Okay, let’s appreciate the fact that Jules Rivera spends time showing Mark actually working on his journalism now and then, something prior Mark Trail cartoonists tended to leave to our imagination.  And it isn’t just for show, but it works as a technique to advance the story.

Call me a traditionalist, a purist, old-fashioned, or just a frustrated wannabe cartoonist, but I get put off some when Rivera uses a normal dialog balloon to display what would otherwise be thoughts, not spoken words. Thought balloons usually have a series of ellipses or bubbles instead of the usual dialog “tail” pointing to the speaker. But as we can see in panel 2, Rivera likes to use the thought balloon as a memory or imaging reference. Maybe Rivera can come up with a new design or just combine them into one!

Mark is trying to come to terms with the shooting incident. He is conflicted by his impression that Tess is a good shot, but now wonders how she should have almost hit him or Shania. Mark has little real world experience for that belief in Tess’s accuracy, but he’s probably on the right track. His conflicted feelings in panel 3 seem to be leading him to question Tess’s objectives and might lead him to realize Tess is conning him. Or so my theory goes.

Pretentious Nerdy Grammar Quiz: Okay, students. What is notable about Mark’s closing words in panel 3? Your immediate thought is likely correct, but dig a little more. If you figure it out, leave a comment!