How do you follow up an acclaimed epic saga of modern relationships -the landmark Strangers In Paradise- which took you 13 years to write and draw? In Terry Moore's case, he spent a mere three years creating a 30-issue series (translated into this 600 page graphic novel) and has done a pretty good job on it.
The basic story is fairly simple. A young woman gets her body covered in a magic metal. The bad guys want it back. Assorted good guys help her. The existence of the world is at stake. But needless to say it is a lot more complicated than that. The characters are extremely well written being very human and very fallible and although there is a core protagonist it is nevertheless an ensemble piece and will satisfy fans of Strangers In Paradise. It's actually set in the same world, though you don't need to have read SiP to appreciate it, more that it's a little nod to SiP fans. It's a very strong character piece as well as being a satisfying work of contemporary science fiction. Moore has done a lot of research for this book and it shows without every getting in the way of telling the story (well, once maybe). I really don't want to say any more as I don't want to spoil the many pleasures Echo has in store.
Artistically, Moore isn't one of the greatest stylists, though he's a more than adequate artist. His backgrounds have just enough detail to create a scene. But then his real interest is in character and reactions and he is excellent at drawing people, faces in particular, and at conveying body language.
Not quite a five star book but highly recommended all the same.
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