Thirteen #27

In "Dinner Party," John Stanley crafts a quietly poignant moment as Terry watches her friend Joe lose a ping-pong match to Nancy—except Joe’s unusually bad play isn’t about skill, but something deeper. When Terry realizes Joe’s losses were intentional, her heart sinks, assuming he’s chosen Nancy over their friendship, only to be surprised by a revelation that flips the situation entirely. With a deft touch and expressive art, Stanley captures the awkward tension of unspoken feelings and mistaken assumptions, all under the familiar, slightly surreal tone of the series. The cover by John Stanley perfectly mirrors the story’s mix of humor and emotional undercurrents.