Skin Deep/YMMV

• Spotlight-Stealing Squad: While the author has stated that it was about everyone and not just Michelle, the recent comic arcs since 2009 have pretty much seemingly aborted the arc that was being built up in the comic's early days, since now it's pretty much randomness and transformation in England. A more subjective example than others, but some can be a little furstrated with how it seems this has been some kind of prequel Plot Tumor that has gone out of control...or just in love with the setting themselves and like seeing other aspects of it explored.
  • The author has also stated many times that she has not forgotten about the Orientations story arc, but that both the Orientations and Exchanges stories are important to the overall comic. Orientations focuses on Michelle, who is a very unusual example of mythical creature facing a set of very unusual circumstances. Exchanges provides an example of more "normal" interaction between mythical creatures in the mythical society, in order to provide some world building and a sense of what can be considered the norm in a secret society full of non-humans. The Author has also expressed exasperation that people assume that she has just "forgotten" about the Michelle story, or has no intention of ever returning to it, when she has said many times that we will return to Michelle's story after the Exchanges story is over (which, remember, Orientations took two whole years to tell, and Exchanges has only gone on for a year and a half).
  • Exchanges has since concluded and the story has now moved on back to Michelle.
• Too Dumb to Live: Michelle apparently needs it explained to her why Jim lied about her being a sphinx, a question which she asks even after Eustace and Marshall start talking right in front of her about how they'd exhibit the last sphinx for fame and fortune. Then, later, while trying to sneak away from her captors she a) generally won't shut up and b) hears them talking about her and starts shouting protests. The girl is just not very bright.
  • "Not very bright" isn't very fair. She's just not as Genre Savvy as the rest of the team. Also she's not dealing with all this Weird Puzzle Shit in a very sophisticated manner. She's 19, incredibly insecure, has friends for the first time, and then everything turns upside down and now there are monsters and she is a monster but she is weird by monster standards. I would say she's reacting in a fairly realistic manner, honestly.