'..

.'

j •

'.•

DEA~ GOD,HE'S GONE

BE~SERK.OPeNTHAT 00011, MAN:

NOW, YOUWHIMP£~ING 1I,"TLE SMEAROF SLIME, "M GOING TO

ASK YOU POLITELY .rUSTONE MO~E TIME ...

WELL, IT'SGAltI$H, UGLY,.AND DERELICTSHAVE USEO IT

Fa. ATOILET.

THE RI~SAJl€DILAPIDATED TO THE"

POINT OF- EJE1NGLE1'NAL• ....ND COULD

EA:$ILY MAIM OR' 1(1u..INNOCENT LITTLE

CHILDREN.

JEEZI H.....ve TOGO.I '"lAVE TO GO

.....ND STANOUP TH€iC'E. AND

N080DY LAUGHS•.....ND YOU THINK.

YOU THINK I ...

1 {)UNNO. I. IGOT NE~\lOUS AND

MESSED UP .....PUNCHLINE.

I DON'T MEANTO TAKE ITour ON you.YOU'RE SUH­$UFFER'INGENOUGH, BEINGNlAR'RfEO TO

A LOSER.

IT'S TRuE. • CAN'TSUPPORT you. onJEANNIE. WHAT AR'EWE GOING TO DO?

SHE COMES ourINTO THE HALLWAYTO SCOWL AT MEeVElZ'Y TIME I GO

UPSTAIRS.

JUNIOR WON'T BEHERE FOil ANOTHeR'THIrEE MONTHS, AND

I THINK NlKS.BURICISSWILL LET THE RENT

60 A LITTLELONGe~. SHE FEELS

SOggy FOR: ME.

""KNOW, I'M POSITIVE VOWWON'T KEGIrET THISPUl~'CHASE_ THE PLACE ISN'TTIo/AT DILAPIOATE-D. SOMEOF THESE- KI/:}ES A~E

STILL P~ETTV

.sTUROY,.,

•.• AND THEN, OFCOU~E, I'VE VETTO SECU2€ NtYAV4/N ATTKACTfQN.

OH, VOU'IlE SO IlIGHT,

TI-lANKS TO YOUR: SMOOTHSALESMANSHIP AND VOU~

SILVER TONGUE VOU· ....ECOMPLETELY .sOL/:} MEON THE Pl.ACE. LET'S

SHAKE ON IT,

I HATE WHENEVER wE JAfL HIM, ITHIS. THINK ~ F't..EA5E 600, KEEP

HIM THERE.· THEN HEESCAPES AND WE ALL SIT crauNDHOPING HE WON'T DO ANYTHINGTOO AWFUL THIS TIME.

HEH.LOOt<AT TNfS ONE.Ftli!:ST TIME THEV ",:;:!...~NlET. NOW WHATYEAR' WAS THAT?

ClAD, JUST ONCECOULD YOU L~VEYOU~ WOIi!:K AT 'THE

OFFfCE AND REl.AK?I MADE YOU

COCOA.

:SADLY,OUR'VENUEWASN'T BUfLT

WITH THE:DlSASLEO

IN MIND.

BUT DON'TW'OR'R'Y ... I'LLTAKE SOIYIE.:SNAPSHOTSTO ~E-ttfNC1HIM OF YOU.

MIND YOU, I CAN'TSAv MUCH FORTHE VOLUME'S

CONOfTlON.

t MEAN, THEIlE'S AHOLE IN THE ,JACKET

AND THE SPINEAPPEA~S TO BE

DAMAGED.

V'SEE •••V·SEE, I t-lAVETO PROVE MYSELF. ASA HU$BANP, AND,AND AS A FATHER!

I MEAN, I, WELL,I WOULDN'T BE

POING THIS SOIi!TOF THING IF, IF IT

WASN'T SOMETHING/MPORTANT.

50, LIKE,TO A.SOLLITELY'

GUAR'ANTE~ NOBODVCON",eCT5 VOu WITH

THe R'O.BE~Y•••

IT'S L'I(E, I BEGANAS A t.AtJ A<S'$I$TANT,2'GHT? WAS A GOOD30tJ. lEAL GOOD

J09.

50. WHAT I 17117,I QUIT TO BECOME

A COI'r4EPIAN. , WASSOSIJRE. SO SUR'E I

HAD TALENT.

WEAI2'ING •• ? S~6UT

THER'EAilE NO EYE-SLIT'S.I WON'T BE ABLf:

TO SEE.

THEilE'S THESELENSES 0' R'ED TWO­WAY IMltll'OR GLA~$SET INTOI~ PJlETTY

$MAR:T STU~F,.

I2'IGHT?

I, I OU#.I"'O. THAT MASK ...ISN'T IT THE ONE THAT~EPHOOC' GUY WEAR'SWHO I<'AIDED THAT ICE

COMPANY LASTMONTH?

,'M AFI<'AID HEI<'lEG6 A~E. COMPLETELY

uSELESS,

THEY DIDN'TTELL YOU?

HE'DlZ"EMOVED HER

CtOTHING AFTE~

SHOOTiNG ~ER.WE, Wh .••

WELL, WEFOUND A LENt;­

CAP ON THE FLOORTHAT DIDN'T FIT ANY(AME~A IN THE: PLACE:.WE: BELIEVE: THAT, l-It1t1 ...

:SOME WOMAN INNA:SAME: YOGA CLASS ASMISS 60~OONFOUNt:>

HER', NAME OFCOLLEEN ~EECE.

5H.FOUND THE, Un,VICTIM, IN A

STATE: OF" UN­DlZ"ESS, BUTOTHElZ"WI:SE THE:

PLACE WASEMPTY. THECOMMI:SSIONE~

WAS,.,

"(OU'~E

DOING WHATANY :SANE MAN INYOU~ AWALLING

CU;!'CUMS"TANCESWOULD DO.

REMEhlBE/?? OHH, I WOULDN'T DOTHAT.' I<:EMEMBERING'S OA"'6E~OtJS., FIND THE PAST :SI-lCH A MlORRYfN6,

ANXIOUS PLACE ...~_-_

MEMOR'V'S SO T~EACH­

E~OU5. ONE MOMENTYOU'RE: LOST IN ACAR:NIVA{. OF PEU6HTS,wrTH POl0NANT CHILD­HOOD AROMAS, THEFLASH ING NEON OFPUBE~TY, ALL THAT5ENTIME-NiAL CANOY­

FlO:$$ •.•

l.ISTEN: TONIGHT,WEAR A SUIT AND

BOW TIE. IT'SA KINDA TRAPE­MAIlK WITH THIS

REP HOOP8US'N€SS.

Uh, LISTEN.WHAT,

WHAT,WHAT'S

THEpg08LEMHERE 7

I ...

OF COURSE: THAT'SWHAT JEANNIE WILL

EXPECT ME TO WEAli!'.FOl<! THE NIGHT­

CLUB. IT'S~- PERFECT:

I MEAN, THE WOgSTPAIlT, LVING TO.TEANNIE, THAT'SOVER. SHE, SHETHINKS' HAVE ACLUB ENGAGEMENT

C;:;:;;;T;O;N;.;JGHT."

NO REASON WHY:SHE SHOULDI'.l'T

KEEP lZlGHT ONTHINKING

THAT._--

\..lSTEN, , HATE TO BREAK ITTO YOU LIKE THIS. IT WAS AMItLION TO ONE ACClPENTfTHEY HAVE FULL peTAItSwAITING FOIC" YOU AT THE

1r1l>_HOSPIr "'4L. •

YEAH. HEY,LISTEN, MAN,

YOU PI<'06ABLYWANNA 6E LEFTALON~ I<'IGHT

NOW, H ..h?WE'LL SEEYOU HEI<'ETONIGHT,

OKAY?

A-A -AH! HEADSUP. COMMrS'510NElC"!NO FAJll HIDINGVQUrl EYES ON THEGHOfST TRAIN, YOLl

OLD FRAIPYCAT.'

=

011. I KNOW...YOU'rlE CONFUSEP.YOU'rlE F~/GHTEN~P.

WHO WOUL&>N'r BE?¥OU'lZe IN A HELL, .~~O§iii'"OF A :SITUATION.'

,TUST 60 LOO-OO~OO"'Y. liKe "'p"j ACfPCA$UAl.TY, OR' A IMOO-OO-NfE. Crt APR'EACHEA" ON T.V. WHEN THE HUMAN

..... RACE WEAR'S AN ANXIOUSFACE. WHEN -, THE

I BOMB HANGS 'O\lE2HEAD.WHEN YOUllKID TUllNS !5Lue.IT WON'T WOllrlY 'vou. vow

';'...~;'I; CAN SMILE ANDr, \ NOD IN5TEAD~

WHEN YOU'lieE lOO·OO-OONY,THEN YOU JU6T DON'T

61VE A FIG...

GOD, HOW TAKE.IJO~ING! HIM

THE MAN'S A AWAYCOMPLETE AND PUT

TURNIP. HIM INr::::::c-:-:::::-:~_ HIS CAGE.

PEIlHAPS HE'LL GET ALITTLE UVELIER ONCEHE'S HAP A CHANCE

TO THINK HISSITUATION

OVER."

AHH.' HEllE. THEV AR'ENOW! MV GOOONESS,THAT'S &OME GHOST­

TllAIN ••.

tWAS, 1 WAS .J"UST yeAH,RENlENlBE~/NG·.· YEAH.

"nnJDr-r-';-;' I UseD TO WALK NOW PUTII Al.ONG H~Jre ON THE THIS

WAY TO WO~K EACH SUCt<ElZMOIt"'ING... Ot.l. MAN.

~.......,.,.",~ AN' SHUTUP.

SUIZE.SUI/:'ETHING. V'KNOW...

THIS FEEl.SKINDA

WEIIlU. l.IKEA "REAM.

I KEEPIZEMEMSEI2ING

JEANNIE •. ·

THEY•••THEY MUST HA.....eAI.TEIlEP THINGSSINCE I LEFT ._,

0"JE$U5:WHICHWAY ISIT? HOWDO WE60T

OUT'?

Aw HELL.Aw HELL •••

YOU 6UY,s ...YOU PON'TWANT ME.YOU WANTHIM. HE'STHE lZING­LEADER:.HE'S THE"EP

HOOP."

MUIlPH.l GET 'SOME.MEN OVt:lt TO THE.

REAIl BAY.s. WEGOT TH E" /:TEO

HOOOMOB INHERE.

AAUGH. "M STINGING.ITCHING. MY FACE. MYHANDS ... 50METHING INTHE WATEK? 0t1 JESUS.

IT BIJi(NS .•.Ir_~

6(:T THIS5TUP,D HOOP Of'F.GET IT OFF 50

I CAN ..."u

u ••

WHO CANBLAME THEM"?

IN A WOlZlD A5PSYCHOTIC AS THIS...

HE ... HE :SHOT 8AKBAKA.:SHOWED Me PH- PHOTO­

(jIi!APHS .•.

i

o

I MEAN, WHAT IS IT WITH you? WHATMAPE YOU WHAT YOU ARE?

GllI:LFIlIE:NDKILLeD BY THEMOB, MAYBE?

81l0THEil CAlI:VeDUP BY SOME

MLJGGER?

WHEN ISAW WHAT ABLACK, AWFUL JOKETHE:. WOll:LD WAS, lWENT CIlAZY AS ACOOT: I AOMIT IT!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIl16GEIZEPTHE LAST WOI<'LD WAlI:? ANAIZGUME:.NT OVEIC' HOW MANYTELEGRAPH POLES 6EI<'MANY

OWED ITS WAR PEBTClI:EDITOllh:

SOMETHINGL.IKE THATHAPPENED TOMe, YOU KNOW.I,,, I'M NOTExACTLYtSU~E WHATIT WAS. 50h1E'TIME5 ,IZ"EMEMBEI<' ITONE WAY,50McTIME5ANOTHEIt.•.

INCIDENTALLV, I SPOKE TOCOMMI5:$IONE~ OORDONBEFORE I CAME IN HEl<'"E.

HE'S FINE.

DO VOU LlN&!EI?STAN&!?I DON'T WANT TO HUitTYOU. I DON'T WANTEITHER OF US TO eND

UP KILLING TMEOTMER",.,

IT DOE:SN'THAVE TO ENDliKE THAT, IDON'T KNOWWHAT IT WASTHAT 6ENTYOUP: LIFEOUT OFSHAPE,BUT

WHOKNOWS?

~:::

MAVBE: IT ALL HIN6e5 ONTONIGHT. MA'fBE TMIS 15OU~ LAST CHANCE TO .:SO~TTHIS 8LOODY MES:> OUT.

IF YOU DON'T TAKEIT, THEN WE'R:E LOCKED

ONTO A SUICIPECOU~SE.

HE SAVS"WH·WHA1' DO

YOU 1'HINK , AM?CJ?AZY?"

HE SA"$., HEY! I HAvE

M'f FLA5HLIGHTWITH ME: 1'l.L

SHINE; IT AClZOSSTHE GAP 6ETWEEN

THE: BUILcnN6S.YOU CAN WALlo<ALONG THE BEAM

A"'P ;rOINME!"