I very rarely take the time to write an absolutely negative review. I usually give every artist/writer the benefit of the doubt that their work may not be appealing to me, but possibly to others. I had to force myself to finish this book, not because I was offended, but because of that most frightening of sentiments, the bane of the creator: bored.

For those that need background, Holy Terror was initially supposed to be Frank Miller's latest Batman project. This excited many geeks (like myself) in the comic world, as Miller was responsible for some of the greatest Batman comic stories that defined the genre of the grim and gritty Batman: Batman: Year One and Dark Knight Returns. Miller is also responsible for some of the latest Hollywood hits such as Sin City and 300. He is somewhat of a legend in the comics biz, so most people were highly intrigued to see what Miller would do. When everyone found out Miller would be doing a Batman versus Al-Qaeda story, most had doubts, but we all chimed the bells of nostalgia to keep us interested: "Well, Captain America fought Hitler so, this is just Miller harkening back to history, right?" When DC dropped the project with Miller, perspectives changed. It was probably the only good move DC made in over 10 years. Miller had to rework bits of the art, etc. to make the characters non-DC characters in order for him to release it on his own. However, it's very clear what this is . . . it's Frank Miller doing his version of Batman taking revenge on Al-Qaeda.

Like most, I've always enjoyed Frank Miller's work, even its most kitsch elements . . . he has always been able to provide an edge to the campy that made it work in a very delicate balance between the hyper-serious and the not-so-serious. But, this  . . . this book was just dreadful. For a multitude of reasons, but primarily:

A. THE ART: I had no idea what was happening in almost every single panel. The opening sequence was so messy with ink I could barely make out who was who and what was really happening. All I could do was try in vain to make out a semblance of story through the "HEFF"s and "HUMPH"s in the narration boxes. The opening sequence was overloaded with brushwork, but for nothing . . . nothing happened in the first few pages. After that, Miller went totally lazy, like he got tired himself and just wanted to finish it . . . so the fancy brushwork stopped and everything was drawn in simple lines that took so little effort I wonder if he even made any kind of layouts or even forethought as to what he was putting down. Dreadful, because Miller's grim and gritty style defined a genre, and now he thinks he doesn't have to deliver anymore. I almost felt like his tone was: "Look...it's me, so you must like it anyway, even though I'm just scribbling scenes that make no sense." Miller needs to reread Will Eisner's Comics & Sequential Art because there was nothing sequential about any of this jarringly fragmented Jackson Pollock display of ink blots.

B. THE WRITING: Basically, trite. There was not a single interesting thing about what was happening. Here, let me give you the story: superhero guy called The Fixer (who is really just Batman) teams up with cat burglar girl (who is really just Catwoman) after they are chasing each other, have sex, then terrorist bombs go off and they chase down Al-Qaeda and kill them all. That's it. You have the whole story right there. No intriguing subplots, no mystery, no characterization, nothing. And, it's hard-pressed to make believe this isn't really just Batman we're talking about here, since most of the time you can see pointy ears on Batman's cowl covered up lazily with a black blot of ink. So, in that vein (or even not) there is nothing that makes sense. The Fixer is chasing this woman in the beginning because she stole a diamond necklace. There is some brief talk about his moral stance, how he does what he does to protect the innocent without any reward. We're supposed to believe he is somehow moral. Then, when Al-Qaeda attacks, it all goes out the door. He lowers himself to Al-Qaeda's level: he steals, he tortures, he kills. And he does all of this gladly, often chiding whichever person's skull he happens to smashing in: "So Mohammed, pardon me for guessing your name, but you've got to admit the odds are pretty good it's Mohammed." Miller spends the whole time trying to tell you how barbaric and unmerciful "they" are, when the "heroes" in the book are just as barbaric and unmerciful. No one person is likeable in any way, and nobody has any depth so there's no reason to give a shit anyway.

C. THE SENTIMENT: Muslims bad. That's what Miller's trying to say. He may just mean Al-Qaeda, but Miller doesn't make the distinction between the two. His consistent jabs toward anything Islam is insulting . . . not because I'm Muslim or I care (which I do, but that's beside the point), but because it's insulting to my intelligence. If Miller did indeed write this book, he got in touch with his inner American 13 year-old small-town redneck. It is so ignorant and boorish, it's boring. So, Frank Miller's mad because of 9/11. Guess what? We are too. And not just white, non-Muslim Americans, Mr. Miller. There are plenty of Muslims (and unfortunately Indians and Sikhs) that have suffered needlessly because of the uneducated, hyper-emotional intention of revenge that pumps through the blood of the brainless. This book may have had some sort of credence in the wake of 9/11, when most Americans were blinded by rage and sorrow. But, it's obsolete now. People understand the difference between a Muslim and a terrorist. And for those who don't, their days are numbered. That's what doesn't make this work. This book is about taking revenge. It's not about justice in any way.

There is a whole global culture of people who will no longer tolerate bigotry. We are in the prime of equality protests and mass shootings, a war going on between hate and tolerance, between ignorance and understanding. If there is anything we can learn about modern history, it's that the good will win: slavery ends, women can vote, the framework of equality continues to grow. Comic books used to be a place where one could go to watch good guys fight bad guys without themselves being bigots or lowering themselves to the level of the bad guys. That's what makes characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Captain America, etc. into icons instead of just freaks in spandex. As Spidey's Uncle Ben used to say: "With great power comes great responsibility." That means good guys aren't just good guys because they fight bad guys. Good guys are good guys because they are, in fact, GOOD! They believe in a better way of being, they believe in NOT killing, NOT torturing, they believe in living toward a higher set principles and values that are, frankly, tough to live by in tough circumstances. That's what makes a good guy a good guy.

Frank Miller, you gave us a bad guy fighting bad guys. I can watch cable news and get the same thing. You forgot about one of the greatest things comics provide to the world: escapism. I want to go a fantasy world where people have a higher set of ideals. I can't do that in your world. So, Mr. Miller, I'm done with you.