I can’t decide whether I like this page or not.

As has been the case a couple of times so far, this page was pretty much a struggle from start to finish.  And although it’s generally successful, in that it’s what I planned to have happen here, I still feel somehow ambivalent about it.  Primarily, in the end, I couldn’t decide whether it was better with or without the dialogue, since the dialogue was just the SMERSH man talking in Russian, and was a foil to the actual action, that of Maj. Bronniford making her move.  Erring on the side of “less is more,” I went with the simpler setup.  I’m not sure it works.  Maybe by tomorrow morning I’ll have changed my mind, and I’ll change it.  But for now, I’m letting it stand.

Oh, man, there are a lot of hands on this page.  Hands are HARD to draw, I’m here to tell you.  And the different gestures.  Anyhow.  Yes, this page was not at all easy, and in a sense I’m glad it’s over.

Incidentally, though, to the various comic artists who read this,  I’d be very interested to know if you’ve ever run up against this kind of thing, where a page just never seems to “happen,” and ends up being nothing but struggle and compromise.  I can’t be the only one.

Yeah, well, great self-promotion, here, huh?  For publicity purposes, I have nothing but total confidence in my work and everything I do is fantastic.  But in reality…  Ah, well.  The artist is his own worst critic.

By the bye, readership has nearly TRIPLED in the last two weeks, and I couldn’t be happier!  TO all the new and returning readers, I can’t thank you enough – your support (and votes, and reviews, and kind comments and encouragements!) have been really great!  And the consistent support of fellow-artists like Joost, Arioch, Jason, et al, who’ve helped me out with this story artistically and structurally from the start, I owe you a great deal of gratitude as well.  So thank you, too!

And now, I rest.  To dream of the next page, and hope that it won’t be as much of a Sisyphean labor as this one was!

Be well, folks!