Endtown by Aaron Neathery for December 09, 2016

The tear in his eye…

Kirbee thought she had lost Wally briefly, but the Holly he rescued was a fake. She had a point, sometimes it is better to live in the shadows of an illusion than in the harsh light of reality. At least things may become a bit saner without “driving Miss crazy” and her constant state of panic.

4th panel reference to this strips 4th panel: http://www.gocomics.com/endtown/2016/01/08

Can’t believe that this story arc took one year… Time sure flies..

Good catch! Wally, too..

The first hesitant steps down a new road…

One could say that both Kirbee and Holly are scatter-brained, but Kirbee is much more pleasant. Like @A_Dream4U described Holly, “constant state of panic” which is exhausting to be around and not helpful.

Snake, do you think love can bloom on the post-apocalyptic battlefield?

Not all an illusion indeed.

What a long strange trip it’s been! Thanks again Aaron!

Wonder what Doc is going to say when they eventually get back … if he is still there by that time.

It feels like this might be a good time for a cut scene. I wonder if Aaron is planning to go back to Endtown or whether we’ll go further down the road with Wally and Kirbee

Now what are they going to do?!?

What a strange little family unit they will be… the cat, the lizard, and the little bird (plus the pet bug!)

Food for thought: We know that Jim went into “schism syndrome,” especially after being dumped by Sarah. I expect Wally is stronger than that. My question is, is what is happening to Holly another manifestation of “schism syndrome”?

Part of the point of this whole last year is to cause us to dislike Holly. We saw her at her worst, to make this change easier to accept.I’m glad that Holly has finally got the peace she so badly needed, and “losing” her has been much easier having seen this part of the past.What do you think, did she have any idea what was going to happen when climbing up onto the Fitzgerald?I don’t think she did, but it has crossed my mind.

What is reality, anyway?

Reality is what we perceive.

The more I give it consideration, the more I appreciate how Neathery tied up this complex psychological adventure with deftness and subtlety. In the end, I’ve found it satisfying without being insultingly trite. There will be no absolute answers to any questions, but I can fill in the gaps and assume what is most likely. It’s the best possible resolution for Holly, and for Wally, Kirbee, Chic and Irving. A graphic novel of this complexity is not to everyone’s taste, but for those who stay, be aware you are being treated to a masterpiece in production. Kudos, Aaron.

This arc was chock full of complexity and left turns. The only thing I was able to predict was that Wally and Kirbee may end up together based on the kiss while they were falling. Well done A N.

As usual, Aaron Neathery has taken us on a fantastic journey complete with side trips for added excitement. It wasn’t easy to see Holly choosing to embrace an illusion over reality, however, she’s comfortable with her decision. I kept thinking that in that ship, a piece of Lyn had survived and waited for his reunion with Holly, that possibly his ghost remained amongst the dittos and in the AI. Of course I’m speculating about Lyn (or his ghost) being in that ship awaiting reunion with Holly, but it’s a plausible speculation. That’s the beauty of this strip and those who comment on it. We can guess and speculate, but in the end we allow ourselves to let Aaron illustrate and tell his wonderful stories in Endtown.

Wow.

First, I also want to thank gtreulands for the link; That explains the way the line resonates.

It’s always hard when a story is better taken in as a volume, but you have to live through the wait as the artist crafts it. This was not the BEST outcome… I loved the initial dynamic between Wally and Holly, but it was starting to become toxic for both of them. In other words; Just like a real relationship, regardless of how much you might love one another.

I see that part of myself in Wally, that refusal to give up on someone. The idea if you work hard enough and love someone enough, that can somehow overcome all the damage inflicted years, even decades earlier, and completely outside of your control, is seductive and (in it’s way) a subtle form of arrogance.

In almost every case something happens to force your hand, to make a hard decision, perhaps the hardest; To leave when they ask.

If they ask. Because sometimes they just leave themselves.

No matter how many people are there to care for you, and how sensible and healthy it is in the long run, it still feels horrible. Love is not sensible, logical, or convenient. Neither is one’s reactions to a relationship’s end.

And as leaving can take many forms, Wally can console himself that he didn’t come home one day to find that Holly had taken a more… FINAL route. At least, this way she can be happy, even if her choice puts her even more out of reach than mere death.

(Bravo, Aaron!)

I like the wonderful bond between Kirbee and Chic. There, in the wasteland, in the dark, Chic sleeps nestled next to Kirbee. The bond between them has been clear since soon after they left Unity (http://www.gocomics.com/endtown/2015/08/21) and is evident in the background of many of the strips which follow.

I will miss Holly, but at least she’s happy. She knows she’s living in an illusion, but it does make it easier for her to deal with the terrible loss. And she did see the growing attraction between Wally and Kirbee. I’d say Holly made the right decision. I just hope Doc will understand once Wally breaks the news to him. I do wonder, though, how Wally will bring everyone to Endtown, when you consider how he and Holly left.

so whats next ? will we finnaly find out what the topsiders are about to do ? they were talking as if something big was about to happen

Whoa! I guess cats are pretty fickle, huh?

Awwww. Seriously Wally and Kirbee deserve some happiness. They’ve earned it.

The latest Endtown newsletter came out. The highlights:

Holly was never intended to be a permanent character.

Originally, the plan was for her to visit the ship, escape, become more emotionally distant from Chic, get attacked by Wally, and then disappear into the Waste while Wally and Chic were asleep.

Having Kirbee in the group allowed for Holly’s exit to be more graceful.

While being a strong long-term character, Holly was emotionally unsuited for surviving The End. Wally, Chic and Kirbee have adapted to the apocalypse much better.

Aaron considers Endtown to be an ensemble cast story, so there are no permanent stars in the cast. The stories will eventually result in Wally and Kirbee becoming less featured, as well.

Kirbee’s back story will be told sometime in the future.

The ship never warped out. It’s being cloaked by the dittos, which will misdirect all other travelers away from it now.

Given how they were all in separate bubbles, I think they were never looking at the “REAL” Holly in the past illusions. I have a feeling that she and the ship put on a play for their benefit, so they could understand why she would make the decision she did. Then again, we were only seeing Wally’s part of the bubble. What did Kirby and Chic go through? But Kirby and Wally shared the flying part, so they must have been together, which means that Wally started out in their bubble.

Unlike the majority of comic strips, Endtown is a backdrop story, where characters come into the storyline and then depart. There are few permanent characters; Prof. Mallard, Doc Chase, and Jacob Jackrabbit come to mind. but even their ‘permanence’ depends on the story line. What’s really enjoyable are the story arcs with all their twists, turns, and tangles with characters that’re memorable, whether with long-running characters such as Wally or those that make a brief appearance such as the doomed Jim.

Aaron mentioned a couple of weeks lag time till the next story. I hope he wasn’t counting from the end of this arc. It’s bad enough to have to wait over the weekend.