Endtown by Aaron Neathery for July 09, 2013

Somewhat unexpected, but this is why I love this strip!

I was hoping for this!Rat Revolution!

Whoopi! I’m so glad that it is Rat Patrol to save the day. They just proved that they are neither, blind followers who can’t think for themselves!I hope they play a big part of End town in the future. Curious to find out their history and their place in the universe. Anyone who knows rats knows that they are intelligent and social and and bond well with their persons. There is even a group of rats that work for the Armed Forces. They are the Hero Rats who are trained to find land-mines. They are faster to train and very seldom set off the mine, unlike dogs who get blown up more often. The rats are faster to train and their sense of smell is awesome.A female who wants to mate has phemerones that will attract all male rats up to 10 miles away.

On yesterday’s strip – could the hand with the gun be someone who will not shoot Allgood but instead defend him from the crowds? Someone who has his own uses for Allgood.

Finally.. A bit of logic, unexpected from the rats. But we never have known them “well” just glimpses while they did deeds of no understanding by us, but it seems to be the rabbit (no joke in tended) that Aaron is pulling out of his sleeve.It is a very nice birthday present to me, thank you Aaron.Blessed Be

Jacob: “Did I ever tell you I used to work at a factory that made cheese graters? I was always made employee of the month, too!”Glasses rat: “I love hearing this story!”

The Rat Patrol Remember to Vote early and often.

Vote ENDTOWN Vote ENDTOWN first generation Vote Doc Rat

Let’s twist again, like we did last… um… week?Let’s twist again, it’s twists we seek!

I was hoping this would happen…even the trigger-happy Security Rats have their limits, I see…

For now though, control lies beyond himIn the paws of Rats with their faces grim.No-one, even him, can plan to perfection.There’s always a loose end; on reflectionhe may wish he’d not mentioned his plan.He may well need to join his foe on the lam.

Rats with guns (to the tune of Cows with guns!)

I just have one worry – there is still the one unknown person, the mysterious voice impersonating the council, whose identity we have yet to learn. This is the person who talked to Allgood and Jackrabbit together, so JJ is not the one who has been doing all the talking. I don’t think it was Velda. The style of speaking came from someone having the time of his life acting like a destructive jerk. I’m pretty sure there is one more puppet master above all of the others, puling the strings, and identity yet to be revealed.Are we about to learn that JJ and Velda themselves have been duped? That they too are just part of someone else’s master plan to take over Endtown? Maybe to toy with it, and to damage and smash it, just for fun? That could possibly explain why JJ seemed so cold-blooded about the deaths in the riot – he may actually not know the full body count of his actions.JJ thought he would become the dictator of Endtown. But once in that role, if something were to happen to him, someone else would move into the leadership in his place. Who? Whoever would do so is the prime suspect for the ultimate puppet-master.I would have said Professor Mallard, but he handed power over to Captain Flask, long ago, bcause he had better things to do with his time than the day-to-day running of a community. (The only thing that would make me think otherwise was that he protested too much that there was nothing he could do to stop the excesses of the council, when I’m sure he was smart enough to do anything he put his mind to.)Or Petey. Or the other brain-in-a-tin. Or Sparkplug Sanders.Whichever, I think we weill soon be in for a surprise and a big revelation. And we will feel a tinge of sympathy for the odious little Jacob. If that final part were to come true, it would confirm for all time that Aaron Neathery is the consummate master of storytelling. We would need to promote Endtown in great numbers to every web comic award we could find. (More on that later, hey?)

Today’s panel does answer my question of yesterday: what kind of handguns would the Security Rats carry?

Happiest of B-days DOL1!

And from me. Happy Birthday, DOL1.

I will wisely avoid verse and stay with prose.We don’t know what is in their guide book, nor do we know how the Endtown Charter is written. It may very well be stated that in times where the High Council may not exist, it is the responsibility of the Security Chief to maintain control until another High Council is appointed. With Flask gone and there being no replacement, glasses rat may very well be in charge of Endtown by default.This may be a first step in reason coming to the forefront again.

In this case, the enemy of my enemy (Jacob) may not be our friends..Or, out of the frying pan and into the fire, if the Rats truly take over.

Let’s see, the rats guard the council, the council is missing, and the only person that knows where the coincil is happens to be Jacob. Yup, looks like the rats are in the right, this time.

Happy Birthday DOL1! At least the rats may prove they’re not to be ‘putsched’ around.

Unexpected turn this was. Like Lt Rat said the High Council was over them. Probably in their Manual. A Fail Safe in case High Council gets taken out. Leaves the Rats in command for the Security of Endtown.Now will Endtowners believe the Rats when they expose the plan. Remember Jacob mentioned he had a large following so the tension is still there.

DOL1 Happy Birthday. Mine too. Same day in 52. Hope you have a good day.

Happy birthday, Dirty Old Lady!You are loved.

In spite of their propensity for enthusiastic mayhem, it looks like maybe the rats have a higher sense of duty than we’ve been led to expect.

Who is to say that Velda isn’t enough of an actress to carry it off? We really haven’t seen enough of Miss Vanderveezle to know what she is or isn’t capable of. We know that she has manipulated Allgood into playing his part, that she has enough pull to sit in and observe prisoners but other than that? Is she the actual Security Captain? That would give her enough pull to relieve our Leftennant and take control, leaving Jake beholden to her. For all we know she was an actress before the end.

One thought on Jacob and his minions. Isn’t he “up here” and they are “down there”? Minions won’t do a lot of good separated like that. Not sure who controls the elevators, tho’.

I’m going to make a guess that there is no Security Chief and that post hasn’t been filled since Flask died. The HC in charge at the time of her death didn’t have time to fill her spot before the takeover attempt by Allgood/JJ. With that power vacuum present, it might have been seen as easier to take control of Endtown than if the spot had been filled even by one of JJ’s supporters due to established regulations.Jake’s mistake is in underestimating the rats sense of duty.Gotta go to work, now.

I’m shocked how quickly I switched over to supporting the rats. Jackrabbit has done some HORRIBLE things here, innocent people have DIED because of his extremist beliefs and we supported him because they were the opposite of Allgood’s extremist beliefs.

Where is this going to leave the leadership of Endtown? Is this a coup d’état of a coup d’état? (Scratches head)

Rats grow a back bone…. I’m liking this…. Hopefully weasle/soat lady doesn’t give into her instincts and kill them all….On a side note, is it me or does the security uniform look a lot like a TS uniform without the helmet… Coincidence?

The facts:The HC is consists of ten people randomly selected to serve a 30 day term. There is a new person rotated through every three days. Supposedly, the chair of the HC is rotated among the members of the HC.Questions: What is the selection process? How are the selected people notified? What is the method of getting to the chambers anonymously? How is the correct person verified if the rats don’t even know who it is?Supposition: The rats may know who is selected for the HC once they’re chosen. It would make sense as I wouldn’t want an unknown entity walking the halls of the Security area. They could verify the correct person is showing up at the HC when chosen. This leaves the question of what happened to the missing members if the HC disappeared. The rats would know if people stopped coming to the council when called. That is unless there’s a rat or two among the rats.

OK, that was NOT what I was expecting. This is going to get interesting.

This particular mob of rats are way too much like gun happy “warrior cops” who seek to over-control everyone, imposing extreme measures even for minor infractions. Having them completely run the show would be like living in an occupied country during WWII. I don’t think I’d like living in a police state.

I thought this might be coming. The rats have been developing as peripheral characters for a few weeks, which started their “humanizing” (so to speak) process.

Of course, what the lead rat has in mind outcome-wise isn’t clear…is he stepping up from a sense of outrage over what happened below or is it a straight-up political power play? We’ll find out soon.

I love this strip.

Sorry about the misspellings, my keyboard isn’t very good about double letters unless I’m really careful.

A few random thoughts…#Happy birthday, everyone.#Velda looks somewhat upset at the idea that Allgood is toast…#It’s been said the Security Rats have been created for the purpose of defending Endtown (as opposed to being fellow mutated humans)…Deputy Security Chief Rat could just be deciding defending Endtown also involves defending Endtown against Jake and Velda.#@witchspell63: Could be one out to assassinate Allgood just as easily…

For the voice/master puppeteer, I suspect Sparkplug, but also a different Aaron Marx. We’ve seen there are at least two already. Remember Flask in her new incarnation with the two master builders? Our Aaron witnessed her with the second Aaron when she met with them. Why not a third, malicious Aaron?

I LIKE that rat. Have liked him for a while now and I’m really glad to see this twist. Bravo Aaron.

Also I do hope there’s not some secret command Velda and Jake can give the Security Rats that forces their further cooperation…#Also also…this morning I got the original artwork I bid on back in the last auction. I bid on the Doc Chase picture, which is in there, but Mr. Neathery also sent me another one, of Wally chasing Holly. Print or original art? I don’t know, and under this artificial light in here I can’t tell. Either way, I like it a lot…and as a postal clerk I appreciate the thorough packaging and sealing and use of a Priority Mail flat rate mailing envelope…

I can only think of the following:Adrian Veidt: I did the right thing, didn’t I? It all worked out in the end.Dr. Manhattan: ‘In the end’? Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends.

I can’t believe no one else has said this…(ahem…)THE RATS ARE REVOLTING!!!…and it will serve Jackrabbit right!

One more thing…HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Dirtyoldlady1 and Veteran…The day isn’t over yet!

Rats are going to earn their keep for once.