The Monster Under the Bed by Brandon Shane is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
The Monster Under the Bed
“Embrace your fear.”
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Ok, we have a problem here: the transition from panel 3 to panel 4 is messed up. We don’t know what really happened:
-maybe Terminus pulled Nightmare with such strength that he forced her to face him and then kissed her;
-maybe Nightmare turned around expecting an apology and Terminus used that moment to kiss her;
-maybe Nightmare turned around slapping Terminus’ hand and he used that moment to kiss her.
While these three may seem redudant to some, I believe they show both character’s personalities through their actions, but since we did not get them we’re at a loss. A simple row of smaller panels showing the breakdown of what happened would have been appreciated, so I hope that the next page will actually make clear what their reactions to the kiss are.
Sorry if I seem harsh, but I appreciate this webcomic too much not to point out an obvious flaw like this one. Keep it up, I’m really enjoying it!
I feel like it’s the first one, it seems to lead most naturally from the “abuptness” of the transition. Given that his hand was already on her arm, I’m pretty sure that’s what it meant to imply, that he pulled her to himself. If it were the second or the third, that’s not really something that a storyteller would ‘skip over’ in the same way that they’d skip a panel of him pulling her closer.
Think about the layout. In order to fit in another panel, the middle would be split into two. This isn’t a problem if there’s something important happening in panel 3.5, but if what happens between panels 3 and 4 is easily implied in the transition, it looks much nicer to have panel 3 be bigger. I really don’t think this is a big ‘obvious flaw’ like you’re making it out to be. The nature of a comic, as opposed to video or text, means that you can’t depict every little thing that happens from major moment to major moment.
When I read this comic, it did not for a second occur to me “Maybe she turned around for an apology,” or “maybe she was going to slap him but then he kissed her,” I certainly didn’t feel confused like something was missing. Angry girl doesn’t think boy likes her, turns to run, boy takes her arm/hand/shoulder/whatever and pulls her into a kiss. It’s a very common trope. Things like him interrupting a slap or her expecting an apology are deviations from that trope, and as you said, fairly significant ones. IF one of the latter two actions had happened, I’m pretty sure the author would have found the space to depict it. However, I think having a panel attempting to depict the simple act of him pulling her into the kiss, before the kiss happened, is a waste of space and effort.
Consider the fact that we didn’t see Nightmare standing up, when she was clearly sitting down in the previous strip and she SEEMS to be on her feet in this one, given that they’re now both at the same height. All throughout the comic, you’ll see moments where the scene jumps from major moment to major moment. There are constantly times where something COULD have happened between panels, but it makes the most sense to assume nothing of significance did happen. A few strips ago, we ‘saw’ Timothy going down the stairs over the course of two panels. Technically, we don’t know if he simply went down the stairs from the middle of the stairs, we don’t know if he saw human-Shadow and fell down the stairs before getting up or stumbled down them as he went, we don’t know if his father nudged him to go down from behind, we don’t know if his mother or Shadow grabbed his hand/arm/whatever to pull him to the bottom of the stairs. But since almost all of these would need to be depicted and have a significant impact on characterization, it’s probably best to assume that since nothing was depicted there, nothing happened there. There’s no benefit to dedicating a panel to show Timothy walking down the stairs to meet Shadow, just like there’s no benefit to show the act of Terminus pulling Nightmare to himself between grabbing her (3) and kissing her (4). The simple act of pulling is easy to imply, so it’s safer to assume that’s simply what happened.
The thing is, this is the first time reading this webcomic where I have felt that I expected a transition. I do not recall any other instance in The Monster Under the Bed where I felt it missing. I know that Brandon’s style is not to show them, which is in the tradition of western comic books, and I don’t have a problem with that, but I was expecting something a bit more elaborate in this case. Let me explain why.
Since two pages ago (so, a few weeks ago in reader’s time), Nightmare has been looking in the same direction: the opposite of Terminus’, establishing herself against his wishes and objectives. She even says it out loud, refusing to continue the search, so when the jig was up and she understood that she had been used, I expected a far more violent reaction. Remember, Nightmare is used to being on top, and when something threatens her position she reacts violently, as we saw when she discovered that Shadow was not only a fair contender for the status of First Reaver, but a serious threat to her position (see pages 106 & 107). Although Terminus and her have been flirting already (we have seen them entangling their tails in page 98), I’m far more used to see Nightmare in a dominant position. To see her let herself be turned around is strange for me, since I expected the character to resist. That is why I expected a transition: to see the relationship they share at that specific time, to see how she reacted to him trying to hold her by grabbing her arm.
That is also why I insisted in the fact that I hope that the next page is going to delve into their reactions, since it will define Nightmare as a character. She either accepts Terminus’ deception, thus admitting that she likes him more than she hates him and opening the door to her being decieved on an emotional level, either she refuses completely and denies his advances, turning her into a “lonely at the top” kind of character (check TVTropes’ page) and hinting to Shadow’s Aegis being the one used to open the mysterious door.
Again, I am enjoying the webcomic a lot. I just want to see Nightmare’s reactions in more detail.
God you fucking suck at reading between the lines. The transition is fine.
Holy shit you typed so much about a transition!! Why!!
if i was a character in this comic and nightmare was my girfriend, i would say somemething like “WHAT THE [BLEEP]?!?!?!?! GET YOUR [BLEEEEP] DIRTY-[BLEEP] [BLEEP]-FILLED LIPS OF MY GIRLFRIEND!!! YA [BLEEEEP] MOTHER[BLEEEP]!!!!!
xD
X-D
You realize that people can see your name, right? You’re not fooling anyone by pretending that people are replying and laughing at your joke. Don’t put so much pressure on the joke, let it stand on its own, or fail.
The name thing could be abused, but was isn’t in this case until now.
Still, the possibilities are endless.
Yeah, except you don’t have my avatar.
Somebody is trying way too hard to be funny and it’s just coming off as being sad.
Especially when you answer your own comments. That’s like mega sad.
I like that Nightmare gets a little bit of redemption here. She might be quick to anger and only interested in being better than anyone else, but if nothing else she’s at least not letting him tread all over her.
Well, at least not yet. I’ve got money on her swooning and going along with whatever he says, but not because she likes him or anything.
Why do I feel that when he tries to open the door it’s not going to work because Nightmare’s Aegis isn’t strong enough and he’s going to cast her aside and focus his attention on Shadow?
The result will be Nightmare accusing Shadow of trying to “steal her man” or something along those lines, Lord Mortis getting all fatherly protective of Shadow and maybe banishing him and possibly Nightmare following Shadow out into the human world and discovering some terrible secret.
Clever Girl.. ;3
My respect for Nightmare went WAY UP with that realization. The girl is not only good looking and able bodied; She is freaking smart as hell to boot!
Gall blast that terminus for usimg emotional warfare!
Turning a young maiden’s heart against her..
I hope the louse is either genuine or gets ground into meat paste soon.
…”a young maiden’s”…
That’s only an assumption.
Brandon has not yet made a canon pronouncement on that topic, unlike Shadow & Tim.
Nightmare is “several years” older than that pair and may well have “seen the elephant”.
Indeed, it may well have been the reason she was so irritable at Terminus, because he hasn’t yet made a move!
As for “emotional warfare” Hello!
FEMALE!
Pot-kettle black and sooty.
AH HA!
The only major rule of the “elephant in the room” game, is to never admit it is there! Let alone to even seein it.
Even though your statement was vicariously through the eyes of our “young maiden.”
It still counts. (And yes she is a maiden, even though she is an experienced hand at scaring, she is still wee and new to the love scene (it seems))
I accept your surrender under the articles of war stated under the “EITR” clause.
Your officers shall be stripped of their titles and ranks, and your forces incorporated into our own.
Ranks shall be reclassified using our system, yet secondary to ranks of my original forces. (Barring acts of valor or acceptional good conduct and willingness to be good citizens.
All further arguements on this subject by you or your forces are rendered void and dismissed with prejudice on the grounds of prior surrender on this issue/topic
(Editors Note : Muahahahahaha!)
Thr word “vicariously” doesn’t mean what you seem to think it does.
Consult a good dictionary (one of the Oxford or Macquarie series).
I did. Mayhaps, thou should heed thy own advice. :b
That’s one way to shut a girl up
So is stuffing her mouth with diamonds but look at the long-term cost/benefit analysis.
And while she’s distracted and confused by this whole mouth-to-mouth thing, he’s stealthly pickpocketing her aegis without her knowing…
xD
that’ll be something to laugh at
Why I think he is stealing her aegis right now.
Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce something somethingwhatever!
XD I thought I might get this response, or something similar anyway. 😛
Someone do me a happy
WHHAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!
“Thh-*burp*-he plot thickens”(guess hwo)
who*
Also,yes Brandon,this does raises some questions…but I’m sure this guy has more than his tail risen *wink* *wink*
At least he hasn’t whipped his tail around and wrapped hers up…… yet.
It pains me (until I know his intentions) to share this with you, but it has already happened before.
http://themonsterunderthebed.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/104-To-Be-Continued.png
And
http://themonsterunderthebed.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/098-Off-Balance.png
(If he is a good sort though, all the best to the budding lovebirds :3)
indeed my theoryser friend
Because Tim and Shadow do kiss, I forgot this was something special in Nox. Until I read the comments.
A note to the author (since I hate using email) :
You are doing a fantastic job on this webcomic! (Your other projects (if any), I am ignorant of, but would happily be enlightened by to know if they exist)
I know you have had some things happening, and whether they are settled or continuing, I hope you remember to lool on the bright side and the niceties of life.
Though we can get through times with a heart full of stones, water, and sorrow; It pays better to try and reach out of ourselves and grab onto those rays of light that make our existence joyful and happy. Whether its a sunny/cloudy day, good food/friends/pets/media/fresh cut grass/waffles w/strawberries/a long walk/etc…
Those good thoughts can help get through the bad times, and create progress through to the good times that will then sustain/propel us to even more good times!
But if you need to be sad to get through something, that’s okay too. You have many people who want good things for you.
In good times or bad, remember that.