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What if the dead came back to life? And what if they didn’t become zombies or undead monsters, but instead were still just people? That’s how things begin in Revival, and with a TV adaptation starting soon, it’s time to revisit the horror series.

The comic is set in snowy Wausau, Wisconsin, beginning on what becomes known as Revival Day. On January 2, the townspeople are shocked to see that everyone who died on January 1 has come back to life. The Centers for Disease Control quickly quarantines the town until they can uncover the cause of the phenomenon and determine if it could spread.

Three weeks later, there are 23 confirmed Revivers (with other Revivers keeping their status hidden), they have learned that Revivers are immortal, and they can heal from new wounds. Detective Dana Cypress from the Wausau police department and CDC doctor Ibrahim Ramin lead a task force to handle any crime that involves Revivers, and those crimes add up quickly. Dana encounters a Reviver who has become violent to herself and others, another appears to be catatonic even when something terrible happens in his house, and one is trying to solve her own murder.

Tensions run high throughout the town with some citizens weary of Revivers, while some prey on them. The cast of characters includes Dana’s sister Em (who has a unique perspective on Revival Day), the beleaguered sheriff (who is also Dana and Em’s father), a reporter investigating Revival Day, a con man taking advantage where he can, a shady professor, and adult siblings taking care of their Reviver dad. If that weren’t enough, there are also spectral beings wandering in the wilderness where very few people have caught a glimpse of them.

Written by Tim Seeley and illustrated by Mike Norton, Revival is a horror story, family drama, and crime thriller all rolled into one. It was originally published when The Walking Dead was thriving and had inspired several zombie comics, but instead of following suit, Revival distinguished itself by making its characters just as human as the ones who hadn’t died and come back. This brings a fresh perspective by giving the Revivers more sophisticated motivation than eating brains. It also removes the urgency for humans to evade them and opens up the potential to explore many other aspects of the situation. That includes how Revivers fit into society, all the theories surrounding their return, and pressure from outside the town from the media, government, religious leaders, and fanatics.

The Revival Vol. 1 trade paperback contains the first five issues of the series, which does a great job of setting up the larger story. Readers get to know an ensemble cast of characters, enmeshment of small town life, and see a few striking horror moments.

–Amanda Sheriff