2013-12-20
Explanation
The Joke
This is a long-form comic that appears to be a dramatic fairy-tale or adventure story involving various characters including what looks like a shark, a princess/queen figure with a crown, and other fantasy characters. The narrative progresses through multiple panels of escalating conflict and action sequences. The comic parodies epic adventure storytelling tropes, with the panels showing a sequence of dramatic encounters, confrontations, and a climactic gunshot ("BANG!"). The final panel appears to show an unexpected or anticlimactic resolution, subverting the dramatic buildup.
The Humor
The comic uses the format of an epic multi-panel adventure story to build dramatic tension through several escalating scenes, only to undercut it all with an absurd or anticlimactic ending. The humor lies in the contrast between the elaborate dramatic setup -- spanning many panels with multiple characters and conflicts -- and the deflating punchline. This is a common SMBC technique where Weiner invests heavily in worldbuilding and narrative only to pull the rug out from under the reader with a final twist. The sheer length of the comic compared to the typical SMBC strip adds to the comedic effect, as the reader invests more time and attention only to have their expectations subverted.