#128 “Don’t Look Now”
Don’t you hate it when company shows up unannounced and interrupts something really important?!
The Monster Under the Bed by Brandon Shane is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
So close….
…”not surprised in the slightest to see you with a girl she’s never met before? And shipping us REALLLY hard? Almost like someone else I know?”
So, speaking of potentially major future plot points dropped in this page…. cats can see through the illusion?
That wouldn’t be all that uncommon. Cats are known to be able to see through into other planes of being. They can see spirits, smell death soon to occur, and can even sense someone’s evil / bad nature if they’re putting up a front. So if your normally loving cat houses at a stranger, beware. Or if the cat walks into a room with nobody in it, tenses and hisses at the air, then leaves – you need to call a preacher.
” you need to call a preacher.”
The High Priestess of your local covenstead would be a better choice, bringing less ingrained dogma about the nature of your visitation.
Very true. I myself would never contact a orthodox “preacher”, as I would be in touch with my Wiccan coven’s High Priests. But not many here know of abutting other that the catholic clergymen for exorcisms or spiritual dealings.
I dont even bother with calling in outside help. If its my home, I’ve got all the authority I need to give any unwelcome visitors the boot. Thankfully only ever had to really use it once.
Why should Shadow be sorry for scaring a cat? Scare-points are scare-points, right? 🙂
Nobody EVER gains points from scaring a cat.
In severe cases, when it can be shown the cat-scare was deliberate, points will be deducted or the points total will be zeroed. Furthermore, the offender’s personal property (pillows, slippers etc) will be notified to the Council of Felinia as acceptable toileting zones.
Remember that Shadow considers herself to be a monster, and humans can expect monsters to behave monstrously.
But not cats.
I myself have 9 cats and 1 kitten, and can ascertain this to be truth. I lost my work shirt to revenge last week.
oh no is Bully Time, that must be Fun
Don’t worry, Shadow will show them a good time… °w°
Saw that coming before I even read the comments. Thirsk be fun
This’ll be fun**
I am deeply scared
Also, I made a prediction several pages ago that a bully or three would show up from Tims school, and Shadows claws would be coming out. Judging from his reaction, I might have been right about who. Definitely staying tuned for next (nextnext?) weeks chapter 🙂
I figured so much.
Suspense is fun when used now and then but if played out all the time every time it gets rather tedious to the point of being a major turn off. Rather like being with a girl who has nothing in life but unrelenting drama even when it’s not warranted.
As much as I like the comic (one of the top online comics I know of in storylines, character design and quality of artwork!) the unending cliffhanger like suspense page to page week after week is growing old for me.
Kinda thinking I might write this comic off for a year then come back to it so that I don’t have to deal with long dragged out week to week suspense any more.
Heh. Okay fine, leave right at the climax of the chapter then. 😉 The power is yours!
You know what else is getting old? Your sarcastic replies to valid criticism…
Okay fine, but I’m not sure that actually is valid criticism. You see, I mostly don’t actually consider what I do to be cliff-hangers at all. It’s all one conversation split up into segments to best fit on multiple pages. I mean… go back and read the comic and tell me where the cliff-hangers are?
THIS page in particular is a joke, and will be rewarded before the end of the chapter, which is coming soon enough.
And if the complaint is about time, then well, there’s nothing I can do about that except quit my job to do this hobby full-time. Which is not a viable solution for me right now. Maybe someday, but not right now.
Jokes are OK. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, Brandon. This is a COMIC, after all!
It was not intended as criticism so much as my views of what little of any negatives I do see with it. I did say it is one of the top online comics for all around quality I know of by my standards.
To be fair I am and never have been one who found drama and suspense fun or enjoyable to any degree. Especially with things that tend to follow a pattern of a strong implied lead in only to end with a rather drawn out end at a disappointing reveal if any at all.
I see by others comments I am not really alone on this either.
In perspective Christmas and birthdays sucked ass for me all my life because of that. Weeks of hype about what amazing and super presents I may be getting only to end up with clothes or cheap shit grade toys that were nothing like what I was asking for or wanted and lead to believe I was getting.
I hope that makes more sense. I haven’t written the comic off yet but it’s definitely on my mind.
@Shadowfury You got a problem with it, don’t read the comments. Brandon doesn’t owe you anything but he’s willing to come on here and answer questions and isn’t always serious about it. Where’s the harm?
I think somebody just needs to lighten up a bit.
@Shadowfury jeez somebody’s bitchy today. If you look, the original wasn’t ill natured – much unlike yours. Custodian was simply starting an opinion and his reasoning behind it, to which Brandon replied with a very valid response of his own. So, as said above, you got a problem with Brandon’s “sarcastic ” responses to “valid *criticism*”, then either just read the pages and ignore the comments, or fuck off completely! (note the quotations and especially the asterisks for heavy mocking)
Just so you notice, there is a Patreon link on the page.
I’m sure if we could all raise enough Patreon donations every week or month, as the case may be, to let Brandon enjoy doing this Grand Tale full time, then we could probally have a dozen panels three times a week.
However, at this point in time, that’s not the case.
Like most of the rest of us, the real word intrudes and wants Mortgage payments or rent, as applies.
Various Mouths need feeding, various outgoings must be met, and the Boss kept happy, as may apply.
So, until then, we can but enjoy our weekly or fortnightly fix and be thankful that Brandon otherwise enjoys his hobby and at the same time, entertains the rest of us.
Just saying, is all.
:I i have no problem With the Current Sequential Method. :l Manten el buen Trabajo Brandon.
Looks like Timmy’s “Biff” is about to make his appearance. Would just take the cake if he’s dressed up in crappy Jason Voorhees costume.
LOL!
Oh dear god please XD
ShoKahn, you do know Biff is traditionally a girls name. What if the bully is wearing Her wicked witch costume?
Biff is not really a name you hear ANYWHERE male or female. However the most popular version is from the main antagonist bully from the Back the Future movies. If Biff is referenced this is where. And no he did not mean female
Ok, so I thought of the right series when I read the name Biff.
It’s gonna be Tim’s version of Nightmare and this is totally gonna end up like Strangers On A Train and Tim and Shadow will deal each others’ bullies! Except probably with less murder.
Or even worse, it could BE Nightmare sneaking out after Shadow to keep an eye on her and dog boy, in an even hokier costume!
Wait, not sure that would be worse.
I think the scene with Nightmare and Terminus is taking place at the same time as this, so probably not. Also, Shadow would be the one reacting, not Tim. Still a pretty hilarious thought.
I think he means Midnight. Gotta keep em straight, yo!
Um, yes, I meant Middy. my bad.
Um, yes, I meant Middy. my bad.
Could see things really heating up politically for Tim if he is seen escorting 2 cute young girls around the neighborhood!
Need a way to edit/delete my accidental dupe comments. Thought I had caught it in time…
But naw, if it was Middy, I think the “crap” would have been the two of them in unison.
Wouldn’t that be a kick? After Shadow chases away the bullies and she feels all protective about Tim they talk about their prospective bullies and instead of “Strangers on a Train” it goes all “Throw Momma From the Train” and wacky hi-jinks ensue.
So, um, about panel 6, from there expressions alone…
Tim: That moment when you are struck so terrified your eyebrows literally bust through the brim of your hat.
Shadow: OMG thats some good panic! I think I’m going to need a fresh pair of these underwear things.
To me he looks more angry than scared
Naw, those are definitely surprised/shocked eyebrows, not angry.
YES! Something important to the plot is coming up! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!
“Well, well! Now look who we have here!”
FU-
But honestly the next scene could go one of 2 ways, 1: the bully is some jock who is probably kicking Tims ass in school. Or 2: it’s some bully that talks shit but really can’t fight at all, and probably will try to steal the candy they just got.
Either way shadows probably gonna end up kicking his ass…
I’m half-expecting Shadow to end up with the bully’s candy “collection”.
This I could easily see. She may not know much about earth customs but I expect she understands the concept of “ante up” 😉
The concept of “To the victor, the spoils” is probably more appropriate. Why would Nox have such good teeth and claws if they’re not regularly used? Shadow’s probably better in a physical confrontation than the local overweight bully, used to being intimidating simply from being (temporarily) bigger.
Rip him a new one, girl!
Shadow may or may not be deceptively strong for her size.
Possible problem with consistency: Early in the story, Tim tussled with Shadow and was not overwhelmed physically by her. She might have been holding back because she liked his smell even before she got to know him. However, later on there was a more serious tussle between Tim and Midnight, and she is a bit older than Shadow, but she also didn’t overwhelm Tim (except by digging her claws into his hands).
I’m kind-of forced to conclude that Shadow won’t physically overwhelm a bully (but if her teeth and claws are merely masked by a glamour, they might still be there and available to do serious damage semi-invisibly. If the glamour is more thorough (you mentioned something about her tail not being there), then I expect Shadow will have to set it aside to do serious battle.
Tim had a few advantages over Shadow. One, she likes him and doesnt want to harm him. Second she was probably very surprised at the food fighting back, something she isnt used to seeing and didnt know what he was capable of, probably did not want to find out. Basically her heart was not in the fight. Midnight was caught off guard by the trap, but still probably held back because she would not want to hurt Shades pet who was only doing what she told him to do. All it took to free herself was a light pinch. We havent seen what a real swipe from those claws (or a kick/gore from the feet) can do yet, even if Mortis hinted at putting his hand right through Termite.
Here we have a boy Shadow is falling hard for, probably about to be threatened by a bully. I expect there will be NO holding back, especially if its a typical bully with wingmen scenario. Also, boys go for the beatdown, but pissed off girls go for the KILL. I dont expect Brandon would get that gory, but I could easily see this bully losing an eye to a claw swipe or the use of his fingers if he grabs Tim.
Midnight did not yet know Tim was friendly with Shadow when he surprised her with that blanket. All she knew was that Shadow was going to show her something about what she was doing out stalking on her night out in her best cape. And we know Midnight (at that age) did not have a high opinion of humans. Furthermore, she knew she was in the human world and her sense of smell is probably as good as Shadow’s –which means she almost certainly knew she was tussling with a human. I know of no reason why she would have held back her full strength during that time/place.
“I know of no reason why she would have held back her full strength during that time/place.”
Which leads to the conclusion that Mid (and Shadow) may NOT have that overwhelming strength. Their natural weaponry (fangs, claws, extreme cutness and sexual presence) may well be suffucient to stun the bullies.
What happens after THAT? Enquiring minds ….
Your so cruel sometimes brandon this isn’t a cliff hanger it’s a mount everest hanger. The closer I get to the top the more duanting climb…
Quality takes patience and patience takes time my good friend
Don’t worry, the cliff-hangers will be taking a break. Unless you count scene changes as cliff-hangers… because there are 2 events happening at the same time!
Technically those are indeed cliff hangers, anything that leaves a plot point paused at a crucible to do something else can be considered a cliffhanger
“it’s almost like she’s… got two faces. The happy smiley one that was there when she met me and a really serious one that she calls ‘Captain Ruthless’.”
Keep dangling that carrot Brandon. I’m guessing that the next time something like this happens we’ll see what’s going on with Nightmare and Terminus and we’ll have to wait another few weeks. :p
I’ll place money on that bet. Put me down for$9, a case of white Monster, an iced honey bun, and a box of twinkies. I’m goin all in on this one. And I’m real about this too. If I come to lose the bet, I’m giving everything listed to my brother.
Alright everyone, place your bets.
Who’s the bully gonna be dressed as?
Michael Myers
Jason Vorheese
Leather face
Other.
I doubt a bully would be wearing a costume at all. They are just out to steal candy off others, not go around trick or treating themselves.
“Other” ( orange, with a bad blond hairpiece )
I wonder now if his mom is actually the other demon mother.
I believe the word she was looking for is “Awesome”.
Very worth the wait, now come the pain of waiting another week. Dammit.
anyway an excellent webcomic brandon, very worth everyday of waiting.
tough i must say that i found amazing how you can draw the expression, i could feel how shadow and Tim were feeling on every panel.