Review- REVIVAL VOL. 3: A FARAWAY PLACE

REVIVAL VOL. 3: A FARAWAY PLACE (Image, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Revival Nos. 12-17 (cover dates July, 2013- January, 2014)

Writer: Tim Seeley

Artist: Mike Norton

Colorists: Mark Englert and John Rauch (#15)

Image Comics remains the one to beat. While their titles are all creator owned, the “brand” as a whole has the healthiest and most intriguing books on the stands today. Think back to only a few years ago, where it seemed like they were floundering about.

Book three of Revival finds us roughly six weeks after “Revival Day”, when the dead in Wasau County, Wisconsin all mysteriously rose from their graves. Only they are not quite the same. They have all of their memories, but there is something a little...off about everyone who was revived.

The juggling act of seemingly random, unrelated characters in the first 11 issues is seamlessly melded into a few larger stories. I imagine that things will coalesce into one big bang before too long. Things keep building and building with a few breadcrumbs for answers and more questions along the way. People are still civil and calm for the most part during the quarantine but I can't imagine that lasting too much longer, especially with the water development. We find out more about the glowing creature things, and what it is they want. Of course I'm not going to tell you. That would be a dick move and ruin it for you. 

There are some genuinely creepy moments, and some outright gore. I was kind of surprised at how out there some of the gore was. I love it when repulsive stuff is drawn so beautifully that you can't help but stare at it for a prolonged period of time. The artwork and coloring in this series are top notch and the writing is clever and engaging. I will be back for the next volume.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Not included: The Image Expo exclusive variant cover for #12.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Pin-up by J.K. Woodward. (1 page)

Pin-up by Tim Seeley. (1 page)

Paper rating: 4.5 out of 5. Nice thick glossy coated stock.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Dull matte finish coating, resistant to scuffing. I handle my books gingerly and become incredibly annoyed when they get scuff marks from minor handling. It's not like I am the Samsonite gorilla or something.

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