Instead of investing in a longer and more involved storyline, as well as the chance to reveal some more personality in the boys, Rivera appears to be making Mark the hatchet man to kill off the search (and this story) at the first likely opportunity: “Oh, an abandoned campsite, boys? Well, fake alien crash. Time to go. This story is over!”

Did Mark even use his vaunted compass? Did they get waylaid, lost, or confused in their hiking? Who knows? But Mark acts as if he was in charge all along, arrogantly trying to control the situation with his patronizing “father knows best” judgement in panel 4 with Rusty filling in the punch line. And didn’t Rusty and Mark already have pancakes that very morning!? Well, I could be wrong about all this. Today’s strip could just be a setup for a surprise plot twist that shows itself on Saturday. This is the right place and time for one!