Annotated 29-3
Not too much going on in this one, but it does test whether you were paying attention to one of our prior establishing shots. Here’s the original description of panel 2: We view Gravedust from behind in a high, wide-angle shot, as he and E-Merl follow Sundar into the cave. This is the former site of Armageddacon, but even allowing for what we can’t see by torchlight, not much is left here. Cultists recognize that remaining in one place for too long is an invitation to law enforcement to shut them down. There may, however, be a body or two, and the odd piece of merchandise too worthless to move.
The original closing gag, I believe, was for Sundar to yelp and stumble when Gravedust’s powers started coaxing the spirits of the dead into the darkness, but Phil probably felt like that was a little much after page 1 had shown him talking with one such ghost (while that ghost was outnumbered and in broad daylight, but still). Let us have our simple pleasures here. Considering where this plot is going, we’ll start missing the days of pratfalls soon enough.
It doesn’t matter if you think you’re too good for it – sometimes broad physical comedy really is what the scene calls for.
I’ve never been to one, but it’s my understanding this is exactly how the aftermath of cons tend to look like.
I still don’t get how Sundar is falling over a dead body in bright red robes, while carrying a torch. He must have seen the body from several meters away, in fact he seems to look straight at it in panel 2 … that’s why panel 3 feels kind of contrived. Especially with Gravedust and Merl apparently walking faster than him, between panel 2 and 3.