Focusing on February: Why is it that DC Comics' February solicitations have a midnight embargo on the "news" sites, yet you can go over to DC's website after business hours and check them out? It's like that every month.

"Hard Time," the first of DC's new Focus line debuts Feb. 4. The creative team of Steve Gerber and Brian Hurtt sounds promising, and Tomer Hanuka's cover looks nice (he's apparently doing the covers for all four series in the line). But is DC even promoting this line? I think I've seen a couple of press releases, and a mention among the San Diego or Chicago convention hoopla. Oh, yeah, and they're being previewed in December DCU books.

I know next to nothing about Focus, and Dan DiDio's vague description for the line doesn't help all that much: "These four titles will put the DC Focus on the characters, not the costumes. We'll be exploring what happens when super-powers touch the lives of people who don't know how to handle them. Each one of these series is compelling and outrageous from page one, with lots of unexpected twists and turns along the way."

On a more positive note, it's nice to see Greg Scott ("Sword of Dracula," "Strange Magic") is starting his stint on "Gotham Central," filling in for Michael Lark. He's a great choice for a fill-in artist, and deserves all the exposure he gets.

And staying positive (for perhaps the longest period ever), DC is issuing the trade to "Arkham Asylum: Living Hell," just -- what -- two months after the miniseries ended? How odd. I'm not complaining, mind you. I have all six issues of the mini, and enjoyed it a great deal. It's just unusual for DC to move this fast on a collected edition. If you missed the miniseries, pick up the trade.