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Rise Of Arsenal Wins PRISM Award For Portrayal Of Drug Use And Mental Illness

You hear that sound? That's the sound of several thousand jaws dropping open. And twice that many eyebrows rising. I know, it's rather odd isn't it?

But that's what happens when a comic considered considered by some to be the worst high profile book of last year wins an award for its sensitive and accurate storytelling.

The PRISM Awards are prestigious awards delivered by a Los Angeles group in swanky surroundings dedicated to "recognizing the accurate depiction of substance abuse and mental illness: prevention, treatment and recovery in film, television, interactive, music, DVD, and comic book entertainment."

Justice League Of America: Rise Of Arsenal was a comic book in which the lead character discovers he is impotent while trying to get some violent sex with the mother of his dead child, before taking some "china cat" – a fictional equivalent of heroin, before taking to the streets in his superhero costume, having some kind of violent hallucination, fighting fellow junkies convinced they are adversaries with a dead cat before getting it on with Batman. He's then literally strapped down and held in a clinic for supervillain drug addicts.

This has to be a definition of the term "accurate" I was previously unaware of.

On and Greek Street from DC/Vertigo also got co-awarded in this category. Which, even though it was set amongst the Greek gods reincarnated in modern day Soho, London, did at least get the drugs right. Before it got cancelled by DC.

I wonder exactly how DC is going to promote this double award?

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