Written by: Chris Roberson
Art by: Rich Ellis
Review by Melissa Megan
A woman shows up in a hospital, lost and confused. She can’t remember who she is, where she came from, how she got there. Forced to start her life over, she takes a quiet job and tries to carry on, while always watching for signs or reminders of her lost life. One day a shop full of interesting antiques appears in an alley where it didn’t seem to be before. The woman, who’s taken the name ‘Em’, feels drawn a to a piece in the shop and is suddenly catapulted into a situation involving magical statues and a talking cat.
In another place, there is a garden full of ‘stolen moments’ and characters who posses some semblance of life, but not enough to be technically considered ‘alive’. I don’t want to give the entire story away, but let’s just say there are magical forces at work on both planes of existence and the story obviously still has much unfolding to do.
I find the mystical aspects and the undertone of deviousness alluring enough to be anxious to read more of Memorial, although I will say that so far some of what is happening here feels confusing and jumbled. Being written by Eisner award winning writer Chris Roberson, who did excellent work with iZombie, I feel confident that that will quickly be resolved. The story itself is very interesting and fun, moving along at a speed that allows for a well packed #1 issue.
The art is detailed and easy, nothing too complex but complexity isn’t really needed in this type of story. In fact, I’d say the strengths in the art lie with panels layered in texture and objects, scenes that show off a great attention to minuscule details.
Verdict: Pick this one up digitally and see if it’s your cup of tea. Personally, I don’t buy printed comics these days unless the artwork carries as powerful a punch as the writing, and this one just doesn’t, yet. If you love the look of it, then it’s worth a buy in print because the story definitely has great potential to become a well made fantasy series. Memorial #1 is available now, from IDW, and on Comixology.
