A young boy has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for his part in a high school shooting. Having taken an ill advised stand against the jocks Ethan Harrow now has to deal with the reality of living in a maximum security prison where beatings are a regular part of life. Ethan is slowly becoming aware that he has a special advantage – a mysterious power that allows an energy being to emerge from his body, and to act out his rage. Will it be enough for him to survive as he starts to learn more about what this power is all about?
Hard Time is the last surviving title of DC’s Focus line, which was an attempt to do super powered characters in real life situations. Whereas other titles dealt with Vegas shenanigans or over protective mothers, it was Hard Time that managed to keep going to finish a run of 12 issues. DC gave the book another chance by moving it from the Focus brand and starting Hard Time: Season Two; in much the same way as they worked at continuing Wildstorm’s Sleeper series. Whereas Sleeper could be compared to The Sopranos, Hard Time’s most obvious counterpart is prison dramas such as Oz. Because of the structure of the book, much like Sleeper, the use of Seasons is one that could very well work for Hard Time by giving it form and focus. However, DC do not appear to have learned from lessons that should have been evident from how Sleeper, or indeed books such as Marvel’s Runaways, functioned. One trade is already available from Hard Time: Season One, but bizarrely DC has not finished collecting the last six issues of the first series in a second trade. If DC want to use this new ‘season’ as a fresh starting point and an opportunity to really try and keep a fantastic book afloat then they must work to push out the second trade, such that prospective audiences can get up to date. With that trade still missing Fractal Matter is here to give you a rundown on Season One so you can pick up the first few issues of Season Two.
The trade which is available now is called 50 to Life and collects the first half of Season One.
Spoilers ahead from the first season to bring you up to date for the new season.
Issue 1 – is the setup for the book as we see Ethan and his best friend, Brandon, holding their school hostage. It’s a brave start to the book given the obvious real life parallels and the issues involved. Brandon, a nerdy student pushed to his limits, pushes the situation over the edge, humiliating the jocks that had tortured his life and then finally flipping shooting various people. Ethan fails to realise that the guns are loaded with live rounds and is forced to try and stop his best friend when he tries to shoot a girl whom Ethan believes is innocent. 5 people are killed in the incident, including Brandon, though Ethan never fires his gun. The issue then barrels through the media circus surrounding the court case and various opportunism that takes place, ending up with Ethan being convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison. As the guards take Ethan away a strange red light erupts in the courtroom and chaos ensues. This is the same light that appeared at the school and led to Brandon’s death. Some see this as a judgement from on high, whilst the official explanation is an electrical fault.
Issue 2 – is our first introduction to the setting for the series – the State Penitentiary. Ethan enters the prison with three other prisoners and we get glimpses of their reaction to their new life. One of them, Cole, calls Ethan “Prodigy” and offers some advice from afar. The reality of the situation is hammered home to Ethan as an incident at lunch escalates into a beating for him by the Aryan Brotherhood, just one of the groups inside. That night the mysterious red light is seen again as revenge is taken against one of the Brotherhood, Swift, who is beaten to a pulp inside his locked cell.
Issue 3 and 4 – are about Ethan and his involvement with Lewis, another prisoner who arrived at the same time as him. Lewis is a rapist, and a pitiful character, who is targeted by various people in the prison. One such attack happens in the showers, and Ethan ends up unconscious as the red light reappears to stop the attack. While Ethan manages to rescue Lewis from the self proclaimed messenger of God, Gantry, this is not enough to stop the brimstone and hellfire from Gantry who ‘baptises’ Lewis in solvent and sets him alight. Ethan witnesses this and falls unconscious as the energy creature in the red light lashes out in anger at Lewis’ death.
Issue 5 – is the calm between storms. Cole’s cellmate, Deshon, has come under the sway of Gantry and is becoming increasingly unstable. Ethan’s own cellmate, Curly, suggests Ethan find a weapon, considering the number of enemies he has made. During his work in the repair shop Ethan notices that Curly’s radio, which he has been working on, has space inside it he could use. The Aryan Brotherhood visit Ethan and drug him in order to try and find out what happened to Swift. To them it appears the drugs have had a bad effect on Ethan, but he leaves his body in energy form for the first time aware of what is happening.
Issue 6 – using his initiative Ethan prepares himself for an attack from Gantry. Most of the issue has Ethan running through the prison back to his cell, encountering several of the other characters en route. Back at his cell Ethan uses what he had hidden in the radio. Gantry comes after Ethan aiming to do the same as he did to Lewis. This time though the solvent ends up in Gantry’s hair. What Ethan has set up is a rig that turns his own body into a stun gun. Gantry attacks again and Ethan tries to stun him, but causes the solvent to ignite. The messenger falls to his death.
Issue 7 – sees Ethan confined to solitary and allows us to get to know the supporting cast better. Gerber does this rather skilfully by having us follow Cole on his rounds doing the post drop. Swift returns to the cells after being released from the hospital back to Cindy who he tells that he’s scared. Curly asks after Ethan and Deshon appears to have taken on Gantry’s role as the mad messenger of God. Deshon deteriorates quickly and has to be restrained. Truro does a deal to make sure his girlfriend and baby to be are safe on the outside, whilst Swift lashes out at Cindy as his own masculinity gets questioned after “she” defends him.
Issue 8 – is what happens to Ethan whilst in solitary. Locked away he slips into his energy form and goes outside finding out that his mother is involved with his lawyer. Slowly he begins to realise he has special abilities. We get vignettes of what is happening with the other prisoners as Truro looks to fulfil his deal. He helps Cindy get some time alone in the boiler room with Swift. Swift’s insecurity about his masculinity leads him to start beating Cindy and Truro comes onto the scene intending to kill Swift as part of his deal. Ethan’s energy form interrupts Swift defending himself and trying to kill Truro. One slip and Swift is dead with Ethan now aware that he has caused another death.
Issue 9 – is the start of a new arc and introduces various new characters. Consequences from the events of the last issue are felt, Cindy moves into Cole’s cell now they have both lost their cellmates, and we start to see the energy form arouse various people’s interest as one of the madmen in the prison, called “Fruitcake”, talks about an ancient priestess who may be connected to Ethan’s power. Finally, we discover a little of Curly’s history in the Vietnam war and a mysterious girl arrives to see him.
Issue 10 – gives us a proper introduction of the girl Red, who turns out to be Curly’s granddaughter, as Ethan takes an interest in her. The potential truth behind Ethan’s power is explored, and we spend more time with the disturbed Alyssa, a girl who was at the high school in issue one and who cannot get over it. She has been writing to Ethan and is also being told about the ancient priestess.
Issue 11 – sees another eruption of violence. The Aryan Brotherhood seek revenge against Truro by attacking his girlfriend, but the woman she is staying with shoots the attacker. Truro leads a mob to get revenge and two more of the Brotherhood are killed. “Fruitcake” offers to train Ethan in using his powers, while Alyssa gets more and more disturbed when her ex boyfriend visits which all leads into…
Issue 12 – where the end of Season One sees Ethan celebrate his sixteenth birthday with a visit from Red, during which she gives him a very special present. Truro gets married to his girlfriend, and we get an awful lot about the ancient priestess, Kaga Na Yu’Usha, who seems to have gained her powers from aliens breeding with humans. This alien aspect does appear to have gotten to Alyssa who, thinking she is being abducted, tries to commit suicide. Ethan’s energy form is able to save her, though it is now blue rather than red. It is becoming obvious that there are many different aspects to his powers and we, like him, are only just beginning to understand them.
Season 2 has just started and I will admit approaching the first issue with some trepidation, as I was unsure how Gerber and his new co writer, Mary Skrenes, would deal with not only explaining the setup of the book, but also providing something new for older readers. What they have provided in the first few issues is a new angle to the initial high school hostage situation with another character added to the mix, which alters our perception of those events yet again. We also now have Ethan learning more about his powers. I remain sceptical about the whole alien angle, but I do understand that just leaving the origin vague would not have worked. The alien aspects remain my least favourite bit of the book, but they do give a very different element in the midst of all the prison drama. With a brand new nemesis, one with real potential, now entering the scene Hard Time has opened up with loads of possibilities. What might have been seen as a very limited book is flourishing and using the restricted setting to increase the drama, rather than letting it limit it.
What this overview cannot do is tell you about every nuance that the book puts in place. For example, I’ve not mentioned the reactions of various people who see the red energy form, some who see angels and others devils, and how that shapes their actions. What I have done is attempt to use broad brushstrokes in order to get new readers up to date and hopefully encourage them and you to try out a book unlike any on the market.
This is not a book which takes the easy route in portraying the reality of its situation. You do not have an entirely innocent main character, though you can still empathise with him as he tries to grow up inside an entirely unsuitable environment. Ethan is now responsible for deaths and knows about them. He is certainly much less naïve and innocent than he was when he entered the prison. Issue 1 of Season 2 has a lovely narrative that talks about how High School prepared Ethan for prison as he learned how to deal with the bullies, but he has yet to learn how to survive them.
Hard Time has masses of potential, but continues to be held back by DC’s bizarre trading policy. As more and more people start to realise the pleasure in embracing series with mysteries and solid human drama at their core, such as Lost, Strangehaven or the BBC’s recent series, Life on Mars then I hope they will look to alternative series such as Hard Time to get their fix. It skilfully blends mysticism, prison drama, coming of age and even aliens into a compelling whole, which I can thoroughly recommend.
Mark Peyton – has a MA in History and Research from the University of Hull specialising in the Hundred Years War. In a complete departure from that he now runs communications and membership for a UK based Trade Union as well as being a part time writer/journalist.
He is a founding member of Millarworld acting as a moderator and as an editor for Fractal Matter.