Beyond Canon is 100% worth the read imo. Dirk Strider is a really compelling character, and I find the interactions between the characters is often written better than in the original Homestuck IMO.

I've heard people say that the character interactions in BC are padding/filler, but I often find the naunces into their relationships to be really interesting, and you'd miss so much development if you just decided to skip it all.

Also the art is top noch.