The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
[Camp Comic] Friday, February 3, 2017 - Steve ‘N Steven #4
Dog
Registered User, Administrator, Vanilla Staff admin
Registered User, Administrator, Vanilla Staff admin
[Camp Comic] Friday, February 3, 2017 - Steve ‘N Steven #4
Unknown User on
0
Posts
I concede.
That was worth the build up for a happy Steven.
Steve's showing zero remorse, zero regret for anything that he did, that's the problem. So this is just going to keep happening to Steven, now, and he's going to keep taking it as friendship.
That's a weirdly miserable ending.
I think he's just a braggart like a lot of young kids can be who aren't sure of themselves and want to look cool.
That's because this is a co-dependent abusive relationship. This should make you uncomfortable,
Kid's got issues but he is working through them thanks to his very patient and understanding friend. I'm pretty sure Steven knows Steve is full of crap but he doesn't call him out on it cause he doesn't want to make him feel bad. That will lead to Steve feeling more comfortable to be himself and not put on airs so much.
He's just a compulsive liar trying to cover up for his lack of friends and talents. This is probably the closest Steve has ever got to telling Steven he cherishes their friendship.
One thing that strikes me though is that Skadi is a horrible person who is abusive to her best friend in all sorts of ways that would normally get the Vulnerable Persons team in Social Services talking about court orders. However, right through the comments this goes almost entirely uncommented on. Maybe it's the fantasy trapping, or maybe it's because Skadi has this whole femdom bikini barbarian thing going on.
Anyway, seems like we're less forgiving of the abuser this time round. I see your point on these being damaged kids, Lupos, but I'd say that this is still a nasty abusive kid victimising another kid. Sure, the abusive kid is probably like that because he's damaged, and it's probably not his fault he's like that, but still... he is definitely an abuser.
As for Steve, I don't think he's an abuser. Besides being a damaged kid, he's not trying to abuse Steven. Obliviousness and overconfidence are not abuse. He's just a lonely kid that's trying to be more than he is to impress people. And he genuinely enjoyed his day with Steven, he's not trying to manipulate him, he just doesn't know how to express it without making grandiose claims about himself.
The comic itself comments on this multiple times - Skadi gets chased by angry mobs, gets sentenced to death, gets pursued by revenge-seekers, gets punished for her transgressions by mystical beings, and so on and so forth; Diseasoid complains about his pain and suffering as Skadi's slave, tries to escape multiple times, occasionally tries to kill Skadi but can't go through with it, and sometimes has suicidal thoughts simply so he could escape his miserable life.
The reader comments call out Skadi a lot, too; mind that the original comments have been lost due to Dumm Comic's site malfunctioning, and that there are both a new comment section on Dumm Comics and another on Skadi's own site, which means a lot of comics that seem to have gone without comments simply had their comments lost to the abyss. Even so, there are still plenty of comments about Skadi being an abusive dick.
Damnit XD How'd you make me like him again...
In Steve, I see a manipulator who is working a game of control and negging on Steven, to make him dependent. That he isn't a great manipulator or that he doesn't do it to other people doesn't change the nature of their relationship. That Steve is like this because he's likely immature and lacking in self confidence is the reasons behind the bullying, not the outcome.
To me, the outcome is that Steve puts down Steven to make sure Steven doesn't leave him for someone else, and abuses the power of that relationship to take things from Steven (like the arrowhead). This, and stuff like the bridge, show that its not a true friendship where they care for each other (like say Brian has with Seventeen) but rather a power game.
Though, as I said, SO MUCH of this is subjective interpretation. That you can read this in different ways is a great testament to Katie's storytelling ability.
All hail Adam!