Draft:What Happens Next (webcomic)
| What Happens Next | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Max Graves |
| Current status/schedule | Last updated January 13, 2025 |
| Launch date | November 8, 2021 |
| Genre(s) |
|
What Happens Next (stylised in lowercase) is a webcomic by the American artist Max Graves that premiered on November 8, 2021. The events of the comic take place eight years after the murder of 16-year-old Haylie Gorski. The story follows the life of Milo Holliday, a trans man that was an accomplice to Haylie's murder as a teenager. What Happens Next explores the aftermath of violent crime, the difficulties that queer people face in young adulthood, and the internet culture of the 2010s.
Characters
[edit]What Happens Next features an ensemble cast.[1] The events of each chapter are generally told from the perspective of a single character: Milo in Dog Names, Someone Else, and No Matter What; Claire in Victim Impact Statement; and Vikki in You'll All Be Sorry.
- Milo Holliday (he/him): Eight years on from Haylie's murder, Milo has struggled to integrate into adult life. After spending five years in a mental institution, he has yet to find a job or obtain a high school diploma. Stuck in a state of arrested development, Milo spends much of his time watching children's cartoons and playing board games with his stuffed animals. Deeply traumatised by Haylie's death, Milo continues to suffer from nightmares, and copes with emotional regulation issues through self-harm. Milo lives with his religious grandmother and is financially supported by his father, neither of whom are supportive of his transition.
- Griffin Petty (he/him): The killer of Haylie Gorski. As a teenager, Griffin is shown to be emotionally manipulative, violent, and sexually abusive. Griffin is a trans man and is currently serving a 40-year sentence for murder in a women's prison.
- Vikki Escamilla (she/her): A true crime YouTuber that works in a funeral home with her mother. The events of the comic begin with Vikki interviewing Milo about the Gorski murder. Vikki is trans and was hospitalised by bullies as a teenager. While her mother is supportive of her gender identity, her father has since severed ties with her.
- Claire Gorski (she/her): Haylie Gorski's younger sister. Claire discovered her sister's body at age 13 and was sent to a mental hospital after attempting suicide. She is a public advocate for Haylie's Law, a conservative bill that will lead to harsher sentencing for minors convicted of violent crimes. Claire drinks heavily to cope with the loss of her sister.
- Gage Ludemann (they/he): Griffin's romantic partner. Gage began a long-distance relationship with Griffin after he was convicted for murder. They are a survivor of abuse from both their ex-boyfriend and their mother. They run a gore blog on Tumblr and work for minimum wage at Domino's.
Plot
[edit]Five chapters of What Happens Next have been completed: Dog Names, Someone Else, No Matter What, Victim Impact Statement, and You'll All Be Sorry. The final panel of You'll All Be Sorry was uploaded on January 18, 2025. Dog Names and Someone Else are substantially shorter than the following chapters.
Chapters 1–3
[edit]Vikki interviews Milo about his role in the Gorski murder. Unbeknownst to Vikki, Milo had agreed with his family to not publicly discuss the Gorski case. Vikki's YouTube video attracts trolls who begin making threatening calls to Milo's grandmother's house. When Milo angrily demands that Vikki takes down the videos, she refuses. After Milo's father finds out he broke the agreement, he convinces Milo's grandmother to evict him. Milo's father drives to the house and throws away Milo's toys. He angrily berates his son for his childishness and inability to function in the real world. Gage reaches out to Milo online and tells him he can sleep on their couch. Milo runs away to Gage's apartment without telling his family. In violation of Milo's parole conditions, Gage takes him into the woods to shoot cans with a crossbow. After convincing Milo to try smoking marijuana, Gage leans in to kiss him. Panicked, Milo runs to the bathroom and locks himself inside. Gage apologies, blaming their actions on trauma-induced hypersexuality. The following day, Milo breaks down after reading a Tumblr post that graphically describes the events of the Gorski case. No Matter What concludes with Gage comforting Milo, assuring him that "none of this has ever been your fault."[2]
Chapter 4
[edit]Claire, now a computer science student at the University of Illinois, is on a speaking tour for Haylie's Law. As the bill gains traction, Claire's alcoholism and transphobia intensifies, putting her relationship with her girlfriend, Audrey, under strain. Claire's childhood friend, Aaron, is in the process of transitioning, and is deeply uneasy about Claire's increasing right-wing radicalisation. Before a speaking event, Claire confronts Aaron for continually making excuses to get out of attending her speaking events. When Aaron confesses that they don't support Haylie's Law, Claire accuses their "tranny friends" of turning them against her. On the night that Haylie's Law passes, Audrey finds Claire passed out in bed, beer cans littering the floor. Audrey cleans the bedroom and goes to sleep besides her girlfriend, but when she wakes up, Claire is gone. The chapter ends with Milo looking at a picture of Claire on a missing persons poster.
Chapter 5
[edit]The chapter opens with a flashback to Vikki's teenage years, before she came out as transfemme. After being violently assaulted by bullies, Vikki is transferred to an alternative school, where she meets her best friend, Xandra. As their friendship grows, Vikki eventually comes out, and the two share a kiss at a concert. That same night, Vikki is introduced to Josslyn, who later becomes Xandra's girlfriend. Years later, Xandra (who has also come out as transgender) encourages Vikki to interview Milo. After Vikki conducts the interview, Xandra reveals that she has been accepted to Indiana University and plans to move to Bloomington to be closer to Josslyn. In the present day, Vikki is recording a video entitled "Why I'm Quitting YouTube." Vikki reveals that a large true crime YouTuber called Lauren May made a video on Vikki's role in Milo's eviction. In a recorded video call, Lauren accuses Vikki of submitting frivolous DMCA takedown requests and defending necrophilia. Lashing out, Vikki accuses Lauren of thinking trans people are freak shows. When Vikki's boss finds out about the video, she is fired from the funeral home. A far-right YouTuber makes a video about Vikki, leading to his fans swatting her house. Vikki raises a middle finger to the camera and promises that she will never kill herself. After Vikki uploads the video, she receives a message from Milo saying he has no money and nowhere to sleep. Vikki tells Milo "we'll figure this out" and drives to Illinois to pick him up.
Development
[edit]Max Graves, the creator of What Happens Next, is a trans man based in Chicago.[3] He was inspired to start drawing comics after reading Garfield as a child.[4] Like many members of the cast, Graves was homeschooled as a child.[5] "Honestly, I am not super pro-homeschooling across the board, although I am sure there are families out there for whom it is the best option."[6] Graves has jokingly claimed that Milo is his self-insert. "Milo is my shadow self and I am locked in eternal psychic combat with him."[7]
Reception
[edit]As of 2025, What Happens Next has accrued over 1 million views on Comic Fury with an aggregate rating of 4.99 out of 5.[8] In an interview for Polygon, James Tynion IV of DC Comics cited What Happens Next as one of his favourite webcomics. "I was astonished with the brutal honesty of the whole piece, while still being a really, really great read."[9]
Matt Keeley of LGBT Nation named Graves as one of his favourite cartoonists in the queer comics scene, citing What Happens Next as proof of his skill as a writer. "Despite its dark subject matter, the strip is compulsively readable, incredibly authentic, and one of the best online comics running today."[10]
In an interview for Dazed Digital, English author Eliza Clark cited What Happens Next as "a fantastic comic" for those looking to gain a deeper understanding of the true crime industry. Upon reading the first chapter, Clark claims that she was "blown away by how fresh and how interesting" Graves' work was. "I think someone should give him loads and loads of money for it."[11]
S.K. Madden wrote a positive review of the comic for Cartoonist Cooperative. "What Happens Next maintains an unflinchingly suspenseful and propulsive rhythm, modulated primarily by how Graves makes use of his medium of choice."[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "what happens next - Cast". whathappensnext.webcomic.ws. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
- ^ "what happens next - no matter what 408". whathappensnext.webcomic.ws. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
- ^ "what happens next - About". whathappensnext.webcomic.ws. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
- ^ "max graves answered Who inspired you to write comics?". Retrospring. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
- ^ "max graves answered Why did each of the families decide on home…". Retrospring. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
- ^ "max graves answered What do you think about the recent (social)…". Retrospring. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
- ^ "max graves answered who is the self-insert in what happens next?". Retrospring. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
- ^ "what happens next - Webcomic profile - Comic Fury Webcomic Hosting". comicfury.com. Retrieved February 7, 2025.[unreliable source?]
- ^ Robinson, Tasha (September 20, 2022). "Our favorite queer comics creators recommend the best queer indie comics". Polygon. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ Keeley, Matt (June 9, 2024). "Enjoy these 20 LGBTQ+ cartoonists who draw outside of the lines". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ Clark, Eliza (July 3, 2023). "Inside the murky world of serial killer fandoms". Dazed. Text by Natalie Wall. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ Madden, S.K. "Read Before You Follow: the Web is What Happens Next's Most Dynamic Tool". Cartoonist Cooperative. Retrieved February 4, 2025.