Revival #6 Review

Revival #6 is an odd issue. A lot happens, and yet nothing seems to progress. Whilst this makes a good jumping on stage for new readers, it also makes for a dull issue in itself. Older readers will no doubt be bored of going over certain themes and issues, revealing information that is otherwise already known.

The official description from Image:

A great jumping on point for new readers.
Dana investigates the murder of a prominent psychologist who specialized in coping with returned love ones. Cooper gets a visitor. And May Tao visits the hospital.

Whilst this is great for new readers, it does have to be questioned why this has been done 6 issues in. I’m not sure on the running length of Revival, but it seems like a short-term series. I can’t see such an intimate story, one with simple themes such as life and death contrasted against very personal stories, going for many years. It would simply drag out too long. Yet this issue repeats many themes and motifs, acting as an introduction to the story as a whole. Which is great, unless you’ve already read Revival #1 through #5.

That being the case, there are one or two nuggets that might make Revival #6 worth picking up. Em makes a brief appearance, reflecting on her state as a reviver, with a simple splash page speaking volumes whilst saying very little. There’s also a later seen that is a little more disturbing, yet fits the various tones of Revival perfectly. These do very little for the story, but they keep you vested in the characters. Yet it also proves once again that Em is a much better character than Dana; or any of the police for that matter. Besides occasional exposition, there’s very little reason to care about them.

Overall, whilst older readers may be slightly disappointed, this is an issue that waters down progression to make way for an introduction. Such issues are always useful, just not this soon in a title’s run. However, if you’ve been wanting to pick this up and give it a read, Revival #6 is probably the best opportunity you’re going to get anytime soon.