a-better-family
Explanation
The Joke
A man lies on his deathbed surrounded by his family. He begins what appears to be a heartfelt farewell, saying "Before I die... I want you to know... I couldn't have asked for a better family." His wife responds, puzzled: "Cause that doesn't even make sense." The dying man tries to explain: "I mean, who would you ask?" She replies: "Is there such a person?" In the final panel, a bat-like creature is shown, with someone exclaiming "Bat shit!" -- implying either that the entire sentiment was nonsensical ("batshit crazy") or that the conversation has devolved into absurdity.
The comic deconstructs the common deathbed cliche of saying "I couldn't have asked for a better family." When taken literally, the phrase is indeed logically strange -- who exactly would you "ask" for a family? Is there some cosmic customer service desk? The wife takes the statement at face value rather than accepting it as the conventional sentimental expression it is meant to be.
The Humor
The humor comes from the literal interpretation of a well-worn sentimental phrase. "I couldn't have asked for a better family" is one of those expressions people say without thinking about the actual words -- it is a stock emotional statement. By having the wife dissect the logic of the phrase on the man's deathbed, the comic creates an absurd contrast between the gravity of the moment and the pedantic linguistic analysis. The dying man cannot even deliver his final heartfelt message because his family is too busy deconstructing his grammar.
This is classic SMBC humor: taking a familiar social convention and subjecting it to ruthless logical scrutiny, revealing the absurdity hidden within everyday language.