Endtown by Aaron Neathery for December 15, 2017

Sometimes, the grief is all you have left. Heather, we hardly knew ye.

Truly poignant. And very human. These aren’t just “talking animals” like you see in other strips. Well played, Aaron. Kudos.

This could have gone wrong in so many ways… Endtown in chaos, Wolves literally at the door and most of all Heather’s suicide would have made most people lose their grip and go berserk. Walter, however walked through all that without doing anything he might later regret. Perhaps Prof. Mallard was right all along… This man has hidden strenghts.

Could this be the foretelling of our own situation, society falling on each other with knives and fangs bared? Best way to get thru this is stop screaming and wait till the next election, the right wing waited 8 years, I’m sure the left wing can wait 3 years.

What is that on the table? Looks like a stapler…

Poor Walt. He’s been run through the wringer, emotions-wise. After he’s had this chance to weep, with Portia providing much-needed comfort and support, he’ll likely take a deep breath and figure out what to do next. As E.Bullterrier said, Walt has hidden strengths. I expect him to be a key player in restoring order in Endtown.

Walt has had enough. Drink it up there soldier…..drink all she gives you.

The problem is that there’s nowhere else for them to go, it’s Endtown or the surface and a very uncertain future. There has to be solution, but I’m damned if I know what it is.

Stupid ninja’s cutting onions everywhere around here.

All of what’s happened just seems far too insurmountable for it’s own good.So which is worse, endtown in it’s current state or unity?

Another wordless strip that speaks volumes…

I notice the zip gun is sitting in a prominent place in the panel. I wonder what’s about to happen?

I just finished binge-reading from the beginning. First, let me say: Wow! One of the greatest comics I’ve ever read. The art, story, humor, all amazing, I’ll be sure to offer something for your patreon.

My thoughts, suggestions:

1.) Al and Gustine haven’t been seen in forever. They should have a prominent role in bringing some order and sense to Endtown. Both are long-time residents, both are quite physically different from each other, and both have a strong presence.

2.) Linda is currently a broken bird. She will need a mentor to help her recover, and when she does, I think she could become a very passionate and amazing character.

3.) I’ve loved the entire story but this arc has been a distraction. It feels like the plot of Zootopia, but darker and edgier. I think that premise fails here because these are humans, not animals, who have been mutated. This strikes me less as “predator vs prey” than it does “cabin fever, panic, stress, bedlam in the streets”. It needs two parts: sturdy, respected leaders to shape order, and an escape.

Here’s what I feel may lie ahead from here: We know that the entire world isn’t blasted to dust, and we know that not all humans are Topsiders. We know plenty of humans in plenty of colonies doubtless get along fine with the mutant ones. Endtown is falling apart from age, and from war, and lack of resources. They need the light of day again. But where would we find a vessel large enough to transport all of them, and one capable of shifting its interior dimensions to be more like an ocean liner?

I would love to see Capn’ Holly to the rescue. It would be amazing if she didn’t give up on the folks who first took her in and gave her refuge. We could see what lies beyond and how the world has coped after the apocalypse, and we could see how humans unexperienced with mutants attempt to make peace with the weirdness.

I’d love this to happen so much more than a Deuce ex Marx.