SFP

sfp-6-20-for-web

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  • bryan rasmussen

    huh, pipsqueak’s new power is to make other people feel small.

    • chaosvii

      Also: He can exclusively shrink his head so that it never appears too big no matter how inflated his ego gets.

  • ZBass

    I’m quite glad pintsize’s response is to tease her about this, it’s much better than if he’s got straight out all upset.

  • Soqoma

    Well, this could still be going worse…

  • josh

    I keep wondering if it will ever occur to her that she has only had half a good idea, the other half is to help the other half of the human race. The half that needs more help against domestic violence anyway (far less then 10% of all shelters and such accept men). only about half of all domestic violence is against women, and only a tiny fraction is a man who is beating a women while being non-reciprocal.

    • Ontogenesis

      Domestic violence is bad period. We need to help end the shame and gender stereotypes so people can reach out for the help they need.

      But would you tell me where you get these figures? “only about half of all domestic violence is against women, and only a tiny fraction is a man who is beating a women while being non-reciprocal.” It’s just different from what I’ve read before.

    • Tsapki

      Hmm, do we have studies and numbers on this? It wasn’t a trend I was really all that aware of. Also, I do not think this is just a domestic violence issue. As she said, sexual assault is an issue, so this isnt just a program for spouses with trobule with people abused in any sort of social relationship too. And from most studies it seems sexual assault is predominately targeted at women.

  • Rens

    That’s almost but not quite the opposite of what she’s *actually* doing, Pintsize.

  • Abel Undercity

    Pintsize gives good gloat.

  • Markus

    I’m like 70% sure that Pintsize is a habitual credit-taker who wouldn’t know an original idea if it beat him in the face with a tire iron. In other words, pretty good odds that he’s a schmuck.

    • Tylikcat

      This may be premature, but so far Pintsize really seems to be a mensch.

  • StClair

    Modest, too.

  • ∫Clémens×ds

    This envelope is so weirdly tiny. This is so strangely upsetting. Also, did she end up taking it? She might want to keep hold of it in the pages to come.

    Because theeeere we go, the wait lasted long enough. In retrospect, panel 6 is indicative of why it was so difficult to pinpoint the direction the story might take– it’s very difficult to tell the difference between Hector’s heartfelt, genuine enthusiasm, optimism and desire to praise others, and an excess of frustration finally coming to the surface in the form of a subversive, cynical use of those same qualities.
    I like that at the end of the page, I still don’t know if he will just be content his idea being finally validated or whether the anger will show stronger.

    I also kind of love how oblivious Alison is.
    That’s mah Alison.

  • ∫Clémens×ds

    “I’d be happy to lend you some money, absolute bestie.”
    “No thanks, I just came to assess how much of my I’m starting a superhero team on my own spiel I can go through with a straight face when talking to you of all people. So far so good.”

    • chaosvii

      Later, Hector becomes a prodigy banker that gives out loans to crimefighters in need of a team up.

      • Tylikcat

        Biodynamic VC!

  • Laeras

    I think this is just gonna make stuff be more awkward :I

  • kwerboom

    A ‘network’ and a ‘team’ are two slightly different things. Not quite the same thing.

  • MrSing

    Well, well, well. How the turns have tabled.

  • motorfirebox

    She is never going to live this down.

  • Liz

    I can already see the fight this is going to blow up into.

  • Joshthulhu

    This turned out much better than I expected!

  • Zinc

    Sheesh, Hector. Feel superior if you hafta, but tone down on the sarcasm, you handsome genius. You just made up!

  • Darkoneko Hellsing

    That’s kinda wrong, kiddo.

  • Ralph, the Dire Opossum

    Ooh, the snark is real!!! Thanks M&B!

  • thebombzen

    “Just in case it wasn’t clear, that handsome genius is me. I’m the one with the great idea.”

  • Insanenoodlyguy

    Oh no, he’ll be smug forever

  • I have been waiting for someone to point out the obvious forever. Bless Pintsize.

  • Pol Subanajouy

    Oh Pintsize, I love ya but I think you’re missing an important detail. Actually I’m interested in seeing his reaction. If a bunch of biodynamic people get together with the intent of doing good BUT they won’t be focusing on the costumes or “fighting” crime so much as aiding in recovery, will it register as a “superhero team” to Hector? Depending on how this network is set up, powers might not even be used that much. It might be way more about counseling, being an advocate and providing shelters and buffers against former abusers. Does that still jibe with Hector’s paradigm of superheroing?

    Also, I’m glad that the check wasn’t a source of drama at least. 😛

    • Graeme Sutton

      If that is supposed to be the idea, then it’s difficult to see why superpowers are needed or helpful.

      • Pol Subanajouy

        In my opinion, it’s the level of response needed. When it’s a giant robot, nothing but superpowers will do, as well as many of the trappings of the super hero genre. When it’s protecting a victim as in this situation, I feel the superpowers are a nice added insurance, but you’d be an advocate and ally first and foremost. You know, who just happens to be able to bend steel beams, see through walls or what not. Again, just how I’m thinking of it. I’d totally open to hearing your perspective.

  • Kes

    I’m with Pintsize on this one. Alison was pretty cavalier and dismissive about PS’s dreams and I think she’s definitely earned a little ribbing. Also, I hope PS gets on-board with her “network”…

    • Markus

      I’d be with him if he were playing it in the direction of calling out Allison on the way she hypocritically craps on the way everyone else tries to be a hero, but instead he’s basically going the “I’m really smart and you won’t admit to stealing my idea” route. Like I’d be on his side if he weren’t so garbage at framing it right.

    • Debbie Jackson

      I’m concerned in case she isn’t willing or able to let him be a part of it, due to his gender. I hope this won’t be the case.. but she hasn’t entirely thought it through. 🙁

    • MrSokar

      I think she does realize it which is part of why she expected major awkwardness.

  • Zmm

    Oh he is surprsingly ok with all this.. that is good.
    i hope he doens’t ask to join
    and she turn him down…

    i also hoep he doens’t join
    and then try and make it more broad opened cases..
    which will get the government more involved
    and cause shit to go down.

    I just want him to join up and be helpful haha

  • spriteless

    I guess Allison has a really narrow view of what super-heroing is. It’s that thing she used to do. Now she is doing something different, so it isn’t super-heroing. I mean, she’s not taking orders from the government or skipping middleschool or anything.

    This… is going really well. Far better than the comics made me fear it would.

    • Happyroach

      I think that comes from the team she was on- a tight sponsored group with a narrowly defined mission involving violence.

  • zarawesome

    When you thought you had passed the awkward part of the conversation but then

  • Fortooate

    smug boy, with the smugged good looks of a man twice his smugness-age

  • dragon

    glad he’s taking it well

  • Arutha

    Ironically, a handsome genius was involved in the teams creation. Paladin helped a lot.

  • Brandon Quina

    I hope this as well, but I don’t really *expect* it.

  • dragonus45

    I’m not sure if Alison is really personally aware enough to cut to part of the real heart of the issue, since she does still seem to only see domestic violence as a gendered issue. Which is a shame because there is more than enough evidence out there to to show that it happens to men and women at almost equal rates.

  • Guest

    A LOT of commenters don’t seem to really flow with friendly teasing. I don’t think Pintsize is being literal, y’all. Don’t you ever kid around with friends like that? Because we haven’t seen more of him, his personality may still be forming in the eyes of many readers, and so details like this may be incorrectly harvested as a truth of perspective rather than as amicable jocularity.

    Here’s my translation:

    “You’re starting a SUPER HERO TEAM?”
    “Kind of, but not like comic books…”
    “Dude I totally pitched this idea to you earlier! I mean, basically. With more comic books since I am a person who likes comic books and the idea of us fighting crime via dramatis personae.”
    “I know.”
    “You told me it was a shitty idea! You said you were done with it! You tore it it up and threw it in a trash can!”
    “Kind of?”
    “Well guess who’s eating her own words after hurting my feelings over them!”
    “Jolly good Pintsize. I acknowledge that I was wrong and I appreciate that you can laugh at our past disagreements instead of holding them over my head,” *comic continues* *this is not someone being an arrogant jerk imo*

  • Guest

    Plus, does no one here ever joke with friends by doing some fake preening? ie third-person hyperbole extolling your own physical beauty and intelligence that we all laugh at because we’re friends and not literalists. I honestly think that the person who does this is being a bit humble because you know they don’t believe it, they’re just playing the role of foolish pomp, so they’re inviting friendly ridicule.

  • Oren Leifer

    Preventing potential crimes…
    Huh, Patrick would actually be pretty helpful here, if he wasn’t working on a bigger project (that might or might not ever pan out). Because if you can see in someone’s mind the pattern that ends with them abusing a significant other, then you know that they’re someone to watch. Orwellian? Yes. Effective? Maybe.

  • Oren Leifer

    I know it’s a horrible invasion of privacy, but if Allison could get Patrick on board with this idea, it would be excellent. He seems to be quite the student of human behavior in addition to his powers, so he would probably be good at helping to spot and monitor potential abusers. As he’s said in the past, “If you can hear someone’s darkest desire and see their entire memory
    laid out in front of you, and you still can’t get them to do what you’d
    like, it says more about you than the people you’re attempting to
    control.” Could this be applied to serial abusers to help change their ways, and/or abuse victims to teach them to recognize danger signs?

    Just as we’ve seen how many internal powers can be applied for aiding others (Feral’s spreading the organs, Lisa designing cybernetics that presumably can be used by others), couldn’t Patrick’s power be used to teach others incredibly well? He can clearly see how the people he is instructing think, and see when they get what he’s saying, or if they miss it, why they do.

  • Sabrina Paquette

    And genius.

  • Walter

    Eh, Pintsize’s point isn’t exactly what he thinks it is. He’s acting like getting together people with magic powers to fight crime is a good idea. That’s…not exactly it. Nothing Alison’s crew is doing couldn’t be done by unpowered folks.

    Its a good idea because it keeps them busy, so they don’t do worse things. Moonshadow/Feral would be wasting their talents bodyguarding someone from their sleazy ex-boyfriend, but that would still be hundreds of times more acceptable to Alison than what they ended up with.

  • Pol Subanajouy

    Smug powers. The ~best~ powers. <3

  • Daniel Vogelsong

    The network itself would be, sure. But all the background/prep/admin work can be done by anybody.

  • BMPDynamite

    … Okay, I’m sorry, but seeing Hector be justifiably smug is adorable. <3 You win this round Pintsize! Taste that sweet sweet victory for the first time in a long time. 🙂

  • Some victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence might not feel safe in the company of a man.

    • feli

      Yea, I get that, but there are probably other ways to help.
      And Pintsize is so adorable, he’d make a great addition with his optimism!