Echo by Terry Moore

9/10

Fantasy Book Review exists for one purpose: to review fantasy books and help people decide what to read next, realize what they’re missing and discuss. But sometimes we the reviewers have to take a chance on something that isn’t strictly “fantasy.” Sometimes an author is just too good, or a series is too well written, to simply exclude because some will say it is not fantasy.

I won’t get into what exactly fantasy is or isn’t, but let’s just assume that it is a twist on reality.

If all this is true, then I have no problems introducing to you a comic book series written by comic book author and artist Terry Moore. Most famous for his series ‘Strangers in Paradise’ (which I’ll be reviewing soon) Moore recently started out with a new series entitled ‘Echo.’

The first volume – ‘Echo: Moon Lake’ was recently sent to me and I sped through it like a kid and a bag of candy. I couldn’t get enough of this brilliant book and it is nearly responsible for nearly making me miss the Serbia v Ghana match.

Terry Moore is a genius. He’s well respected as one of the most talented creatives in the comics industry earning him an Eisner Award in 1996 for SiP, and he is a fan favourite for SiP and the more recent ‘Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane’ series at Marvel. With Echo he brings his amazing artistic skills together with his amazing talent for telling a great story to tell a truly unique and intelligent story.

“Julie Martin is taking photographs in the California desert when an explosion in the clouds showers her with liquid metal pellets that stick to her skin and begin to reform a powerful atomic armour. Now somebody wants Julie dead, and the only one who can save her is a women they’ve already killed.”

I won’t say much more about the story itself than that, but there is a lot more I can praise.

The story itself is really unique and right away gives you a sense of something significantly different. I was really quite surprised with the ending of the first issue in this beautiful collection and by the end of the second issue I was deeply attached to our lead character.

Moore is a talented artist, but I didn’t know just how talented until I saw the inside of this book. Moore draws really beautiful people. I don’t mean that all the people in the book are beautiful, because there are ugly and mediocre looking people all through these pages. But each character and figure drawn is individual making it really easy to recognize who is who. Just a look at the character will also give you an idea of whether they’re good or bad, though whether that holds through is another question entirely.

Julie is a beautiful woman, and I have a pretty heavy crush on her right now. Not just because Moore draws her in her panties or in her chrome bra a lot, but because of her facial expressions, posture, reactions to situations. Both the character and the image of her has drawn me in.

This collection of the first five issues of Terry Moore’s Echo is a definite must for anyone who likes a good story. More than that, you’ll love it if you like good art, a well told story and intriguing and three-dimensional characters. There are villains – both black and gray – and good guys – both white and gray – and I can’t wait to read more of Echo.