I think I’m repeating myself here:  Do you think Rivera has become preoccupied with gags?

Early on in Rivera’s tenure, gag panels were an occasional diversion from the straight continuity of the stories. However, rather than emphasizing a point of interest in the last panel to encourage following the story, Rivera seems to be stuck on pushing punchlines over plots. But why?

From day to day, the panels lead inexorably to the closing gag panel, without fostering compelling content or reader motivation, unless you like the gags. I think it is wasted opportunity. Mark’s Big Idea for a survival camp was reduced to a fishing seminar. Why? It wasn’t explained.

A survival training camp story has many opportunities for adventure and even danger. Instead, we get a watered-down fishing class held indoors.

Even this sorry storyline has been sidetracked by the ongoing Mark v. Connor grudge match, pushing aside the other characters and any hope of an adventure. But one thing is clear: Mark is a lousy instructor.