Serial #8

Serial #8

Abstract Studio 2021

By Terry Moore

Jenni the serial killer pays a visit to an old flame. Meanwhile, Zoe finds Jenni's storage facility and makes a shocking discovery about her next and final victim.

For me Terry has all too quietly made himself one of today’s most effulgence storytellers. His work to me is some of the best you are going to see by anyone, anywhere today. When you look at how complex the story and writing are and add into this that he does his own artwork that is so polished and accomplished it boggles the mind why I don’t hear more folks talking about his book. I’ll give you a different kind of spoiler here, this has made my top ten ongoing series in my end of year list and with so many good, strong books out there right now that should tell you a lot. Zoe is just a child, sure she is far from it in her behaviour and actions but she is and to see her being portrayed as we do and going after Jenni who’s on the revenge circuit for what happened to her as a child well it leaves you flabbergasted. It is so beautifully done and the similarities and differences in the two characters we see permeate the story are wonderfully rendered.

I’m in love with the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information are presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a magnificent job showcasing these changing and growing personalities. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more we start to see how things begin to come to a head.

I’m a huge fan of the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. I am also liking the way that the layers here open up new avenues to be explored. The cops at Jenni’s mothers room, the way that Zoe was sidetracked and then got back on track. These things add a lot of depth, dimension and complexity to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.

The interiors are mindbogglingly brilliant and if there were words to take that further I would. The linework is graceful and elegant and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of detail and quality in the work throughout the book is absolutely stunning. How we see backgrounds utilised to enhance and expand the moments as well as how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is utterly marvellous. The utilisation of the page layouts, page two and its three panel pin-up page effect is mind-blowing, and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show an ingenious eye for storytelling. That this is black & white at its most pure and any shading you see is really just a trick of the linework is old school masterclass illustration at its finest.

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Every single time I see an issue of this is coming to my pull list I get excited. I know what we are going to see isn’t what I’m expecting and that the twists & turns and revelations just seem to catch me off guard most of the time. With some of the best writing and intriguing characterisation and these utterly brilliant interiors this is the best series you should be reading.