Abstract Studio; $15.95

Terry Moore just has a way of making his characters human no matter what the situation. Whether as writer-artist of his own long running indy hit Strangers in Paradise or as the writer of the recently released new mini-series Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, he imbues his characters with feelings and motivations most people can relate to. In the case of Julie Martin, the central character in Echo, Moore has given her one of the most basic human needs: she wants to know what the heck is going on.

By being in the proverbial wrong place at the wrong time, she witnesses a strange explosion in the desert sky. Unfortunately for her, she’s just about right under the resulting fallout and it partially covers her in a mysterious silver metal with weird properties. There are, though, people who want this metal back, whether she wants to or even can give it to them.

This trade paperback collects the first five issues of Echo and explodes, disintegrates, eviscerates, and evaporates any fragment of a thought that Moore might be a one-hit wonder with Strangers in Paradise. While as the creator his aforementioned ability to humanize his characters carries over from the earlier series, it is to date the only element that has. The characters, situations, and scope of the story is significantly different.

The only other similarity that springs to mind is that Terry Moore has once again succeeded in making comic book magic. Bravo, Terry!