MerchManDan wrote:
Thor wrote:I'm still waiting for any reason to be shown why I should like this guy at all.
I don't recall anyone saying you
should like him, but he's a part of the story now so - and I'm sorry if this is too blunt - either put up or shut up.
YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU'RE NOT MY REAL DAD!
Seriously though, "Put up or shut up"? What does that even mean? Love it or leave it? Sorry, no. Not happening. Discussion forums are for the discussion and analyses of a particular topic--in this case Wapsi Square and its constituent parts. And one of those parts is the new guy. And discussion does not mean fawning over him like he's the hottest new flavor or the cock of the walk. It means taking him apart and seeing what makes him tick.
My question is a serious one: Why should I (or for that matter, any of you) like this guy at all? He's been in a week's worth of strips now, and he has yet to show an obvious positive trait. His defenders have steadfastly said "He's not as awful as you are saying!" Well, fine. Back that up. Tell me then. Shut me up with the evidence. What are this guy's good qualities? Or is he merely not awful? You are standing up for this guy . . . why? About the only thing I have gotten from others so far is that Atsali likes him, so we should too. That's not exactly persuasive, especially considering how in this very strip Jacob demonstrated that these two don't actually know anything about each other at all, other than race.
eee wrote:Is there any male in the Wapsiverse that meets with your approval?
Why sure! Let's pull out the list.
Best guy is obviously Alan. He's a good friend to his friends, has a puckish sense of humor, and is supportive without being a doormat. He's a strong match for Jin, and they seem to work well together.
Shelley's dad obviously cares for his daughter and knows how to handle her temper. He's not been in the strip as often as he could have been, but his effects can be felt from Shelley having grown up as well as she did considering her childhood traumas.
Dietzel is probably the sanest one in the entire strip. And he doesn't let his obvious high intelligence get in the way of him just being a dog. And considering all of Monica's drama that he has to contend with, he has the patience of a saint.
Kevin--despite all the negative points he gets for that thing on his face--is a nice guy. He's a nice guy without being a "Nice Guy"--a guy who is only nice because he wants to get into your pants, but he's too chickenshit to say so. Kevin is patient and loyal, almost to a fault. He's been a bit too passive and accommodating, but now that Monica has tossed him aside, I think he's going to figure out the difference between being helpful and nurturing and being an on-call security blanket.
Yummy T is a fun guy with a bit of snark and was used far too little IMO.
Tepoz is . . . um, a handy plot device? Yeah, not a lot to say about that guy.
Justin is just sorta there. Neither offensive nor enjoyable. He seems to be a useful counter to Shelley's tempestuousness, but doesn't really have enough other characters traits to stand on his own. He's functionally agreeable. He's the supernatural incarnation of Owen.
Darren was good in his role as a dispenser of sage wisdom and beverages, but he has since been supplanted by Tina in that function.
Roy really needed to appear. He sounded like a fun guy.
Akeche wrote:Seriously you're picking him apart like a hungry vulture, I could do the very same thing with almost any other character in the comic. They all have faults.
Yes, they do, but they also have their positive aspects, and usually you get a taste of both of those from the get-go. Take Atsali for an example. Within a couple of strips, we knew that she was helpful and enthusiastic, but a little too rash and deceptive. Or with Cricket, we found that she was strong and decisive, but brash and tactless. And in both those cases, we found out that there was more to them that we were first presented, but the characters had a good enough first impression that we were willing to wait to see how the onions were peeled.
With Jacob, we have learned that he is whiny and moody, but also presumptive and dismissive. Hunh? Where's the good qualities mixed with the bad? I can see why some people might be willing to glom onto him because they were like that when they were his age, but that isn't anything inherent in the character. And some might say that none of his characteristics are terrible, unlike Phix who goes around murdering in the name of societal expectation, but that doesn't change the fact that even if his faults are small and petty, his sum is still negative.
Maybe he's going to blossom into a great character and he's ready to explode with hidden virtues, but that's merely speculation. As he has been presented now, there's nothing to really recommend him.
