We've been over this before, but I can't agree with you more on the editing, or lack thereof, in this comic. It really does take away from my enjoyment of it. 'Nuff said. I saw your point when it came to the differences between Sanctuary and the Mulehide issues. Yes, the old stories dealt more with fantasy and magic, and Sanctuary was based more in "reality", but I felt Drew kept enough fantasy in the story (i.e. Widowmaker, Tenth, Hyena, Serendeh, etc.) to keep from losing that element. Going to a monthly schedule does affect artwork. Comic artists tend to sacrifice backgrounds to speed up completion of an issue. This was noticeable in this storyline. A pity, because I love his background work! His attention to detail is reminiscent of Bernie Wrightson; something that first drew me to the title. The very first page of Sanctuary with the panel of Jace's cabin on the snow-covered hill blew me away. Your complaint about having to endure Luse's and Cassie's lovey-dovey interludes may have been unsympathetic (if that's the right word). Look at what was going on in Drew's personal life at that time: Divorce, getting custody of his daughter, finding a new woman who seems to truly care for him (his own Cassie). He was resolving his own emotions and issues and it turned up in his work. Whew! Is this heavy, or what? Parintachin rules! Scenes with him really display Drew's genius. I do hope, however, he isn't overused. Speaking of overuse, the Purple Marauder would have fared better with one less appearance. Cassie was a great character, but I think I enjoy missing her more than I enjoyed seeing her. She'll remain a major element of Luse's character for a long time, and I don't mean "character" as his being a player in a story, but his "true" character - what makes him "him".

My overall impression of Sanctuary is this (with the negative comments first) - it did go on a bit too long. There were times when the pace stalled and I wasn't sure where or when things would finally draw to a close. I thought the whole serial killer subplot was unnecessary. I think I remember Drew mentioning in a Starting Note that he wished he never brought it up, hence its quick, tidy resolution. My take on the Blood Guard? Comic relief. No need to develop them as individual characters. They were the Keystone Cops and only provided bodies to be presented as a whole entity - the "Bad Guys" that worked for Vido. The positive comments - A sweeping, ambitious tale, and a fun ride. Great art as usual. I liked that he didn't spend too much time with Luse skulking around, obsessing over Cassie's death. He needed to kill some people to get over it and that's what he did. Case closed. I doubt it was intended to on as far as it did, but it's almost over (Actually it may BE over? I haven't been to the comic shop since early Sept!)

I guess that's it. I look forward to a new story, more magic, more bloodshed, more humor and hopefully some trolls.