Every now and then, a comic comes along and strikes the reader as being more than a distraction, more than entertainment, and more than you can absorb in one sitting. For me, “Echoes” is one of those books.
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Illustrated by Rahsan EkedalFrom acclaimed author JOSHUA HALE FIAKOV (Tumor, PILOT SEASON: ALIBI) and rising artist RAHSAN EKEDAL (Creepy) a disturbing story of murder and mystery wrapped in questions of sanity. Minotaur Press premieres with a story of madness, family and death. Brian Cohn was learning to deal with the schizophrenia inherited from his father. Supportive wife, new baby on the way, drugs to control the voices. But, when at his father’s deathbed, he learns that he also inherited the trophies of his father’s career as a serial killer, his illness threatens to send him further down the path to madness and? Collects ECHOES #1-5
144 pages / $19.99
I never intended to read “Echoes”. A couple years ago, Top Cow put out a “First Look” trade for $4.99 which had the first issues for six upcoming series they were going to publish. I was only interested in one of the six (“Sunset“, which still isn’t out yet), but it seemed like a good deal. Through that trade, I discovered two books I would have otherwise ignored. “Echoes” was one of them. The other was “Last Mortal”, but that’s another column. I had never heard of Fialkov or Ekedal before, but I could tell by the first issue this was something I wanted to tradewait, so I enjoyed the covers of each issue as they came out and avoided any spoilers. When the trade finally came, I was not disappointed.
Fialkov uses one of my favorite literary devices: an unreliable narrator. It’s one with lots of benefits. The most obvious one is a built-in patch for any inconsistancies or plot holes. A more subtle one is the deeper hook it sets in the reader by actively forcing them to piece the puzzle together, and sorting the true story from the narrator’s twisted point of view. Doing so always requires multiple readings, which is the hallmark of a good story. It also begs discussion, which helps to spread the story around. My first thought after finishing the last page of “Echoes” was “I must share this.” In fact, I had this column in mind when I first pitched the idea of Tradewaiter to Matthew Meylikhov, Multiversity’s EIC.
Of course, one good storytelling method doesn’t make a good story. Fortunately, Fialkov throws in a great mystery, believable characters, and perfect pacing. Horror comics can be tough because plot twists can be spoiled by peripheral vision. Fialkov and Ekedal work seamlessly to sustain their tension by using panel arrangements which draw the eye where they want it to be and by changing angles to disguise which panel the twist is hidden in. It’s no small help when most of the big horror is in the dialogue, not the action.
The story reads well in the collected edition, although the breaks between issues are very plain. This does not detract from the narrative because Fialkov uses them to help bring the reader into the narrator’s head, where stress causes him to perceive time and events in unusual ways. There are no awkward recaps or introductions. The chapters all begin with the stressed narrator flashing through all the previous (and sometimes upcoming) events before reminding himself where he currently is, and grounding himself for the story to move forward again.
Speaking of Ekedal, his work is as beautiful as it’s content is disturbing. He captures emotion with depth rarely seen in comics, and he does not rely on Fialkov’s words to tell the reader what is going on. The bonus features share some of the script, and most of Fialkov’s direction for background, and sometimes the action, was minimal to non-existant. Given the opportunity to fill in all the gaps himself, Ekedal did not disappoint. As long as I’ve been a comic reader, I’ve lived by the axiom that bad art can ruin good writing, but good art can’t save bad writing. I still believe that, but Ekedal is the first artist who impressed me enough to buy a book on his name alone. The hardcover is smaller than the standard comic size, which is disappointing, but the art remains impressive.
Continued belowThe hardcover comes with a load of bonus features, including the original proposal which was rather different from the final draft. The entire script and pencils for the first issue are included with commentary from Fialkov, orignially published on Comicbookresources.com. It’s very enjoyable material, and provides some interesting insights into the creative process. After a cover gallery, there are some thumbnails for unused cover ideas. The final two pages are afterwords from Fialkov and Ekedal. I normally find these to be rather bland, but both afterwards were surprisingly personal, relevant, and moving.
The only downside to this hardcover is the price. Bought monthly, this content was $15. Asking for an extra five dollars for a hardcover with smaller pages seems a bit high. After the release of the hardcover, Image made a signed set of all five issues available for a mere $10. I don’t know if that set is still availble, but I recommend it over the hardcover if you can get it.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy it twice and give a copy to a friend.
