Judge — January 5, 1929 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Judge" - "The Better Part of Valor" This comic strip satirizes cowardice disguised as prudence. The title "The Better Part of Valor" ironically references Shakespeare's phrase about discretion in retreat, but here shows a man repeatedly avoiding confrontation through increasingly absurd excuses and evasions. The sequence depicts the protagonist encountering various situations—fights, confrontations, legal troubles—where he consistently retreats, hides, or flees rather than face consequences. Each panel shows him scheming to escape responsibility: hiding in suitcases, avoiding people, sneaking away. The satire targets those who justify moral or civic cowardice as "wisdom." The recurring suitcase marked with a diamond suit suggests themes of traveling to escape problems rather than addressing them. Judge magazine uses this strip to mock characters who prioritize self-preservation over honor or duty.