Strip 52 - Click on page above to goto the next page. -- First Seen: 2008-11-25
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What Comes Next

The war is over, but This Means War has a ways to go. Novo Paolo/Bubbleopolis is still in a nebula/stellar nursery, no one knows what happened to the planet Sharen (center of the Intergalactic Council), and the status of the now-surrendered Invaders is yet to be resolved. What will they do when they learn their homeworld is basically destroyed? Will Alyss and Li be re-united? How about Diana (the real one) and Otto?

These questions will be resolved in the next few weeks, before This Means War part 3 wraps in late May.

After that, I plan to go BACK in time about 400 years, to when Alyss and Li left their home in the Sol System to colonize a new world on the far side of the galaxy. As one might expect, hijinks ensue. New subtitle yet to be determined, start date sometime in around the start of July. Stay tuned!

A Little House Cleaning

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The Transcript For This Page

Strip 52

Panel 1
Large panel, a high crane shot of the Hokey Rink and surrounding arena.

The rink is a smooth-carved surface several meters into the ice, with walls that curve up in parabolic arcs from the 'floor' and extending 3 meters high, surrounded by wide terraced platforms on which pressurized conveyances of various types can park on and allow spectator viewing. Surface craft of all manner of shapes and sizes are arrayed across the terrace layers. There are also two large bus-sized surface 'boats' parked at opposite ends of the rink, their airlock doors pointed towards ramps leading down to the playing ice.
Aside from a tall framework with netting arching over the rink, the playing surface is exposed to vacuum. Skaters in pressure-suits are emerging from one of the buses at the ends of the rink, down the ramps and onto the ice. (Can’t really tell from this distance but about 2/5 of them are females.)

Announcer (electronic): … Captain Brad Rodriguez leads the home team for tonight’s game, the Ice Hammers!

Panel 2
Exterior view of the Guzman’s viewing box, a pressurized plexiglass-and-steel, well, box (4mx3mx6m) perched atop a large conveyance that what might be regarded as a land-yacht. The yacht itself is about 8 meters long , five meters wide, and four meters tall. It’s on the centerline and from 10 to 13 meters above the ice in the terraced viewing area. In the foreground we can see two or three players warming up on the ice. The standard-issue hockey player is described in detail in the next strip.

Announcer: … the visiting team, the Rock Hunters …

Ernie: Everyone got everything?

Panel 3
Inside the Guzman box we see Ernie, Guy, Fiorella and Babbette sitting in high-tech cushioned chairs, using four out of eight which are arrayed on a slope (because the lounge atop the yacht is tipping toward the rink at about 40 degrees) affording the rear seats a good view. Also on each chair arm is a small tray on which are perched snacks or sandwiches and drinks. Ernie is looking at a 4-in x 6-in holographic display appearing above his chair arm. The display is full of sports stats.
Fiorella and Babbette are seated in the upper row, Guy and Ernie in the lower row.

Guy (thought bubble): Everything except a clue as to what is supposed to happen here.