The third volume has a beach competition. That’s all that needs to be said, really. Otherwise it’s exactly what you’ve come to expect from this series, be that a good thing or a bad thing.

However, a few other things have occurred frequently enough by now that they deserve mention. One is that there are occasional problems with the flow of the text bubbles. They work if you prioritize top to bottom above any other orientation, but that isn’t always intuitive. Secondly, it’s too bad that with such a massive cast there is no one but Suki on any of the covers. Finally, this volume treats a flashback much more heavy-handedly than usual with a fourth-wall-breaking (and unnecessary) remote.

This volume focuses more on two of the romantic relationships. I can say that focus is good, at least. Zip and Suki get together, surprising no one, and this is done with about the same level of effectiveness as the rest of the series. Joplin also gets some attention, for those of you who like the character. Only one problem: did the end imply that Zip was out of his house and in the water before everyone else? That seems improbable, but I’m willing to let it slide for the time being.

Despite this focus, this volume still displays the scattered nature of the series overall. There are really too many characters, given the scant total number of pages so far. Or rather, it is not that there are too many characters but that there is rarely a focus upon a core group to orient the reader and provide a basis for the rest of the characters.

For example, it’s fine to learn more about Suki’s family, but having everyone else show up frequently makes things scattered. Though I hardly represent everyone, a series needs to earn more capitol with me before I care enough to remember a large list of names. If you want to follow the conversations here, however, you’ll have to do so. I’m not sure if this is intentional chaos or an example of the creators forgetting that readers don’t know the characters as well as they do, but it detracts from an otherwise enjoyable experience.