Meanwhile, another pondering on 958: Is the song Elan’s singing Freya’s Necklace, or Thor Against the Frost Trolls? And if the former, is this the first time Durkon (who’s led a rather sheltered life) has actually heard it?
And Belkar gets a new weapon! With predictably amusing results.
And amusingly predictable, as well, if we can judge from the last four panels. 
Was that a fantasy sequence, or did he really try to off Durkula?
Nah, he almost certainly knew it wouldn’t destroy Durk. He just wanted the most realistic test possible.
V easily got the best line this page with panel three. Belkar’s acerbic personality is roosting.
I don’t know, there were a lot of good lines in this one. My favorite is “I defer to your greater expertise in both fisticuffs and mustelid elimination”.
V’s accurate assessment of Belkar’s personality not withstanding, it should seem amiss that Durkon would attempt to kill Belkar. That’s completely out of character for Durkon in general, much less to do so on the eve of their final race against Xykon. If V believes Belkar’s story about Durkon dominating him and having him jump to his death, that really should trigger some alarm that Durkon isn’t quite in charge of Durkon.
Of course, empathy and psychology were never V’s forte.
What was Roy doing? Trapping Belkar or hoisting him aboard after Durkin forced him to jump overboard again?
I’m pretty sure it’s hoisting him back aboard.
“red pleather” ?
Yep.
Hmph, I’d never heard the word ‘pleather’ before. Is that really a common word? Weird.
Pleather is a real thing, if that’s what you mean. Kinda odd, though, that someone as genre-savvy as Tarquin, who knows the importance of image, would try to achieve it on the cheap in one of his most significant accessories.
Wait, Bandana is female?? Looks like male to me
Males have rectangular torsos. Bandana doesn’t.
Specifically, she’s non-rectangular by virtue of having breasts. Which is usually a pretty strong clue.
Bandana also has a pixie cut, (her haircut, as opposed to being an actual pixie), so at a quick glance I could understand the confusion, but she’s definitely female.
Tarquin knows all about image. It’s substance that he has difficulty with. Pleather, which is something that looks like leather but is actually plastic, is an apt metaphor for Tarquin.