"I also assumed that the deep romanticism of some of xkcd's comics meant that he was in a serious relationship of some kind"
Funny, I assumed the opposite. A lot of his comics about relationships resonate with the self image I had before I married.
First, I was surprised that he was 23. I assumed he was older. I also assumed that the deep romanticism of some of xkcd's comics meant that he was in a serious relationship of some kind -- he isn't, and implied that he always has trouble with girls.