The 2005 For Better or For Worse collection leaves much to be desired. Grandpa Jim is going downhill, healthwise, and Elly is getting played by an unscrupulous employee. The ongoing soap opera of Elizabeth's love life takes a creepy turn when her ex-paramour, Anthony, gets married to another woman despite the fact that he still longs for Liz. The rest of the family is up to the usual antics, but they just don't seem to be as fun as they used to be. The closest this collection comes is the storyline that takes John and Elly on vacation to Mexico. But even that seems a bit tired. I don't know if it's because Ms. Johnston is trying to get too dramatic with the strip, or if it's just that the funniest part of the older strips is the antics of the kids, who are now getting into more adult and less interesting shenanigans.
--J. ( )

Another great collection of my favorite active comic strip. Anthony and Therese are getting married, and invite Elizabeth, who lands a date for the wedding, a gay friend of Lawrence's, Dennis, who nevertheless becomes good friends with Elizabeth. At the reception, Dennis and Elizabeth trip the light fantastic, but Elizabeth departs early, uncomfortable about Therese's jealousy of her. Mike, just as he is feeling at a professional low, is offered the editor's job at Portrait magazine. April begins working at her Mom's bookstore after work, and runs afoul of the lazy and larcenous employee Kortney. Elizabeth begins student teaching. Michael finally has words with his intrusive, controlling, judgemental mother-in-law. Elly's dad Jim feels some more effects of encroaching age. Elizabeth runs into her old favorite teacher, Sharon, at the mall, in a particularly moving reunion. Weed falls for one of his models. Jon and Elly vacation in Cancun, realizing again that the best reasons for vacations are the homecomings. ( )