First off, starting this Tuesday, I will be on a road trip for several days, driving down to Virginia to visit family. While I am driving, the Scarecrow, by virtue of his highly developed brain, shall . . .er, sorry for that. Podcast founder, Dennis Williams, will once again provide running commentary during my drive. Of course, Dennis is under no obligation to follow or agree with anything I have written, and he is likely better off for it. I hope to be back posting by Friday, though I may not get my stuff posted as early as I have been doing. Frankly, staying up until Midnight to get the next day’s strip is kind of dumb. I will be down in Virginia for several weeks, but for the sake of our many readers I will continue to post. Shucks, it’s just how we roll here at ThyTrailBeDone.com, folks. And it’s what Mark would do, too!

So now, on to today’s installment!

Well, looks like Mark’s “Fist of justice” started out as the “Smak!” of Justice. I’ve never heard of a simple magnifying glass costing anywhere near $5,000, especially one that is merely a hand-held lens and not part of some specialized equipment. Maybe Rob was exaggerating for effect?

But in the last panel, why is Rob’s arm the one fully extended in a throwing gesture while Mark’s hands are at his side? It was Mark’s “Smak!” that sent the lens flying in the first place. I’m also not sure what the glass landed on. Anybody have an idea? A tree root or a turtle, perhaps? Well, it doesn’t look like a rock, and for $5,000, I’d think that this glass would be able to survive the crash. But I do like Rivera’s “transitional” effect of the magnifying glass, flying between the third and fourth panels. There’s art history behind that effect.

This reminds me of a backstory in my earlier days, when I borrowed a “reducing lens” from a guy I had met at his college. I was on the top of a building, taking photos through his lens, when it slipped over the edge and crashed into oblivion, as it hit the sidewalk two stories below. I learned that reducing lenses are not so easy to replace as magnifying lenses. And yes, I certainly did pay for it!

Will we have a few more days exploring more of Mark’s backstory with Rob? I reckon Mark believes this tale of unrequited revenge is necessary in order to justify his insertion into the Herp Gang’s meeting and take charge. Feel free to add your prediction on how Mark “paid” for his actions.