spiffysarahruby's review
4.0
Whoa.
This is like "Les Revenants," only set in Wisconsin and not nearly as... gentle. I don't want to compare this to "The Walking Dead" because the people who come back aren't zombies (so I'm NOT using a "Zombie" tag when sorting it), but something is definitely different about them. Something is very wrong.
AND there's a ghost/demon thing that looks so much like an alien that even though I finished the story, I still can't figure out what it was supposed to be! Where's Fox Mulder when you need him?
I'm looking forward to continuing this series. It's so creepy!
This is like "Les Revenants," only set in Wisconsin and not nearly as... gentle. I don't want to compare this to "The Walking Dead" because the people who come back aren't zombies (so I'm NOT using a "Zombie" tag when sorting it), but something is definitely different about them. Something is very wrong.
AND there's a ghost/demon thing that looks so much like an alien that even though I finished the story, I still can't figure out what it was supposed to be! Where's Fox Mulder when you need him?
I'm looking forward to continuing this series. It's so creepy!
squirrelz's review
dark
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Docking a point for some typos and one page where the order of events was slightly unclear to me. Otherwise I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to continue
jonwesleyhuff's review
4.0
Really intriguing start. Unfolds at a really great pace, with plenty to keep you guessing where it's going.
paperback_witch's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ratgrrrl's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
CW: Death, Blood, Gore, Bodily Fluids, Racism, Kidnapping,
I remember reading #1 years ago and being really excited...
The concept of people in a small town coming back from death, not as zombies, revenants, vampires, etc., but simply as themselves. Or at least most of them are themselves, maybe? is genuinely fascinating, but not new by any means. I really enjoyed the rather cheesy, cancelled too soon, and painfully rushed wrap up Australian show, Glitch, which had a similar setup. From the opposite angle, I really enjoyed The Leftovers, which dealt with those left behind after a possibly Rapture. This is a rich area for exploration and storytelling, so I was really excited to give this series a proper go.
The dynamics set up with the cop family (ACAB) and the town dealing with family members coming back, and some truly horrific changes becoming evident, not to mention the spooky ghoul alien thing prancing around between the action, are all great. Unfortunately, the writing and development of the characters just didn't hold up for me. Characters are almost entirely one dimensional or have a black and white duality, and the classic comicbook edgelord dudebro of it all really dumped cold water on my enjoyment.
There's nothing wrong with having awful occurrences, characters who are and say vile things, and uncomfortable, sensitive situations in art. When these things seem to be handled with little to know care or understanding and come across as cheap and easy easy to seem edgy, cool, and extreme, it shows and it sucks. With comics like The Boys and Preacher, as off putting and far more extreme than Revival they are, there is a greater commentary and story, regardless of if it's something somone want to read or not. The premise is here for Revival, but four issues in and I'm not seeing any substance, and anything that approaches it are tropes and weak pastiches of better media.
I appreciate this is all subjective and I am in the minority judging by reviews. I just think we all deserve better, and know that I need it. There are so many phenomenal comics out there and so many more big names and good ideas with no follow through or care. If you want to make edgelord schlock crack on, but when it's published and advertised with such praise and fanfare, alongside phenomenal works, like Saga (something that manages to be edgy and schloky and so much more), I'm going to expect something more than this.
Ice Cream Man and this have taught me to listen to my gut and get out if I'm not enjoying something or getting bad vibes after a couple of issues.
I remember reading #1 years ago and being really excited...
The concept of people in a small town coming back from death, not as zombies, revenants, vampires, etc., but simply as themselves. Or at least most of them are themselves, maybe? is genuinely fascinating, but not new by any means. I really enjoyed the rather cheesy, cancelled too soon, and painfully rushed wrap up Australian show, Glitch, which had a similar setup. From the opposite angle, I really enjoyed The Leftovers, which dealt with those left behind after a possibly Rapture. This is a rich area for exploration and storytelling, so I was really excited to give this series a proper go.
The dynamics set up with the cop family (ACAB) and the town dealing with family members coming back, and some truly horrific changes becoming evident, not to mention the spooky ghoul alien thing prancing around between the action, are all great. Unfortunately, the writing and development of the characters just didn't hold up for me. Characters are almost entirely one dimensional or have a black and white duality, and the classic comicbook edgelord dudebro of it all really dumped cold water on my enjoyment.
There's nothing wrong with having awful occurrences, characters who are and say vile things, and uncomfortable, sensitive situations in art. When these things seem to be handled with little to know care or understanding and come across as cheap and easy easy to seem edgy, cool, and extreme, it shows and it sucks. With comics like The Boys and Preacher, as off putting and far more extreme than Revival they are, there is a greater commentary and story, regardless of if it's something somone want to read or not. The premise is here for Revival, but four issues in and I'm not seeing any substance, and anything that approaches it are tropes and weak pastiches of better media.
I appreciate this is all subjective and I am in the minority judging by reviews. I just think we all deserve better, and know that I need it. There are so many phenomenal comics out there and so many more big names and good ideas with no follow through or care. If you want to make edgelord schlock crack on, but when it's published and advertised with such praise and fanfare, alongside phenomenal works, like Saga (something that manages to be edgy and schloky and so much more), I'm going to expect something more than this.
Ice Cream Man and this have taught me to listen to my gut and get out if I'm not enjoying something or getting bad vibes after a couple of issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Blood, and Gore
jexjthomas's review
3.0
A good but somewhat underwhelming start to a new series that takes a fresh look at an old idea: the dead rising from their graves. Revival turns zombie stories on their heads by making the dead not brainless, flesh feasting monsters, but rather sad, lonely, shell-shocked versions of their former selves, clearly traumatized by the experience of dying.
Unfortunately, as great of an idea as that is, the book doesn't always live up to it. It gets off to a very slow start, such a slow start that you're left feeling like maybe things aren't really going to get good until the next volume. In that way, it actually feels much more like a new television show than a comic series, where it might take a few episodes to truly find its footing and its voice. I know this isn't unheard of in comic series either, but at this point I'm fairly used to Image publishing these great, challenging books that seem fully formed from the get go. Part of the disappointment I had with this title is the fact that it doesn't hit a home run at its first at-bat, and maybe that's an unfair expectation. Whatever the case, though, it doesn't feel like the book ever quite lives up to its potential.
Tim Seeley's story is well written enough, with above-average dialog, and I'm glad to see a competent female lead, though the seeking-approval-from-Daddy stuff is a bit played out, don't you think? The protagonist's younger sister, on the other hand, is the most interesting character in the book, and it would be great to see much more of her.
The series also suffers from not being exactly sure what it wants to be, spending an inordinate amount of time as a police procedural or aping noir conventions rather than doing what it does best: exploring themes of death and resurrection, afterlife, alienation, and family. That said, I'll be the first to admit that maybe I just want this book to be a little more cerebral than it's every going to be.
The art was actually a bit of a sticking point for me. I know that Mike Norton is supposed to be one of the hottest artists in the industry, but if I'm being honest, his style doesn't really do much for me, and doesn't really fit with my expectations for this book. It's a bit too comic book-y, or, to be more specific, it looks like the kind of stuff we see in superhero books, whereas a book like this could use more of an edge. All that said, Jenny Frison's covers are truly remarkable, and I wish the whole book could have that same style.
One big plus for me was seeing familiar landscapes, as I'm from a rural Northern Wisconsin community not too far from where the events of Revival take place, and Norton does a fantastic job rendering the setting.
In conclusion, while I'm not rushing out to grab this book each month, I'll definitely check out the next trade when it comes out. I think Revival has a lot of potential, and it may just take a few more issues to fulfill that potential. If this book can become as great as it could be, it'll really be something special.
Unfortunately, as great of an idea as that is, the book doesn't always live up to it. It gets off to a very slow start, such a slow start that you're left feeling like maybe things aren't really going to get good until the next volume. In that way, it actually feels much more like a new television show than a comic series, where it might take a few episodes to truly find its footing and its voice. I know this isn't unheard of in comic series either, but at this point I'm fairly used to Image publishing these great, challenging books that seem fully formed from the get go. Part of the disappointment I had with this title is the fact that it doesn't hit a home run at its first at-bat, and maybe that's an unfair expectation. Whatever the case, though, it doesn't feel like the book ever quite lives up to its potential.
Tim Seeley's story is well written enough, with above-average dialog, and I'm glad to see a competent female lead, though the seeking-approval-from-Daddy stuff is a bit played out, don't you think? The protagonist's younger sister, on the other hand, is the most interesting character in the book, and it would be great to see much more of her.
The series also suffers from not being exactly sure what it wants to be, spending an inordinate amount of time as a police procedural or aping noir conventions rather than doing what it does best: exploring themes of death and resurrection, afterlife, alienation, and family. That said, I'll be the first to admit that maybe I just want this book to be a little more cerebral than it's every going to be.
The art was actually a bit of a sticking point for me. I know that Mike Norton is supposed to be one of the hottest artists in the industry, but if I'm being honest, his style doesn't really do much for me, and doesn't really fit with my expectations for this book. It's a bit too comic book-y, or, to be more specific, it looks like the kind of stuff we see in superhero books, whereas a book like this could use more of an edge. All that said, Jenny Frison's covers are truly remarkable, and I wish the whole book could have that same style.
One big plus for me was seeing familiar landscapes, as I'm from a rural Northern Wisconsin community not too far from where the events of Revival take place, and Norton does a fantastic job rendering the setting.
In conclusion, while I'm not rushing out to grab this book each month, I'll definitely check out the next trade when it comes out. I think Revival has a lot of potential, and it may just take a few more issues to fulfill that potential. If this book can become as great as it could be, it'll really be something special.
benreadshorror's review
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
menniemenace's review
4.0
If I knew this was a zombie comic I would've jumped right in way sooner.
I like the premise and the characters, but I can't fully know who's who yet. Here's hoping I could get better. So far, Em's my favorite.
I like the premise and the characters, but I can't fully know who's who yet. Here's hoping I could get better. So far, Em's my favorite.
eidolonwall's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
trudilibrarian's review
4.0
OCTOBER COUNTRY 2013
This is a re-read for me, in preparation of hitting up Volume 2, and I gotta say, I'm still excited about what this series has to offer. It's a claustrophobic tale set in a quarantined Midwestern town that has recently fallen prey to a rash of re-animations. The dead are coming back to life, but not in the way you think, or with the same dramatic gore and apocalyptic consequences we have come to expect from the walking dead.
This isn't a traditional zombie tale. First and foremost it's a story about a cast of characters thrust into a very unusual and distressing situation. What happens when the dead and gone who have been grieved and laid to rest suddenly barge back into our lives again, not just walking, but talking? With needs, and fears, and memories?
What happens when the outside world beyond the borders of your sleepy little town becomes fearful and paranoid and only wants to contain whatever mystery is unfolding in your backyard, holding you under scrutiny and behind roadblocks leaving your town to not only fend for itself but ride out whatever traumas yet to unfold?
Officer Dana Cypress is caught right in the middle of the inexplicable "revivals" along with her sister Martha (or Em) who has a terrible secret. Then there's the rookie journalist May who senses there's much more going on in the town than meets the eye.
This is a story that takes its time, and by the end leaves you with way more questions than answers. But the pull of the mystery is so addictive, you'll be desperate to get your hands on the next volume. It's a story that's rich in atmosphere, a creepy-crawly sensation of impending doom, but doom that's on a more personal scale of individual tragedy, rather than unleashing a free-floating anxiety for the fate of the entire human race.
The graphic art is crisp and clean and terrifying where it needs to be. The nature of small town life is realistically portrayed and the panel after panel of snow and cold had me thinking of Fargo and that a lot can happen in the middle of nowhere. My one complaint is that the three main women characters (Dana, her sister Em, and reporter May) are very similar in appearance, at least at first glance. I was better equipped to tell them apart this time around, but it still took some practice. It's a shame that they should be artistically rendered so similarly, because as characters, each woman is very different with her own distinctive voice and personality.
Do yourself a favor and give this one a try.
This review can also be found at Busty Book Bimbo
This is a re-read for me, in preparation of hitting up Volume 2, and I gotta say, I'm still excited about what this series has to offer. It's a claustrophobic tale set in a quarantined Midwestern town that has recently fallen prey to a rash of re-animations. The dead are coming back to life, but not in the way you think, or with the same dramatic gore and apocalyptic consequences we have come to expect from the walking dead.
This isn't a traditional zombie tale. First and foremost it's a story about a cast of characters thrust into a very unusual and distressing situation. What happens when the dead and gone who have been grieved and laid to rest suddenly barge back into our lives again, not just walking, but talking? With needs, and fears, and memories?
What happens when the outside world beyond the borders of your sleepy little town becomes fearful and paranoid and only wants to contain whatever mystery is unfolding in your backyard, holding you under scrutiny and behind roadblocks leaving your town to not only fend for itself but ride out whatever traumas yet to unfold?
Officer Dana Cypress is caught right in the middle of the inexplicable "revivals" along with her sister Martha (or Em) who has a terrible secret. Then there's the rookie journalist May who senses there's much more going on in the town than meets the eye.
This is a story that takes its time, and by the end leaves you with way more questions than answers. But the pull of the mystery is so addictive, you'll be desperate to get your hands on the next volume. It's a story that's rich in atmosphere, a creepy-crawly sensation of impending doom, but doom that's on a more personal scale of individual tragedy, rather than unleashing a free-floating anxiety for the fate of the entire human race.
The graphic art is crisp and clean and terrifying where it needs to be. The nature of small town life is realistically portrayed and the panel after panel of snow and cold had me thinking of Fargo and that a lot can happen in the middle of nowhere. My one complaint is that the three main women characters (Dana, her sister Em, and reporter May) are very similar in appearance, at least at first glance. I was better equipped to tell them apart this time around, but it still took some practice. It's a shame that they should be artistically rendered so similarly, because as characters, each woman is very different with her own distinctive voice and personality.
Do yourself a favor and give this one a try.
This review can also be found at Busty Book Bimbo