I don’t understand the point of these “Heathcliff without Heathcliff” comics. It just feels like a discount Garfield Minus Garfield.
Garfield Minus Garfield exposed the raw and damaged psyche of a lonely and depressed man (Jon Arbuckle), trying to cope with his existential existence. It was a brilliant exploration into the mind of a disturbed individual, and even earned high praise from Jim Davis, Garfield’s creator.
Heathcliff without Heathcliff is just… removing Heathcliff from comics, without regard to whether the strip still makes sense. I haven’t seen one of these that really promotes a new understanding or direction for the strip by removing Heathcliff. I just don’t think his comics work in this format.