Revival #1 Comic Book Review

Article by FisterRoboto of lefthandhorror.com

Written by Tim Seeley

Art by Mike Norton

Colors by Mark Englert

Cover by Craig Thompson & Jenny Frison

Published by Image Comics

$2.99

Okay, so I didn’t see this coming. Mix religion and horror and I’m sold if it’s quality – and Revival is all quality. I read this twice before I was comfortable reviewing it. Much like a David Lynch tale. Revival starts out with some weird happenings and before we know it, we’re immersed in a crazy plot that comes out of nowhere, giving the reader zero time to adjust. In a nutshell, folks are coming back from the dead. Referred to as “Revitalized Citizens” or “Revivers”, these locals have died and somehow made it back to life. Not only are they back amongst the living, they seem to have super strength and a penchant for brutal kills. Being alive again would piss anyone off, right?

Billed as a Rural Noir by Seeley and Norton, it plays out in the expected fashion. A gripping tale, complete with the local police, donuts, and a host of backwoods character, Revival introduces its twisted world through the eyes of protagonist Dana Cypress, a local police officer and single mom.  Dana shines in the rural crowd and we all know things are going to go from crazy to batshit crazy in a handful of issues.

You could make the case that this feels a little like a zombie book – people are coming back to life and no one seems to know why. Some see it as spiritual evidence from the pages of the Bible, while more scientific minds just aren’t sure what to make of it. By the time you get to the big action that takes place in the barn, you might find yourself in my shoes. I have no idea what’s happening, but damn, if I can’t wait to find out. Until next month, I’ll be enjoying the thick warm sweaters and the other winter staples that punctuate this rural sleeper. Kudos to everyone at Image for letting this sneak into my pull list.