Chasing the Dead #1 Review


Based on the novel by Joe Schreiber, Chasing the Dead is a new mini-series from IDW. Judging from the title and cover, it looks to have some zombie action. Well that isn’t the case. (Or at least not yet.) Going into the first issue I didn’t know what to truly expect. Everything came out of right field in this intense thriller that puts all Lifetime movies to shame. Chasing the Dead #1 is one of the most intense comics I’ve ever read. It’s not because people die, cities explode, or a deadly fate has taken the planet, rather it is its realism that punches you in the gut. Taken? When a Stranger Calls? Add a bit of a supernatural element, and the bottom line is that you shouldn’t miss out.

Here’s the official description from IDW:

A stranger has kidnapped Sue’s daughter, Lily. But he doesn’t want her money, only her suffering – and he will kill Lily if Sue doesn’t follow his every command. With detailed instructions, the faceless abductor leads Sue into a blinding snowstorm on the longest night of the year to a place she has not traveled to since childhood. The voice on the other end of her cell phone somehow knows Sue’s deepest, most chilling secret – an ominous incident from her past, buried long ago…

It starts out innocently enough, with a boy (Philip) and a girl (the main character, Sue) at a swingset. Sue asks “What if he’s here?” He replies “No one’s gone missing in weeks.” Moments later a car pulls up and this bulky guy with a knife comes out, and he wants Sue. (Or her eyes as he says.) Things turn ugly, and the flashback ends. In modern day we see Sue who has grown older and Philip whom has ran off.  After she gets back home, she realizes her daughter Lily has been kidnapped. Cue phone call with instructions. What follows is the most intense time you’ll have while reading a comic. The dialogue by writers Matthew Scott and Tim Westland is off the charts good. The ‘faceless kidnapper’ is scary even though he has no super powers. (As far we know anyway.) The phone calls to Sue are so terrifyingly well written, plus it helps that Sue is a likable character. We really want her to find her daughter and feel extremely sad inside when she accidentally drops the shovel.

Dietrich Smith’s art is pretty good. The cover showcasing a very well drawn shot of Sue and a bunch of…zombies in the background is simple, but nice. (Love the detail on Sue.) It’s quite intriguing because you really have no idea of what to expect in the coming issues. (Unless of course you’ve read the novel beforehand.) Are there zombies, ghosts, or am I looking too deep into this and it’s just a simple thriller? We’ll find out in the coming months.

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Overall, a stellar first issue of Chasing the Dead. In the beginning we have really no idea what’s happening, and by the end…we still don’t know. That’s the good thing about this, you literally don’t know what’s coming. This comic also boasts some pretty amazing writing that succeeds in building great tension. I eagerly await the next issue and hope things work out for Sue.

5/5

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