The Live Echoes #1

 Writer: Mohammad Shirazi

Artist: Karissa Ray

Rating: 5 of 8

The Live Echoes #1

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it isn't always necessary to invent, or re-invent, something that already worked. A lot of the time, it's better to stick to the old adage 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Sure, it can be nice to see a fresh take on an old formula, or to have familiar characters taken in a new direction, but it depends on what that direction is.

In many ways, the story of The Live Echoes is a familiar one. Two friends enter into an experiment that they probably shouldn't, one that could well have unforeseen consequences. But as is often the case in these kinds of tales, fear of consequence doesn't stop them. If it did, what kind of story would that be?

It isn't just in the experiment that the issue's focused, though, as a lot of it tells the tale of Isadora reuniting with Dr. Reventon, an old friend and colleague. She returns because of an urgent letter Reventon had sent her, something that probably shows a similar level of curiosity to Reventon himself.

Though the trip goes far from smoothly, that's to be expected, considering that all of it takes part in an asylum. Indeed, that might be why the art is esoteric. After all, it makes sense that a tale set around such disordered minds would have such disordered art. On the one hand, Ray's art both fits with the kind of story Shirazi is telling and offers up some very arresting visuals, like those above and below.

At times, though, it can make it hard to follow what's going on, like in a particularly tense moment about halfway through. One climatic moment could've also been delivered a lot better, along with an intimate scene shortly before. The issue also could've ended better if that climatic moment was better executed. Then, in an earlier scene, the doctor loses his moustache, only to get it back a few panels later, while it changes colour on the next page. 

A few of these, particularly the last two, are just simple mistakes that the team should've picked up on. As for the art, your mileage may vary, while the writing itself is often very sharp, though in an earlier thought box, Shirazi could've used simpler words to express the same thing. Ultimately, an intriguing tale, that could've been a lot better.