Rivera slows the story tempo as Cherry and Mark step away from their plotlines to catch up with each other. But are we transitioning to Cherry’s story or is this just a continuation of Mark’s? It’s an interesting plot device.

Rivera has once again intertwined Mark and Cherry’s separate story lines, a technique she has used before, though this time. As we sometimes saw in the vintage Mark Trail strip, Rivera also has no fear of slicing and dicing time:  Mark was last seen running away. Cherry was last seen having a heated moment with Violet and Ernest. We will find out what happened in each case?

(It’s nice to see how much more comfortable Rivera is working in larger panels.)

One final note:  I’m suddenly struck by how Cherry’s expression mimics Jules Rivera in panel 2.  To a degree, anyway. I don’t have an exact match available, but you can “google” her face. Perhaps Rivera employs the traditional artist’s technique of using a mirror to model expressions using her own face.

I’m not sure I agree with Mark’s assessment of the Center. Far from rich looking, it appears spartan, pedestrian, and not even finished.

Apparently, Rivera wants us to believe that Rex and Tess, returning from their “nature walk,” cannot see Mark peering into the window (once again!) of a somebody else’s private rooms. Nor do they see him running away—arms and legs akimbo—across the grounds, while directly in front of them. Ah! It must be because they are so madly smitten that they have eyes only for each other. If so, I’m surprised that Rex is not wearing Tess’s tiger ears.

This is all confusing. Mark is disturbed. At what, I wonder:  Something inside the building or maybe a reflection of Rex and Tess approaching from behind him? Or maybe he just realized that he should have made a pit stop before setting out on his covert investigation.

Tigers ain’t cheap to acquire, so it would be very costly to mistreat them in the way some people mistreat common pets, such as dogs and cats. But if your con is based on short-term gains, the long-term welfare of the animals may not be at the top of your To-Do list.

Anyway, if Jiffy is not the only employee who feels this way, what is keeping them there and not reporting Tess to the authorities? Is she blackmailing them? Is this Center located 100 miles out in the desert?

But it’s clear that Tess handled this entire situation incorrectly. By tossing out the only professional producer (Diana Daggers) available, stoking tension between Mark and Rex, and allowing Mark to wander around on his own, she only increases the danger to her scheme.

So here is where the story breaks down somewhat, as we’re expected to believe that a stranger can ask a single question of an employee (“Jiffy”, as we learn), who readily spills his guts to Mark about the organization after first stating “We don’t do questions or cameras.” Is his testimony accurate or is he just a disgruntled employee?

On the other hand, if Mark can verify all of this info, he certainly has a story to report. By the way, just what is going on in that trailer?

Looks like there are some questionable things going on, after all. But if all that expired freeze-dried (I presume) meat is in a dumpster and not in a freezer, it could simply indicate some inefficiency and sloppy inventory management. Hardly a crime or case of corruption. We’ll need to see more conclusive evidence than that. But it’s a start! And that worker should be easy to turn.

There’s a lot to be said for consistency, such as “where is it when you need it!?” Yesterday, we saw Mark laser-focused on his task. Today, he is suddenly overwhelmed…by animal cages? Rivera makes a pun with that muckraker crack. Okay, maybe Mark’s uncertainty is just a temporary thing while he settles on what to do next. At least let’s have no more Kenneth Branagh stares into the distance, okay?

At last, Mark comes to enough of his senses to actually work on the zoo investigation instead of fixating on Rex’s alleged vulnerability issues. And about time. But am I the only one who is wondering where all the employees went? And what about Rex’s employees? I noticed that Mark doesn’t have that affected goofball, annoying appearance and behavior he’s been displaying up until now. Instead, he acts like the traditional Mark Trail of bygone days: Mister All Business.

Anyway, the strip is nicely drawn today (compared to prior days), though I fear the shadow on Mark’s face in panel 2 will not be visible in the newspapers. I wonder where Mark keeps finding all of this equipment.

Yes, Rex reads Mark all too clearly for the intrusive bumpkin that he is. Because of his over-reactive warnings and blabbering, Mark may cost Diana her job, as well as ruin his own opportunity to actually do an investigative report on the Center (why he was sent here). I think Mark may even wind up having to find his own way home.

Again, I do not understand Rivera’s decision to cast Mark as some kind of soap opera Mary Worth personal problem solver. Mark is clearly not keeping his professional attitude at the forefront here.

So where does the story go from here? Will Mark save Rex and Tess from the rampaging elephant? Will Rex and Tess suddenly elope, leaving Mark alone with the tigers and a very pissed off Diana Daggers? Poor Mark, he should have talked it over with Ralph the bull snake before accepting this bad gig. Maybe Mark can find future fame and glory by becoming a professional Reality TV show personality.

I think I can answer Rex’s question in panel 2 with an unequivocal “No!” Mark really has a hard-on for arguing with Rex, but he’s not exactly winning. (By the way, I like Rex’s stink eye in panel 2!) Hmm, I wonder if Mark has lost track of what he is supposed to be doing? Anyway, Rivera shows us that she has seen the first Mark Trail strips (from 1946) when Mark thought Cherry’s pet bear was attacking her. I’ve always felt that Rivera’s Cherry was more like Ed Dodd’s outdoorsy version of Cherry, before she became too domesticated and dependent during Elrod’s drawing tenure.

The other thing I am curious about are those pinkish tabs that appear below Rex’s eye in panel 1 and Mark’s eyes in panel 3. I’ve seen them in Rivera’s drawings before, but I have no real idea what they represent. Any ideas, readers?

Out of all the issues on the table, Mark fixates on Rex’s feelings towards Tess. Well, that falls in line with Diana’s agenda. But so what? His paymaster is expecting a research article on the zoo, itself, and whether it is legit. Never mind that Rex’s feelings may be somewhat distorted by a childhood fantasy. But Mark puts the Third Degree on Rex, who caves in. What is Rivera’s goal in this story?

This story deviated right away from a strict uncover corruption plot that would have been normal in a Mark Trail story. Instead, the investigative angle has been secondary to a focus on interpersonal issues, something that falls outside Mark’s regular skill set. So, is this really a rescue mission? Does Mark’s eventual article get turned into a “How I saved Rex Scorpius from the clutches of a cult leader“? I have yet to see any evidence of a cult.

Some readers might be thinking about now that Mark Trail must be Mary Worth’s nephew, or successor. It seems odd, if not intrusive, that Mark would be all over Rex for being all over Tess. What business is it of Mark’s, anyway? First, let’s review how we got here:  Mark was goaded by his editors into an assignment to investigate a dubious roadside zoo in Texas run by Tess Tigress that might be a cult, but might also be abusing tiger cubs. Mark would be working with Rex Scorpius, the famous “Internet” animal wrangler. An alternative assignment meant to sway him was to chase down a rampaging elephant somewhere in the south. Mark chose the roadside zoo story.

After arriving in Texas, Diana Daggers (original bad girl and now part-time sidekick) was there to pick him up. She confessed to Mark that his official assignment was something of a hoax. The real assignment is to help her save a vulnerable Rex Scorpius—her current boss—from the zoo cult and the clutches of its owner, Tess Tigress. The cover assignment is Mark’s investigative story on the zoo. Is Diana Daggers misleading Mark even more because she has personal feelings for Rex? Is she really jealous of Tess? To add even more complexity and drama, the elephant story has merged. And Mark now confesses to Rex that he may be more concerned about Rex’s personal relationship with Tess.

So here we are. It’s a more complex affair that we often see in Mark Trail’s adventures, but even so, this job is really outside of his area of expertise. Mark is not Mary Worth or even Dear Abby.  Why isn’t Diana handling the situation? Good question, if I do ask it, myself! She was introduced several stories ago as a tough woman with an aggressive attitude to match. Diana even threatened bodily harm to Mark when they first met! But over the past several stories, her personality has softened, as has her attitude. She is almost a non-entity in this story. But is that also a secret ploy, meant to mislead Tess so she would not be looking for Diana?

I’m with Rex on this one. Sure, this “rampaging” elephant may be heading towards Texas, unimpeded by cars, neighborhoods, rivers, shopping malls, the police, game wardens, and all manner of local yokels. Nevertheless, Texas ain’t exactly Rhode Island in terms of size, so I suspect Mark is being a tad overly concerned. Perhaps he takes Dr. Seuss too seriously.

Anway, I just noticed: Why is Rex wearing leather gloves? Do nature hikes require gloves? Do two people looking to get away by themselves need gloves? Sounds kind of kinky to me. If Tess brings a whip, I wanna see pictures!

Ah, back to the Texas Twits…I mean, Mark and Rex. That prickly pear cactus in panel 1 looks a bit cartoony (flat) to me, like something from a Hanna Barbara cartoon. Perhaps that is a visual pun for this prickly pair, Rex and Mark. Rex and Mark. Are they filming a show or enjoying a vacation!?

But as Rivera notes in panel 4, Mark certainly knows about the consequences of hiking in nature with women, as also seen in this panel from back in July. Even Cherry made sure we readers did not miss the signs.

So, is Mark concerned about Tess Tigress or Rampaging Horton? Leave it to Mark to ruin their budding romance. Okay, okay. She may be a con and Rex may be a mark. But for what end?

I say, let them go and say nothing about the elephant. If the elephant does somehow show up, Mark can enjoy a good laugh to see those two running for safety, pursued by an elephant adorned with their clothes. That would make a great panel, too.