Julie Martin has a problem. No wait, she has more than one. In fact, she’s kind of screwed.
While she was hanging out at a place called “Moon Lake”, taking pictures, there was an explosion (military; what other kind at a place called “Moon Lake”?), and then things got really weird. She touched a piece of shrapnel that had fallen into the bed of her truck, and it bonded to her chest and upper arms. Now she has a power (powers?) coursing through her, and she has no idea what makes it react, or lay dormant.
All of that is enough to keep me reading, but Terry Moore wasn’t ready to stop. He went ahead and added a human aspect to the characters, making them interesting on a level outside of military explosions and dormant superpowers.
Julie is in the middle of a divorce and her sister has her own unique set of problems. The drama just keeps on coming.
Moore can do that though. His loyal readers know that, having ridden along with the characters he created during his legendary Strangers In Paradise run. Having spent years creating realistic story arcs, dealing with what some would call “ordinary” situations, Moore brings that sensibility to Echo, but ratchets things up a notch with the superhero aspect.
The story took a pretty interesting turn in issue #3, when we saw another piece of the shrapnel and its recipient, a guy with a little more anger under his belt, and apparently with the knowledge of how to utilize its mysterious power.
Issue #5 picks up with Julie and Dillon standing in the desert, stuck between the gun sights of some jumpy soldiers. Unfortunately for those guys, things don’t go how they were planning and the story picks up pace.
In case readers weren’t already strapped in for the ride, Moore picks up the action and consequences in issue #5. We have yet to see the villain and Julie collide, but that interaction is surely coming up soon, as is various other encounters with characters who will tweak the plot in a new direction.
The government has hired an investigator to discern who this lady is that's walking around with their top-secret weapon. Julie and Dillon are now on the run with some of his shadier pals, and I am officially waiting to see what happens.
Story alone makes this a book you should be reading, but that isn’t the only reason. The Terry Moore everyone knows is evident, but inside the confines of a different genre, creating characters that react realistically in a much more sci-fi, or “comic book,” setting.
If that’s not enough for you, how about the art? Again, Moore hits right on the mark, with beautiful pencils every page turn, nailing the human body. There have been a few panels that have really gotten me, demonstrating how adeptly the man can render a character realistically.
With a compelling story, illustrated skillfully, there couldn’t be many more reasons to buy this book. It urges you to buy it. Your hand aches without this book in it. Do yourself a favor, and go pick it up.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!