Having been released over the course of almost two years, this six-issue mini from Image Comics has finally reached its end. Putting forth some big reveals but leaving some questions up in the air (and there are rumours of another series from this team), does the final issue of “Memoir” round off the first five in a satisfying way?
Written by Ben McCool
Illustrated by Nikki CookWith escape from Lowesville seemingly impossible, Trent MacGowan must face what is surely his destiny. But the forces dwelling within the ‘haunted forest’ may yet have a say in the outcome… Shocking revelations are guaranteed in the conclusion to one of 2011’s spookiest new books!
It’s safe to say that Trent MacGowan has encountered a lot of spooky stuff in the course of his attempt to document the affliction hanging over Lowesville. A town where nearly everyone has lost their memories, Trent’s plan was to exploit the story to its utmost and then move on. But it turned out there was more to the world of Lowesville than he thought, with mysterious figures in the woods pointing the way towards some kind of conspiracy. It all unravels in this final issue, as Trent discovers that he’s more intimately involved with the mystery of Lowesville than he could have guessed…
Yet another miniseries from Image Comics with a Twin Peaks vibe, atmosphere has always been this series’ strongest point. That sense of claustrophobia and apprehension doesn’t flag a bit in this issue, whichs hops around in place and time and presents the reader with devastating scene after devastating scene. It’s the emotional punch of the terrible things that have been going on that really comes through in this issue, overpowering Trent’s smug air and bringing home a sense of the incredible loss this town has suffered. The flashbacks to Trent’s childhood help accomplish this, lending vulnerability to his character and affording us a new perspective on the mystery. Meanwhile, every panel adds more details to the already puzzling complex of information surrounding the town and its odd residents, and the sum effect is as impressive as it is disorienting.
Unfortunately, on the level of plot this issue relies on a well-worn cliche: the villain on the eve of his triumph telling us all about his plan when he has no real motivation to do so except vanity. Which may after all be a legitimate motivation, particularly in a villain as, well, methodical as this one. But an old chestnut is an old chestnut, and one’s left wondering whether there was no other way to set up the big reveal, particularly since most of the plot points in this series have been delivered in a more subtle manner.
The reveal itself, meanwhile, is pretty satisfying, although it mingles the worlds of science and spirit in a way that some might find frustrating. That may be half its charm, actually (it certainly ups the Twin Peaks factor), but it’s something I hope to see addressed and fleshed out if and when the creators revisit this universe.
Speaking of spirit and science, though, Nikki Cook’s black and white artwork ably portrays both. The silhouettes representing the spirits of the woods have their usual alienating and eerie effect, while a very important bit of machinery is afforded a presence and mystique all its own. Some gory panels are handled in an even-handed manner, not pushing the splatter factor too hard but definitely getting across the intensity of the moment.
Cook also has a wonderful knack for working in creepy background details, things you might not notice until a http://multiversitycomics.com/?p=25088second read-through but which add to the overall feel. The best examples in this issue are some creepy cartoonish paintings hanging on the walls of a certain facility from Trent’s childhood, which make an already pretty disturbing scene even more so.
More important than anything, however, are those weathered, maplike faces, making the townspeople come across as both weary and ineffable, these complicated masses of information and circumstance that would take a lot of deciphering to even begin to understand. Cook’s characterizations are really something, selling the depth and bone-deep weirdness of this town.
As with the majority of miniseries, the dense writing and heavy atmosphere is likely to make “Memoir” a much smoother read in trade than it is in single issues. (It doesn’t help, of course, that this one was serialized over a particularly long period of time.) It’s in macro terms especially that the value and interest of this series comes across, everything adding up to a nice sort of comment on small town life and what it means to know who you are and where you came from. Here’s hoping that another series really is in the cards; when it’s portrayed with this much nuance and unnerving detail, a town like Lowesville really is worth an extended stay.
Final Verdict: 8.0 — Buy
