Aliens, Demons, and the Para-Zone

First Look for December 30, 2017

Today I take a first look at Aliens, Demons, and the Para-Zone in my reading of Revival #4 and Black Hammer #5. These two books continue to provide all kinds of answers while simultaneously posing tons of questions and they’re fun reads. Revival is a bit on the eerie and even frightening side while they both offer mysteries to solve, and as I get near the end of the first story arcs, I can see how these titles are just beginning.

Revival #4

Chapter 4 by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton. Published in 2012 by Image Comics.

As with the last issue, there’s a lot happening in this installment and we start out with police showing up at the Vang residence and while I thought the old lady was murdered, we next see May learning that she’s in the hospital. Meanwhile, the reanimated Mrs. Dittman may have figured out a way to finally die…she set fire to the Heinlien funeral home and burnt herself to a crisp.

Back at the police station May and Em (as Martha likes to be called) run into each other literally and Em sees the alien pictures May has on her phone. These pictures we soon learn are supposedly of a demon according to Mr. Abel, the exorcist we saw in earlier issues. With his kidnapping of May, the revelation of Jamie and Justin Hine’s insestuous relationship and it’s abrupt ending, and Martha’s nocturnal investigations, we hardly see Dana at all in this issue.

Regardless, we learn more about the alien/demon thing and the townsfolk, but we are still left with tons of questions…such a fun read.

Black Hammer #5

The Odyssey of Randall Weird by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston. Published in 2016 by Dark Horse Comics.
This issue continues the pattern of back story for each of the main heroes and it focuses on Colonel Weird. He seems to be the one member of the group that can come and go from the farm town, but he doesn’t seem to have too much control over it. The travel he does is to the Para-Zone which he’s kinda trapped in as well. We actually see he and Talky on a planet – Virus 6 – where they find a map that leads Randy to the Para-Zone doorway. Apparently he entered the door at the right time and place so that he survived but others he’s brought through the door haven’t been so lucky. He may be alive in the Para-Zone but his mind isn’t what it was and since time repeats itself in the zone, he has to frequently rewatch the time he brought his paramour, Eve, into the zone and she was pulled apart. It’s easy to see why he’s a bit demented and a bit depressed, but he does still seem hopeful since in a previous issue he and Talky did send a probe to try to contact Spiral City. This is another touching issue that does a great job of fleshing out the heroes.

We also get a glimpse of the battle that drew all the heroes together and may have resulted in them getting stuck on this farm.