History AudienceAlienatingEra / Webcomics

* The "Haley speaks in cryptograms" story arc of ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' was largely regarded as an Audience-Alienating Era while it was transpiring, given that it took the only female protagonist[[note]] well, maybe. [[AmbiguousGender We're still not sure about Vaarsuvius]][[/note]] and eliminated her ability to deliver the verbal humor for which the strip is known for over 100 strips. The climax of the plot may have made up for it in the minds of some fans, however, as it ushered in the Haley-Elan relationship and gave crucial {{character development}} to both characters. Still, the actual aphasia has [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0428.html only rarely]] been mentioned since it disappeared.

* During the early parts of Act 6, with the entire central cast replaced with new characters, and the showy fate-of-the-universe plot being sidelined in favor of Act 1-style messing around and a RomanticPlotTumor. However, as it was implied from the get go that this would be temporary, it's not a perfectly straight example.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' had a bit of this during the early parts of act 6, with the entire central cast replaced with new characters, and the showy fate-of-the-universe plot being sidelined in favor of act 1-style messing around and a RomanticPlotTumor. However, as it was implied from the get go that this would be temporary, it's not a perfectly straight example.
** In some ways, the comic ''started'' in one. The first 1500 or so pages are often mocked even by the fans for setting up concepts so absurdly complicated that it's a test of faith not to throw the comic away.

* ''Webcomic/{{Megatokyo}}'' has been in one for years now; even WordOfGod acknowledges it. The comic shifted around the late 2000s and early 2010s from a charming exploration of American weeaboo culture to a pretentious love story pairing humans and robots. The drift in schedule from "Monday, Wednesday, Friday" to "few and far between" exacerbates the problem and ArcFatigue.

* The "Haley speaks in cryptograms" story arc of ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' was largely regarded as a Dork Age while it was transpiring, given that it took the only female protagonist[[note]] well, maybe. [[AmbiguousGender We're still not sure about Vaarsuvius]][[/note]] and eliminated her ability to deliver the verbal humor for which the strip is known for over 100 strips. The climax of the plot may have made up for it in the minds of some fans, however, as it ushered in the Haley-Elan relationship and gave crucial {{character development}} to both characters. Still, the actual aphasia has [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0428.html only rarely]] been mentioned since it disappeared.

* ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'' was divisive to begin with, but ran into an arguably ongoing Dork Age ''hard'' starting with the infamous "Loss" strip and Lilah's miscarriage. Ever since, writer Tim Buckley has continually tried to juggle the wacky video game related antics from the series' infancy with dark, depressing drama, to little success. Much fun has been made of the inclusion of such themes as robots modded from Xboxes (which had only ever been PlayedForLaughs prior) initiating a BadFuture - an arc which, let it be mentioned, ended with TheHeroDies and a ContinuityReboot - in a comic that has always advertised itself as goofy gaming comedy.

* Many readers feel this way about ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' artist/writer Tatsuya Ishida's sudden "conversion" to trans-exclusionary radical feminism eleven years into the comic's run, coinciding with the return of future CreatorsPet Xanthe/"Tricycle Girl". From there, the comic steadily lost much of its good-natured humor and steadily gained StrawmanPolitical rants about the suffering women face under the oppression of the "patriarchy".