Those boys are probably in shock in the first frame there, but there’s a good chance they’ll be okay in the long run–a little paranoid about things that go bump in the night, maybe, but that seems only sensible.

I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating that second panel. Scipio’s mouth is almost perfectly a straight line there, but something about it… maybe the eyes, maybe the soft colors, maybe just the context… makes it seem like an obvious smile to me. But then I look again and I can’t quite be sure he’s not maintaining his reserve. It’s like one of those face-vase images.

With regard to the offer of fame, Scipio’s reserve seems clearer, but it’s not clear how much of that reserve is something he decides to have. He lived for the crowd’s approval when he was younger and that hunger led him to some bad situations. It’s possible that as a result, he genuinely does not care about anyone remembering him, but it’s also possible he just doesn’t want to let himself care. Hey, if your gimmick is being laconic, you got to maintain a little mystery, sometimes even in the eyes of your creators.