WARNING: Spoilers will be unmarked.
Who'd have thought a webcomic about a group of hedonistic, sarcastic weirdos would sometimes make you go "Aww"?
- Smegli explains why he's got a job specifically so he can afford not to pilfer Izzy's cupboards (where he lives), even though when Izzy met him he was living off of stolen crap from Cheap-O Mart:Smegli is comfortable thieving from the figurehead of latter-day capitalism, as the machine of the bourgeoise is oiled with the blood of the working class.
(Beat)
Smegli is NOT comfortable thieving from his good friends. - Izzy once bought an ice cream truck‘s entire stock so all the kids could have free popsicles.
- During the "Stranded in the Pleasure Archipelago" arc, Izzy and Darcy finally reconcile when Darcy apologies for her marketing of Pro Ass Fishing. Then, when Tanya states she's happy for them but questions where that leaves her, Izzy sets her straight with this:Izzy: Tanya...after all this time, do you really think I'm the kind of girl who wants to choose? I like BOTH of you.
- Izzy pulling some strings to get Canyon a job at a security firm after his car got wrecked.
- The entirety of Izzy's apology letter at the end of volume 2.
- The end of the "How Do I" arc when Max and Calixta have their first kiss.
- After Darcy gets stabbed by Captain Orca, she begins flashing back to the time she and Izzy met in college, dating, then breaking up over Pro Ass Fishing, grudgingly working together, her meeting Tanya and, finally, the moment where the three of them begin their poly relationship. After that, the last panel shows Darcy regaining consciousness, implying that the love she has for Izzy and Tanya is giving her the strength to power through. It's both heartwarming and awesome!
- Captain Orca discovering Ally in the swamp
and taking her to his ship can be considered heartwarming once we learn her backstory. Helps that he eventually made her his first mate after this, too. - The "Family" series of strips are a perfect blend of hilarious and heartwarming. Just watching the main characters spend time with their families is something special, especially seeing the current Pritchard family just spending time together and being their dysfunctional yet loving selves. They also serve as a good breather after the horrific flashbacks to Izzy and Adelie's childhood.
- The reunion between Red Snapper and her mother in "Reunion", as well as the latter's reunion with Izzy.
- In Vol. 6, Izzy gives away all her shares to Renee.*Izzy gives Renee a kiss*Izzy: Thank you for everything Renee. Sincerely. *gives a big, warm smile* You're fired.
- The quiet discussion between Izzy and Tanya in "Normal" is both this and a Tear Jerker:Izzy: Hey, Tanya. [...] What would you do differently, if you were in my situation?Tanya: Can't this wait 'til morning? If we wake up Darcy she's gonna do stuff to me.Izzy: C'mon.Tanya: To be honest...Nothing. I live in a nice house, with a good job, and I've got two beautiful girlfriends. I don't really want anything else. Maybe that's a "normal" take, but I'm happy. And if that's the case... *Tanya lovingly noseboops a smiling Izzy* What's wrong with "normal"?
- The best part? Having her interests be called "normal" is usually Tanya's Berserk Button, but when it comes to wanting to be with Izzy and Darcy, she couldn't care less.
- Izzy meeting with Red Snapper's mother again in "Thank You", thanking her for saving her life and being there for her.
- After diving in the lives of past villains in "Those Guys", we see Captain Orca's crew for the first time since the end of Vol. 4, with Orca happily and proudly reading the news of Izzy's latest exploits and Flamingo Joe even admitting that Izzy always had ambition in a backhanded way. The BIG surprise in the end of that comic, however, is that Orca and Ally are having a baby!
- After Omegaman returns to help Izzy and co. stop Florida Man, he gives her a You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech when he notices her struggling to just shoot at the immortal.Omegaman: Citizen. Izzy. Look at me. You're not drowning any more. Like the first tetrapod that wriggled up on dry land, you are here because you chose to be here. With or without him. (cut to a crying Izzy) So come on. Who are you?
- Before going off on his Dying Walk, Florida Man turns to Darcy and tells her to take care of Izzy. It truly shows that, despite everything, he still cares greatly for Izzy and is happy that she now has people in her life that love and appreciate her.
- Earlier, in "Help", Izzy stops Florida Man and offers to help him. When Florida Man tells her he's beyond helping, Izzy calls "BULLSHIT" and believes that anyone can be helped, even him (and her). Despite her cynical attitude, Izzy shows she truly does believe in the good in people and even the worst deserve a second chance. It also shows that, despite him messing with her life in the worst ways possible, she still cares for Florida Man.
- This moment gets a Call-Back in the climax of the "Crisis on Three Comics" crossover in Part Two, when Max questions why Izzy reprogrammed the android sent to kill her son to only "vaguely murderous" instead of simply destroying him:Max: I don't get it. Why not just scrap the damn thing altogether? Seems too dangerous.
Izzy: Max, it's a robot. What he just did, he literally couldn't help. He was programmed to do it.
Max: So?
Izzy: I'm sayin' that even if someone was born in a way that makes them difficult to deal with, they still deserve help.
Max: (Beat) ...even, uh... the robot?
Izzy: Max, ANYONE can be helped.
- Despite all the abuse she had put Izzy and Addy through, the sisters still cared for their mother enough to place her in a decent hospital. After her final confrontation with Florida Man, Izzy decides to finally visit Morrigan at said hospital, even admitting that the reason she conquered Florida was to gather the emotional strength just to do it. Throughout her first (and final) visit, she admits to her mom that, despite knowing her Freudian Excuse, she can't bring herself to forgive her but won't hate her either and just wants to move on without her constantly in her mind. That said, she does give her mom this final goodbye....Izzy: Bye mom. Let's try again, in another life.
- Ladies and gentlemen, the wedding of Izzy, Darcy and Tanya.
- Also, everyone shows up for the wedding, even past villains. Oh, and Kirsty is pregnant!
- Also, in the background, if you squint a little, you can see Ally holding her and Orca's child through the window.
- In the next comic, we get this beautiful monologue from Izzy, which solidifies her Character Development:
Izzy: Ennui is a state of boredom. It's being so damn bored you actually get depressed over it. But god there's so many other emotions out there. So I'm done with ennui. I don't need it any more. I don't WANT it anymore. Unbound by ennui, I can be so much more. We all can. Hell, feeling nothing at all is preferable. Surprise, trust, sadness, awe, cockiness, playfulness. Pride, love, paranoia, joy, anger, excitement. I'm done letting whoever happened to create me write my story. Because it's not money that makes anything possible (Although it sure helps!) Anything is possible because we're human, and alive! So tell me. What do you think happens when anything becomes possible? Everything. - When Max is having his very bad Sanity Slippage on account of not taking his medication, Min ends up coming to his rescue. She manages to calm him down and gently ground him back to reality, showcasing that, despite her snarky attitude toward him, Min does care a great deal about the little psycho.Min: Hey. Sucks I know, but we've done this before. You're gonna hear them, but you don't have to listen to them. Remember? They're not real. Only you and me are.
- Both Darcy and Sarah's reappearances in Part 2, where they are both revealed to be pregnant. Despite the hilarity of the situations surrounding them (like Izzy tripping and accidentally placing the "applicator" in Darcy instead of Tanya and Sarah, due to her small stature, struggling to move and now looking like a kiwi bird as she imagined in "Kiwi"), it is nice to see that some the main couples of the comic are now starting families.
- A "blink and you miss" moment appears in "Stalls", where Sarah is wearing a gold ring on her right hand. That means that, off-panel, Hashim and Sarah got married apparently after Izzy, Darcy and Tanya did.
- As it turns out, so did Hiro and Renee.
- Len comforting Max after the reveal of the truth behind his strange vision in "Eyes". She's truly shaping up to be a great Parental Substitute after all.Max: Wait... but I thought but I thought... The shit I see... It's not fake? (looking to tear up) I'm not totally crazy?
Len: (hugging Max) NO! No you sweet boy, no... Remember my first lesson? It's all magic. - Max's entire speech to Calixta in "Boyfriend Material", describing all the ways he loves Calixta and how he'd always be there and support her no matter where her family takes her.Max: I'm sorry! I shoulda realized how much crap your family was giving you! But I DO pay attention y'know? I like your cute stutter! And how you dot your I's with a heart! I like you sing stupid little songs to yourself when you get frustrated, and you pat your pizza with a napkin to get the grease off! All that little crap is why I like you! Remember before? I asked if you were breaking up with me! You never actually gave me an answer! And if you are... not gonna lie that's gonna suck major balls. But that'll be your choice, and I'll leave you alone. But... if you DON'T wanna break up... Then no matter what- even if your parents take you to the opposite end of the earth- I'll drag myself dick-first through an ocean of broken glass to be with you! So what's it gonna be?! AM I YOUR BOYFRIEND?!
- And here's Calixta's answer:Calixta: (with tears streaming down her face) I W-W-WANT Y-YOU TO B-BE MY B-B-BOYFRIEND!
- And here's Calixta's answer
- Izzy posthumously knighting Jimmy Buffett and declaring a national holiday based on "bottomless margaritas" is both hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt.
