Tyler's reaction is the appropriate one.
As a nerdy queer girl, I was bullied a lot in school as well. One day, one of the guys who everyone thought was too cool to associate with me stepped in while I was being beaten up by a classmate and threw the other kid off me. The next time I ran into the boy who saved my life, he said, "You don't need to worry about anyone bullying you anymore. I've made sure everyone knows that if they mess with you again, they'll have to deal with me." And he was right. For the remainder of my time at that school, the bullies left me alone.
This particular series of comics is especially meaningful to me. Thanks to everyone involved in its creation and publication.