I thought the whole story was very well developed and I liked the cerebral part… the names of well-known Renaissance printers … most of the story took place in libraries, but the modern police tech was good too … very well drawn as usual. OK, the fall at the end is like the endings of many 1940s flicks, but, I can live with that. A gooder!
If this new writer upsets the strip’s traditional balance between sports and social issues, I’m gone. Do not chase every fad that affects .001 percent of the population, such as gender surgery . Remember that teenagers change their minds and their emotions daily. We don’t need another Funky Winkerbean or Luann, which I deep-sixed.
I don’t want to get all serious about a comic strip, but … it’s not “bode well,” it’s “augur well” or “look good.” Bode is related to foreboding & has to refer to bad things. It’s not possible for anything to bode well because “well” is a good thing.
Oh I forgot to mention the Latin thought at the end. Very high-toned.