robot-heaven-3
Explanation
The Joke
A robot arrives at what appears to be Robot Heaven, complete with clouds, golden gates, and an angelic robot greeter who welcomes it. But the newly arrived robot quickly notices a problem: if this is Robot Heaven, why is it filled with clouds? Clouds are moisture, and moisture short-circuits electronics. Why would paradise for robots be enveloped in circuit-destroying water vapor?
The final panel reveals the answer: a sinister, demonic-looking robot laughs maniacally. This is not Robot Heaven at all -- it is Robot Hell, disguised as heaven. The torment is fiendishly specific to robots: rather than fire and brimstone (which would be the human version of hell), Robot Hell is a place of perpetual moisture that slowly destroys the inhabitants' circuits.
The Humor
The joke works by taking the traditional imagery of heaven -- fluffy white clouds -- and pointing out that what is comforting and pleasant for humans would be actively destructive for robots. It is a clever inversion: the same environment is paradise for one type of being and torture for another. The comic also plays on the trope of the afterlife bait-and-switch, where what seems like heaven turns out to be hell. This is the third installment in the "Robot Heaven" series from SMBC.
This was a bonus comic created to promote the book "Soonish" by Zach and Kelly Weinersmith, as noted in the caption at the bottom.