I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. It’s the best. Seriously. No other serialized web comic generates anything like the kind of philosophical discussions, wide admiration, or heated debates that OOTS does.
People are hooked, in a big way. I can say this authoritatively because, well, I am, too.
Agreed. I was reading a scholarly history of the fantasy genre. The author’s primary focus, not surprisingly, was Tolkein. But he also discussed Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, LeGuin’s Earthsea series, Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series, Brooks’ Shannara series, Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Holdstock’s Mythago Wood, and others. And I was thinking that The Order of the Stick would some day rank among these as a fantasy classic worth scholarly consideration.
Ah, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. Forever Knight dichotomy. Both approaches worked well in both universes, tho I prefer the one where vamps have full free will and thus aren’t automatically evil.
I doubt Malack has infinite patience, although his devotion to his Lawful side strikes me as too strong to let him go against whatever agreement he’d made with Tarquin. Still, he’s unlikely to have missed the shifted balance of power in the exploring party; with Sabine and Q’arr gone (as far as they know) and Tarquin and Kilkil elsewhere, it’s now Nale, Zz’drowperson and a fiend versus Malack, Durkferatu and a fiend. Malack may not kill Nale but I doubt he’ll let himself be pushed around either, especially when forced to go against Durkon’s dying wishes. I foresee a power play and Nale getting his feelings hurt. Again.
The characterizations and plot clearly are superior to Shannara and Potter. If those are bellwethers of modern fantasy, then it doesn’t take much of a leap of faith (or fan-boyness) to include OOTS in the mix. This is honestly one of the most entertaining diversions I have encountered on the web. And all done with stick figure drawings. Truly amazing.
One suggestion I’ve seen (over at the OOTS forum I think); Tarquin said earlier that his plan was to do the whole archvillain thing and swoop in at the last minute to steal the prize from the heroes. Well, if he thinks this isn’t the last minute yet, then he’s just sending in cannon fodder to whittle down the OP, spring any last defenses, add more conflict and drama to the story, and in the process get Nale & company beaten or killed while he stays back like the mastermind he is. I do find it possibly significant that the only person genuinely on his side that he’s sending is Malack the vampire, who’ll just end up back in his coffin if “killed”, while he and the kobold stay behind in safety.
Meanwhile, whatever he did before he left the city shows up/comes to fruition - perhaps he summoned his old group. And only then, after the Order has reached the Gate will Tarquin swoop in with his new reinforcements.
Actually, as serialized webcomics go, I’d rank Girl Genius and Schlock Mercenary both over Order of the Stick, though only slightly. All three are great, but the regularity of the other two gives them an edge.
You’re a page late. And I have to penalize you 50 points for getting my hopes up in vain.
Sorry, didn’t notice strip yesterday.
I honestly think that Homestuck is a better webcomic, although it has worse fans (on average).
Well, I don’t really follow the OOTS forum, but the folks here are certainly the best.
TWO more years? This book alone has been going for three and a half! Okay, less half a year due to Sir Thumb’s time on the Disabled List; that’s still three years. I think we’ve got another five years ahead of us.
And I’m looking forward to them as much as you are. 
Given Rich’s innate clumsiness, I hope he has the ending written down somewhere.
So Elan, two clerics, a wizard and two fiends are descending back into the pyramid. Isn’t it going to be a problem that they have nobody who can find and disarm traps? What am I missing?
You mean, besides which twin is the one with the new and improved Linear Guild? 
Fine, Nale. The question remains.
Without the illusions, all the traps are easy to spot and avoid, and the ones that the really must pass through have been deactivated by Haley already.
Haley hadn’t deactivated all the traps; the OOTS had just avoided a bunch of them. If you recall from the earlier ambush, Nale managed to trigger a trap in a hallway the OOTS had gone through already. Also, Sabine was the only one on the LG that seemed able to detect or disarm a trap, and she’s currently unavailable.
They do have a pair of fiends to send ahead for trap-fodder. Meat shields as Nale calls them.