By Koppy McFad
June 8, 2004 - 15:41
The final issue of this miniseries reveals the truth behind the murder of Rose's parents and features a struggle with the scarred pyromaniac Ashleigh. There are some surprises here as we learn that Rose's background is a lot more screwed up than we thought. There is even some genuine suspense as the crazed Ashleigh torments the helpless Rose. But what is missing here is action and some genuinely-threatening baddies. So far, Thorn has been putting the mobsters away almost effortlessly, powered solely by her apparent craziness. Simone may have added more depth to the character but this new Rose and Thorn doesn't have the excitement of the 1970s version, a genuine kick-butt lady who somersaulted over speeding cars. Simone seems to be trying to get away from the character's comic-book origins, not even showing Thorn in costume that often. But without the superhero trappings, all we are left with is a crazy girl who isn't that sympathetic. Melo can draw good cheesecake and her "dream sequences" are spooky but some of her panels seem poorly set-up. Although this mini-series is clearly intended as a tryout for a regular title, sadly Rose and Thorn failed to fully blossom.