Echoes Series Review

Title:	Echoes
Contributors:	Joshua Hale Fialkov Rahsan Ekedal
Publisher:	Top Cow
Issue #:	1 - 5
Year:	2011
Pages:	144 Pages
Age Rating:	16 (Language, Adult Themes)
Story Grade:	B
Art Grade:	A

'Echoes', by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rashan Ekedal is one hell of a psychological horror ride from start to finish. 'Echoes' is the story of Brian Cohn, a semi-functional, married schizophrenic with a baby on the way, who happens to miss his medication more times than not. We follow Brian's journey as he comes to terms with not only his father's death, but what appears to be his father's horrific legacy.

We witness the life of spiraling schizophrenic coming to terms with the fact that his father made the death-bed confession of all death-bed confessions; Brian's father was a serial child-killer. From that point this story really starts going wild.

During the course of the five issues series we watch as Brian begins to wonder if the serial killing gene has been passed on to him from his father. The fact that Brian's schizophrenia causes him to hear voices and see vivid hallucinations doesn't not help him try to discover the truth.

Fialkov has truly put something cool down with this story. He drives the story with the character and his numerous flaws instead of boo-type horror or gore. That makes the story feel very personal. The fact that the story is set in small-town U.S.A. instead of a bustling metropolis like other serial murder stories are really gives a too-close-to-home quality to it. It can be uncomfortable at times.

One of the main issues I had with the story was the plausibility. Is it plausible for a serial killer from a small town to commit hundreds of murders, of small children no less, and never be caught or even considered a suspect? But when the truth comes out, that all clears up.

There is one character I have issue with this series and that is the detective that is brought into the story, Detective Neville. The character feels contrived and shallow. It feels as though Fialkov didn't really believe in the character when he was writing it. That is really my only complain with the entire series. Detective Neville was not a satisfying character.

Ekedal really brought the creepy to this story with his black and white artistic styles. This already dark and moody tale of insanity is brought down to new levels of questionable morality with Ekedal's assistance.

I don't know if Ekedal drew off the inspiration of Fialkov's story or if it was the other way around. Hell it could have been a complete collaboration between the two, but regardless of how it was put together, these two should definitely work together more often.

I grade this creepy trip through the mind of schizophrenic a solid B+. With the exception of Detective Neville, 'Silence of the lamb' would be comparable story to 'Echoes'. because let's face it, Detective Neville is no Special Agent Starling.

Until next time... "I can feel it in my bones Schizophrenia is taking me home"