Vanadium Comics Presents:

Arkadi-Lamppost Feature | Culture & Crime Section

By Staff Writer, Tina Hayward

"No Story Is Too Dark"

Welcome to the World of Retri-Butcher – Where Justice Has a Sharp Edge

Arkadium’s skyline is known for its sharp contrasts: towering spires of industry looming over alleyways soaked in crime and secrets. In a city teetering between glitz and bloodshed, it's only fitting that Retri-Butcher, the latest gritty comic to emerge from our very own Arkadium-based creative circle, slices through the noise with raw style and a story that refuses to flinch.

Page One of Retri-Butcher introduces us to a man divided — Robert Benson, a figure both adored and overlooked, a model citizen in more ways than one. At face value, he’s Arkadium’s sweetheart, gracing billboards and high-fashion spreads with symmetrical perfection and a magnetic smile. But beneath that glossy exterior lies a military reservist, a combat specialist, and a historian of violence.

Let me say this now, dear readers: if you're new to this universe, buckle up. In Arkadium, no story is too dark — and Robert’s journey is anything but surface-level.

Page One – A Model Soldier

Retri-Butcher opens with a splash page that’s as symbolic as it is visually stunning. A table is strewn with the tools of Robert's dual identity: a pristine 9mm Glock resting near a full-tang meat cleaver, each weapon loaded with meaning. Framed above the table are photographs — echoes of a life caught between the runway and the battlefield.

CAPTION 1.1: Robert Benson balancing two lives: his high-profile career as a male model and his commitment as a military reservist for the United States Navy.

CAPTION 1.2: Robert’s life is a study in contrast — rigorous combat training, a passion for weapon history, and an increasing detachment from the shallow world of fashion.

CAPTION 1.3: Despite his success, Robert feels hollow, haunted by a need to make a real difference.

A City’s Violence Becomes His Catalyst

Midway through an otherwise ordinary photoshoot in downtown Arkadium, Robert witnesses something that shakes him to the core: a brutal gang initiation carried out by the Sons of Crete. The incident is fast, vicious, and disturbingly casual — another lost life ignored by the city’s elite, shrugged off by those who never set foot below the skyline.

But not Robert.

This moment becomes his ignition point — the birth of something new, something necessary. The world might know him as a model. The underground will soon learn to fear the Retri-Butcher.

Why You Should Read It

This comic is more than another vigilante tale — it's a psychological descent into purpose, trauma, and calculated vengeance. The art is sharp, the writing deliberate, and the setting chillingly close to our own reality. Every panel pulses with meaning, and every silence carries weight.

Whether you're a long-time fan of Arkadium's darker corners or a new reader looking for something with real bite — Retri-Butcher is here to draw blood and demand your attention.

Stay tuned, because we’ll be covering more with exclusive panels, interviews with the creators, and deeper dives into the characters behind the carnage.

Welcome to the darker side of Arkadium.

Welcome to Retri-Butcher.

— Tina Hayward, Arkadi-Lamppost Staff Writer

“No story is too dark.”