Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Memoir #1 of 6
Image Comics
McCool & Cook
A journalist heads into a small town looking to find out some answers to the bizarre mystery that's clouded the town for some time now: none of the town's residents seem to have a memory. The first issue of Memoir not only sets up the series' mystery well but it gives a good bit of suspense and a hook at the end to make sure you come back for more. It's a good first issue to the mini series with some lovely black and white art to back up the solid story.
The very first page of the comic gives us a nice glimpse of where this series may be headed. A man huddles with his two terrified kids under their house while some sort of beast or presence of a beast gets ready to overtake them. While this doesn't seem to fit in with the town losing its memory, it does inform us that there is more to this story than just memory loss. It also provides a level of suspense and horror that I look forward to blossoming as the series progresses.
The next piece to the issue introduces the journalist, Trent MacGowan, who is a sleazebag essentially. This to me was the only downer of the comic book. I hated this character. It's not just his arrogance or his womanizing, but it's also his look. He's just look like a sniveling punk. I found myself hoping the guy would get killed in this issue and the story would follow another character. There is something just unbelievable about a tough-guy that's a journalist/part-time detective that's only about twenty-two. Bob Woodward never had it this easy.
As Trent makes his way through the town, he finds not only that no can remember things, but that they are totally unwilling to talk to him. Trouble finds Trent as some of his casual observing gets some of the irritable locals angry with him. By the end of the issue a whole new can of worms is opened.
The story moves along at a great pace and it's not light on new and interesting characters finding their way in and out of the story. I even like the setup where the town is a throw back to the 1950s because of its general isolation. Everything in the opening issue has promise of good things to come for this series.
The artwork brings this story to life and helps to move it along. Because of the layout and the focus on the character's faces we get equal amounts of story from the art as we do from the dialogue. The black and white fits the setting and the nature of this story well.
The opening issue has a lot to like and a lot to look forward to from this series. Opening issues are tough because you want a story to bring the reader's interest in but you also want to define your characters so the reader can feel something while reading it. I'm not sure I was supposed to despise the main character but the story sure is good. If you like a little mystery and, what looks to be a horror book, then this issue is worth giving a try.
3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
