The week has been focused on Mark’s in-person, “preflight check” for the big AI panel. It seems that most of this prep consisted of insults, childish boasts, and a dose of self-righteous anger from Kelly Welly. On the other hand, I’m more convinced than I was on Monday that Cricket Bro’s physique is faked. In Panel 1, “BRING YOU A GAME” should have been written as “BRING YOUR ‘A’ GAME” or “BRING YOU’RE A–GAME”. Sometimes I get a bit nerdy.

Art Dept. I want to have something more positive to say about the drawing and compositions. I truly do. Rivera has drawn much more inventive panels in the past, though much of her current compositional output is humdrum. By the way, do you think Cricket Bro’s somewhat deflated or lumpy physique in panel 3 is just more drawing inconsistency or a clue about his phony inflated physique (and ego)?

Well, there is the question of why Rivera moved from the sweeping view of a large room to more close-up compositions like we see today. Panel1 and Panel 2 could have been combined into a large panel, for example. Otherwise, why bother showing the wide views at all? Wasn’t the intent, with the single chair in the large room, to make Mark feel isolated, small, and vulnerable?

So, what’s on your mind? Any thoughts or observations to share? While I try to calibrate and limit my out-and-out snarkiness, feel free to indulge in your own, as you wish.