Yeah ok Dave I realize that an entire colony disappeared without a trace, BUT what would the Trust gain from that? (Not that we know anything about the Trust's goals aside from that whole secret world domination thing) Furthermore, how or why would anyone hope to have a repeat performance? Did they want Lono and Cole to roll up in some small Virginia town and start blasting at senior citizens and tourists?

As Brian Assarello would say: "We need some rat feet on the corner pie..Shouts to all my niggas that's locked down...and wolf cards"

Why are you so angry that BA can speak the language of the streets? He talks like the kids talk, Zac.

I look forward to finding out a) what the big crime was; b) what the fuck the trust wanted done in Atlantic City; c) what actually happened in Atlantic City.

Word to your mothers (respectively).

Do we know that Atlantic City was the big repeat job? I like Your theory where Graves arranged Atlantic city as perhaps a preemptive strike. He may have eliminated the Minutemen on his own terms BEFORE the big repeat was to go down. Anyone care to speculate?

The First Four pages of 100 Bullets #46 are online at www.comicscontinuum.com There looks to be something of a major revelation this issue. Though I know I shouldn't judge a book by its first four pages, I can't help but think that this one might answer some of the very questions we've all been asking. And of course creating some new ones

Just responding to Goldie's comment about prison training et all. I think there is actually quite a bit of info for us to come to the conclusion that the minutemen were brainwashed in prison. If you read the 5th Tpaperback, when Milo meets Graves, graves asks him if he remembers the last time he went to prison. Milo says yeah, he got into a fight with some guys at a bar. Graves then asks him do you remember anything before that night? And Milo goes to say yeah, but then stops when he realizes he can't remember anything.

Same with Cole. All he remembers his is job as an ice cream man. In his initial conversation with Graves, graves tells him you couldn't do anything to stop your grandma from dying cause you were in prison. Coincidence?

Regarding the atlantic city debacle....I mean incident. Here's my 2 cents. I believe like how Mr. Branch believes, that Graves knew what was coming (ie. the trust wanting a repeat performance), and knew that when he said no, the minutemen would be marked men. I also believe that the incident with the burning masked man took place befoer the 'hit' for lack of a better word was put on the minutemen. Perhaps it was a way of forcing the trust's hand. The rational behind that, is if the minutemen knew they were going to get killed, why the caviliar attitude demonstrated by Cole drinking tequila. And more importantly why is Milo asking Cole whether this is going to blow up in their faces?

As for who the man with the hood on? If nothing else we are led to believe that the man is the father of that dietricht woman who's first name i can't remember. The reason for this belief is right after Milo has his flashback sequence he meets her, and the first thing he says his "how's your father". And since we know her father is dead....well you guys get it.

Anyways, that's enough out of me.

Actually Milo says "How's your old man?" to Meghan Dietrich. Not being an ass or anything, but old man could mean husband or father or perhaps something else entirely

Hey Doc. Welcome to the board!

Good evidence for the brainwashing idea-- and straight from the source too. Which is rare 'round these parts.

Christ, Goldie you are such an ass. WIth your... with your... being of an ass. Go Antoine Walker. Yee-hah!

Zac:

You have pointed me toward the four page previews online before. I will never look at them ever.

Twenty or thirty pages a month is bad enough! I don't know what I'd do if I got four pages then had to wait it out.

Dave
Boo Effng Hoo. Some of us (me) are only readng trades. As a matter of fact I'm going to read the new issue illegally at Midtown Right now. We'll see how you respond to four page prevews when the title goes Bi-monthly curious in '04 (forgot about that didn't you?)