Endtown by Aaron Neathery for January 12, 2021

Oh shoot, oh heck, oh darn.

Sweet, merciful Heavens… Now someone will have to convince Wally that “Holly” is an illusion…

I’m going to go out on a limb and postulate that these are not illusions. If this is what is keeping the multi-verses tied together, these may be projections of other verses imposed on the gangs verse. Because they are important figures for the people that are here, the verse-knot is broken down enough to allow Wally and the others to see their loved ones. Benny is walking on a floor in his reality but where it is intersecting happens to be open air here.

Sometimes (often) I wonder whether this strip is drawing to a close.

Suddenly, topsiders talking to Wally instead of killing him.

Dead characters coming back to “life” (sort of, I know)

Kind of like the encore at the end of a play.

What next? Walt with a fishing pole?

Hokey smoke, Bullwinkle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the plot concretes!

So the multidimensional twist tie is not without drawing upon other realities and manifesting people from them. Or due to the nature of the multidimensional twist tie it makes the space it’s in more flexible to manifesting memories of people from one’s past.

Wow. I don’t recall Alan ever seeing Holly? Or is it just that it’s a character on the book?

Duffy is shouting for the brother he’s lost, while Wally is telling him to come back to reality, while Alan is whispering about the figure emerging on the side.

All the while the Topsider is silent, watching something he’s probably seen happen a dozen times to a dozen different people.

The quieter the response, the louder its significance…

For some strange reason, this – especially the last panel – had me thinking of that old black and white movie that had a terrified woman fleeing down a corridor lined with living arms holding torches for illumination. Funny how the mind works, eh?

I was expecting his “other” other…

Good Golly, Miss Holly!

Observant Alan once again sees things first.

Remember that both Duffy and Alan have mentioned that they expected Wally to be accompanied by the female mouse from the Cracked Cat Cardoodles.

I am inclined to think these are illusions created from the Cardoodle ’verse. Because no one besides Wally has seen Holly as she was in Endtown. So we are seeing the Cardoodle mouse.

Tears and fears and feeling proud

To say, “I love you” right out loud

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds

I’ve looked at life that way

.

Oh, but now old friends they’re acting strange

And they shake their heads, they say I’ve changed

Well something’s lost, but something’s gained

In living every day

.

I’ve looked at life from both sides now

From win and lose and still somehow

It’s life’s illusions I recall

I really don’t know life at all

.

“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell

Oooooohhhh snap!!!

“It’s some kind of illusion”

This reminds me of Star Trek Voyager Season 5 Episode 14 “Bliss”

Wally: “Well, I take it back. Reject reality and embrace illusion.”

Bet Alan’s vision will be about clean fresh folded underwear back at Eden. Now we’ll see if this is Holly from Endtown or Cardoodles Holly. If she kisses him…Endtown…..if she hands him a bomb….Cardoodles. We’ll see.

This is the kind of trick dittos might pull if they’re hungry for some “emotional energy”. Since the Topsiders seem unsurprised by the visions, I don’t think it’s dittos. Generally, Topsiders have no knowledge of dittos, but this one is unimpressed by the visions, so the Topsider may know what these visions are.

Oh…. F…..

Remember, Wally… It’s some kind of illusion. Although I will admit I’ve missed seeing her, too.

Whom the gods destroy they first drive mad…

Ruh Roh!

Okay, that’s not fair…

Gots to be Trixie, not Holly.

I wonder who else is going to show up!

If the realities are merging (as I think they are), then things are really about to go south.

Holly: “Follow the light, Wally. Follow the… oh look, cheese!”

Holly!

Love is an illusion.. Pure Prairie League.

Different realities are starting to touch. But is it a good touch or a bad touch?

Why does Holly have a tail tag?

Others have already pointed this out: What the Sam Hill are the topsiders doing at this moment? Are they even aware?

Or was this a trap for Wally and company all along?

How mouse terious

Here’s the kicker: https://www.gocomics.com/endtown/2019/08/19?ct=v&cti=1621572

The Bridge of Ghosts…

Kirby’s Haints.

(Fixed it. Sorry about that.)

Oh, dear.

Well, I’ll be a S.O.B.

they have no idea who she is/was. instead of “Wally…look…” , wouldn’t he have said “Hey, who’s that ?”

Oh no!