Review: Memorial #2

Dustin reviewedissue one, and I usurped his power to review number two because this is oneof the best comic books to come along in some time.  I am pleased to discover a comic where the creative teamknows how to tell a story, incorporate visual storytelling, and not blast mewith panel after panel of superfluous dialogue.

I have read a great deal of fantasy literature, and Irespect what Chris Roberson does in his world building effort in Memorial.  Issuetwo follows Em, fresh from fleeing the Dragon’s Teeth statues sent byHook.  Schrodinger the Cat (nicenod to quantum mechanics) mentors Em on the goings on of the fantasticintersecting worlds.  The explicationmoves well, and it doesn’t bog down the story the way such explanations do.

Meanwhile, Hook enters the Shadow Court and enlists thereluctant Oberon and Titania to help find Em.  When he finds her, Hook chases the young woman because shewields a key to open a door to different dimensions.  A shadow boy intervenes and saves Em.  Or does he damn her to a fate worsethan Hook?  Only the ensuing issueswill reveal.

Roberson blends established fairy tale worlds with enough surprisethat I never once rolled my eyes at some of the allusions depicted in thebook.  So much mystery has beeninterwoven that I did not know what to expect, and I loved the element ofsurprise that permeated the issue. For instance, the Land of Maybe has a castle with a gryphon flying overhead,fairies in the shrubs, and two robots running amidst the foreground.  My mind is racing with thepossibilities that could derive from adventures in such an environment.  This book made the familiar unfamiliar.

Em is not a helpless maiden, nor is she the Sarah Connorbutch, over-the-top female savior. Instead, Em links the reader to the story with the same desire to unlockthe secrets of these intersecting worlds. She’s inquisitive, vulnerable, and grounded: a perfect liminal character.

The artwork is an interesting balance of Daniel Clowes andArt Adams.  While not beingcartoonish, the illustrations give the impression of architectural drawingsdepicting proposed buildings from a theme park expansion.  The artwork maintains a Grimm’s FairyTales styling.

So the three things I walked away with from this book wereclever and intelligent storytelling, the sense of possibility that existed fromthe structuring of plot elements, and a selection of artwork that complimentedthe nature of the book instead of conflicting it.

I finished Memorial #2with the same felling I did when I first saw The Chronicles ofNarnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobein theaters: elation.  As goofy asthat sounds, I had that warm feeling inside from experiencing an adventure intoa fun place and time. 

I’m not a huge fan of comics that depict everyday life.  Those books are brilliant in theircommentaries.  For me, a comicneeds to be a departure from the life we experience everyday.  When a comic allows such a suspensionof disbelief through a sensibly constructed work, the book becomesliterary.  Memorial is literary, artistic, and engaging.  That’s great storytelling.

It’s been too long since I had fun reading a comicbook.  Memorial reminded me of why I enjoy this medium.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Chris Roberson

Art: Rich Ellis

Colors: Grace Allison

Letterer: Robbie Robbins

IDW Comics

$3.99

Release Date: 1/18/12

Comments

[Dustin Cabeal]

"This book made the familiar unfamiliar."

You just summed up this series perfectly! Also I loved the concept of the three worlds, very clever. Great review too!