It seems like it all just started.  Yet here we are at the end. Where did the time go?  It feels almost like it disappeared…Or was forgotten? Whatever the feeling that is invoked, HaloGen is quite simply over. Finished hardly before it got started. While reading this little mini of ancient religions and hokey superstitions combined with postmodern tech and the trusting of having a good blaster at your side, I found myself quite entertained.  Writer Josh Tierney and artist Afu Chang introduced me to a real interesting world of flux change.  One where past and future could meet with the present and create some kind of atom smash.  Some of the concepts and visuals introduced here were unique and quite interesting indeed.  It definitely works to make you think.

HaloGen centers upon the discovery of the remains of an ancient god long dead named Det’Houva and the repercussions related to this discovery.  It seems that many have an interest in the long dead god.  Some have scientific desire to study this relic from creation and utilize its knowledge for shaping a better tomorrow.  While others desire the technology to help increase power and influence.  Still others believe old and ancient prophesy of the god and are more religiously motivated.

Whatever their reasons, everyone wants a piece of the god and are wholly bent on obtaining it.  The only thing is however, that though dead, a certain fragment or part of the god is alive and well and has been nestled away.  I can’t really give too much information away as the series itself is worth reading. But this “part” of the god is in the form of a young girl who does things and acts as just that. Even so, within her lies the complete power of the universe.  And Issue #4 concludes that hunt as all interested parties are in a winner take all battle to secure young Det for their own purposes.

Now this is way too basic of a summary of the series or the issue.  But it is kind of difficult to place the complexities of the “whole” story in just a few short statements.  Within writer Tierney’s tiny opus, there is a vast array of intricate parts at work that add details one would normally find in a 6-12 issue miniseries.  The characterizations of everyone and the world itself are so expansive, that you feel like you know each and every one of the characters involved even though a very limited amount of time is spent on them within the written page.  Tierney nails this aspect and makes the reader a believer of this world and its people.

Hands down, the most interesting character in this story is the main one.  A young lady named Rell who also happens to be a top shelf spy for the Halogen Corporation. One of the vested parties on the hunt for the dead god.  But Through Rell’s struggle, we find that her motivation may not be the same as her employer. Through Det, she sees something way more than a “part”.  And she desires to protect the young girl Det at all costs.

Issue #4 is action packed from start to finish and is the most exciting of the four issues.  But as the issue plays out all of the competing interests vying for the young girl/god, things feel a little rushed and end way too abruptly.  It almost feels like Tierney who was nailing the complexity in short bursts finally ran out of room and turned the light off, literally. I would have liked to have seen this one go a little bit further than it did.

Even with that though, there is nothing that I can say about Afu Chan’s art.  It has been and continues to be mind blowing and incredible, adding visual substance to Tierney’s writing detail.  Nothing changes in Issue #4 as the art conveys what it is supposed to do right on to the quick end.

Though I am not sure where things will go from here, I would have to say that HaloGen on its entire presentation was a mostly good mini worthy of a read.  There is no doubt that I would liked to have seen more.  Or, I would even like to see additional installments in the future. But as far as things go, this ending seems pretty exact and final.  So, I will just have to live with it.  Enjoy what you have and know that both Josh Tierney and Afu Chan will be around in other capacities based on their abilities whether Rell, Det, and all the others are not.

Score: 3/5

HaloGen #4 Writer: Josh Tierney Artist: Afu Chan Publisher: Archaia/BOOM! Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/6/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital