The Trail’s bucolic stroll through Lost Forest continues, as they enjoy a cooling off week after the action and suspense of their recent adventures. But don’t despair, readers, as real excitement and danger can  suddenly appear at any time! That Pileated Woodpecker in panel 4 might mistake Mark’s head for a tree stump and start pecking on it for grubs. Woo! Maybe some wood ticks will latch onto Cherry and start crawling down her sweater.

Art Dept. Again, consistency seems to be an issue. The image of Mark in panel 1, for example, looks top-heavy, and  he is not moving. Perhaps that is why Cherry seems to be kicking him in the shin to get him moving. The wavering thickness of limbs and lines that define Mark’s jeans seems to have no rational explanation. And yes, it would be nice to see Rivera spend a bit more time depicting the flora and fauna, since they provide the thematic focus of this strip.

Finally, do you agree that omitting the text box in panel 4 to focus only on the silhouetted figures of Cherry and Mark walking off into the distance provides a much more effective follow-up to Mark’s comment in panel 3? In so doing, it would emphasize the silence that Cherry and Mark are appreciating. What do you think?