The passage that I want to elaborate one references the ongoing theme of popularity in this comic strip. The characters all have a fascination with partying, drinking, smoking, sex, and rebellious behavior. However, those who do not participate are considered losers and social outcasts. I find it ironic that the people who start off as popular and well liked turn into the social pariah later on in the comic strip. The image of the ominous man lurking in the shadows foreshadows the mystery and horror of what is to come, and foreshadows the future ostracizing that the teenagers will go through as they mutate. It almost reminds me of Boo Radley from To Kill A Mockingbird, an innocent figure lurking in the shadows with a haunting, demeaning social stigma causing people to shy away from him in fear. The kids, behaving as bullies, desecrate nature by leaving trash everywhere, and nature is ultimately what retaliates and leads to their downfall. It is almost a karma like situation: what goes around comes around. One question I had while reading this is what does this plot suggest about society? Are all "popular" kids going to be punished in the long run if they continue to behave cruelly to others, experiment, and act recklessly? Or, because the disease is (I think?) contracted sexually, is this suggesting something about the time period and teenager's experimentation sexually?
