Revival #1, by Marc Alan Fishman – Snarky Synopsis | @MDWorld

July 16, 2012 Marc Fishman 0 Comments

Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Mike Norton

With all the hoopla and hullaballoo over Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead this week, I figured I might as well give in. So I went to the ole’ comic shop, and perused the rack for a Zombie title. Oh? No, not Walking Dead. My wife collects that book in trade. It’s good. In fact I like it almost as much as I like trades of Invincible. But nay, I did get a zombie book by a team based only miles away from my comic shop. Tim Seeley and Mike Norton are stalwart creators each on their own. Combined with two other friends, they founded 4 Stars Studios. I mean, hey, it’s no ‘Unshaven Comics’, but it’s pretty catchy. Their motto? “Deeds not words.” How apropos. “Revival” is a book that comes seemingly out of nowhere, and it’s a damn fine book. Big on the build-up, easy on the eyes, and just a brilliant and solid first issue that’s all about setting a tone.

Tim Seeley is a man of many hats. To be truthful, I didn’t even know he was a writer before picking up this title. I knew he has his own creator-owned ongoing series Hack/Slash, but I’d always glossed over the fact that he’s served as the series’ artist and writer. Silly me. Make no bones about it, for those who know my column on ComicMix, they know I am generally skeptical of those who wield so many swords. And yes, I know given my own credit lines on my books, that seems like the pot calling the kettle black. But I’m an opinionated jerk, so I’m allowed to break my own rules from time to time. I learned it from watching Mike Gold and Michael Davis. But I digress. Simply put? Seeley blew me away with his scripting.

Revival is a new twist on a genre beaten to death, reanimated, and beaten to death once more—zombies—and is truly able to deliver a unique offering. Cited on it’s title page as being ‘rural noir’ (try saying that three times fast while eating a peanut butter sammitch, I tell-you-whut…), our story begins in the cold wintry woods of Wisconsin. Now, I should note as a Chicagoan, I prey that Norton and Seeley will refrain from showing any Packers fans. If I see even a shred of a cheesehead in future books, I’m canceling my subscription post haste. Anyways, this first issue is able to bring us into the world where a handful of mysterious ‘revivals’ have come to roost over a swatch of middle-America. Quarantined by the CDC, yet trying to continue life as normal, this book is awash in pitch-perfect midwestern attitude amidst supernatural circumstances.

Our main character, Dana Cypress, is a plucky young single mother, looking to make the rank of detective on the force. Unlucky for her though, her daddy is the top cop. Instead of that nifty badge and an excuse to wear a cool trench-coat, she’s instead offered to be the lead on the town’s newly minted ‘Revival Cops’. In simple terms? She’s the lead fuzz when it comes to the less-than-living. Written with an innocence, and energy I’ve not been privy to in a female lead in a while, I was quite enamored with her from the get go. Unlike Gail Simone’s current iteration of Babs Gordon, our heroine here isn’t over-the-top double-x-to-the-max. Instead she’s calm, methodical, and relatable.

The scripting and pacing for the book is done with a real level of care. Seeley is sure-footed as tension rises. The fact that we don’t even see a ‘revived’ person until the climax of the book only cements the proper world-building. While many zombie books like to use this trope, Revival intelligently uses its reveal to display Seeley and Norton’s proper twist. I won’t spoil it, but suffice to say it was enough to make me want more immediately. I was a bit in awe to see an ending that out-Kirkmans (and dare I even say out-Brian K, Vaughns…) an ending so gripping I was pissed the book was over. They keep the world dense, but small in focus. Unlike officer Rick and his motley crew of world roamers in that other series… the 4 Star guys opt to keep things sequestered. Like 30 Days of Night making love to Fargo. Hmmm, that’s a horrible image to have. Mea culpa. If I would give only one gripe out loud, it would be the way-too-racist Asian neighbor we meet towards the end of the book. Me no likey when characters speakee this way. Even if it’s taken from a source, on the page it comes across more lazy than interesting.

Art wise, Mike Norton is as good as he’s ever been. His clean lines, well-differentiated and realistic figures, and smart storytelling makes the book read like butter. His colorist delivers a proper palate of muted tones perfectly suiting the tone and scope of the book. Special consideration should be given to Norton here, as he delivers on every page. Detailed backgrounds, sophisticated action panels, and the perfectly chosen moments to deliver the gore. In the climax, Norton evokes Frank Miller, with carefully chosen “artistic” panels to break up the more standard presentation. It works in spades. While I’ve long been a fan of Norton, I can feel a sense of ownership here in Revival #1 I never felt in his more mainstream work. No longer chained to a particular stylistic choice, I see his work here as truly his own. It’s great art, and it only elevates the storytelling being delivered by Seeley.

Deeds not words. It’s a fitting motto. Revival #1 comes at us as a straight zombie tale, that skids to a halt the second the dead are revealed. With solid scripting, tight artwork, and a unique environment to explore, this is certainly one not to miss. Plus you can always catch up on Walking Dead later. Kirkman won’t miss a sale while he’s counting his mad TV money. I normally am never compelled to assign a grade to the books I read, but suffice to say, here is one case where I deem it appropriate.

Revival #1 gets 4 Stars. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.