Rachel Rising Volume 1 Review

 

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: The debut volume of Terry Moore’s third self-published effort follows the titular lead Rachel Beck who wakes up in a grave after apparently being strangled. She forgets the events beforehand and, with the assistance of her Aunt Jenny and friend Jet, tries investigating it.

 

My Thoughts: This is my first Terry Moore read and one that left me with a positive impression on his oeuvre. From the beginning, the reader is enraptured with painstakingly detailed black & white panels of textless exposition introducing us to this eerie setting in the woods where the main protagonist finds herself in. It instantly invokes the mystery and horror elements entrenching the plot, raising several questions. One of the most challenging mysteries presented included how Rachel even survived underground and whether she really is alive. Regarding the latter, while she is a visible and tangible being, she also doesn’t seem to be able to feel physical pain and her skin is described as pale. In addition, her pulse beats and respiration are at abnormally low levels that no one could survive with under regular circumstances; this would therefore infer that Rachel isn’t a zombie or ghost. However, she isn’t living in a conventional sense either which would, as of this point, leave her lying somewhere in the middle with the possibility that she might be a supernatural entity. As each issue passes, more information and twists are unearthed which creates even more questions and excitement for the next installment.

    There’s also an engaging side plot about Zoe, a 10-year-old child, who becomes possessed with the demon Malus, forcing her to commits acts of violence and murder. Most of these incidents seem to be influenced by Lilith who foretells them and is present when they occur. These parts will likely play a bigger role later on in the narrative. I’d say more but that would give away too much info so I’ll stop here.

 

Final Thoughts: Rachel Rising Vol. 1 was a thrilling, creepy romp that kept my attention throughout and left me hungry for more. I definitely will stick with this series.