The 2nd one has a significant edge over the first. I like the bubbles in the text, it almost looks like "old reliable" aka Ol' E liquid.
The first one...hmmm. He should be on the ground holding the ankles of the statue with one arm & clawing at one of the stones with the other...like he WANTS to go. Or digging up the ground in front of a stone with his bare hands. A bit more raw emotion from the subject could've really boosted that one to the next level.
Regards