Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Illustrated by Rahsan EkedalBrian Cohn is a diagnosed schizophrenic leading a simple, uncomplicated life in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He’s expecting his first child with his wife. When he goes to visit his estranged Alzheimer’s afflicted father on his deathbed, the dying old man confesses to being a serial killer. Now Brian is faced with discovering a horrifying new side to his father and left wondering if we ever really escape familial legacies.
From acclaimed author Joshua Hale Fialkov (Tumor, Pilot Season: Alibi) and rising artist Rahsan Ekedal (Creepy) a disturbing story of murder and mystery wrapped in questions of sanity.
Fialkov’s “Tumor” has been something that has been recommended to me many, many times, but something I’ve somehow not read yet. In fact, this new release from the revived Minotaur Press (the indie angled imprint of Top Cow) is the first book I’ve ever read from him. Find out my take on “Echoes” and whether or not it will lead me down a path towards “Tumor” after the jump.
I’ve found Joshua Hale Fialkov’s name seemingly everywhere lately, whether it’s getting name dropped in the middle of interviews, on Twitter, or on other websites, and I’ve never really known why. I hadn’t read anything by him, but the buzz around him was towering.
Now, I’ve read a little something and I’m starting to understand. The guy is really, really talented.
The first thing I have to say is this Minotaur Press idea is a great one – this is the most I’ve enjoyed a Top Cow book in a very long time, if not ever. It’s a style of book that is quite atypical for the publisher, but something I feel they’ve been missing. Fialkov tells the beginning of a simple yet harrowing psychological thriller in this issue, and one that has a pace and tone that is quite unlike anything I’ve been reading lately.
Seemingly, a lot of writers have been making their presence felt with signature styles that make them distinct from the rest. Names like Scott Snyder and Nick Spencer have rapidly climbed in the world of comics thanks to that, but I have to say, Fialkov feels similarly fresh. The way he tells this tale rolls out in an organic way that feels less like comic scripting than something from a novel, but mostly in the sense that everything feels very natural and human.
Not only that, but his plotting is superb. I love the story tension that stems from the father/son relationship and the mental illness lead Brian Cohn suffers from, and I’m excited to see where he takes it from here. The turn in the issue towards the end about what his father had been up to for years is disturbing and shocking no matter if you see it coming, and it is executed very well by artist Rahsan Ekedal.
While not someone I’m familiar with, Ekedal does a really nice job on this book with his atmospheric and cleverly designed work. One scene towards the end features a perspective change that alters the entire context of it, and is executed brilliantly by Ekedal. He could have taken that a lot of different ways, but the way he did it was great. The choice to go gray scale on this book also works out, as I was originally a little concerned with the art based off the cover. Ekedal’s art simply works way better in black-and-white, and it serves the story way better like this as well.
All in all, I was pretty impressed by the first issue of this mini-series. It’s not something that is revolutionary by any means, but its execution is top notch. I’m looking forward to where Fialkov and Ekedal take us in the future, and am looking forward to going back and discovering a little more of what Fialkov has to offer.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
