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Comic Review: The Live Echoes #1
Overview
The Live Echoes is a limited series comic that accounts a history of the space cult by the same name. Isadora, a scientist from 1901, reconnects with a colleague, Reventon, to witness the first series of tests using his Diathermic machine. Reventon devises the machine to “encourage” symptoms within seven patients he has collected in his asylum who share peculiar commonalities.
Impression of The Live Echoes
The Live Echos reads like a whimsical fever dream. The main character of Isadora acts as our vessel through it all. Written with a lack of emotion, seemingly so the reader can latch on and have their own emotions in her place, Isadora is taken into the depths of an asylum of the truly deranged and angry. The inclusion of a woman admitted by her husband for strong opinion’s gives a good example of the way mental health was treated in 1901. Props to Mohammad Shirazi for giving historical pinpoints to remind the reader of the time period. The head doctor, Reventon, showcases a callous and single minded focus on his goals that make the asylum even worse. As a reader descending into the depths with Isadora there is a dread feeling. The dread comes in the form of how well it’s written and the abstract art and paneling.
The art by Karissa Ray isn’t the cleanest and most sharp. However, this isn’t as bad it sounds. Yes, it lacks the crisp bold colors we’re used to in the medium, but it resembles comic strips similar to the ones produced in the 1930’s. The way the panels even feature words as a disjointed continuation of a speech bubble add a creative way to approach paneling. The bad thing about the art though is that lack of detail in certain panels. Faces begin to at times look the same. The translucent speech bubbles are often distracting. They do leave more room for the art to be taken in.
Final Verdict
When it comes to horror or any kind of mystery title. the art and the story are selling points. They accent each other. The beginnings of this story are good and leave you wanting more. The art takes you a little out though; not to an extent that ruins it completely. But just enough so that you may have to reread a page to make sure you got it gist. I recommend this for anyone into strange mysteries.
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