Review- RACHEL RISING VOL. 2: FEAR NO MALUS

RACHEL RISING VOL. 2: FEAR NO MALUS (Abstract Studio, 2012 ; Softcover)

Collects Rachel Rising Nos. 7-12 (cover dates April- October, 2012)

Writer and Artist: Terry Moore

Things were set to simmer in the first book, and are now about to boil over. For those just tuning in, Rachel is clinically dead but is out walking among the living. Now her friend Jet, who has also recently died, rises from the grave (or more accurately the medical examiner's table) with a broken neck. There is some real black humor in the scenes where they are trying to keep her body together. 

There are a few reveals here, such as why the dead are able to walk and interact with the living in the town of Manson. There are also more questions heaped upon the answers. Terry Moore has served up a fresh, modern take on Horror that relies more on subtlety and tension than gore and shock. Things progress at a slower pace. This feels closer to a television series than a movie, as there are no slam bang POW! Type moments. Moore's artwork is quiet and subdued, but is beautiful all the same. 

I am interested to see where Volume 3 goes. The problem with this being a slow burning read is that the anticipation of the payoff builds the longer that it takes, and the danger of a letdown increases. Moore has been around the block a few times, and hopefully has all of this mapped out and won't fumble the ball. I have faith in him.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This book is value priced at MSRP $16.99. The single issues were priced at $3.99, so you save $7 by going the collected edition route. This book is slightly smaller than the periodicals, and the covers are printed in black and white, so there's that to consider. Two of the six covers are presented in color on the front and back covers of the book. I am a wait for the trade cat anyways, but those things may be considerations for some folks so I thought that I'd throw that out there.

Paper rating: 4 out of 5. This book has a decent weight uncoated stock paper which works well for black and white material like this.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding. Nothing to get excited about.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 4 out of 5. The cardstock cover has a strange feeling waxy coating, and is thinner than a standard Marvel or DC trade paperback. It's actually more malleable and rests in one hand like a giant periodical, which is kind of cool.

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