Surprise me with a Revival.
Revival has been one of those series that shocks its readers with disturbing plot twists and visuals while also drawing them in with a murder mystery! It is now five issues in and Tim Seeley and Mike Norton have not slowed down. This series has been outrageous all along, but is it possible for it to become even more insane?
This issue seems to be the first of the series that hasn’t introduced new pivotal characters. Rather, it seems that this issue has actually left out a very pivotal character altogether, and shifted focus onto some who haven’t had a whole lot of time in the spotlight yet. In the previous issue, Martha was sneaking up on the exorcist’s house when she was approached by the wayward “alien.”
Jumping into #5 didn’t skip a beat, with the “alien” entering Em through her mouth and possessing her, planting memories of a past life in her mind before exiting her body. Whatever happened with the “alien”, Blaine is somehow involved and he is not happy with Martha. As the story continues we find out some interesting things about the “alien”, Blaine, Martha, Lester and Ibrahaim, some of which are really quite shocking. What we’re left with as the cliffhanger wasn’t quite the same as the previous issues, it is quite the thriller full of naughty deception.
As usual, Tim Seeley’s skills at writing noir stories is unbridled, letting his imagination soar with possibilities. The best part about this issue is it answers a few major questions by giving you more questions. We are let on to some important details, but only enough to lure you in to keep reading. The only downside was a couple of grammar errors where it seemed a word was missing, like “be” and “get” instead of “gets.” Although I’m sure that’s more the letterer’s fault. The story is fun, extremely dark at times, with enough mystery to entice the reader. At times it pushes the limits of being over-the-top, being insane just to keep readers interesting. None of that is true, though, as the very nature of its allure is 100% sincere and deserved.
Mike Norton’s art continues to shine. Some big moments unfolded in this comic and the art nailed every part of them. I love the brutally intense scenes and the gore scenes, but also the slower scenes are well drawn and paced. The page layouts are very interesting, sticking to a pattern during slower moments and going all over the page with the crazy moments, driving home the chaos. The flashback page where the alien enters Em and forces her to see its memories was really exceptional, throwing the layout to the wind and letting it flow.
Revival #5 is packed full of crazy alien possession, snowmobile chases, intense plot twists and disturbing gore. It is definitely picking up the pace as this issue reads faster than the previous but covers more ground. A truly engrossing story with beautifully creative art that is sure to entrance any comic reader.
Writing: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
