Echo #23 - Abstract Studio

Ivy and Julie discover some more revelations about the suit that Julie's wearing . . Annie's suit. A few issues ago, Julie used the power of the suit to cure Ivy's daughter. She doesn't know how she did it, just that somehow she focused on her, and let the suit do the work. It was a theory of Ivy's that panned out. Anyways, after the intense moments of the last issue, Ivy and Julie get some rest in each other's arms . . whether on purpose or not. The next day, as they're looking for a place to clean up and get some clothes, Julie notices that Ivy looks 10 years younger. I'm guessing either from their proximity or contact while sleeping. And when they go to get clothes . . Ivy notices that Julie seems to have bulked up a bit. She's noticeably bigger, and about 3 or 4 inches taller. They don't know yet that it's a reaction from the suit, but . . I'm guessing that's what Ivy's thinking. Meanwhile, Dillon has gone back to HenRi and is trying to make contact with Vijay. He's the guy that Cain was looking for when he killed those other guys from HenRi back at the restaurant. So he figures, if Cain is that intent on him . . he must have some answers. He's hoping that between this guys knowledge and Annie's notes that they can figure something out. But at the end of the issue we see that Cain is also still watching Vijay. I've really enjoyed this series. I think Terry Moore is a master story-teller . . both with his scripts and his art. I know he may not be the most detailed artist, but . . he has grow flow, and some fantastic images. It's got to be hard to be the sole creative force behind a project, but . . I'm betting it's also kind of liberating. I mean, when you write a story you see the images in your head. You have a vision of what you want it to look like. As a writer/artist, Terry just gets to express that same vision to paper. To me, it seems like it would make it seem that much more rewarding when looking at the finished product. Actually . . I envy him. Anyways, he does a great job with this book and I look forward to it every 6 weeks or so. If someone doesn't grab it before me. I've been lucky lately.

Echo #22 - Abstract Studio

We get a new player on the board this issue . . some old timer living in a camper off the grid. But apparently he knows what's going on, and how close the world is to extinction right now, because he's sitting around a campfire, drinking . . reflecting on the past. 'Jesus, Dolly . . what have they done?' Last issue Hong came after Ivy and Julie, but Julie took care of him. In the process, it seems that the more of the alloy that Julie has on her, the greater the feeling of Annie's presence. The next morning, after waking up, Julie is freaked out because . . well, she's naked. Yes, she's still covered in the alloy, but . . essentially . . she's naked. She's feeling a bit exposed. And she seems to be extra aware of her condition around Ivy . . for some reason. 'So what's up? Why so shy with me all of the sudden? Get over it. It's annoying.' Ivy finishes off Hong this issue, but not before she finds out a few more disturbing things. Apparently they want to use this allow in a collider. They're calling it the Phi Collider. But after the explosions they've seen with just a drop of this stuff . . there's no reason to believe that the result won't be the end of the world. Whether it's by black-hole, or explosion . . the likelihood of the results being catastrophic are very probable. She also finds out that she's not the only one looking for it. Although Hong was working to help HenRi, he was also working towards someone else's agenda . . the Chinese government. Apparently Hong had gotten some of the alloy and turned it over to the Chinese. In her frustration she ends up killing Hong. Which may not have been a good thing . . strategically speaking. He does know how to shut down the alloy. He did create the 'gun' to stop it. Now her only hope is that someone else can figure out his designs and notes. If he even left them behind. 'They'll do the same thing we're doing . . build the bomb to end all bombs! Then it's one big checkmate until . . what's the very first thing we did with atomic energy? The very first thing? . . . We're screwed!' I'd say the future of this series has a decidedly pessimistic future right now. But that's the nature of these stories . . trying to figure out a way to get our protagonists out of these hopeless situations. And nobody does it better than Terry Moore. He's really the only reason I even started buying this series. I mean, we came into it cold . . not knowing anything about the characters or the story that would be unfolding here. But Terry has kept it interesting and a thrill-ride ever since the first issue. My only concern is, I'm not sure how far this story can go. Especially if it stays on it's current course. However, in the meantime . . I'm in it to win it! This is one of my favorite non-DC/Marvel books. I look forward to it every month. Or . . maybe every 6 weeks. If you haven't been following this, pick up the TPB. You won't be disappointed.

Echo #21 - Abstract Studio

Ok . . something has to be done here. I know that Strangers in Paradise wasn't a huge hit when it was first being printed, but . . it became a huge cult classic. I'm hoping for the same thing here, but . . I haven't really seen it happening yet. I'm judging this on the fact that my comic book guy orders 1 copy of this title each month. That's insane. And it's also how I missed issue #19. Apparently someone bought it before I got there. So . . here's the deal . . we all need to go to our local comic shops and put this title on your pull list. I know . . it's going to be hard to get caught up with the story, but . . there's already 3 TPB editions out for this title. Between reading them, and buying the new issues, you should be able to get caught up pretty quickly. And you won't be disappointed. Terry Moore is a brilliant writer, and he's doing a fantastic job with these characters, and this title. For some reason this book just isn't getting the recognition it deserves. But it will. It will when everyone is trying to catch up with the story and is having a hard time finding the back issues because they were done in such low print runs. This issue was very excited and ended with a huge twist . . completely unexpected. But . . if you didn't pick it up . . you didn't get to read it, and you don't know what happened. I'm not necessarily saying this because I'm trying to push this book, or that I love Terry Moore's work. I'm saying this because with all the mediocre titles out there, something truly gifted and unique deserves the attention it should be getting. I just want to do what I can to get it out there. All I'm asking is . . give it a shot? Please!

Echo #20 - Abstract Studio

Well . . that's not cool! When I picked up this issue of Echo my comic-shop guy told me that he was only ordering 1 issue now. I guess I felt lucky since I got it. But now, I just noticed . . I never got issue #19. Apparently he only ordered 1 of those also. And I didn't get that one. That stinks! I don't blame him. He's just ordering according to his customer's demands. But I guess there's more than 1 person in the shop that follows this book. When I read it, it did feel like I had missed something. But I wasn't sure what it was. Anyways, I'll go through this book to the best of my ability, and then I guess I'll have to do #19 whenever he gets me another copy. So . . Julie is noticing that the more of the alloy she collects on herself, the easier it is for her to tune in to Annie's thoughts. This issue starts with Julie and Dillon sleeping together, but . . Annie is in the driver's seat. Later, when Ivy is taking Julie back to the town where HeNri is located, they're attacked by that guy who tried to develop the proton gun to use against Julie, and the alloy . . Liu. You know . . the guy that got half his face blown off. Somehow Liu's been able to stay alive, and whatever happened in that explosion has changed him . . for the worse. And Jack returns home to find that Ethan is leaving him. He feels neglected and unloved, so he's dissolving their relationship. The problem is . . Ethan knows to much. I guessing, to much about HeNri and too much about the things that Jack does. So as he and his friend Todd, who came over to help him move . . as they're leaving . . Jack shoots them both in the head. I don't think he really wanted to do it, but . . in the business he's in, he knew he didn't really have a choice. But it doesn't make him feel any better about it. He's actually crying. He calls up his cleaner, who's finishing another job for him, and says . .'I have something else for you. I need cleanup. Tonight. I'm sure you checked me out. You know my home address? Okay. Clean up inside . . then burn it to the ground.' Sorry if that all seems a little discombobulated. Unfortunately, I have to wait for that other issue to catch up on what's going on here. However, I still thought it was a good book. I love Terry Moore's scripts. He's another one of those writers that just naturally has character development going on at all times. And, for anyone interested . . there's 3 TPB's out for this book now. I highly recommend them. I think this is a great book. I look forward to it every month.

Echo #18 - Abstract Studio

Terry Moore has done a terrific job with this book. If you're not reading it . . you really should. This is about where I came into his Strangers in Paradise series. I think it was somewhere between issue's 15 and 18. But then of course I had to go back and buy all the earlier stuff. To Terry's credit, this series is nothing like his first. I say that because I think it's equally as good without being a rehashed adaptation of that work. This one stands completely on it's own. Last issue we got a little science lesson on what exactly this alloy is, how HenRi came to be into existence, and what Annie's role is in all of this. But in this issue we find out what all the other characters have been up to. Cain seems to be systematically eliminating all the participants of the Phi-Project at HenRi. And he's not being any to subtle about it. I'm not sure what this guys motivations are, but . . he seems to be making sacrifices to someone . . or something. So, I don't know if he's having some kind of religious experience, or what. My guess . . he's a former employee of HenRi . . or one of the scientists associated with the Phi-Project. I'm just guessing, but I think he's more intimately connected to all of this than we realize. We also get an update on Liu. He seems to be coherent, and . . despite having half his face blown off . . he wants to get out of this hospital for some reason. He looks and sounds like a mummy. But the big reveal this issue is that Ivy decides that she wants to talk to Annie. Julie has mentioned that the more alloy she gets on her, the more she can feel Annie's presence. And when she healed Ivy's daughter, the alloy was in her eyes, and . . she seemed to be 'out of body'. So Ivy tries choking Julie to get Annie to show herself. The issue ends with her eyes being glazed over, and Annie saying . . 'Stop. Stop or . . everybody dies.' I don't know if that's a threat, or a warning. Like I said, I think this has been a great series. This series has had some major character development, which I think is one of Terry's strong points. It's what he does best . . naturally. I'm not a huge fan of black & white art, but . . I didn't care on Strangers, and it certainly doesn't change my opinion of this book. There's already a TPB or two out of this series. Pick 'em up and peruse them. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Echo #17 - Abstract Studio

This is the issue that everything up until now has been leading to. This one explains everything. Well . . kind of. Dillon and Dan have gone to talk to Dr Dumfries, Will. He was there in the beginning . . when Annie first joined HenRi out of college. She had been scouted and recruited, much like a baseball player, as they followed her through most of her academic career. They hired her because of her thesis work. 'Basically what she said was, base 10 mathematics was an approximation whose inaccuracies culminated into the dead ends of higher mathematics.' She was going to change the way the scientists and mathematicians thought about everything. After that . . well a lot of the story is a big 'ol science and math lecture. But, the part that's important to this character, and this book, is the Phi Project. That was the project in which Annie created the Alpha Suit. However, before doing so, one of their biggest supporters, John Foster, had sold them out to military interests. Anything else that she might have developed this alloy 618 for were shelved, with military concerns taking main priority. And then they found out that Mr Foster was working to create a super-collider of his own . . technically the United States military's, but . . a collider that they could test with this alloy 618. The part that has Will concerned is that . . 'Annie's theories gave us the key to physics, Dillon. If they use it to try and make a black hole . . they will make a black hole. Once they do, of course, there'll be no stopping it. It will consume the planet and everything else in the solar system.' Will gives Dillon all of Annie's notes and papers. And then sits in the rain looking at the magnificent landscape . . as he kills himself. If they stay on this course, he knows that it will end the world. And he feels responsible for that. Now the question comes, is there anything Dillon and Dan can do about this? And how will Julie play a part in all of this? She is, afterall in sole possession of the largest amount of alloy 618 on the planet. But does she know what to do with it? And the ultimate question is, how do you stop mathematical and scientific progress by sheer will-power? This was another thought provoking, and deeply concerning issue by Terry Moore. After reading it, I felt like I had just gone through a science lecture, but . . I also feel like my mind has been expanded. Terry is touching on some major themes here. The likes of which I never expected when I first started reading this book. To me, the ultimate testament of a really great comic . . or any story for that matter, is how it affects your thought process' afterwards. Does it change the way you think about things, or give you new things to try to process? If so, then you've just been the lucky recipient of a very rare gift . . awareness. For the price of admission, I definitely think it was worth it. Thank you, Terry! Thank you for the enlightenment.

Echo #16 - Abstract Studio

Another great issue by Terry Moore. Last issue Ivy talked Julie into coming back to Colorado with her. She's convinced that Julie, or rather the alloy she's covered with, can do something to help cure her daughter, Lulu. Although once there she begins to have second thoughts. She's supposed to be protecting the people, but rather she's talked Julie into trying to help her with her own problems. She feels guilty about being selfish. Anyways, Julie agrees to come but she doesn't feel completely comfortable so she brings her sister Pam along. She tells herself that her sister needs her, but really . . they need each other. Also, Julie has another passenger along for the ride . . Annie. The scientist who was in the metal when it exploded . . Dillon's fiance. The more the alloy covers her body, the more she can feel Annie's presence in it. Anyways, long story short . . Julie realizes that the alloy is acting on her emotions. When she feels pain, or anger it lashes out. But when she feels compassion, well . . anything is possible. She did bring Dillon back to life. So she asks Ivy to give her some specifics on Lulu, so that she can feel close to her. She then holds her close to the bare metal and tries to put herself in Ivy's place, as far as the love and compassion that she feels towards her. Next thing we know . . Lulu shows a breakthrough. Julie did it. I'm thinking though . . has it crossed her mind yet that maybe she can help her sister in the same way? Anyways, when Lulu talks they're all overwhelmed with joy, and Pam tells Julie . .'Told ya you could fly.' It was a really touching moment. Meanwhile back at HenRi, the scientists are trying to keep Liu alive. He the young buck who created the proton gun to take out the alloy. The problem is, there was an explosion and he was severely burned. They want to keep him alive so that they can get his plans for the proton gun. They're not being very subtle about it either. I thought this was another great issue. Terry does such a great job of taking us into the characters emotions and feelings. You can really feel Ivy's love and frustration this issue. He also does a fantastic job with character development. We have a handful of characters now, and each is important to the story. I really only began this series because of my love for Strangers in Paradise. But now, after 16 issues, it's really grown into it's own entity. Any comparisons I was trying to make in the beginning are completely gone now. This is definitely one of my favorites every month.

Echo #15 - Abstract Studio

Ivy and Julie finally have a face to face chat this issue. She and Dillon had gone back to her own home . . the place where this all started, to try to figure out what's really going on. They were hoping that they could reason with HenRi and finally get some answers. But all HenRi really wants is the alloy from the suit. Anyways, Julie agrees to talk to Ivy, as long as she gives them some answers. She pretty much brings them up to date, giving them everything she knows. Her motivation to switch sides here? Well . . first of all she was fired by HenRi when she decided that the concerns of her own family where more important than her job. Secondly? Her daughter, Lulu, is very sick and she's hoping that Julie can help her. However, shortly after she gets most of the information . . HenRi shows up . . guns ready to blaze. Ivy stalls them while Julie, Dillon and Pam make their get-away. But HenRi just blows everything up anyways. We do find out though that there's more to this suit than any of them seem to know . . well, except for John Foster, who works for HenRi. 'You think this is about the Beta-suit? Do you really think I'm interested in a human freak show? You don't know, do you? You have no idea what the Phi project is really about.' On the final panel though . . we get a little hint. We see Julie, Dillon and Pam speeding away in the car. But the narration we see, I think, is that of Annie's. 'I wake from the dead in a car racing down the highway. Dillon is driving and a strange woman is crying in the backseat. The sun is setting and the woods are on fire. We pass a man changing a flat, families at a baseball field, houses with the lights on. It's so sad, because I've seen tomorrow . . and none of this was there.' I'm thinking that the future changed when Julie came into possession of the suit. But how did Annie 'see' it? Another fantastic issue by Terry Moore. I really enjoy the work that he's put into this title. I think he's got another winner here.

Echo #14 - Abstract Studio

First of all . . we find out why Ivy took off so fast when she had Julie dead to rights last issue . . her daughter, maybe sister, is sick in the hospital. Whatever it is that she's got, the antibiotics seem to be slowing the progress, but she's lost her hearing. She at the hospital watching over her, but her assistant (?) calls her to keep her up to date. She took a toothbrush from Julie's house, and then one later from the motel. The DNA tests on each turned up remarkably different. On the first brush everything appears normal. Later in the hotel, the brush has 2 sets of DNA. Not from two people, but . . "One woman, 2 sets of DNA. Somehow the DNA of a second woman has invaded the DNA of the first. And get this . . the cancer markers in the first woman have vanished. She wasn't sick . . they're just genetic markers. But, they were there, and now they're gone." I'm thinking it's Annie, the girl who was testing the suit for HenRi. However, this gives Ivy an awful lot to think about. Including . . she's got a couple of the pellets that fell to the ground at Moon Lake. I'm thinking that she's now contemplating whether she could . . or even would . . consider using them to cure her daughter. Meanwhile, back at HenRi . . there's a new hot-shot Asian scientist who's discovered a way to render the alloy inert. Basically he bombards it with protons and then . . "The influx of protons caused a brief inversion of mass. Dark Matter Mr. Foster. For an instant, I turned your alloy into dark matter. When the protons dispersed, the matter returned to a positive state . . but now the unstable alloy, with it's volatile atomic number, is merely a viscous liquid. The beta suit is no more." Of course it turns the subject wearing the alloy into the same gelatinous mass, but . . who's knocking the results. Also Dillon and Julie have made it back to Moon Lake and her house. But there's 2 things she doesn't know . . first Pam, her sister, escaped the hospital and is now sleeping on one of her beds. Secondly, HenRi has he house under surveillance and now knows that she has returned. So the issue ends with them heading towards the house, proton gun in tow. Right now Julie really only has 2 chances. One is if Ivy does what she thinks is right, instead of what she's being paid to do. And the other is a scientist from HenRi who's beginning to realize just how far off-track this project has become. I really like this book. Terry Moore is one hell of a writer. I can't believe how far we've come in just 14 issues. I believe the first 10 or 12 issues are already out in 2 TPBs. You should definitely check them out . . if you can.

Echo #13 - Abstract Studio

This should be a TV show . . it really should. I could see it being a weekly serial much in the manner of Fringe, or Bones. Terry Moore has really brought this story, and these characters a long way in it's 13 issues. We've got the 2 main characters, Julie and Dillon. Don't worry. There's nothing at all romantic between them. Dillon's girlfriend worked for HenRi, an atomic research facility. She was testing out a suit that exploded. As it rained down, Julie caught the brunt of it as she was in the area taking some nature photos. Now the suit is becoming more and more attached to her every day. HenRi has hired, what I think is an ex-agent to track Julie down and bring her back to them. But Ivy is a pistol. I thought she was a real bitch at first, but I think she's a person who's trying to do her job, and trying to do the right thing. Even though those 2 things may not work very well together. Julie has a sister, Pam, who has to be taken care of because she lost it a bit after an accident that claimed her husband and kids. Ivy also has family problems of her own. Then we have the usual government cover-up. Add to that the media trying to break the story, but they don't know what the connections are yet, and . . we've got a made for TV story right here. Hey, if they can put Kyle XY, or the Bionic Woman on TV, why not Echo? At least it's original. This issue, after being chased by Ivy, and not knowing what else to do . . Julie and Dillon are heading back to Moon Lake, and HenRi where this all started. Really all they want . . all they've wanted this whole time, is answers. This is a fantastic book, Terry. I wait in eager anticipation for every issue. Thanks for all the hard work.

Echo #12 - Abstract Studio

This is a great book. Terry Moore really has this knack for drawing the reader into the story. We've really come to care about Julie, and her . . condition. And actually, I don't think Ivy is the hard-ass that we all expected her to be when we were first introduced to her. I think she's starting to feel for Julie's predicament. Last issue, in the blast of lightning, Julie almost loses Dillon. In fact he's dead for a few minutes. When she's crying over him, and pulls him in close to hug him, I think some of the energy of the suit helped revive him. He asks for another hug because it's making him feel better. Anyways, Ivy finds the remains of the guy that the other guy incinerated in the crater on highway 95. She knows that it wasn't Julie, because the hand print on the guy is to big. Unfortunately she also knows that the other guy isn't dead. So Julie isn't safe. But while Dillon was dead, Annie, his dead girlfriend, came to talk to him. She told them they have to go back to HenRi and talk to Will. So they're headed there now. Ivy is in tow, tracking them from the air. And Julie is finding out that as she uses the suit, it's beginning to cover more and more of her body. Also her sister Pam has broken out of the hospital she's in. I think she's on her way to find her . . maybe to help. If she can. Ivy calls them to check in, and Dillon finally asks her the question . . "What about Annie? I know she's dead, but what happened to her? Where's her body?" And Ivy gives him the answer he's been dreading, "You mean you don't know? You haven't figured it out? Julie's wearing what's left of Annie." What a way to end the issue. I hate it, but I love it, when Terry does that. I like the characters and the story in this book, but . . the true star is Terry Moore. He's doing a fantastic job here. Thanks for the effort!

Echo #10 & #11 - Abstract Studios

Somehow I missed issue #10. That's part of the problem with being behind on these books. I usually have a week or two sitting there ready to ready, 3 or 4 when I took my vacation, but sometimes I don't realize I missed something until the next issue comes out. I can't really explain how I missed this one. My guy doesn't sell that may copies, so . . I don't think he would've run out. Well, either way, I had to go and pick up #10 before I could read #11. What a pain. Anyways, now that we've gotten to know Julie and Dillon a little better, now . . now we can start getting to the heart of the matter . . the Beta suit. We still don't know for sure what it is, but . . HenRi would really like to get it back, and they've hired Ivy to accomplish just that for them. Ivy is a hard-ass, but . . she doesn't seem all bad. When she comes across the carnage at the hotel that Julie and Dillon were staying at, she's genuinely affected. She even goes to HenRi for an explanation as to just exactly what it is they're after. She says that she can't just keep going after it blindly, not really knowing what she's after, and putting all the innocents and civilian lives around them in jeopardy. Once she learns the truth, and the destructive capabilities of the suit, she goes to Julie's sisters, Amy, and gives Julie a call. She's not really threatening Julie, but she is letting her know that if she could find Amy . . so could others. They're out in the middle of the desert having this conversation when that guy . . the one with the same alloy around his hand, comes walking down the road. Issue #10 ends with Ivy hearing some kind of crackling as the phone goes dead. We begin issue #11 by seeing that Julie has blasted a crater in the road trying to get them away from this guy. I mean, we're talking a crater probably twice the size of the road, and twice as deep. Which has Dillon royally freaked. An innocent comes by, and as he's looking into the crater the guy reaches up and grabs his leg . . he seems to have drained the life essence out of him. Anyways, as Dillon is yelling at Julie he grabs her arms. I'm not sure if it's his threatening posture, or the tone of his voice, but the suit sees it as a threat and begins to do the same to him. We also find out that Julie, or maybe the suit, still has some type of connection to Annie. Maybe it's the way that it molecularly bonds to the body . . it absorbs some of their essence, but it seems as if Annie is talking to Dillon through her. When Dillon is knocked out, it appears that he's having a dream about Annie and she's trying to give him some answers. However, the other guy takes the passerby's car and has caught up to them. The issue ends looking like this time he's going to take Julie out. I'm not sure if he's just trying to stop her, or if somehow he's trying to absorb to suit into himself. We don't really know what his motivations are right now. He just appears to be a nut. Either way, things are heating up quite a bit right now. This book is really getting exciting. We still have a lot to sort out, but . . it really seems like we're starting to get into the thick of things now. I think Terry Moore is doing a fantastic job here. I'm really enjoying this book, and I can't wait for more.

Echo #9 - Abstract Studio

This book is awesome. Terry Moore is an incredible talent. If you aren't reading this book . . you really should. The first TPB is out now, so it probably collects the first 6 issues. Look at that cover. It's haunting. I was a huge fan of Strangers in Paradise, so I was one of the one's that was really disappointed when it ended. I looked forward to this series, but at the same time I was a bit cautious. First of all I really didn't think that Terry could do it twice. Sure he's talented, but he really had some magical characters with that series. Secondly . . the premise for this series was a huge departure from anything he did with Strangers. Honestly, I didn't know if he could pull it off. This issue starts off with Julie dreaming about flying. I don't know if she knows that it's because of the outfit or not, but . . she's enjoying it until these 2 wraith-like creatures begin pursuing her. She stays in the dream until they overtake her and engulf her. Last issue she blasted these guys that were trying to harm her and Dillon. So she's been asleep for the last couple of days, I assume recuperating. It also seems like her sister Pam is tuned in to her sister's anguish and paranoia. That's her in the picture on the cover. At the end of the book she also has a dream. But in her dream there's a mushroom cloud in the distance, and the shock-wave takes out her sister and her mom. Only she's left standing holding her burnt doll. What a terrible dream to have. Especially about your sister. I really can't praise this series enough. I love it. Terry . . . thanks!

Echo #8 - Abstract Studios

Terry Moore is a fantastic writer. I've really enjoyed what he's done with this series so far. This issue we find out just what Julie can do with this piece of armor that's become fused to her. At the end of last issue there was an explosion outside of her and Dillon's hotel room. When they come out . . they find piece of someone strewn all over the outside of the building. It looks like it's one guy. When the rest of the biker guys come, guns blazing . . . they suffer the same fate. We don't actually see the guys face, he's in a trench coat and the shadows most of the issue, but he appears to have the same alloy as Julie does on his hands. He can fire what looks like lightning bolts out of his hands. So Julie tries it. She has to defend herself and Dillon, right? She must have more of the alloy on her, because her bolts seem to have more of an impact. They appear to take the guy down. So Dillon scoops up the unconscious Julie and takes off in the truck. Next we see Raven investigating the scene. It turns out that Julie's blast was so hot that it turned the sand between her and her target into glass. And we see that the guy really isn't dead. Apparently he can bring himself back together from whatever particles he was dissipated into. So now Julie and Dillon are on the run again. There's some maniac that appear to have the same problem as she does. Except, he has a murderous psychotic edge to him. And Raven and HeNRI are still hot on their trail. Terry paces his stories perfectly. And he's brilliant at character development. He does little things to bring you into the characters personality. Such as Raven . . . while she's investigating the scene, she takes a look at the personal affects that were left in the room, and she notices the pillows on the bed. She goes over to look at them and then sniffs. She gets this sly grin across her face, and lays her head down on the pillow. It just seemed like it was taking her back to a simpler time. Only Terry could've pulled that off . . without any words. I know that eventually this'll come out in TPB. Wait if you want. But if you have the opportunity, you should pick up these issues and read them. You won't be disappointed.

Echo #7 - Abstract Studios

Terry Moore is just a fantastic story-teller. I love his work. He's not moving Julie's story along very fast, but that's ok. He's introducing other characters that I think are going to affect her future, or vice verse. This issue Ivy Raven, from the National Security Branch, makes contact with Dillon. She's trying to talk him down, to get him to turn themselves in, but . . he wants some confirmation as to what's happened to Annie also. That's information that, I think, either Ivy doesn't have, or isn't in the position to share right now. And this guy that we see on the cover? He's on the road right now, hitch-hiking, I believe, to the point in which his path will cross with Julie and Dillon's. And the end of this issue, Julie and Dillon are talking about what they should do next. Outside it's raining and storming. Julie says that Dillon is making her vibrate. Next thing they know there's a huge explosion outside. The power goes out, but they're not affected. However when they look out the door, for the monkey that's been chained up to the post during this whole storm . . . they find that he and their other friends have been blown apart with body parts and intestines strewn everywhere. This doesn't bode well for their innocent plea. Anyways, I love the way Terry crafts these tales. He has a way of really drawing the reader into the story. I really feel that this series is starting to come into it's own. At first, I'm sure, there were comparisons to Strangers. Julie, after all, does have more than a passing similarity to Katchoo. And Terry's art is exactly the same as that series, and in black and white. But with 7 issues under his belt now, I think that this series has come into it's own as a separate entity. Which it obviously is. I find myself eager to read this title every month, and wanting to know what's going to happen to Julie and this 'suit' that she's wearing. Terry . . . thanks!

Echo #6 - Abstract Studios

Terry Moore is just a fantastic story teller. We've come into this title completely cold . . a brand new character on a brand new adventure . . but Terry's really brought us into this girls life real fast. The story revolves around Julie, but Dillon is fast becoming as important a part of it. I think he's going to be the key to her figuring out just what's going on with this 'suit'. This issue they finally start to tell each other what they know about Moon Lake. Julie tells him the story about the explosion and the suit. And he tells her that his fiance, Annie, may be the one responsible for this whole thing. "Annie is . . was . . a physicist at HeNRI. Yesterday, they told me Annie died in an accident. I think it had something to do with the explosion at Moon Lake. For the last five years, Annie's been working on something called the Phi project. The symbol on your chest . . that's the Greek letter Phi. That's Annie's work." They're slowly starting to put the pieces together. However, they may have to get on the stick because as they're talking, a private contractor, Ivy, is back at Julie's house rummaging through her stuff. She's trying to figure out what makes her tick so she can find her . . for the military . . or at least HeNRI. But I don't think they really care whether they get her dead or alive, because all they want is the suit . . whether it's attached to her or not. I really like the way that Terry is gradually unfolding this story. It wouldn't be realistic if she just jumped in the suit and starting playing around with the powers. Plus, I don't think Julie thinks like that. I don't think she's even starting thinking about the opportunities, because right now all she's worried about it how this thing has changed her life . . and how she's going to get rid of it. I really appreciate the quality of this book. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who asks.

Echo #5 - Abstract Studio

Another fantastic issue by Terry Moore. This guy can tell a story like it's nobodies business. Last issue Julie and Dillon find themselves in the desert at the same time. That's ironic because they don't really know each other. Julie was there trying to see if she could figure out what was happening to her. Dillon had gone because he thinks that's the last place his girlfriend, Annie, was alive. Then the Army shows up. It's just a simple case of trespassing until they take some shots at Julie and the breast-plate she's wearing fires back. Now, out of necessity, the two of them have hooked up . . no not 'hooked up' . . they've decided to hang with each other and try to figure out what's going on. Dillon hasn't put the whole thing together with the armor and his girlfriend Annie . . but he's close. Julie just needs to calm down and start assessing what her current situation is. So far she's just been reacting to the circumstances as the happen around her. But I think if she stops to try to figure it out, and test the armor, she'll get a better handle on things and become less reactionary. She's got a lot going on with this armor, but she doesn't have a clue. Anyways, Dillon gets this friend from an 'off-the-grid' biker gang to help them, and now they're on their way to Nevada to hide out for a bit. Terry writes and draws some great characters. After reading Strangers in Paradise for so long, I thought he'd never be able to equal that. However, I think if he stays on this course . . he may be able to give that book a run for it's money. I think we're off to a fantastic start here.

Echo #4 - Abstract Studio

This is really turning in to a thrilling story. I know. That sounds odd from a Terry Moore book. I mean usually there's so much character development and interaction in his stories that they would seem to fall under the soap-opera banner. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Part of what I love about his books are how much you come to care about the characters. And, on top of everything else, he always brings that to every issue. But, because of the situation of the characters in this story . . . we're starting to get some 'adventure' going on here. Everything revolves around Annie Trotter and Julie. Julie's the girl who gave up her life in the first issue so that all of this could happen. She was the one that wore the 'beta-suit', and was test flying it over Moon Lake when they shot her down. Which is when Annie became part of the story. She became the recipient of the suit. This issue another character gets introduced to us, which I think is going to become friends, at least, with Annie . . . Dillon, Julie's boyfriend. He doesn't know what happened to Julie . . and nobodies telling him anything. So he takes it on his own to do some investigating. That's when he runs into Annie, almost literally, out at Moon Lake. She's there because that's where this all started. He's there because he knows Julie was doing some kind of testing there, and there was a recent explosion. He's trying to figure out how it's all connected. However . . since it was the recent sight of a military accident . . they are also there. They confront the trespassers . . Annie and Dillon . . separately, they haven't really met yet. But when they start confronting Annie, the results are . . . shocking . . nay, explosive. Which is how this issue ends. I think this was another brilliant installment by Terry. We really progressed with the story this issue, and I love these cliff-hanger endings.

Echo #3 - Abstract Studios

I really enjoy a good Terry Moore story. Especially on the characters that he's created and illustrates. You can really tell that he cares about them and they become a part of his life. To me, he seems to be the type of writer that tries to nudge things in a certain direction, but, at the same time, he likes to let things take their natural course. I think he has a plan for how he wants to have the story roll-out, but then at the same time he knows that there's going to be certain points that he just has to write what would happen next. With this approach he keeps the stories very realistic, and tends to draw the reader in more because the troubles that the characters deal with are things that could happen to anybody . . at any time. We came in to this story when Julie, a photographer, was out in the desert taking some pictures. That's when events converged and she ended up straight in the path of destiny. However, we know nothing of Julie's past or what's brought her to this point in her life. But that's ok. As the story about her situation unfolds, we're also getting the pertinent information about her past. Such as her marriage, the divorce she's going through and, with this issue, the situation with her sister Pam. So basically, the story has started at a certain point . . the uniform exploding and then bonding with her body . . and then it's evolving in both directions . . forward and backwards. There's also some new events and characters that are brought in to the mix this issue. Like I said I really enjoy Terry's style and approach to his story-telling. Consequently . . I've enjoyed the way this story has unfolded so far. I can't wait for more.

Echo #2 - Abstract Studios

I really like what Terry Moore's done with this book and this character so far. I assume we're watching the evolution of a hero. And if so . . I think he's drawing it out appropriately. After all, if something like this happened to you, how readily would you accept it or come to terms with it? And like most people . . but not me unfortunately . . she doesn't immediately make the leap from strange happenings to hero . . or even super-hero. If anything, that's the last thing that's on her mind. I think, she thinks, she's infected or being taken over by something. She tries to do the right thing, by going to the doctor and asking for some medical advice. But, since this is something that most doctors have never had to deal with . . he's at a loss and he ends up thinking that maybe it's some kind of joke. Especially when he touches it and it zaps him. It appears to instinctively try to protect it's wearer. But, on the other side of the story, the government group that was in charge of the recently failed tests, are getting closer to finding out where their little miracle suit went. As if that weren't enough . . they've brought in some kind of specialist, named Ivy, to try to find and retrieve it. From the looks of next issue, this chick looks like a real Bitch! But hey, shes just doing the job they paid her to do. Terry's strengths, I think, are in his character development. He has a way of getting you to know a character, that really draws you in and makes you care about them. I find it really interesting to watch him do that, with this character, completely from scratch. I mean there's no previous appearances . . no revamped or re-imagined character . . and she wasn't a part of some team somewhere. This is something that happens completely at random, to someone at random, and we're watching the growth and development of a brand new person. Well . . she's not brand new . . but her situation is. I think that's fantastic. Thanks, Terry, for another interesting and inventive story. I can't wait to see where we go from here.