Rachel Rising: Issues #1-6

Rachel Rising

Issues #1-6

Publisher: Robyn Moore with Abstract Studios

Writer: Terry Moore

Artist: Terry Moore

Genre: Horror

Price: $3.99/issue

Life, and death, aren't quite what they seem in the town of Manson. These issues of Rachel Rising introduce us to Rachel Beck, who is stuck somewhere between life and death, her friends and family, and some characters that will prove to be important as the story moves forward.

The story is told in Mr. Moore's characteristic style, through realistically drawn characters and believable dialogue. The interactions between Rachel, Jet, and Aunt Johnny quickly cause the reader to care about the characters, even after a relatively short amount of time exposed to them. Many of the characters are, in their own way, very familiar with death; coming to their own conclusions as to what it means and what to expect from it. The creepiest view is probably that held by Dr. Sieman. I won't ruin it for you here, but it was quite the shocker when I first saw it.

There's a lot of potential shown in these first six issues. Near the end of this arc Rachel meets someone that seems to know a lot more about the situation than anyone else. Answers are not forthcoming and we're left to wonder what it going on. It's enough of a tease to make sure I wanted to keep reading. There are a couple of cliches in the story that, while familiar, don't do much to detract from the story. They do however give certain parts a “been there done that” vibe.

Conclusion: A great beginning to what should be another Terry Moore masterpiece. If you enjoy his style, or female-centric horror stories, you should give it a read. There were rumors a while back about a TV series, and it seems like a story made for a channel that would do it right. Don't wait for a series though, get to your local comic shop, buy as many issues/trade paperbacks as you can and binge read it, before you can watch it.

Rating: 9/10