Slash

While Rosheen recovers in a hospital bed, there’s a literal change of perspective as Mayor Brand reminisces on the fate of the Sparky Club while doing his best to exercise control over Detective Morrow’s prying-but what’s the detective’s secret? FINAL ISSUE

The past continues to flare up in Rosheen’s face, fanning the flames of chaos that threaten to incinerate her carefully constructed cover. Innocent childhood indiscretions and messy grown-up gropings collide in a blaze of feathers, funerals, fracking and flamingos.

There’s an arsonist on the loose, and the victims are all figures from Rosheen Haye’s hidden past. With a police detective nosing around in her business, and the body count rising, the one-time pyromaniac-turned-firefighter is starting to worry that the elephant in the room will turn out to be her.

“Slash & Burn #1 introduces an intriguing concept and an even more intriguing protagonist, but — with a few slips in execution — it stays at simply enjoyable. Too many subplots, bulky dialogue and a weak sense of place all take away from the issue, but there’s no denying Si Spencer and Max Dunbar have a strong handle on their core character and conflict. Many an excellent series has come from an okay first issue, and “Slash & Burn” looks like it could be one of those. “Slash & Burn” #1 does an excellent job of introducing its pyromaniac firefighter protagonist, Rosheen. From her childhood in an orphanage to her skills as a firefighter to her relationship with the mayor to her brief flirtations with a new detective to her consuming fixation on fire, “Slash & Burn” #1 shows all the different pieces of her history and personality. However, as the previous sentence might suggest, there is quite a lot going on. Between piecing together her history and understanding what’s

The mini-series telling the story of Cassie’s first ‘case’ is more than halfway over, and this issue explains what the rumors about Farmer Fig’s place are all about as Cassie struggles to fit in with the teens in her new home, while more teens are killed. The issue effectively sets up the final issue’s resolution to the plot, while also revealing more about Cassie’s character through her overwrought narration. At first, it’s hard to get past Cassie’s narration, full of cliches or melodramatic seriousness, but it becomes apparent as the issue progresses that Tim Seeley has such a strong handle on her voice that he can write in that voice, while also demonstrating that it isn’t his voice. Cassie is in a dark place in her life as she struggles with being all alone and trying to fit in, but she lightens up as the issue progresses and she makes some friends. Her voice shifts after a party where she gets a chance to hang out with the other kids and is even told she’s cool. Of course, that