By: Terry Moore (story & art)
The Story: Terry Moore, who brought us Strangers in Paradise & Echo, trots out his newest series.
The Review: It is very difficult to discuss this issue without a SPOILER WARNING.
This is a pretty hard issue to review because it is merely a first chapter and it comes right on the heels of Moore wrapping up Echo. Now, based on track record and talent level, Rachel Rising should be a very intelligent and rewarding ride for the next 3-4 years, but this issue makes it pretty clear that Moore treats an ongoing comic series as a marathon, not a sprint.
The basic premise is revealed in the opening pages as we see a woman rising from a shallow grave in the forest while another woman (look at her closely) looks on. It’s a prolonged scene too, where Moore really makes the reader feel the struggle this young woman is having as she pulls herself from the dirt. We also get a few point-of-view flashback scenes of her attacker (which is really creepy) and a few tidbit hints that her rise may not merely be a case of the killer burying her before she was really dead; something supernatural seems to be involved.
From there we follow this young woman as she staggers back to her house, examines her wounds (complete with a few more flashbacks), and begins trying to recapture what the hell happened to her.
Probably the most interesting thing about this issue is that there is a benefit from re-reading it. Just as I flip back and forth typing this review, I’m catching little tidbits that I didn’t notice the first time. This comic is a quick read, so it isn’t like you have to devote another 45 minutes; but seriously, after you’re done, flip back through. You’ll see some of the panels in a different light. I enjoy mindless superhero comics as much as anyone, but it is nice to have a comic or two on your pull list that it trying to challenge you. Moore isn’t going to make it obvious that a panel is a flashback by giving it rounded edges, he’s going to make you pay attention.
The art is part of the magic of this one-man-show comic. This whole issue is black-and-white, pen-and-ink at its best. If you like seeing lots of detailed, fine pen-work….this is an issue for you. I’m often a bigger fan of brushier art to be honest, but Moore is showing that you can cram a LOT of emotional power into a panel with fine pens if you know what you are doing. And, the art is very strong from a storytelling standpoint. Lots of establishing shots and things like that such that you never wonder what is going on.
Conclusion: This is a meatier first issue than you’ll initially give it credit for, but it is still the first chapter in a much, much longer story so it isn’t appropriate to compare a single issue to the entirety of Echo or SiP. But, if you like smart comics that won’t serve up everything on a platter for you, this would be a good one to try.
Grade: B
-Dean Stell
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