Writing:  Here we are introduced to the Silent Assassin and the life of pain and humiliation that makes him escape his confines and hit the street. Here he is taken in by a gang that is somewhat torn between taking him in or throwing him to the wolves. We find that although he can't speak he possesses quite a few abilities that make him more than average. This was a good first issue. We are introduces to our protaganist and his life and the folks that will play a role in shaping his teenage years. One of the concepts that I thought was dealt with in an interesting manner was the reason some of the characters took up with a gang. The hurt and pain of life shown through in these scenes. 

Artwork: I liked the art. It was pretty minimulist but I thought it worked well and none of the gore was thrown off by it. On the whole it helped propel the storline along and fit.

Overall: 4 stars. This was a good read for a first issue. I thought a lot of the story was fleshed out so that I could start having some feelings towards the characters. This usually isn't the case in first issues, but I found this one had a nice balance of story and motivation. I'm  looking forward to more of this title.

Stefan Haas

Writing:  Here we have a strange story involving a protagonist who can't speak.  Frankly, he's a lot more verbose than quite a few others I could name.  The beauty of this one is how little needs to be said to get the point across.  It has a few dark and "disturbing" moments, but I really enjoyed it.

Artwork:  The art is what carries this story.  As our hero can't speak, he's carried through his gestures and surroundings.  The art is, in turns, beautiful and murky and grotesque.

Overall: 4 stars.  This is another series I will be watching with great interest as it progresses.  The first issue did a lot to connect me to its main character and I want to see what kind of sick, twisted garbage the creators can think of to subject him to next.

Alex Haas

Writing: This book was a little disturbing, but not gratuitously.  Starting out the book by having the protagonist commit suicide is a gutsy move. 

Artwork: The stark nature of the artwork helped reinforce the harshness of the story.

Overall: 4 stars. I'm interested to see how the ten years in between the beginning and end of the book are filled in.

Robert Weiman

Writing: One of the more interesting features of the book is that it is written with "the ending" first. When the issue ends, the writer doesn't really use a cliffhanger to get you to come back because the drawing card for this title is why does the protagonist kill himself which is presented first. The other point of focus revolves around a killing that he performs (I don't want to give away too much) that apparently leads him to kill himself.

When I first started the book, I was a little bit put off by the time jumps that happen early but it all was kept very clear by the author.  Most of the story is set 10 yrs in the past showing how the boy grows up to be the way that he is.

Artwork: Though disturbing in areas, I really liked the style that was used. Not only did it look good, it matched up well with the story.

Overall: 4 stars. Very strong first issue. I enjoyed the writing and the artwork in this one. This title isn't for everyone, but it is well done.

Ron Miller