Last Issue Special # 3: Haywire

SERIES: Haywire

DATE: 1989

THOSE RESPONSIBLE: Michael Fleisher (writer); Andrew Helfer (editor)

CATEGORY: ACCEPTANCE

At first glance, Haywire may seem like an Iron Man clone. But at second glance, Haywire may seem like an Iron Man clone. But at third glance, Haywire comes across as a moderately original concept--Haywire is a suit of super-powerful armor, but nobody (including the reader) knows who wears the armor and there are several possible suspects. Happily, the last issue of the 13-issue series wraps up the mystery and provides a nice conclusion to the storyline. On the letters page, assistant editor Keven Dooley gives quite the literary goodbye:

"Dickens, Tolstoi, Melville, HAYWIRE. Wow. With this issue HAYWIRE is, as Scrooge said of Marley, 'Dead as a doornail.' Michael Fleisher planned the plotlines to go in 'novels'--storytelling cycles. This issue completes that first, albeit sole, novel ('To produce a mighty book you must choose a mighty theme,' as Melville said). HAYWIRE is complete, then, and no need to be sad ('Regrets are the natural propriety of grey hairs.'--Dickens). We hope we have accomplished something with this book, challenged you somewhat, provoked some thought, tried to transmit to you 'the highest and best feelings to which men have risen' (Tolstoi). 'It was as true . . . as turnips is. It was as true . . . as taxes is. And nothing's truer than them.' --David Copperfield, Charles Dickens."

Whew! Dooley's book of quotations got a heavy work-out!