Even though violence is common in the world of comic strips (think Sarge stomping on Beetle Bailey or Lucy roughhousing with Linus) it’s usually depicted in an exaggerated, over-the-top manner. That’s why it’s so unsettling to see Hagar the Horrible not only bleeding, but suffering from such serious wounds that his blood drips from his body and forms puddles on the floor. Judging by his heavy eyelids in the second panel, it looks as if the poor man is about to lose consciousness. I’m not sure anyone would find this punchline funny, but it does illustrate the unglamorous nature of battlefield injuries in terms not usually seen on the comics page.
