Endtown by Aaron Neathery for July 02, 2018

I’m biased, but I approve of more lion guy.

Now, get him to talk it out before he acts out.

Wait till Walt gets home, what will he find? Will Portia tell him about the phone call? I’ll be on pins and needles waiting for the next update.

Trouble is brewing within this bruin, fueled by copious amounts of alcohol with a rage chaser.

I’m wondering what’s made Walt go on a bender. Is he stressed over Portia’s attitude over Philo’s execution? Or is he aware that Portia is being set up as bait in a bid to destroy the cannibalism network, and knows he can’t interfere or else the plan will fail?

More curious to me is what are they mining down there or are they expanding the city? Walt falling off the wagon was inevitable.

Lion: “Hey, man. We gotta get you sobered up. You want a burger? Or a sausage pizza? There’s a great new place that just opened up next door. They do wicked ribs, man.”

He’s a lion, that guy.

I haven’t noticed any lions in Endtown since Holly and Wally did their little sting operation to retrieve Wally’s stolen bags. A lion and a tiger were stealing from newcomers, hoping to find anything but more canned beans.

I have a nasty feeling this whole arc can be traced back to Walt. My guess is that, defeated by Jacob and his “embrace your animal side” philosophy, Walt set the seeds for a long-term plan to discredit that philosophy – an artificial push to a possible extreme, predator vs prey. We saw Jacob’s near-breakdown over the realization of that logical connection. As a bear-type, Walt would’ve been largely immune. Then, he fell in love with “prey”. He’s tried to insulate himself from the harm he’s doing by protecting Portia. Foxworthy’s hanging tore that insulation to shreds. Not only has he seen the depths of harm done to Portia, but he’s witnessed the full social defilement of Foxworthy’s legacy, ending with his very public death. And now… Walt has a decision to make. He can stay quiet and let Portia be murdered, or he can stop it – thus betraying his knowledge of, and part in, the whole plot, and leading to his own trip to the clock tower.

Must be old drinking buddies, if they knew he was on the wagon..

1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, FLOOR!

Before I read anyone’s comments I said, “Uh-oh!”

I’m almost convinced Walt’s at the center of this somehow. Given the rat’s expression in the previous panels I’d wonder if he recognized Walt as the loop starter. His refusing to be at home or out drinking now… Something else in his past, some price he’s still paying for drives it.

Or it would in reality. In fantasy it can be anything.

Of course it could also be to give him a drunk, rage induced method to screw up Jacob’s plans and have Portia die…

I am still thinking that Walt is the butcher. He fishes and would have experience killing, gutting, and breaking down fish. I suspect he is falling to pieces because he has developed a relationship with his up and coming assignment.

I’ve just gone back and re-read this whole story. It really is brilliantly told. Kudos again, Mister Neathery.

Don’t feed the bear!

No more lion around, bear-man!