Predict That Plot: The Mark Trail Edition

'MARK TRAIL' (NAS)Enlarge Image

Time once again to play "You Guessed It," in which certain strips are so ripe for predicting the plotline that we pause to, well, predict the plotline.

We start with today's "MARK TRAIL," in which the strip zooms in for a Super Extreme Close-Up in the second panel. The point, it seems, is to force us to peer deep into the peepers of Mark "Man on a Mission" Trail, to fully take in his Pupils of Moral Superiority. Yes, folks, this is what, in cinematic terms, you would call The Gregory Peck Shot. (And for you few who've not seen a Peck film, order up that Netflix. Pronto.)

All that is prelude to pose the question: Just how will Man of Extreme Certitude resolve the Great Chemical Caper of Aught-Nine? Will Mark lead a days-long tour of Bad-Guy Enlightenment? Will there be a flare-up of fisticuffs? And will this company prez, after all is resolved, spend the rest of her life asking herself: What Would Mark Do?

ELSEWHERE...

'FRANK AND ERNEST' (NEA)Enlarge Image

PUNNING, IN EARNEST: Within seconds, I'm all set to be in high dudgeon over this painfully lame-o punning. Soon, I'm convinced this "sole mate" wordplay must must have originated long, long ago, and there must be a Web Site O' Ten-Thousand Painful Puns that "F&E" is cribbing from. So I do a search and then suddenly -- what's this? -- The Washington Post used the "sole mate" pun in a headline back in 1995, with a reference to Cinderella? That's it. I cannot rightly cast the first glass slipper.

GET FUZZY' (UPS)Enlarge Image

PANEL SHOW: My pick for funniest single panel cartoon of the day is "Get Fuzzy." Never mind the fact that "GF" is actually a two-panel strip. Today's first panel is so humorous all itself, it conquers all comers.

'CUL DE SAC' (UPS)Enlarge Image

CUL DE SAC: Fave term of the day: Internal Cuteness Alarm. Because not so terribly far from "Cul de Sac" on the page, my Internal Cuteness Alarm is tripped often.