I’m sure some of us have been in this situation at one time or another, so it’s easy to feel sympathetic for the little guy. We certainly haven’t seen so Rusty express much despair and frustration before. And we are back in the “Haunted Forest” setting we saw yesterday. The rough-looking undergrowth and odd trees with twisty trunks and unusual shapes suggest it might be a manifestation of Rusty’s imagination and feelings. Or it could mean he is wandering into the Okefenokee Swamp. It’s very interesting to see Jules Rivera taking this unusual approach to building a story.

The narrative box in panel 4 is completely redundant, as the rest of the panel give a more than adequate display of Rusty’s reaction to the sudden sound. What could it be: One of his hoped-for cryptids? The Cowardly Lion? Pogo Possum, perhaps? Or maybe it’s his “disappointing friends” who followed him from the meeting site.