I’m sure there are readers who are thinking “Boy, oh boy! Is that Violet crazy or what? She’re really going to get it!” A lot of readers are no doubt looking forward to this death match.
But, who is Dirk Davis? Sounds like the leading man in a cheap action movie. Being the sucker that I am, I did some quick online “research“, assuming that the name on Cherry’s smart phone (or iPad?) is an actual person or based on one. What I found was:
- A not-so-nice character in the Goosebumps® series of books who seems able to switch bodies with other people.
- A character in a DC comic book who is secretly one of the intergalactic police officers known as Manhunters.
- A real-life professor in a private Christian college.
- Another real-life person in Academia.
So, I’m guessing “None of the above.” In short, I’m up a tree as to whom this Dirk Davis is. Possibly Rivera is having fun with comic strip geeks (that includes me!) looking to eek out hidden symbolism and cultural references. But the textual reference to “intervention” and “divine intervention” by the two characters suggest candidate #3. Or a comic strip version of that person, anyway. We may have to wait a bit before we find out, if Jules switches back to Mark’s story line.
Based on past practice, I’m surprised that Rivera did not label a “Wave!” sound effect in panel 3. Still, it looks like Jules is getting this story to a good pivot point to head back to Palm Springs where Mark seems eager to pin Cricket Bro to his own personal specimen board on Monday.
The Daily Trail 
Who is Dirk Davis indeed? And who is helping Violet? She certainly could not have cleared an entire Roundabout of native species, turned over all the soil and planted a carpet of Butterfly bushes! Not on her own! As for the lesson, assuming Cherry’s ministrations are true, what a lesson in marketing! Just name a plant something, convince the world that Butterflies are threatened, and sell more plants!!