Reading this book on the subway was a poor decision.

I realized this quickly after Caligula and his posse rape a woman, decapitate her family and smear shit over her walls. And that was the first seven pages. I wasn't expecting that. But once I started, I had to finish -- angling the pages away from the people beside me, of course, and reading as fast as I could. No one should be forced to see giant Roman dildos unless they really want to. But if you do? This book's got you covered.

Out-sleazing Tinto Brasse's Caligula is a tall order, but, as if channeling the ghost of Bob Guccione, David Lapham's trying his hardest. On its own this issue is a well-structured revenge story, and then it takes a last-minute twist for the supernatural. Think Highlander. That's when I knew I'm going to stick with this miniseries -- but next time, I'm waiting until I get home. Caveat lector, as the Romans say; reader beware.