It’s been three years since Anywhere But Here first appeared online. In that time, the comic underwent several evolutions that are becoming increasingly typical of a number of webcomics, including a relaunch partly based off of the cartoonist Jason Siebel’s disdain over the original artwork. He also realized that in order to tell the story effectively, he really needed to start at its beginning. The original launch started in the middle, where Siebels felt the comic was most interesting… but in doing so we lost out on witnessing the events that shaped the Protagonist into the withdrawn, cynical bastard that initially won my heart years back.

The relaunch also breathes fresh life into this comic. Unlike so many other webcomics around it, ABH has a set beginning, middle, and end. If not for the relaunch, this favorite comic of mine would have ended by now. While there is a sequel (or two) planned, these too have set beginnings, middles, and endings. That is perhaps the greatest strength of ABH. It has an end. Far too many comics meander along from story to story, put out until the cartoonist runs out of ideas and inspiration, and finally either lets the comic lapse into hiatus or ends things with loose ends flapping in the wind. Looking at what the Protagonist had to deal with, including an absolute bastard of a teacher who destroys the Protagonist’s add/drop form and claims ignorance as to what happened, and I’m surprised that our nameless hero mellowed at all over the years.

Today’s comic is an excellent example of how things just keep piling up… with so many of his plans crushed by the manipulations of a professor (manipulations he doesn’t even know of at that!) he’s left to shake his fist at the sky, snarling at God and challenging Him to give it His best shot. Naturally that’s when a blanket of snow, reminiscent of Jeff Smith’s classic Bone comes out of the sky and buries the Protagonist… and even lets a young boy with toboggan and stuffed tiger to ride over our hero’s burial place before we hear our hero’s parting shot: “Is that the best you can do?” And this is perhaps the best way to sum up ABH: it is one man’s efforts to remain standing in the face of adversity. No matter what life hits him with.