Here we are, back in the not-quite-so-weird world of Cherry and the Butterfly Bushes. And to ensure we remember, we have a Monarch to set the stage and mark the scale from where we stand, watching Cherry pull up to the diner once again for her morning fix.

But wait! What do we see here? Not the smiling, Jeanette wearing her “My Favorite Martian” antennae; but a downtrodden Violet Cheshire, glumly working on a plate of pancakes. Well, maybe glum. It’s hard to tell if she is glum, desperate, or just pissed. But it isn’t hard to figure out that she has seen the results of Dirk’s feral hogs. That might be the interpretation of the textbox in panel 3. Volet looks like she slept in that shirt and just woke up. Where is her sophisticated pose?

It could be that Violet is reacting to Cherry’s voice as it fills the diner. With her Kentucky Derby hat draped over the back of the booth, it’s hard to visualize this is the same arrogant and manicured danger that she was the last time we saw Violet. In fact, I would not recognize her at all, except for Cherry’s amazing powers of observation! Anyway, I’d like to have one of those coffee mugs with the outer space logo. They look pretty cool.

Have to say that I like this devil-may-care version of Cherry much more than the more limited, shallower version we’ve been used to. I do believe that Cherry’s descent into “background character” grew over time, because her earliest appearances showed a more active, independent person. In recent years, she seems to have drifted (ie get pushed) into a kind of lifeless, supporting cast role. So it’s a real plus to see that she is getting stories of her own now.

Well, I reckon Tuesday we’ll start to find out what is going on with Violet. Who knows, maybe something will come out in her explanation to Cherry that will draw them closer to each other. You think? Or will she turn around and start throwing silverware and plates at Cherry?