Product Description

During his first experience on the battlefield, promising young Psy-Comm Mark Leit witnesses the tragic death of Raven, a fellow soldier who he had harbored deep feelings for. Years later, Mark is one the greatest Psy-Comms ever. He and his best friend/partner David are huge celebrities within their corp-state of Electromedia Corp. But as they prepare for a dangerous mission behind enemy lines, it becomes increasingly clear that Mark is having doubts about the military-corporate society and his deadly role in it. It is a personality change that does not go unnoticed by David. While executing his mission to assasinate a weapons maker, employed by rival corp-state Mars/Samson, Mark comes face to face with Snow, a pretty young cadet at the enemy base. What shakes the already troubled Mark to the core is the fact that Snow is almost the exact duplicate of the deceased Raven. As a full scale battle erupts, Mark finds himself in a kill-or-be-killed situation with Snow. Suddenly realizing that the girl's own troops are willing to kill her in order to get to him, Mark makes as snap decision, precipitated by years of internal struggle. He's walking away from the Psychic Wars-no more killing. And in an arguably misguided act of atonement, Mark becomes convinced that he can save Snow from the same fate as Raven years earlier. There are rumors of a place to the north called The Wild Lands. A safe haven, free from the control of the corp-states. But getting there will be tough. He'll be an outlaw. There'll be a price on his head and no where to hide. Not to mention that Snow is an unwilling participant in Mark's "rescue." And his former best friend David (possibly the only Psy-Comm Mark truly fears) will do anything to bring him back-dead or alive.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1473889 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This latest homegrown manga effort focuses on a group of genetically engineered psychic commandos, or Psy-Comms, all of whom are the assembly-line-pretty sort one has come to expect from this genre. Precog Mark and shape-shifter David survive a mission that kills Raven, their teammate and Mark's lover. They are then assigned to travel behind enemy lines and assassinate the scientist who is masterminding the creation of a rival force of young soldiers, each armed with a startling array of paranormal abilities. When the assassination is discovered, the two Psy-Comms must escape from the enemy barracks and contend with the bloodthirsty horde of young soldiers who seek to avenge their "father." Things take an unexpected turn when Mark saves the life of Snow, an enemy soldier who resembles his dead lover, and the two must fend for themselves while their own opposing factions seek to hunt them down like mad dogs. Traveling well-worn youth-with-superpowers territory covered in the various X-Men titles for the past 25 years, this series is competently drawn and moves at a brisk pace, but acts mostly as a setup for future volumes. (Dec.)
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From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–This is an ambitious beginning to a new series with a plot that is both timely and plausible. The story takes place in the future–a time when wars are fought not for territory, power, or greed, but for mere entertainment. In an era when reality TV seems to be the rage, this theme seems strikingly relevant. Mark Leit, a young commando, is one of the heroes of the televised war; he is a stereotypical gung-ho soldier at the start of the book, but he takes on real dimension when a reminder from his past makes him begin to question why hes fighting. The art is lively, reminiscent of old GI Joe comics, and captures emotion well; the story is full of battle scenes, and the illustrations portray the action well. However, little time is spent addressing how and why the war is started, and how the soldiers are convinced to continue fighting. These questions leave plenty of fodder for the forthcoming books.–Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.