Boys will be boys, huh? While I understand the implication that Mark is upset that somebody threatened his family and in-laws, his assumption of authority here is egregious and downplays the fact that Cherry and her siblings already took care of the problem without him. Does Mark feel guilty for not being there? Or does he just feel a need to insert himself into the situation? Mark has always been more vigilante than reporter. It’s not “the Two Pens O’ Justice” that he wields.

Art Dept. Well, I don’t know why Rivera keeps having trouble keeping Mark’s face consistent. His head in panel 1 looks as if his nose has been chopped off. And he displays such small hands in panel 4. Small hands are something that has plagued Mark from time to time. Here is another example from May 2016, during the infamous cave chase adventure (“Arachnid Ho!”).

I can tell you from experience that hands can be quite difficult to draw well, and in proper proportions. But that’s no excuse.

For any newcomers to Mark Trail, that 2016 illustration above represents what Mark looked like before he underwent the transformation to the Mark you see today. It’s similar to Dr. Who’s transformations that take place when a new actor takes over.

Another point of interest: The jail cell illustrations. How do you illustrate people in jail, when seen from the outside? Too far away, and the character disappears behind the vertical bars. Too close, and you might lose the panorama you want to show.

Rivera’s solution of making cell bars temporarily disappear is inventive, but not really satisfactory. She has used this “disappearing bars” technique before, as far back as January 2022 in the “Zeeba Mussels” adventure. So, check out panel 3 in today’s strip, where Rick looks as if he is actually standing outside of his cell!