Did this one as a 2 page spread (as it will appear in a future book) so it is both Friday and Monday’s comic.
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Did this one as a 2 page spread (as it will appear in a future book) so it is both Friday and Monday’s comic.
I would think the people in power have anti-speedster measures in place. Why he is going after the low hanging fruit.
He’s going after his targets. That they aRE low hanging fruit isn’t important.
Also, we’re about to see if his powers were TRULY taken away…
I agree, but not from Elijah directly. There is something glowing behind Elijah. Lucas is probably coming for an attack from behind. If he’s not extremely careful, he could hit Ethan.
I mean, Elijah has to be good at dodging, right?
I didn’t think so, but then I read “two page spread” and realized, oh, it’s wow, it’s happening now.
because he has the same flaw as every other speedster impatience
other methods and targets would take to long or to much effort he wants it fixed NOW
This is so good. That’s it. Great work, Tim!
To quote a certain memorable character, “…yet here I am, arguing philosophy with terrorists”.
I’m tired of people like Elijah here, people who crusade and blame video games endlessly. Especially when its proven time and again that video games don’t inherently make people violent, they don’t incite people to evil. At worst, for a handful of already mentally unstable people it can be the straw on the camel’s back, but those are the minority. But people like Elijah won’t listen to any sort of reasonable argument about the topic. They’ll just pearl clutch, shout louder, and blame the video games anyway. Gamers have been fighting the anti-videogame crusaders since the early 90’s. I’m tired… Read more »
there really isn’t anybody serious who is seriously endangering video games from the violence angle, for years. And definitely not someone who is killing people over it. The crusaders are few and irrelevant. I’d be a lot more worried about the people banning books and movies and TV not because it’s violent but because it’s “woke” or “porn”
Yeah, it’s scary how the very people, who scream all day about how they are censored for their beliefs and opinions, won’t hesitate to ban books, series and even attempt to get people fired just for writing stuff they don’t agree with.
Weird how the irony on that is lost to them.
There has never been a side in all of history that engaged in censorship that were the good guys. Our current administration is deporting people with a trial for the crime of saying something at a campus protest. Here in my own state of Iowa parents can remove books from the shelves of school libraries. History will not be kind.
Only if historians are allowed to write it and if what they wrote isn’t burned.
Unless the USA also nukes the rest of the world, the rest of the world will remember…
USA isn’t the only place in the world. (I know, shocker…)
yea and the first 100 days of that lunatic have perminatly screwed the united states we will NEVER fully regain the worlds trust
And then, they’ll have them removed from Amazon, and Barnes & Noble – every existing market in the country – everywhere. That cadre of Iowa parents have that authority the world over!
Elijah does make that argument; he knows the core issue is with mental health. But he can’t do anything about that. His argument (however flawed it might be) is that if you can’t fix the core issue, you take away the (in his mind) harmful influences and extensions. In his mind, he’s equating video games to guns, knives, any kind of tool that can be used to channel and encourage violent impulses. But video games (again, according to him) aren’t taken as seriously as those other tools. Now, we know that Elijah’s arguments and reasonings are flawed, there’s very little… Read more »
His issue is that he wants to control how society behaves; and has fixated on trying to control this small part of it by murder and intimidation
“In his mind, he’s equating video games to guns, knives, any kind of tool that can be used to channel and encourage violent impulses.” And like OP said, they aren’t equal to any of those things and we’re tired of people who insist they are. I do think you hit the nail on the head though: Elijah isn’t bothering to go for the effective targets. He’s going after the easy targets. At least for me, that’s part of what makes him so vile. Parents are still going to be able to get their children video games via online retailers who… Read more »
Extremely flawed. By his logic, everything needs to be banned, tv, food, board games. Oops, some people have a nut allergy and someone might make a mistake(or intentional) with cross-contamination and cause a reaction that could kill someone. Ban all nuts.
He’s broken in the head. Why isn’t he killing gun store owners? Why isn’t he targeting kids in the COD lobbies that make violent threats? He’s decided on the one thing blame and that reveals a lot about Elijah.
He is killing gun store owners. https://cad-comic.com/comic/desperate-measures-p11/
It’s a little weird to target store owners TBH. If anything, seems like targeting manufacturers would make a much bigger difference.
I mean why go for the dealer when you can go for the source?
Honestly same with video games too. He could specifically target violent game manufacturers….right now, he’s targeting “Call of Duty” and “Animal Crossing” with the same level of vengeance.
Because those people are super protected. Plus, he doesn’t want to target anyone who is important enough to get the BIG supers involved. At least, not before he’s sure he can handle them. He might be fast, but likely NOT Captain Prime (Plasma beam” fast.
Maybe he should think bigger and go after actual gun manufacturers instead.
Well, yeah. It’s not like he’d need a gun to kill people anyway.
Elijah would greatly benefit from reading books on dialectical materialism. He should also learn about how violence went down while violent games became more abundant. It doesn’t prove that the games caused the reduction, but it does show that violent games never caused violence either. Attacking violent games will amount to nothing, as they do not influence violent behavior in any measurable way. If anything, they are a place to vent aggression, not incite it. The primary indicator of violence is inequality causing negative material conditions. The more stressors you live under, economically and socially, the more you are likely… Read more »
As an early 80’s Kid, Lanparty-organizer in the late 90’s/early 2000’s i can assure you it was way way worse than it is now. People really saw the reincarnation of the devil or just a spoiled kid that never grew up in you. One way or another, noone took you serious. You had people that didnt rent locations to you for no reason except “you must be a loonie” or oversensitive parents that were hyperworried that their kid becomes the next murderer in the news because they play Duke Nukem or – worse – CounterStrike ! I hoped, we left… Read more »
I’m as old as you are Jedi I think, and growing up during the 80’s to 90’s is part of why I’m sick of people like Elijah. I will concede its not nearly as bad as it used to be, but it never really went away. Its still hanging around and still games gets blamed for stuff. This story arc is proof that mentality still hangs around in some people.
Honest question:
Would Jiala’s post get the same number of up-votes if you change “video games” to “guns”?
And, if you down-vote this post your bias is showing.
So, one slight issue with your argument is that video games are not inherently created for violence. A gun is made for that specific purpose.
I think on the outside, there are many people who will blindly blame (insert popular thing here) for death. It’s so much easier to do that than look at the more difficult mental health situation, but there are very legitimate reasons for tighter gun regulation, not necessarily so for video games.
Lastly, I had to downvote you. You practically dared me to do it!
The problem with your argument is that guns only purpose is to kill things. If its a pistol or an AR that’s usually people. Video games don’t do that, and have other purposes, just like knives, axes, and hammers.
Except I don’t think there is a single instance of a game proven to have caused stuff like this. In fact, studies I’ve seen say they actually decrease violence.
Also I wonder if Jiala’s post would get the same number of up-votes if you change “Elijah” with “Ethan”. Interesting question, no?
Well … its pretty easy to kill someone with a gun isnt it. However, no matter how hard you try, you will have a really hard time to do so with a video game. I mean you could give your victim nasty paper cuts with the cartonage or break the CD/DVD in a shape that you might be able to stab one with it … however aint most games sold these days virtual only and there aint even physical parts to hit someone with ?
Or much shorter: You compare an apple to a cucumber.
Your argument is not very good, owing to the fact that you are comparing two entirely different mediums (guns and videogames) as if they were identical in their intended purpose and the direct results of their usage. Also, further reducing the validity of your argument, is the fact that you feel the need to preemptively discredit everyone who might hold a different view than your own.
Sure, there are plenty of examples of people taking CoD into a public place and laying waste to everyone there…
Yeah, he might MOVE fast, but clearly his brain doesn’t run at the same speed.
Doesn’t help that the press feed the narrative like when they talk about the Columbine Shooters, and how much they played, they kind of didn’t mention the fact that the game that they both played the most was dance dance revolution.
Violence in the video games is a product of violence in the culture, not the other way around. Art is the mirror of society, etc.
And even if you assume it’s this wrong way around, why go after specifically the game store owners link? It’s one of the most arbitrary links in the chain from a “violent” game idea to a gun in a hands of a violent person.
Likely because our heroes are video game store owners. Makes for better drama
I think it has to do with his backstory. His brother Zion died from a kid reenacting Fortnight, yelling that the last one standing would win. That makes it a big focus, and if he’s active on social media or is often on the internet he probably gets bombarded with it. Echo chambers and big emotions sell the world today. Video games and guns will be his target. Now how to destroy them? Video games can be downloaded. Can he dismantle the internet? Does attacking that infrastructure not also risk so many other lives in this digital age? A physical… Read more »
Yeah, but he still could decide to go after the developers of Fortnite, for example. Not necessarily the exact programmers, the marketing department would maybe be more to blame for “spreading a violent idea”, which he wants to eradicate. Either way, he can completely trash their offices, which should be easily googleable. Instead he’s attacking retailers, which are basically hanging the already made posters
I wanted to ask if “effect” is correct and if it shouldn’t be “affect.” But after checking, I learned something new. My limited English didn’t know about this usage of effect as a verb. So, he is saying that he is the one actively bringing the change instead of just influencing it from the side. Anyway, it would be very ironic if the media started reporting about Elijah as a person badly influenced by video games, and he would start to see how nonsensical his reasoning was. Or if he kills Ethan which respawns, showing that even this more drastic… Read more »
https://xkcd.com/326/
I also learned something new. I guess I’m one of today’s lucky 10,000.
I love that first panel. Really shows how you’ve grown as an artist, that is the type of action scene I wish I could draw.
I was just coming to the comments to say that the first panel was just *chef’s kiss*. Truly beautiful!
So… THIS is where Zeke steps in?
The way it’s going, it’s where Ethan finds the hard way whether the serum was fake or not.
*Insert generic comment about how Ethan is going to die and respawn*
Here it goes. So I guess next update is on Wednesday?
It is literally written under the comic that the 2nd part will be on Monday.
It is literally written that this comic counts as both today’s and Monday’s
Respawn test incoming!!
And yet, unlike you Eliah, Ethan ain’t a murderer. And he plays a tons of games unlike you.
Elijah knowing everything that’s wrong with his line of thinking, knowing he’s a hypocrite, knowing politicians would make a more effective target – all of it cements him as completely evil.
And meanwhile he’s not accomplishing anything. “video game store owners are complicit, if I can keep video games out of the hands of children”
Who wants to tell him that online retailers and digital storefronts exist, and killing video game store owners won’t do anything to keep games away from children?
Hm … I would say that he’s a person who is “angry”. He experienced a loss, and that loss was deep and hurt him. As a result he’s angry at the circumstances that caused the loss and feels that his actions are justified … either as an act of revenge that makes him feel like he’s meting out justice, or as a crusade he feels will protect people who are “more innocent” than the people he is targeting. That’s a form of evil to be sure … on the Alignment Chart I would say he’s probably Lawful Evil. He’s someone… Read more »
So, Elijah’s logic is, that killing someone to prevent the suffering of others is morally justified?
That same logic would make killing HIM to prevent the suffering of the families of store owners etc., justified.
But he’d probably spout some more hypocritical nonsense, if that’d be pointed out to him, rather than admit it.
Indeed. He’s not sympathetic to gun store owners? Well, OK, let’s say I’ve got a sibling who works in politics for someone Elijah considers unsavory. So the family like me doesn’t even count for anything if the person made a decision Elijah disagreed with? Guilt by association? This dude has gone seriously unhinged.
I’m guessing a dozen Ethan deaths might wake him up and solve the Ethan’s powers problem?
Ethan has a nasty power. Sooner or later, someone is gonna realize that “Infinite respawns” equals “Perfect test dummy for my arsenal of experimental weaponry!”
That’s a chunk of the plot of Ajin: Demi Human
Weapons testing on people with the capability of serial reincarnation. Needless to say, it doesn’t end well.
I think ballistic test dummies will be safer as well as cheaper. You can use more at once, produce and ship them in huge quantities and use them at multiple places at once. A live human that reincarnates can of course report some things, but precious few weapons their effectiveness can’t be tested by dummies. “This weapon burned the top half of his body to a crisp. If only we had a live subject that could tell us if it was effective.” Even testing biological weapons on Ethan it only adds a few extra datapoints. What can’t you see when… Read more »
Two big arrows over Ethan so Elijah simply can’t reach him. Fly out of reach on an arrow yourself and hope he’ll not throw/grab a gun from the shop to hit Lucas. That’s I think Luca his best play to keep his friend from dying. Trying to trap the speedster seems unrealistic.
Ethan might use a glue bomb though. That might work against Elijah. A big hard to evade gulf of it, or explode it when Elijah is coming in for the kill. We don’t know how his superspeed exactly works with evasion, nor how he’s protected against high speeds.
Ethan is completely unconscious right now, he’s not going to help. Elijah clobbered him at super speed, so there’s every chance he’s gonna have a concussion.
How is Ethan unconscious? He is still talking, half pushing himself up from the street?
Besides, we already see a controller fly away in the bottom left panel. I wouldn’t expect him to have anything directly lethal right now. A glue bomb is an obvious choice to take.
I meant Lucas, ugh, I am bad with names…
Ooo, future book.
I’m in
😇😁
Yep, me too! I’m in, for future books.
Hopefully things are way more stable at that time in future, than they are now.
Same from me on future books too!
Well sh*t.
This really does look like Ethan is about to put his mortality to the test – I can’t see Elijah *not* attempting murder at this point.
Unless Lucas can rescue him in time.
(Also I’m a sucker for using effect as a verb 😀 )
Lucas is unconscious, if not concussed at this point. That was no love tap Elijah gave him.
I think the only one that can defeat Elijah, is Gameboy, and possibly the only one that could get through to him as well, being a kid. If Elijah doesn’t know Gameboy’s power (pausing people/objects), then he wouldn’t necessarily avoid contact with him. While Gameboy does stick to his local area, maybe this warehouse is in/next to it…
I’m just afraid, that Elijah could seriously hurt, or even worse, before Gameboy managed to freeze Elijah.
What is this, a comic for ants?! The txt is so small I can’t read it. 🙁
Yes the site is designed for a certain width… which is why I linked the full image directly below the comic.
Everyone is someone’s child.
Ah yes … the good old “I’m fighting for good, however who tries to stop me is evil and therefore needs to be exterminated” – Cliché. Guess another Nutjob got born …
Heart was in the correct place, until trauma shattered it. Now we get a villain instead of a unregistered super named “The Blur” who saves small children from accidents. You’re fast enough to rob traffickers blind, unlock doors and break windows in the same second, pick pockets, run up walls, and yet…. dammit.
Really does seem like this is leading to Elijah killing Ethan or at least attempting to. He’s gone down the rabbit hole that all other people go down when they think “their truth” justifies hurting other people. I know Ethan is more a comic relief sort of character than a “hero” … but it really would be nice to see him do something competent and heroic for once. The Analog & D-Pad comic has gone on for quite some time now … and I honestly cannot think of one honest “Hero Moment” that Ethan has had in this entire time.… Read more »
I’d say that the best way he can utilize his superpower and be the most useful facing adversaries is by putting himself in the harm’s way to protect others or draw enemy’s attention. Something that he has done repeatedly, I think. He can’t defuse a bomb, but he can jump on top of a grenade, there’s absolutely to chance he can win against Deathblood in combat, but he can jump in front of a bullet. He might not be able to smash Zeke’s face with a well placed blow, but he can talk them down, saving his friend in the… Read more »
I think Ethan could still do all those things … and STILL every once in a while be allowed to do something more than just be a damage sponge that gets clobbered every fight without dishing out anything of his own beyond, “why can’t we be friends?” Not saying I want him to be own the universe Superman style. Just want to see him do something besides get slapped around and talk about feelings every so often.
His power is 100 percent defensive. It’s not like he has a forcefield that could maybe reflect a shot if he was lucky, or teleportation, which could drop an enemy in the river. All he has is respawning, which at best wastes a bullet or a tiny bit of stamina. With only the strength of a skinny nerd, he’s not winning any fights any time soon. And honestly, “Shoot Ethan, then shoot whoever he’s protecting while he respawns” is a definite strategy. He’s lucky that Lucas is there to do the actual violence, because he’d be the worst ever as… Read more »
Not sure why there’s so much negativity here. Ethan has the potential to be incredibly powerful. He’s got staying power. He can try to defuse a bomb without worry to himself. Walk up to Demolition Duke and know he’ll walk away. Ethan does have strength. They train, and he’s able to swing around a city. Not an easy feat. Ethan has shown at least twice how it can be utilised. Against the Hacker Lucas was completely useless. Ethan? He blew himself up in full view and used his respawn to surprise the Hacker. There’s a suggestion he has some control… Read more »
I wouldn’t say there’s anything negative. It’s a difference of perception. I never said, “I sure wish Ethan would go on a homicidal rampage and slaughter a bunch of people.” All I said was it would be nice to see him do SOMETHING more than what he generally does … which is get punched around a lot. As you say, his ability does actually make him quite a force. Why not – occasionally … every once in a while … just a little bit … let that shine out? That’s what protagonists are for.
So hold up, I’m rusty on my Elijah history here – does he know that that is video-game-store-owner Ethan?
No but Elijah knows that they are videogame themed heroes and, as such, they are normalizing/glamorizing (depending on how you interpret his previous arguments) violent video games.
Given his “And so do you…”, I’m thinking he might be about to say “Ethan McManus” and reveal he’s figured out their identities.
Dude, Elijah isn’t just fast running, but talking as well! In the main panel he gets out seven sentences while he runs that half-circle around Ethan! And Ethan apparently just unlocked that fast speech power as well – He processed everything Elijah said and even responded with two and a half sentences before Elijah finally struck him from behind!
Funny. ^_^
But could also just be seen as him doing a ‘monologuing while quickly circling around the hero to confuse him and get a cheap surprise hit in’ bit.
*If* I was Elijah (but no , threatening, murders or violence etc), I’d target the whole global war-profiteering industry, not the middlemen or consumers.
The Video game industry isn’t the root of the problem.
Aaand that’s the extent of what I’ll say about politics here.
Coward can’t just attack gun stores.
You would think Ethan and Lucas would’ve come up with some anti-speedster tactics and such.
No such thing. e’s viewing the entire world in SUPER slow motion,. Before they’re aware they’re trying something, he can break their arms off if he decides to. Speedsters are HARD to limit if you don’t go with the “needs super amounts of food” or “Can only run ion short bursts”
what is Ethan holding in his hand (and drops it when he gets pushed in the back)?
Probably a glue bomb.
If we’re being honest here, his logic is just really bizarre.
I mean, he’s saying that if he even saves ONE kid, he’s willing to destroy the lives of what, hundreds?
What is he a flat-earther too?
Well … it has to be said that quite a few people say pretty much the same thing all the time. How often is it put forward by a talking head or an online post, “If it only saves ONE life then it is worth doing…” If I had a nickel for each time I’ve seen this sort of argument then I could buy and sell Bill Gates. Trouble is, such an argument is frequently used as emotional blackmail to try and cram dumb ideas down everyone’s throat or to try and get people to act against their better judgement.… Read more »
Imagine how many people could be saved if we could ban stupidity though. The number would be in the billions.
I really love how dynamic that first panel feels, just insane work.
video games are bad *tips hat*
but taking away the vidya isn’t the solution. has to be freely given up through free will or it doesn’t count.
Tim, what happened here? Why is this so small i cannot read it on my huge display?
Your huge display should also be showing you the post right below the comic.