Welcome back to Wassau, Wisconsin for Issue #7 of Revival,  where some the dead have trouble staying dead, no one seems to know why, least of all Dana Cypress, the cop investigating the “Revival”. If you thought this was going to be a typical zombie sort of comic, you were wrong because no matter how many times reviewers keep comparing this to zombie comics, nothing compares. This is largely because it doesn’t actually have zombies, but that seems to be beside the point for most.

This issues ushers in the end of Dana’s investigation of Justin Hine’s death. In the last issue, Dana realizes that Justin’s catatonic step-father, Anders, has been faking being a vegetable. Also, she comes to that realization after waking up with a bleeding wound on her head, Anders’ empty bed, and the body of his son-in-law sans a face. She runs out, knowing that his next victim is undoubtedly his daughter.

And this is the part I love. When Anders is attempting to murder this daughter, an wonderful and interesting theme is introduced to an already well-done comic:

“How will the next generation thrive if the old generation doesn’t die?”

It’s that thought that stops Anders from killing his daughter, and what distracts him long enough for Dana’s partner cop to shoot off three of his fingers and half of his head. Not that it matters, of course, because he’s a Reviver and he revives and runs away before Dana can catch him, leaving only a bloody imprint of where his corpse should have been.

Though that story ends, two entirely new ones start in what feels like a comic version of an L-cut, and it’s done wonderfully.

In this issue, we are introduced to the three Check brothers, who, unbeknownst to their amateur-tattoo-artist landlord, are chopping people into small bits with a hacksaw. Whether or not this had anything to do with the semi-truck loaded up with body parts is anyone’s guess, but my guess is absolutely.

And just so we don’t forget the other important stories that are being woven through this series, Martha finds out about a meeting between other Revivers, and protestors are surrounding Wassau demanding that they be allowed into be close to God, and May Tao, the reporter, is interested in a character named Lester Majak though it isn’t revealed why yet.

And that’s the riveting summation to yet another issue of a story that continues to capture my attention. Any comic that ends with a semi-truck full of dismembered body parts emptying out into the road in a middle of a snowstorm is definitely a drama-filled adventure, and promises oh so much more. I cannot wait for next month.

Written by Tim Seely
Art by Mike Norton