Normally, when characters talk to themselves, the artist uses a thought balloon, not a dialog balloon, as we see here. If this was a 1940s film noir—think Double Indemnity, where Fred MacMurray confesses his participation in a murder told in flashback—Mark would here be reflecting back on how he broke the case of an attacking bear and uncovered a sinister plot. But, this is not a flashback. So who is Mark talking to?

Based on Mark’s research, the obvious next question is So why are these losers here? And how will this trip salvage their crumbling careers? Riffing again on film noir, maybe that narcissistic rich boy who owns the resort invited them here so one person has a chance to gain favor and funding by fulfilling some really difficult task or puzzle. Of course, this type of story usually involves one of the hopefuls getting rid of the competition to better the odds. Can anybody say “booby-trapped cliff”?

Now if this turns out to be the way this story is going to develop, it could be an exciting adventure!