The beauty of Far Side sequels could be read as standalone cartoons or as continuations, offering a much-needed pay-off in certain cases.

These 10 Far Side comics need a sequel in order for their full impact to be felt.

However, while a handful of comics did receive resolutions in the form of these sequels, most weren't so lucky. It's true that The Far Side doesn't require continuations in order to be understood in many cases, despite its reputation for confusing readers, but there are a few cartoons that would benefit greatly from a follow-up of any kind. These 10 Far Side comics need a sequel in order for their full impact to be felt, even though that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

10 "I Know You Miss the Wainwrights"

First Published: October 11th, 1994

In The Far Side, the suburbs can become a dangerous place despite their usual idyllic depiction in media, and this comic serves as one of the clearer examples of this phenomenon. Here, a man notices that his son is worried about the neighbors' house being overtaken by wolves. He explains, "They were weak and stupid people - and that's why we have wolves and other large predators."

The Wainwrights' fate could be shown in a sequel that fully lays out what they did to warrant such a violent attack from The Far Side's deadliest predators. Wolves are fearsome, after all, but they surely wouldn't have wiped out these neighbors for no reason, even in a world where animals tend to triumph over humans on a regular basis.

9 "Morty Opened the Door to the Wolverine Display"

First Published: May 27th, 1994

Animals often play the role of predator in The Far Side, and that does ring true for this comic as well, but a human proves to be the true catalyst for an impending string of violent acts this time around. At a fancy party, everyone appears to be enjoying themselves, but a man named Morty decides to shake things up by unleashing wolverines upon the unsuspecting guests.

This comic leaves the reader with many questions, demonstrating its potential for a sequel. Why is Morty letting the wolverines go free? What will be the result of the wolverines' attack on the party-goers? Why is there a wolverine display at this party in the first place? Larson didn't address these inquiries here, but a follow-up could amend that oversight.

8 "Stumpy Didn't Know How He Got In This Situation"

First Published: October 29th, 1991

Cowboys are known for being a staple of The Far Side as a result of Gary Larson's love for the Old West and its tropes. Therefore, it's no surprise that cowboys show up once again in this cartoon, though their activities are not what one might expect from them. These cowboys are participating in a ping-pong match rather than a standard duel with pistols, setting them apart from the usual cowboy archetypes.

Naturally, a sequel to this comic would reveal how this battle between Stumpy and his opponent plays out. He does look eager to get the game started, especially since everyone in the town has their eyes on him, so the adrenaline rush from that pressure could be enough to secure him a victory.

7 "You Wanna Kick Me? Go Ahead!"

First Published: February 6th, 1988

The Far Side is varied in how it portrays the dynamic between dogs and their owners. In some cases, dogs live up to their reputation for being "man's best friend", whereas other cartoons take a darker turn. This comic falls into the latter category, as a dog straps itself with dynamite and threatens its owner to kick it. See the gallery below for more Far Side comics that feature dogs rebelling against their owners!

Clearly, the human has abused it before, hence why it's been pushed to such an extreme. Unfortunately, this cartoon doesn't show how this confrontation ends, despite how suspenseful it is in comparison to most Far Side comics out there. The immediate peril of the dog wearing a bomb deserves much more payoff, in our opinion.

6 "Just Click It Up and Down A Few Times"

First Published: October 9th, 1980

Let's face it: even in The Far Side, executions make for seriously dark subject matter. However, this comic gives the topic some much-needed levity as the process of executing someone goes hilariously wrong. A man is seated in the electric chair as two officers struggle to activate it, and one says, "The points must be dirty. Just click it up and down a few times." As they fiddle with the device, the criminal sweats profusely, not knowing when death will strike.

The obvious angle for a sequel to this cartoon would involve showing how this execution pans out. Whether the officers successfully activate the chair or the criminal gets to walk free due to a malfunction remains a mystery, and Larson could have easily expanded upon this idea.

5 "He Was An Old Dog and This Was A New Trick"

First Published: June 3rd, 1992

In this Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson expertly subverted a classic saying in a way that offered future storytelling potential. Here, a dog takes part in a circus act by riding a unicycle atop a tightrope while holding a cat in his mouth, balancing a vase on his head, and juggling bouncy balls. The caption reveals that Rex may not be as ready to pull this trick off as he'd anticipated, stating that "he was an old dog and this was a new trick."

Readers still don't know if Rex successfully completes this performance, though the odds aren't looking great for the poor dog. The result of this circus act could end up being even funnier than this initial comic, so Larson could have mined it for comedy gold.

4 "Boomer and Doug's Relationship Was Never Fully Accepted"

First Published: September 16th, 1992

The Far Side has explored the horrors of dating, and here, it presents a forbidden romantic entanglement that should warrant multiple comics for proper development. Two bears are seen watching another with judgment in their eyes, as the third bear hides a small grub from the others. The caption mentions that "Boomer and Doug's relationship was never fully accepted by the other bears", since they don't typically fraternize with insects.

A star-crossed love story could make for compelling drama, and the specific pair of a bear and a grub is so unlikely that there are plenty of jokes that could be told with them. Boomer and Doug could have become recurring Far Side characters if Larson had chosen, with this comic alone establishing their potential.

3 "Reuben Would Often Enter the Nursery and Conduct Experiments"

First Published: July 31st, 1982

Pretty much everyone loves babies in the real world, but in the twisted reality of The Far Side, they are often the targets of wacky jokes that put them at risk. This comic, for example, features a man who sneaks into a nursery housing numerous babies and "experiments in static electricity" by sticking them on the ceiling for reasons that remain unknown.

Anyone who reads this comic will undoubtedly be left bewildered by whatever Reuben is up to with the babies. Testing static electricity with infants is definitely unusual, and it begs the question of whether this strange man has something bigger planned for the babies once he finishes these tests. Gary Larson fails to provide more information, whereas a sequel could showcase the full extent of Reuben's scheme.

2 "That Does It! ... Tomorrow He Dies"

First Published: December 30th, 1981

Believe it or not, The Far Side portrays a few scenarios where animals rise up against their owners and exact revenge for their mistreatment. Sadly, this comic teases a similar uprising, but readers aren't permitted to witness it. As a farmer walks away with a basket full of eggs, a group of chickens conspires to avenge their fallen, stating, "Well, that does it! Tomorrow he dies."

The nature of The Far Side, as mentioned before, is that it's often constrained to a single comic. As such, these chickens only hatch a plan to seek vengeance against the farmer who's stolen their young, while readers are left in the dark about the results of their plotting. Thus, this comic is far less satisfying than it would have been with a sequel.

1 This Overlooked Far Side Comic Deserves A Sequel More Than Most

First Published: June 4th, 1984

The final Far Side comic is arguably the most deserving of a sequel, since the joke feels lacking without a proper payoff. A man stands on a deserted island as he sees a sinking space-ship in the distance, and the alien engers swim towards him to take refuge on land. It's evident that his tiny island isn't large enough to sustain them all, so a brawl is inevitably going to break out, but that confrontation doesn't get depicted in the cartoon.

Gary Larson's single- format does wonders for much of his work, yet it can't be denied that this comic falls flat without deeper exploration. In a sequel, the fight could have been executed in all of its absurd glory, but The Far Side has instead wasted this premise's comedic potential.