Revival #13

written by Tim Seeley
art by Mike Norton

It's Valentine's Day in the revival event quarantine, a week after Martha Cypress single-handedly killed the murderous and entrepreneurial Check brothers.  Em's babysitting Cooper and young fellow "reviver" Jordan Borchardt while Dana and Ibrahaim go on "the strangest triple date in the history of central Wisconsin" (Revival #13, p. 4) with newly "out" deputy Brent, his boyfriend Ian, colorful and elderly fitness guru Lester, and his date sheriff's dispatcher Bonnie.  Meanwhile, Aaron Weimar—formerly Martha's professor and lover—continues to interview Joe Myers, whose "revival" has unsettled him more overtly than most.

Recently, Seeley has accelerated Revival's central mysteries, even as he continues to introduce new ones.  What seems at first an exceptionally awkward and harassing kiss from interviewee Joe turns out to be a way of stealing glimpses into another's memories through contact or, more likely, ingestion of their blood, one of the first characteristics these "revivers" share with their other zombie kin.  Joe's disintegration/evaporation, after having received the soul ring from his Hmong housemaid as recompense for the long-ago stolen engagement ring, follows in the vein of fellow "reviver" Tommy the Torso.  Unlike Tommy, Joe's disappearance will be noticed.  And then there's young Jordan, who apparently hears the calls of the ghosts in the woods all the time, wherever she goes.

Revival's both an exciting and frustrating series to follow monthly, mostly because its immersive storytelling style is simultaneously dense and nuanced even as its plot is difficult to distill within the bounds of any given issue.  In fact, its central plot—that of the "revival" incident—is nearly swallowed by the bevy of layered subplots and intricate character development.  Generally, this makes Revival one of the finest series currently being published, but it also makes any individual issue seem a little plodding.  Revival #13 is an excellent example of how Seeley's narrative complexity integrates such disparate actions. 

[August 2013]