I think Rusty must already has an idea in his head what “nature walk” means. But that’s fine. He seems more clued in than his earlier incarnation, at least.
Still, the opening panel looks more like a satire on love, with its over-done expressions. Still, every statement here can’t be some sexual innuendo, can it? On the other hand, what about “…plans for breakfast”? Well, that seems, uh, a bit ambiguous, but innocuous enough for a family comic strip and Steven Pastis’s comic strip censor.
Otherwise, what’s Rusty’s beef? He should know by now that Mark and Cherry spend a lot of time away from him and the cabin. Of course, they probably tell him in advance when they are going to be gone, most of the time. Apparently, unlike other teenagers, Rusty must have gotten up way before 9:00 AM. Anyway, what’s with that background in panel 4? Looks like somebody started to paint and stopped mid-way through. I bet it’s not even visible in the black & white printing, but I’ll have to wait until the morning to find out.
I was going to write something about the seemingly ever-changing cabin they live in. Each time it is shown, it looks different to me. This might be a deliberate decision on Rivera’s part; an additional bit of absurdity in a strip that does not shy away from spectacle and craziness. But I need to think more on the subject.
Now, I wonder what the next assignment will be? We’ve only had two stories so far, since Rivera has taken control of the strip. Neither one falls under the mantle of a standard Mark Trail adventure. So, will this new assignment send him on a trip to locate poachers? Forest arsonists? Litterbugs? Or will he go to work undercover in a petrochemical plant to get the goods on the evil factory manager who is dumping some God-awful mess in a river?
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