cayla ordering her wedding flowers after the chairs have been set up for the ceremony.

That's So Funk-Key

This is, after all, a “comic” strip, so it would be unseemly to gripe when the cartoonist leaves aside the doom and gloom to attempt an actual joke. But man, for a guy who exercises regularly, Funky looks way old beyond his years. He’s beginning to resemble Fred Mertz.

Roadwork Ahead

Okay…just shoot me now. Funky arrives at Moore Manor for what I expect is the beginning of this year’s Lisa’s Legacy Run story arc. On the plus side, today’s panels at least are cheerfully colored; a nice change after yesterday’s dismal scene. On the minus side: I may be forced to add tags for “Les’ blue Kent State T-shirt” and for every time a character uses the phrase “I rest my case“.