Wait? Do we even know Colin? Technically yes, but even back when he was present in the story, most people tended to forget about him. XD
(In fairness, a lot of that was my own fault, giving him very few on-screen scenes, and having most of his arc even happening off-screen with people just talking about it later. I must've thought I was being clever, but it basically never worked out.)
So naturally, I brought back one of the most forgettable characters, and generally one of biggest mistakes of the whole story, and let him have a cameo during the ending. I can feel the skepticism through my computer, but I stand by this decision.
For those of you who want a refresher, he describes all the important parts of his arc in the second panel, but here's the version with links: Fara met and dated Colin for a few months waaaaay back in the beginning of the story. They broke up during the Christmas arc when Rain presented as a boy to avoid coming out to Aiken. As a result, Colin ended up learning about Rain, and couldn't wrap his head around any of this, and said some pretty awful things. Though he did eventually try to make it right, Fara decided she couldn't forgive him for saying those things about Rain in the first place. And then he basically just left the story after that.
Almost 800 pages later, he's back. But, like everyone else, a lot's changed with him in the last 6 years. He's married, has a kid of his own, and has had to a lot of time to learn about things he was ignorant about. Plus, he doesn't know Emily at all, so this has nothing to do with getting in her good graces. It's just some "cosmic irony" that the people he's talking about happens to be people she knows.
Rain, all characters and all other aspects of the story are copyright material belonging to me.
Im interested to see how Rain reacts when she arrives to pick up her daughter with her partner and sees colin there. I dont expect there to be drama, but a little catharsis would be good in my opinion. though also fine if he leaves before and thats never explored. im just so hooked on this story that i want everything tied up in a neat little bow, but thats not how life works.
Maybe I missed it, but I didn't think Rain ever met Colin. I didn't even remember Rain hearing his name, but after digging through the story, I found a scene where his name gets used:
https://rain.thecomicseries.com/comics/543
I mean I don't know about the most forgettable character, and you might be a little hard on yourself it was a fun cameo! Also the ratio of trans people around this town is phenomenal and I kind of want to live there...
Not who I was rooting to see, but I'm pleased by cameo and the character growth. Good on him. I'm glad he's supportive of his kiddo.
I'm a bit torn about him outing his daughter as trans, though. (But thay may be because it hits a bit too close to home -- my generally-unsupportive mom mentions I'm trans when she wants to relate and seem more progressive to other parents of trans kids she happens to meet as her clients. I'd probably mind a lot less if she was actually supportive since, like here, they are people who never meet me no matter how they react.)
So, on the one hand, of the "main arc adults"... This guy is the one you choose for a cameo?? Like we could have checked in with Gavin's dad/step-dad. Or seen a longer redemption arc for Donna Strongwell. Or checked in with Brother Arthur (although there may still be time for that, perhaps, he's principal at the elementary school?).
But then at the same time, can Lydia and this guy's daughter be frainds?
That's exactly what I was thinking - Lydia has a reason to know now, she's about to run into another little trans girl, and having Lydia be a supportive friend is probably really good. This is a great opportunity to have that talk.
Maybe Lydia already knows that some people are trans, some are nonbinary, etc, just like some people have squared shoulders, some have sloped shoulders, some have attached earlobes, some have hanging earlobes, etc, and she pays little mind or attention to that, and simply understands that's just the way people are. And thinks when certain folks who get obsessed with, or make a big deal about distinguishing whether anybody is trans of not, that those people are the ones who are wierd and have some abnormal mental health fixation about gender. Like whoever really pays too much attention about the exact slope angle people's shoulders make with their necks or how much their earlobes hang downwards if at all.
And if this hypothetical "trans talk" from her parents ever happens, Lydia says she's already known her entire life that Rain is transgender, never paid it a second thought, wonders what the big deal is about and starts worrying that whichever parent initiated the talk might be losing their mind and turning into one of those wierd obsessed people.
All I mean is in the sense that a few pages back, Rain was saying to her siblings that she hadn't disclosed to Lydia, and was trying to find the right time. I can't imagine that Rainily would have raised her not to know any of the things you mentioned.
if you remember him, then hes probably not the most forgettable character, cause theres almost certainly a character you *completely* forgot. (I dont know who, I forgot them too)
I know that it was written this way for exposition purposes, but I find it kind of funny / concerning that Colin would start by talking about his ex from around six years ago instead of first talking about his wife. Kind of gives off the impression that he's not fully over Fara after all this time.
I think you've tormented us enough, you know what we've been waiting on:
Where's Randy and what are they up to? Have they found love? What has their journey been like?
Cosmic irony, cosmic fate, cosmetic whatever..... Colin actually was a key factor... a crucial turning point in Rain's life story and where she is now today. If it weren't for Colin providing those tickets to the convention, the chain of events in Rain's life story would've taken a completely different path. I kinda hope Rain and Colin do get to meet fce to face again and share how their original meeting changed both their lives forever.
I've been reading the print copies I just got (love them!) and had totally forgotten that Rain had met Colin AND forgiven him. Rain didn't know what he had actually said, and did really want to get to the Con; which lead to other major story beats, making him even more forgettable.
Forgot Chase got arrested, too. Unless there were three exclusive chapters in that volume.
I don t understand why Emily was worried, because when he started talking about it he told her that he knew ihe was a fool back then and that Fara was right to give up on him and stuff ...
I like it as a story bookend. After all, this is a story about Rain, and how she survived the haters and came out the other end strong and with a loving family after all. This is a guy is doing what Marcus Flaherty _could_ have done - put his ignorance and hate aside in order to be there for his kid - and _chose_ not to. Colin's kid is having a childhood that Rain could have but didn't, kind of like Lydia is loved and _wanted_ in a way that Emily wasn't. I like that in a happy ending.
I thought it looked like Colin but I didn't think he would be brought back! I'm glad you gave him a bit of redemption even though it doesn't forgive his past behaviour.
https://rain.thecomicseries.com/comics/543
I'm a bit torn about him outing his daughter as trans, though. (But thay may be because it hits a bit too close to home -- my generally-unsupportive mom mentions I'm trans when she wants to relate and seem more progressive to other parents of trans kids she happens to meet as her clients. I'd probably mind a lot less if she was actually supportive since, like here, they are people who never meet me no matter how they react.)
But then at the same time, can Lydia and this guy's daughter be frainds?
And if this hypothetical "trans talk" from her parents ever happens, Lydia says she's already known her entire life that Rain is transgender, never paid it a second thought, wonders what the big deal is about and starts worrying that whichever parent initiated the talk might be losing their mind and turning into one of those wierd obsessed people.
And it's really good to see that even after all that he can learn to change and be there for his own daughter
Though I knew he was no stranger at all.
I just hope that this irony gets bigger if it's revealed that Colin's daughter and Lydia are good friends 🙃
Cosmic Irony is fitting
MUAHAHAHAHA
Where's Randy and what are they up to? Have they found love? What has their journey been like?
Forgot Chase got arrested, too. Unless there were three exclusive chapters in that volume.
I just found out about that.