Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce for October 12, 2023

Lol. This was funny.

Feels like the older strips i love it

I’m not usually too negative about the strip, but this is very frustrating to me. Why did we need a third day of Nate explaining why he got detention/him complaining about it? Two days tops would’ve been more than suffice- then show him with Daphne after he carries out detention. Even him explaining his annoyance with the situation with Daphne later on would’ve varied it up a bit!

I’m really disappointed- and worried about where this is headed

startles awake

Oh, no Daphne still? Just Nate complaining about detention/Mrs.G yet AGAIN? Okay, wake me when it’s over

resumes snoring

20 minutes?!? OK now I’m having second thoughts about all of this being an accident!

I know there will be those thinking the complaints are unfair, so allow me to explain: it’s not that we want Daphne in every single strip. That would get real old real fast. We also don’t expect every strip, not even every arc, to reinvent the wheel. We are okay with old jokes (take for example last week, a soccer arc where the kids lose yet again and a Sunday about Spitsy being weird).

But here’s the two difference makers:

1. Those strips tried to shake up an old formula (teddy was MC, they almost figured out a way to win, Spitsy on a swing next to Vern and Marge is just a rare visual)

2. When he just does what he always does, we all know where it’s going and we get bored.

Having read almost every single Big Nate strip, it takes a moment to understand why (besides repetition) the old jokes don’t work as well: he doesn’t tell them like he used to.

Take for example the famous “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” arc from the titular collection: the first week jumps from the class to outside, the jokes range from “how could Nate forget” to “you stupid” to “yeah, breaking into her office couldn’t possibly go wrong”.

And that’s the real game changer! The rest of the arc show something we’ve never seen before, a heist from Nate and Francis. It changes up the jokes instead of just being “Ha ha Nate sucks”, Godfrey is more than justified in her reaction and we get a STORY.

It’s not about no daphne (tho she would help): it’s about no story. Big Nate was always a gag strip. Except for the ches tournaments where Nate got over his insecurities. The Jefferson arc where he overcame all odds. Every girlfriend’s first arc where he showed a heart. The Christmas he hugged Spitsy. Becoming class president and helping out in a soup kitchen despite originally just wanting to beat Gina. Jenny leaving for Seattle. Breaking up with toxic Trudy. Defending Artur from Marcus. Making up with Francis after proving he’s a good friend when it counts.

The novels.

That’s what’s missing.

Oh, and 4\10, meh

Mrs. Godfrey’s more jerkiness reveal.

Nate needs to take those goggles off.

How many times is Nate gonna try to defend himself for this?

Strip rating: 3/10 Low-key, this is starting to get repetitive and boring.

You do have a point, Nate.

Locked a closet door from the outside? No other kids in the room? After the fact, Big Jerk’s dad called? And when does this get funny?

We should have him escape and mrs. Godfrey lock him in a closet!

Not even Nate is this stupid. So it ain’t funny.

A break from the kids, I presume.

I don’t like kids… or adults, for that matter.

Im not gonna lie this ones pretty funny

And isn’t he whining for a break himself?

….it was the WRONG kind of break, Nate: 20 minutes, hmmmm. that breaks down to 10 two-minute increments, eh? Thus the proffered 10 detentions!………

Not a winning position…..

Nate’s got a point

I love this logic, there’s a job in the Ministry of Education waiting for him when he gets out.

I wonder how many total detentions every character has received throughout the entire strip!

Not gonna lie i’m getting bored with this arc but i guess i have to deal with it.

I really don’t want to be overly negative but this storyline is doing nothing for me

One detention for every 2 minutes.

One detention for every 2 minutes.

6/10, starting to drag. We still need Daphne!

hello its been 8 months

Frankly I’d give him detention for letting her out!

Yes, a well reasoned argument leading up to the one reason that truly matters. THE NOVELS. I WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO NATE AND RUBY