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Sunday, October 9, 2011

West of Bathurst 959

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Just a random observation: there was a bit of discussion in the summer about whether Casey fit the Xanatos Gambit trope or the Batman Gambit trope. I tend to lean towards the latter, as the success of any of Casey's insane schemes (if they are, in fact, schemes) is predicated on the behaviour of the people involved. However, in a way, he seems to be hacking out his own trope here, though so bizarrely that it probably doesn't count as a trope at all. What do you get, after all, when you have someone who can apparently pull off a Batman Gambit even when the people being manipulated/persuaded into action are perfectly aware that the manipulation is occurring? That seems risky even for Batman, but as far as we know, Casey just managed it. He's even avoided being punched in the face by Marie. Victim of circumstances or evil genius? Only time will, assumedly, tell.

Sunday, October 9, 2011
Panel 1: In the title panel of this Sunday-style colour comic, Casey, dressed uncharacteristically in shorts and a T-shirt, moves a piece on a chess board while whistling innocently. Marie watches him, eyes narrowed and arms crossed.

Panel 2: Casey is lying under a blanket on Marie's futon. He is barely awake. Marie perches beside him on the futon; Barbara is on a chair.

Barbara: So you haven't tried to kill him yet?

Marie: Nope.

Panel 3: Casey closes his eyes.

Marie:
Every time I consider confronting him about what he did, I see him lying there, utterly helpless, and I just can't.

Panel 4:

Marie:
But then I think, "This is Casey. This is what Casey does."

Panel 5: Casey opens his eyes.

Marie: I mean, yes, it's obvious that he genuinely needs help. At the same time, his pathetic state of desperation is the only thing keeping me from clawing out his eyes.

Panel 6: Casey opens his eyes wider and cringes.

Marie:
Is this really just part of a ridiculously complex plan in which he's using even his actual physical distress to manipulate everyone around him?

Panel 7: Casey covers his face with his hands and peeks out from behind his fingers.

Barbara: I have mentioned the Satan thing, yes?

Marie: By this point, that goes without saying.

Alt-Text: I wouldn't want to play Casey at chess. Hell, I wouldn't want to play Casey at Snakes and Ladders. There's just something about the idea of him and board games that suggests he probably wins every one he plays before the first die is rolled.

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