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Ward, Malachi – Ritual #2: The Reverie
Ritual #2: The Reverie
I’ll occasionally read a comic and it just reaches out and punches me right in the heart. Which isn’t a bad thing, as if you’re not affected at all then a comic isn’t doing its job, but be warned: if you’re looking for a lighthearted romp, go elsewhere. This one starts off with a day in the life of a young boy and his sister, waiting on the couch for their dad to get home after one of them has broken a clock. We see the dad pull up, then we’re transported to a scene three years later of his dad working on a project in his garage. The transition is jarring, but keep reading, as it all pays off in the end. Keep reading the comic, that is, as it’s not like I’m going to spoil the ending for you, or even much of what leads up to it. From here we see the dad working on a much more complicated project five years later, the death of a crucial family member four years later, and the effect on the family (still) six years later. From here we finally get to the meaning of the title, and here’s where it gets tricky in regards to spoilers. I will point out that the first story segment is listed as 2009, so if you do the math you can see that it stretches out well into the future, meaning that you can expect some fantastical hypotheticals. Which is great! I’m all for thoughtful science fiction, and there isn’t enough of it out there in comics, what with the necessity for lengthy comic series to tell the stories and the uncertainty of having a consistent publishing schedule. What’s most important (arguably) in this comic is what’s left unsaid, as we see these people for very brief snippets over the course of years and have to fill in the blanks ourselves as to what’s happened to them. That conclusion was absolutely haunting, and it left me feeling like the “hero” of the book made the wrong choice, even though you could go at it from a different angle and conclude that that was really the only choice available to him. This Malachi Ward fellow is clearly somebody to keep an eye on, and he’s on my list of people to finance (and/or bribe into giving up his day job and only making comics) if I should ever happen upon a giant pile of money. No price listed, but the first issue of this series (which isn’t really connected to this one in terms of story) was $6, so let’s go with that.
Ward, Malachi – Ritual: Real Life #1
Ritual: Real Life #1
Wow. I think that any fans of horror or surreal comics should just buy this sight unseen (when it comes out in a few weeks), and that almost anything that I have to say about it will just spoil bits for you. So with that said, fans of Malachi’s past work or fans in the general of the comics that Revival Press have released so far, please go on your way and wait patiently until the book is released. Or you could pick it up at the Stumptown convention on April 28th. For the rest of you, I will now try to convey what I liked about this book without giving anything away. It’s a delicate dance and it’s almost impossible to be entirely successful, but you have been warned. That cover should be your first hint that this isn’t just another typical comic, and the first page will confirm that. We see a clear night sky, then a disembodied hand floating down, then a flash of light from the hand, then the hand is gone. From there we go to a couple in bed, with the woman awake and watching bugs crawl into the skin of her lover. It’s a sign of things to come, and pay close attention to her “nonsensical” words at the beginning, as they all come together by the end. Both members of the couple wake up, they go about their day as usual, and the reader is lulled into a false sense of security rather nicely. Then the power goes out (but only in their house), and we get to the page sampled below, and I’m going to stop talking about it right now. I looked through Malachi’s website before writing this (mostly to make sure I had the right order of the title) and it looks like “Real Life” is projected to be a series of stand-alone stories, although I’m not sure if they’re all going to be horror stories. All I can say to that is: yes, please. There are far too few genuinely scary or unnerving comics out there and more are always welcome. If this ends up being a series of stand-alone tales that eventually come together or make a larger sort of sense, I’m all for that too. Just keep drawing, that’s all I ask. Malachi has clearly grabbed onto something here and it’s far better to keep that roll going than it is to stop it for “real life” and then try to start it back up again. No price (as it’s not out yet), but I’d guess at least $6 for something this hefty.
