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For me Boom Studios have been on a real roll of late with quality books such as Irredeemable, Incorruptible and The Unknown stories all being quality reads. The one thing those books have in common though is they are written by Mark Waid who, his involvement in End of an Era aside , can usually be relied upon to spin a decent story.

Bearing this in mind I was interested to see how they would fare on books without Mr Waids involvement; with Codebreakers a four issue mini series by Carey Malloy and Scott Godlewski I am happy to discover that they are still very good indeed.

The story features a team of FBI Crypto-analysts who had been working on a case breaking a mob family when something goes horribly wrong and one of their members disappear. From there the story picks up as the other team members attempt to rescue their missing colleague, people are tortured, deals are made with the enemy, one member appears to know more than they let on, things get blown up, people are shot and there are big surprises revealed. All this has happened and as of now there is still one issue to go!

Some mini-series are not so much written for the trade but more written for the sequel spending the majority of the story introducing the characters and setting the scene before ending abruptly and not always satisfyingly whilst making it quite clear that the real story will be told in future volumes. Fortunately that is not he case here; I first saw the book in a seven page preview in the back of another Boom book and from that excerpt you learnt who the characters were, what they did and how they related to each other. Even better you got the impression from the dialogue that this was a group who had been together for awhile which helps the believability of their actions for the rest of the tale.

The art is crisp and clear with each person clearly distinguishable and the action depicted logically and realistically.

This is a four issue mini series and there is only one issue left to be released so it is probably worth waiting for the trade if you do give it a go but baring a huge, and on the basis of the story so far highly unlikely, massive drop in quality I would say you will be in for a fun time.

^^Sounds interesting, stew! Pleas post again after the fourth issue to let us know how the story worked as a whole and to show whether the conclusion backed your recommendation.

I just bought Green Arrow #16-21, despite my initial embargo on all Green Arrow books in protest. Well, NEW Arrow books.

I haven't had a chance to fully read it, but I gotta say it's weird reading Catman as the fat loser he WAS and Secret Six showing him as the hard-ass mothafu@ka he is NOW.

I actually like the way Hester draws Roy, even though I've read somewhere he detests the "Navajo" look. Although I am confused as to where this sits in continuity, based on Roy's physical appearance. I.e, the soul patch he sports through it.

I just did a review of Villains for Hire on comicvine. Enjoy...

All I pretty much have to say is that it took all five of them to kill Ryan Choi. A teenager powered by at least six or seven gods and a genocidal sociopath who blew up a small country. But since this has to be longer I'll continue. I was never Ryan Choi's biggest fan, that is to say I didn't dislike him, but I agree with comic book resources zero out of five stars critique and them calling this a "superhero snuff film" if I got the words right. Ryan had a lot more potential that's now wasted until another contrived resurrection story takes place after all the mourning is said and done six years from now.

Deathstroke is pretty much doing the same thing he did with Titans East, by promising these people something he obviously is never going to be able to give them. Does anyone else miss the days when he wasn't a grand ubervillain? No, to call him an ubervillain would actually have him doing something big, yet if it took all five of them to kill a relatively inexperienced hero it just makes them out as losers. Cheshire continues to prove what a selfish, hypocritical little nothing she really is by a mourning the child she was willing to let die so long as she had a replacement. I fail to understand why they wrote Osiris going out as a hero in Blackest Night just to bring him back and throw him in with these losers. Tattooed Man I also feel sorry for, but I was intrigued by Cinder and I'd like to know more about her. But she was the ONLY interesting thing about this book.

I know they said that the DCU wasn't going to be a bright, happy place after Blackest Night but I didn't think that meant we'd be regressing to 1985. We can now add Ryan Choi to a list made up of Lian Harper, Tempest, Dolphin, Damage, Holly Granger, Cassandra Cain, Jason Todd, the Reboot and Threeboot Legion, Tasmanian Devil and the Global Guardians, Anima, and a lot of others out there who haven't had proper treatment. I don't want to sound like I'm whining, and if I am I'm apologizing, but to be honest I would've given this book zero as well if I could've.

I actually feel bad for the people who worked on this book, and I'm not saying this to be smug, because chances are, in the future people who get bad reviews for their books will probably be saying "well, at least it's not as bad as what Villains for Hire got."

That, and I'd actually prefer Ryan Choi as the Atom to Ray Palmer.

Um... so. For a while now, I've been re-reading my Sandman collections. The last couple of weeks, at least. The two I've really been paying more attention to are Dream Country and World's End. Dream Country was the first Sandman book I ever read. An old version I found in a library, I'd have preferred it if I bought the collection with the cover matching the one I borrowed, but I could only get the new cover. I summarized the first story, Calliope, now I'm going to review the last one, Facade. Then I'm going to review a story from World's End, the Golden Boy.

It's a story illustrated by Colleen Doran, in which the Sandman doesn't appear at all. But Death does. Due to this book it forever cements my ideal depiction of Death by Doran. Most of you might know her for the work she did on Element Lad. She also illustrated "Anne Rice's The Master of Rampling Gate".

This is the story of Urania Blackwell, Element Girl. Don't know who she is? No one did. She was the Lady Metamorpho, from the 1960s. Urania had allowed herself to gain powers like Metamorpho, and for a while she might've been his lover but he did not feel the same way. This story is about life after that. Urania has become a shut-in, an agoraphobic, due to her frightening appearance. She lives on a company pension and her only contact with the outside world is a man from the CIA she talks to over the phone, Mulligan. Her apartment is run down and littered with discarded faces, silicate masks she creates when she needs to pose for normal that harden and fall off. She uses them for things, things normal people use. That's all she wants. And she can't have it. She's haunted by dreams where everything is okay, and then she wakes up. She's just waiting to die, to finally be over. This story is sad, very sad, to her recollection of how she gained her powers to her disastrous attempt at having lunch with an old friend outside her apartment in which her "face" falls off in her plate of spaghetti bolognese.

Death, who just happens to be walking by, attempts to give Urania a shoulder to cry on. She listens to Urania listing the possible ways to die, and the ways they could go wrong. The bitter irony of all the people who want to live, and she wants it to end because she has no other alternatives. Death tells her that it's not as bad as makes it out to be, and even metamorphae (people like her and Rex Mason) will die eventually. When Urania figures out who her visitor really is, she's at first relieved that her suffering will end. However, Death explains that she was indeed just passing by.

"I'm not blessed OR merciful. I'm just me. I've got a job to do and I do it."

People make their own hells, their own deaths. They can view what Death does either way, a blessing or a curse. It doesn't really make a difference. And oblivion? Not an option. However, Death finally agrees to help Urania if it's what she really wants. She can't simply kill her, though. Death directs Urania to Ra, the person responsible for her powers (she received them from a meteor called the Orb of Ra). Ra, the Egyptian sun god, has kept bringing in people like Urania into existence in his never-ending battle against Apep, the Serpent who never dies, even though Death claimed Apep 3000 years ago. She tells Urania that Ra is the sun, sort of. Urania actually speaks to Ra by speaking to the sun, and asks him to take away her powers. She looks at the sun, and realizes that, it's actually a mask too, and the face behind it is so beautiful... when she turns into a statue. Facade ends with Death wishing Urania better luck next time before she answers her phone. "You want Rainie? She's gone away I'm afraid."

"Who am I? Just a friend. Sometimes. Maybe. Sorry I couldn't be of any help. Be seeing you..."

This story deals with a lot of things. It's about eventually throwing away old things instead of hanging onto them. It's a sharp contrast to the ideal world of superheroics in which gaining powers from a meteor can be a wonderful thing. Here, it's a curse, because Urania lives in the "real world" and there's no place for superpowers in the real world. Ironically, there is, because we need these superheroes to brighten our own lives, to give us hope. The sad thing is, even in our comics, the real world has invaded too many times, and now that naive idealism is slowly starting to die like it did in the 1980s. The real world has become like cancer in comics, which went into remission for a while but has returned.

I'm talking, of course, about Rise of Arsenal. I look at the two, and I see a horrible contrast. Urania Blackwell and Roy Harper share a frightening similarity. Urania has been thrust into the real world and is ostracized for it, both intentionally and unintentionally, due to her powers and appearance, and it slowly drags her down. She fears people will reject her because of her face, and her fears are found true when she attempts to go outside for the first time in a long time. When the story begins, we assume she has been dragged down to her current state over a period of years and she's just about ready to crack. This story is about longing for an end to it and it can be viewed, in some ways, as a happy ending, as Death helps Urania come to an important realization. I don't believe in suicide, and I don't think this is what this story is advocating. I guess people should draw their own conclusions on what it means.

Roy Harper, however, is now having the real world invade his life. His arm's been cut off, his marksmanship is impaired, he's impotent, and back and on drugs. And the biggest source of his problems is that his daughter has been killed. What chronologically and theoretically took years to do to Urania, it's now being done to Roy in a matter of days. His suffering has been done because of what death DID to his life, and unlike Urania, chances are he has no chance for a happy ending, because his story is just pain stacked upon pain with no silver lining. But like Urania, he is both intentionally and unintentionally ostracizing himself from others.

Both characters suffer from the real world, yet they contrast greatly in terms of what death means to them and the facades of their life. Urania wanted to strip hers away and die.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm making connections that don't exist.

...

I'll review the second story later.

Sometimes you crack me up, Kid. It's definitely not a connection I would make, but more power to you for making it. Do you dream in technicolor?

The contrast, for me, is that Gaiman used an obscure super hero to offer some insight into the human condition. The current day DC universe seems to come from a much more cynical place. It's more about trying to gain attention and sales with short term shock value. There is no real effort at insight.

I agree that Doran's work on this story gave us a signature version of Death.

I have to be honest, when I saw the artwork she did in Volume 5, I could barely tell it was the same artist.

I don't think I dream in technicolor, but I'll be sure to ask.

Sometimes I dream in full on, four color comic book panels. That freaks me out and makes me think I should get a life or something... I wonder what Gaiman would make of that?

Delirium envy?

I think you nailed it. Delirium is the Endless I most wish I could be.

I guess I'd want to be Destruction.

What was his purpose? Destroying things was necessary to make room for the new? Gaiman and insight again. I love the way he could take something that could typically be seen as a negative, and flip it into a positive. Very metaphysical.

I guess. If I wanted to destroy things it'd be to fix them, in a way.

I don't honestly care about what generation I am. Old or new it's all the same to me.

Oddly though, I just took one of those silly quizzes and apparently I'm more like Death.

So I liked #1 enough to hunt down #2 (and see its easy enough for me to complete the back issues if I want to go forward). The second issue was very similar to the first with perhaps a further step in the right direction writing wise.

The most immediate thing I noticed once more was the absolutely fantastic artwork by Mike Lilly! It is so noticeably good that I would rank it right up there among the best art in comics right now. This should be the guy drawing Superman eventually...I don't want him leaving Black Terror yet as I'm just getting into it and the Black Terror's look is so unique that I'm finding him more visually appealing than most other superheroes these days.

The writing in #2 reminded me of one other creator: Frank Miller. Specifically, Frank Miller of the mid-late 80's, in the Batman: Year One and Daredevil: Born Again era. I don't mean to say this story ranks with those all-time greats in terms of how good it is (that would be a huge overstatement), but rather, the tone of the narration and the single-minded obsessive nature of the lead character. The Black Terror here is like Miller's DD and Batman in that he's so incredibly focused that it almost feels like he's a crazy nutjob. This is neither a bad nor good thing, but something I've noticed that sets Black Terror apart right now. I'm not sure if I like it or not.

I'm also not sure if Black Terror is supposed to be a right wing nutjob or not and I'm reading some crazy right wing propaganda, since a case could totally be made for that. On the other hand, I might just be reading too much into that. Being a more left-leaning, I actually don't find this to be too distracting, I find it another fascinating aspect of the series.

At the end of the day, I think I'm going to start collecting Black Terror, so long as Mike Lilly is doing interiors. The artwork is so good that its almost a crime not to continue and I find I'm just too fascinated by the character and Frank Miller-esque writing to not want to see more.

I also humbly request that the legendary Outdoor Miner request a Project Superpowers / Black Terror thread here in Dr. Gym'lls which will serve as a home base to our posts, since he is the one who turned me on to this series.

I also picked up #1 of Marvel's latest Rawhide Kid miniseries. Ugh. I will not be picking up #2.

I love Marvel western heroes which is why I picked it up against my better judgment. Why did I have reservations? One thing: Ron Zimmerman. He did a few series for Marvel in the early part of the 00's and they were all basically the worst comic books of the entire decade. I was surprised to see his name attached to this. He hasn't gotten better. The parts where he is trying to be funny seem cutesy and forced.

Howard Chaykin provides the artwork and rather than Chaykin being cutting edge like he can sometimes be, its the Chaykin who sometimes wants to create a nice 'fuck you' to the audience. Chaykin fans know what I mean.

The "Rawhide Kid is Gay" debacle could have been a bunch of different things but at the end of the day, the way Marvel did it a few years ago was to make it a farce and a platform for gay jokes that didn't win over gay fans or western fans. This is an extension of all that but to a lesser degree. If the series was any good, it might feel like it mattered a little, but the quality just isn't there.

Too bad. I could get behind a solid western series and I could get behind a solid statement-making series. But this...I'll pass.

So, the second Sandman story I'm reviewing was from volume 8, World's End. It's called The Golden Boy, and it's illustrated by Mike Allred.

Gaiman once again utilizes an obscure DC character, this time being Prez, from the short-lived Prez series from the 1970s. He was created by the same man who created the Green Team, Brother Power the Geek, the version of Sandman who appeared later on, and the original freakish Outsiders, Joe Simon. The man who also helped create Captain America.

An Oriental man recounts the story of a different America during the 60s and 70s. Prez Rickard, born in the town of Steadfast, was named "Prez" because his mother believed he was destined for great things. Indeed, the boy showed an amazing amount of depth and a love for his country (not an over-agonizingly "red-blooded, patriotic America man" type of thing), but a respect for it. He also had a bit of a thing for watchmaking and repair, for Steadfast was a town famous for it's clocks. It wasn't until Prez came along that all the clocks were not set at the same time.

In this America, eighteen year-olds were allowed the right to vote, and voted to allow the age limit for presidency lowered to 18. A mysterious man named Boss Smiley, the "Prince" of this world with a head like a giant smiley face, approached Prez. The boy had just turned 18, and offered him the role of American president. In return, Boss Smiley wanted him to work for him, sing his praises, and such. Prez refused, and decided to run for President and win on his own terms. Boss Smiley just smiled.

One night, Prez was approached in his bedroom by Richard Nixon, who informed him that he would indeed be replaced by the young man. Nixon explained, though, that no matter what you do, the American people are going to hate you, and years later they'll wonder why they never appreciated him. Four years of being an empty-figurehead, and all you get is an animatronic display at Disneyworld. Prez was not deterred by Nixon's hopeless words, and still remained determined to fix America.

At 19, Prez was elected president, and turned America into a golden kingdom. He dealt with pollution, nuclear arms, homelessness, corruption in big business. He was all about setting America's problems in order first before worrying about anything else. He even appeared on SNL, and John Belushi, in his later years, described it as one of the most inspiring moments of his life. Near the end of his term, Boss Smiley approached him again. Prez told the smiling stranger that he had all government facilities try and find any info on him, but all they found were rumors. Smiley warned Prez that running for a second term might be dangerous.

During said second term, Prez began dating his former high school sweetheart, Kathy, and planned to marry her. The two were happy, until Kathy was killed in a botched assassination attempt on Prez. The killer was a woman obsessed with Ted Grant, who thought killing the president was a surefire way of getting Grant's attention. Prez had no illwill towards the woman, and even offered her clemency, but still she went to the electric chair.

America didn't dissolve, but Prez became somewhat aloof. He was approached again one night by Boss Smiley, who offered to bring Kathy back to life in return for his servitude. Prez refused. Finishing his second term, Prez dropped out from sight to return to Steadfast.

"It's not that things got bad in America, it's just that they weren't spectacularly good again."

Prez often turned down offers to help the new President, until one day he just disappeared. It would be a few years later when Prez died. No one knew how or when, the stories varied, but everyone knew that somehow, Prez Rickard was dead.

And dead he was. Prez, his spirit pertaining his youthful, 19-year old self, is visited by Death. She explains that you never find out what happens to anyone else when they die. But in the case of his death, Prez is kind of special.

Prez asks Death if she's bringing him to the watchmaker. He explains that he heard, long ago, that if you found a watch in a desert, you have to assume somebody made it. A watchmaker. And if the watch stopped, you repair it.

"I don't think this guy made the watch, Prez. He just runs the local franchise."

She brings him to the guys who'll bring him to his world's heaven, but she hesitates for a moment. Prez arrives, and finds... Boss Smiley, gigantic, in a white suit, with an actual yellow smiley face for a head. He thanks Prez for a job well done and now wants him to sing his praises. But when Prez learns that his love Kathy isn't here anymore, he realizes that there are other worlds, other Americas out there, maybe even a desert of broken watchs, and decides to leave. Smiley threatens him, before Dream intervenes and whisks Prez away from an irate Smiley.

Dream explains that Death asked him to help Prez, and opens a doorway to allow Prez to travel to other worlds. Before he leaves, Prez gives Dream his father's old pocketwatch, which he fixed years ago, as a gift. And he departs.

...

Okay, so, the obvious imagery that Gaiman has with Prez is that of the American Dream. Ideal, positive, strong, and somewhat fleeting, as it will eventually end.

There are parallels with Prez and Jesus Christ, as his time as President makes him something of a messiah figure. He ushered in something of a Golden Age which died down, his pure idealism and the inability to corrupt him, no matter how tempting. Boss Smiley is obviously a devil figure.

Is it possible that Dream's role as the "Prince of Stories" means that the American Dream will always live on in stories and tales? We keep it going because of those stories? Or am I again clutching hairs?

Prez would appear again in a Vertigo Voices one-shot which focused on the remaining, obscure DC characters who appeared in Vertigo stories during the early 90s. Prez, Brother Power, Doctor Occult, Doctor 13, and Tomahawk. Prez's was done by Ed Brubaker and Eric Shanower, about a Generation X teen who went on a road trip looking for Prez, who he believed was his father.

The reason I've been thinking of this story is that, well, it's something of an inspiration now. You guys have heard that I've been attempting to get an appointment at DC Comics, to try and get a writing job and try and fix the mess they've made with Arsenal and Lian. I mean, I'm far from perfect, I don't have any conceited ideas of me being a Christ figure or anything. I'm not THAT egotistical. But, if he could run America, I could at least hope to do something. That, and I am about the same age as he was when he ran for president.

I guess I can't help but equate these stories to my own life, in a weird way.

I'm with you on Rawhide Kid, Cobie. I guess it was meant to be campy and over the top? The humor felt forced and the action just seemed silly. It's hard for me to be critical of Chaykin, but his talent isn't enough to bring me back for more of this mini.

SK, my interpretation of the Prez story differs a bit from yours. One of the great things about art and storytelling, though - Gaiman in particular - is that there are so many different ways to interpret any given piece. The part where we differ is with the Christ/Devil parallels. To me, Prez is more symbolic of the social conscience of the 60s and early 70s. I like how you made the distinction between love of country and "over agonizing, red blooded" patriotism. That, to me, is the heart of the story. The idealistic social conscience of the time is what the Sandman allowed to live on through the stories. I don't think you're clutching at hairs at all with your conclusion of how it all tied together.

Regarding religious parallels, one of the things I like about Gaiman's work is that he frequently deals with these concepts head on rather than through symbolism. He does this specifically in "Season of Mists" and his novel "American Gods".

You're right in your interpretation, I understand. Although I can say I'm glad that Gaiman decided to leave out some of the more... odd elements of Prez's life with this story, even if I love the odd.

Wesley Dodds, Cain and Abel, Eve, Matthew Cable, Lucien, the Mad Mod Witch, Cynthia, Mildred, and Mordred, Brute and Glob, Jed Walker, Hector and Lyta Hall, Destiny, Azazel, Element Girl, Doctor Destiny, Prez...

These are most of the obscure DC characters who appeared in Sandman. Did I get them all?

This could be considered a review. I wasn't trying to rant, but it's my attempt at summarizing the Teen Titans so far.

http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000340;p=5#000071

Per Cobies request...

The World of Cars #1

I bought this comic for my 2 year old son. He has a Toy Story comic that he loves to look at, so I wanted him to have a Cars one as well. He loves both movies more than any other dvd we have, so I was hoping he would like this...and he did.

I just read through the issue, and it's not too bad. It tells the story of Lightning before the beginning of the movie. Before he had a sponsor, and even tells you how he met Mack. It's continued in the next issue, so I'll get him that eventually as well.

One nice thing about comics like this is that the voices are all in your head already. No need to try to figure out who sounds like what.

The story itself is pretty basic and suitable for any kid that liked the movie...or adult for that matter. Consistant art throughout, and the cars are easily identifiable. I'd be interested to see how the handle all of the known characters. Sine this one really only has less than a handful that we have seen before.

Overall, a good book for the kids to learn to read with, and the parent might enjoy it as well.

Hack/Slash was for the longest time the flagship comic book published by Devil’s Due and in recent months has transferred over to Image Comics since Devil’s Due is having major monetary problems. To commemorate things with the new publisher, Tim Seeley (creator/writer) kicked things off with a new miniseries that focuses on the origins of Cassie Hack, the main character.

I’ve never collected the series before because it just didn’t seem like my thing but I thought I’d give it a try since it was a new jumping on point / #1 and it focused more on the character’s origins. I didn’t expect much so I was surprised by much I liked it—certainly enough to pick up #2.

The best way I can describe this comic is it is probably the most like a B-grade teen slasher/horror film out of all the horror comics in the industry, so if you like those kind of movies (and I do), this might just be right up your alley. There is a fair amount of gore but it’s not really overwhelming—it’s probably less than you’d get from a random Blackest Night tie-in issue. Rather, it’s the creepy factor that is so prominent, and the low-level terror is ongoing throughout the entire thing. Seeley purposely has the subtle “teenager anxieties paralleling the horror” that many slasher flicks have constantly within the story but it’s not hitting you over the head. I unfairly thought it was going to be the opposite based on ads & covers for the series. It also has a strong “me against the world” vibe that anyone who remembers their teenage years can relate to (whether they were good or bad) but its more in the ‘cool’ sense than the ‘depressing’ sense which is a nice counter-balance to the horror going on in the story.

Anyone who’s seen a variant cover or marketing ad for this series will assume there is a HUGE amount of T&A involved and I admit I thought that would be the case too. I’m certainly not against some T&A in comics but sometimes it kind of gets on my nerves when its distracting—it’s just not what I’m looking for in comics somedays and I don’t exactly live with my brother and some pals anymore, so I can’t have something lying around I wouldn’t be embarrassed for my wife to browse through. So I was surprised to see I was actually a bit wrong on that front too: sure there is a little bit of T&A but its nowhere near as prominent as you’d think. I can name 30 Marvel, DC and other independent titles with more of it. I suspect it’s only so prominent on the covers to try to draw readers in.

Rather, what I was most delighted about was how strong and interesting the lead character Cassie Hack is. She is beautiful too, but her beauty isn’t always played up in sexy pin-up poses. Rather, what is seen is she is a complex person with a dark background, yet is very intelligent and very capable. As a reader, I liked her immediately, was incredibly intrigued by her, felt a great deal of empathy and above all, just wanted to see more of what she will do next.

I’ve never read any Hack/Slash prior to this, and all of those stories take place after, so I picked a good time to come in as a blank slate. I’m going to stick around for sure. If anyone else has read this before, please let me know what you think—especially horror buffs. I could see this spinning into a thread of its own!

My critique on Rise of Arsenal I'm sending to J.T. Krul.

Here there be spoilers

...

Hi, again. This is the last e-mail critique I’ll be sending to you involving “Rise” of Arsenal. This is all I can say about #4 in terms of a critique, and the series in general.

“Roy (Chasing Electrocutioner in Star City Penitentiary): You can't escape me Lester. You know what you did. And you know why I'm here. You're going to scream, Lester. Scream and scream, until the very end. If I know one thing, it's pain.

Hallucination of Lian: Gut 'im dad. Gut 'im like the pig he is.
Roy: Anything for you, sunshine.

Roy (In the End): No matter what city I come to they all look the same- dark corners, dark secrets. Overflowing with the sewage of humanity. The wicked who prey on the weak. They're addicted to the power- the control. About time they learned the hard way- that road is a dead end.”

This is some of the most clichéd, played-out bits of “dramatic writing” I’ve ever read before. Scream and scream, really? The sewage of humanity? It sounds like the type of poetry you’d read in a depressed teenager’s blog.

There were tidbits in this. Very small tidbits of actual characterization, like the scene with Rose at the funeral, but they’re just bogged down by the rest of it.

It would have been more meaningful, barely, if Roy had killed Electrocutioner without the need for that rather horrible hallucination of Lian goading him. That just makes him insane. Which of course will be retconned by explaining it’s a result of his infected arm, brought on by whatever the heck Prometheus infected it with when DC decides to end this and do another redemption story. He’s maimed, psychotic, impotent, and he’s crossed the line.

As for the art on #4, in that two-page splash at the beginning, the artist got the costume wrong in the panel that was a flashback to the first Arsenal miniseries.

I’ve understood what you and everyone else has been saying about this being emotional and meaningful. That doesn’t mean anything now if it was as predictable as this was. I knew where this was going as did everyone else, but for the life of me I was hoping it would end slightly less as bad as it did. I’ve understood what you’ve said about it being hard to actually write this thing, but I don’t know whether or not to take that as a sign that this miniseries has been editorially-mandated, and controlled, from the get-go. I don’t even know if I can believe anything you type in a reply, if you’re being honest or if you’re just saying what your bosses want you to say. I’m sorry if that sounds mean, it probably does, but that’s how I feel now. Your job is hard, I understand that. And I know my opinion on this probably doesn’t matter, and I’m just another emo fan whom is spending his time whining and as I‘m writing this I feel about half the same way.

Roy has now become DC’s Punisher, which was pretty much a role that Jason Todd used to have. No, Roy’s now the Punisher and Jason Todd in a bad costume. Samurai swords, honestly? So, in all honesty, I can’t, and will not, support Titans OR Teen Titans. Or Green Arrow, Brightest Day, Justice League, and any of the books that fall under these banners. Originally, it had just been Green Arrow, the Titans, and the JLA, but that was before I saw the solicitation for Titans #26. And that was before I read Rise of Arsenal #4. I used to buy at least 38 books a month from DC. As of today I’m now down to 3, one of which is a limited series, and ONLY to support a friend. I’m always going to love these characters, but I will not in good conscience spend my money on these books in the state they are in.

But I am NOT going to spend my free time simply complaining on the internet. I’m actually going to take a page from another comic, something completed unrelated to all of this involving a character you‘ve probably never heard of unless you read Sandman. Getting angry is obviously not going to solve anything, so I’m going to use my energy for something more constructive to try and fix this. Voice my opinion more, get more people to join the Bring Back Lian Harper movement, anything to try and halt what the company has done so far to both of them, and to try and do something for Ryan Choi, Owen Mercer, Anima, Cassandra Cain, and all the other characters DC has shafted.

Thanks for listening, take it for whatever worth there is.

And THIS refutes my critique.

http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/2069657.html

I picked up a second printing of Turf 1 based on this recommendation and found it very entertaining. It sets up very nicely as a gang war with the twist that it's human gangsters versus a vampire sect determined to muscle its way into the human rackets. That in itself would be interesting, but we are also set to have a third party, aliens (or at least one alien), enter the fold at the issue's conclusion.

The alien twist is a big wild card thrown into a story set-up that isn't exact;y well-worn itself. From the little bit of set up we are given to the alien involvement, it seems the aliens were set to deliver some guns and alcohol to Earth, though the narration doesn't make it explicit that Earth was the destination. It could be the Earth crash was a coincedence, but a big one considering this is the Prohibition era. So we've got what looks to be an authentic-feeling period piece that's got some wild elements that may cause it to spiral into something else.

We've got three intriguing main characters so far: Susie Randall, a reporter for the society pages of her newspaper who aspires for more cutting edge journalism. Stefan Dragonmir, an aggressive member of a vampire family determined to be proactive about his race's survival. Eddie Falco, a mob boss who doesn't relish what he does but finds himself targeted by the Dragonmirs.

Like Cobie says, this is a very dense read that's well worth your $3. Lots of dialogue and backstory. And very emtertaining.

I've seen Tommy Lee edwards's work before, but it's never gotten my attention like it has here! I think drawing stories like this one out of the superhero milieu suits his style really well. He excels here in a story that is part period piece, part monster movie and part sci-fi. Not many artists could pull this off, but edwards looks more than up for the challenge.

Issue 2 ships this coming Wednesday, so if your CBS is smart enough to carry current printings of issue 1, you would do a lot worse with your 6 bucks than to pick up both issues.

(It's a mini-series, btw, of either 4 or 5 issues.)