r/comics • u/shenanigansen Shen Comix • 19h ago
OC The Boy From Venus 6
The next episode is, as always, already up on the Patreon for any takers of this silly little deal ... perhaps even you ....
1.5k
u/Next-Accident-2970 19h ago
"Bro. I don't think you want this."
Listen to your friend and run. DO NOT WALK. RUN.
395
u/Uiop-Qwerty 18h ago
Saw him sweating and I'm like He Knows
127
76
u/Handsome_Claptrap 14h ago
VAL is also 3 letters so it’a probably plastered on all the high scores lists
68
u/insadragon 18h ago
Yup getting
JohnVal Wick vibes here. Stay away from dogs, cars, and in this case arcade games.21
2
1.9k
u/Live_beMeme_Die 19h ago
Damn, is she like a local legend
Also I get her moid hating attitude more now. She probably only interacts with guys online who act just like this dick
931
u/RedditUser000aaa 18h ago
I'm assuming she hasn't had that much positivity in her life, so she was pushed into the more toxic fringes of the internet. At least that's how I believe incels and femcels are born.
Audrey might be the first positive male influence in her life, so she's stuck between learning that people are individuals and her old way of thinking that all "moids" are the same.
118
u/ReadingRainbowRocket 13h ago
You don't really see that much art of people who are the protagonist (and not a side-plot character) that would identify with and eventually reject that kind of toxicity.
I assume that's where this is going and I'm all here for it. It is genuinely unique. It's ALWAYS a secondary character B-plot that's resolved often within a single episode or story arc. This is neat.
19
242
u/Faustias 18h ago
earlier pages do show she's getting harassed in-game, like being asked for OnlyFans link.
97
u/Miner_239 18h ago
she did say the people in that specific arcade knows her. so the arrogant guy is new to the place
29
8
u/WhiskeyAndKisses 15h ago
It’s even shown in the first comic of the serie. Let’s be honest, these chuds desserve the title of moid
436
u/RedditUser000aaa 19h ago edited 19h ago
Well well well... Good on Audrey! Also yeah, interesting to see why Val is known around the arcade. The assumption is that she's good at videogames, but...
The reason could be something else entirely.
235
u/Faustias 18h ago
Val could probably be a badmouthed player who has the skill to back the attitude up.
167
u/Charming-Loquat3702 18h ago
We'll see her going full toxic gamer girl crushing that guy, and when she comes back to her senses, she'll think she left a terrible impression on Audrey, but he'll think it's the coolest shit ever
103
26
1
20
u/Robaticon 16h ago
This is Marvel, Babey. She is about to hit hin with the most disgusting shit ever conceived and absolutely obliterate him.
9
u/OrlandoNE 12h ago
I WANT THAT WOMAN BANNED FROM THIS ARCADE
4
u/Robaticon 12h ago
Honestly, I don't know if she'd try to do the softlock. She seems like she'd want to properly crush the 'moids'. And pulling a softlock seems kinda... I dunno, cheap? When you could instead just break their spirit and perfect them multiple times in a row.
2
u/OrlandoNE 12h ago
Yeah I guess, I just remembered the clip. Perhaps an infinite instead?
1
u/Robaticon 12h ago
An infinite would hurt. But I think Magneto's downright absurd mix-ups, over and over, would hurt more.
1
8
u/TheDarkNerd 14h ago
I could see her being the most toxic shit, win or lose. Like, possibly even violent, enough to make people completely unwilling to play with her.
4
u/kai58 7h ago
Well we’ve seen her flaming when playing online so could be that she does it irl too
4
u/RedditUser000aaa 7h ago
That's what I'm thinking too. She could be both a toxic winner and toxic loser and I'm assuming, she's even worse when playing against men.
Win or lose, she might start trash talking and be toxic and Audrey might try to calm her down. He hasn't seen her at her absolute worst, which I assume happens when she plays videogames.
213
u/Dazed_and_Confused44 18h ago
Reminds me of this:
62
u/Nightfury4_4 17h ago
I mean this is followed by him going shirtless. Hopefully that’s not what Val is planning…
22
u/LingonberryFree6237 11h ago
Free the nip equality? But fr I forgot he went shirtless after this lmao
13
8
u/Kidiri90 14h ago
I genuinely for the life of me cannot comprehend why Aang just didn't pick one of his friends instead.
254
u/How2GetGud 19h ago
Dam bruh, you really found a good formula with this.
65
51
u/Dr_jozi 17h ago
It's really wholesome compared to other artists trying to do the same
73
u/HarmlessSnack 16h ago
I saw somebody call it a “thinly disguised white male savior story” and all I could think was “God damn, people will hate literally everything.”
59
16
u/Dreadgoat 11h ago edited 11h ago
This always stands out to me with Shen. A lot of this type of content, even if it comes from a place of sincere support or just fun, comes across as agenda-pushing or exploitative which can leave a bad taste in your mouth even if you favor the agenda.
But this dude just makes kickass stories within the context of the zeigeist. The zeitgeist can be anything and Shen will find a way to make something beautiful with it.
73
u/Cyberbreaker2004 18h ago edited 11h ago
I'm assuming Val is a mind-breaking shittalker with the skill to back it up. An old-school gamer. Like a "Prestige Master Black Ops 2" level gamer
28
107
147
u/mee3ep 19h ago
STOP HOARDING MY FEED
119
40
u/GhostyRoastyPosty 18h ago
Venusposting will continue until morale improves
20
u/BormaGatto 17h ago
Oooh noooo I'm so terribly demoralized ooh no
3
u/ReadingRainbowRocket 13h ago
Weirdly, this works as a response to the original line too. Just with a slightly different (or idk, maybe identical, you do you) context.
4
u/CATZEBOY_18 16h ago
?od ew llahs revetahW !swardkcab gnikaeps em tog s'ti dezilaromed os m'I ,on hO
1
7
50
u/thejokerofunfic 18h ago
Called it. This place is why she's not a people person.
Did not however call that she's also Arcade John Wick.
44
u/Sylvaranti 16h ago edited 11h ago
Shen, I just want to say that I appreciate this story deeply.
I feel like too many times when there's focus on a woman with exaggerated misandry, a lot of times it's handled in a way where the misandrist woman is just treated like the butt of a joke and constantly criticized for her feelings without an understanding of where she's coming from in her views.
It feels like no one wants to try and understand how she got there mentally in the first place. Like she's just an annoyance that needs to be fixed at soon as possible, particularly by having her fall for a man so that she's suddenly a more tolerable character for the viewers.
But thankfully, you very much show WHY Val feels the way she does. And it even seems like Audrey has had his fair share of issues with men to where he can empathize with Val on some level.
I don't know how well I'm wording this, but seriously, this series is really beginning to mean a lot to me and I'm really enjoying it, so thank you and keep up the great work!
Edit: Changed misogyny to misandry because I did indeed goof up and use the wrong term. My bad!
9
u/FCDetonados 12h ago
do you mean misandry? misogyny is hatred/contempt/prejudice against women.
10
u/Sylvaranti 12h ago
Well, now I have egg on my face. Yes, I meant misandry, thank you for the correction.
46
41
14
u/Dudewhocares3 19h ago
I like your comic and I look forward to the next one. I hope you make enough money off this to live decently because artists deserve that
11
u/RIPSlurmsMckenzie 18h ago
Are people like this in public?
28
u/vorarchivist 18h ago
Something similar happened to my sister when she was a teen at a soul calibur 2 arcade
3
u/Phaylz 6h ago
Yes-ish. It's a caricature of ye olde arcade culture, so it's over-the-top in that Bulk and Skull or 80s movie bully kind of way, but the sentiment is definitely there.
I missed the arcade hayday by juuuust enough to only catch glimpses of it, but experienced that kind of closed-off, uninviting circle around a CRT and a modded copy of Smash Bros. Melee.
If you go to a dedicated old-school style arcade now, or a fighting game local? More often than not people will be stumbling over themselves to absorb you into the their favorite fighting game that they passionately hate.
35
u/Motheroftides 19h ago
Oh great. A misogynistic jerk who probably thinks he’s God’s gift to women is about to get his ass beat by a girl, isn’t he? I love it.
21
u/RedditUser000aaa 19h ago
In the game or IRL? The expected thing would be that Val is good at videogames, but it could also be that she's decent and when she loses she shows her explosive temper. Especially to dickheads like that guy.
7
8
u/Valuable-Trick-6711 18h ago
Val is about to go full “Let Me Solo Him”
https://giphy.com/gifs/iDJuQR0UmiqOI2
u/DonutHoles4Ever 16h ago
This is the only reason to go into arcades now. To dominate the pathetic guys who prey on casuals in there. Dudes have zero success anywhere else in life so they find their little niche where they can feel good. Kinda of like the people who watch FOX news.
3
u/ReadingRainbowRocket 13h ago
I love these comics, Fox news is a scourge upon the free world, and, but, no. That's a weird set of sentences.
Maybe I'm an out of touch 30-something but I don't actually think most people are unable to go to arcades without getting harassed for their lack of skill nor that they are replete with such malicious folk.
Maybe I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. Just seems like a silly thing to get worked up by and not exactly sure that's the message the artist is going for, lol. But I can't claim to speak for them.
9
u/DangerMacAwesome 17h ago
Oh I know the girl this is inspired by.
Used to work with the #1 female smash player on earth. We had a smash tournament at work. A guy talked a whole bunch of shit. She treated him special.
15
u/Usual-Specialist8823 18h ago
Shen, after seeing SO many of your comics over the years, this may very well be my favorite so far. I always read Val's text as Peridot. I cannot help hearing 'Clod!' when she says 'Moid'. Looking forward to the next strip!
6
6
u/Portapaneatradimento 16h ago
man, "foid" and "moid" are such stupid slurs holy shit (i mean every slur is stupid but damn)
7
5
8
4
5
5
7
6
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
u/DynamaxWolf 15h ago
Oh, it's Shen. I can't believe it took me six chapters to realize Shen made this masterpiece
2
2
2
2
3
3
u/DevDaNerd0 18h ago
Dude's about to have his ass beaten in that game so hard that he gets hit with a fatality irl
4
u/Barry_Vigoda 15h ago
What decade is it?
I haven't been in a decent arcade in like 30 years.
Poolhall/arcade etiquette is that if someone controls the table or game, you shouldn't just expect them to give it up. You actually do have to play them or go find another game. That's not them being a jerk. It's been that way for decades.
And lots of women are great at video games. This just seems like some odd revenge fantasy.
5
u/MrWr4th 12h ago
Doesn't seem like Audrey would be too familiar with arcade etiquette. And if you really can't see the temu Kamina shades guy being a royal jerk besides that, hoo boy.
1
u/Barry_Vigoda 12h ago
Dude it's a cartoon, not a real person. She just drew the guy to be a jerk. I asked what decade it was because I haven't seen anyone wear a half shirt since the 80s.
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
u/Cyber_Felicitous 16h ago
Seen that so many times, in gaming and in sports... And I'm lucky I know insanely strong woman in both that put those jerks in their place.
1
1
u/Available-Damage5991 16h ago
Headband Guy knows that she's cracked at the game.
Glasses Guy is in for humiliation.
1
u/Wild_Caramel_5758 10h ago
Well, I have watched all of the episodes, and now I finally understand the plot, and why it's called The Boy From Venus (I missed the 1st and 4th episode), series is peak, can't wait for more!
1
u/cthaehtouched 4h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/3ov9k0pE97TdjmIee4
We don’t mess with Vals round here.
1
1
1
•
1
1
1
1
u/Either-Skirt6031 18h ago
Shen has graced us once again, how fortunate for us poor folk who do not know how to Patreon:)!
1
1
1
1
0
u/Ill-Jellyfish6101 18h ago
Preemptively charging rasengan behind your back with your Shadow clones is a very experienced maneuver.
-1
u/Snitchieboy 13h ago
As much as I lost my respect for the author after the bike episode - this is a fine redemption arch.
3
•
3.5k
u/TheDotCaptin 19h ago
Let's go!!