Nerd in panel four is disturbing. He looks like he’s crossed over. And I’m wondering how he can lift a rock that big and heavy… then I remember, despite the civility and easy-going natures of these guys most of the time, they ARE bears, after all.

I’m surprised and impressed that Crack would put himself on the line like that helping Gimpy holding Nerd back and hauling him back into the cave. I wouldn’t have given him credit for either the courage or the compassion. Sides of him I wouldn’t mind seeing more of someday. There’s such a vibe in general that most of these guys don’t give a damn about one another and barely tolerate each other, and in fact are frequently quite willing to brutalize each other, that any little indication they really do care is heartwarming.

I wonder about Evil’s reaction in the final panels. His expression seems to connote more than self-sympathy. It looks like regret. Did Nerd’s reaction drive home how much hurt he’d caused? Could it actually matter to Evil? Maybe I’m too sentimental, but I’d like to think that whatever demons drive Evil, ultimately these other guys do matter to him and he has his limits. I really wonder about that. I think of all the questions these characters evoke in me, that’s the biggest one. The fact that he’s demonstrably homicidal in other circumstances makes me uneasy when I consider it, though.