Revival #2 Review

Tim Seeley's new series Revival presents itself as a "rural noir." I don't get a particularly noir-ish vibe from either the writing or art. It's much more a straightforward horror series than a grim, fatalistic noir story, but it's all semantics in the end. What matters is that Revival is a very enjoyable and genuinely creepy series from two creators at the top of their game.

Revival shares more than a few similarities with TV series like Twin Peaks. Its setting is confined to a slightly bizarre and unsettling town in small America with a cast of characters whose quirks slowly reveal themselves over time. One of the joys in Seeley's relatively minimalist approach to storytelling is that he doesn't overburden the reader with information or exposition. The dialogue tends to reveal everything we need to know about the characters and the relationships. In particular, issue #2 sheds more light on the troubled Cypress family history and the divergent paths that sisters Dana and Martha took. In addition to building new connections between cast members, Seeley also introduces a new character into the mix, the drunken exorcist seen on the cover.

The books also tosses out more than its fair share of horror dark imagery, with the opening sequence standing out as much as the horse death from issue #1. The book functions well as both a character drama and a spooky horror romp. And artist Mike Norton deserves plenty of credit for making both elements work. Norton's expressive facial work and vibrant figures bring the characters to life, while his talent for the grotesque and frightening helps generate a constant sense of unease. My only complaint is that Dana and Martha occasionally look too similar, despite the difference in age.

I thought Rachel Rising and The Walking Dead were all I needed on the creator-owned horror comic front, but clearly I was wrong. Revival is quickly establishing itself as another Image series worth following.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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