Revival vol. 7: Forward
The status quo of this series was upended pretty effectively in the previous volume as Emily Cypress’ status as a reviver became public knowledge. Then Emily’s sister Dana gave up just about everything to save her from the military and now the two are on the run in Wausau. They’ve got one goal: To find out who murdered Emily, which may also bring them closer to the origins of this whole revival business. Their plans for this involve sneaking into a hospital in clown makeup. Oh, and they’re also being followed by an Amish ex-special-forces ninja as well.
“Revival” has always had a quirky side to it and with this penultimate volume writer Tim Seeley decides to indulge it just a bit more. Surprisingly, these things don’t feel too out of place here. That’s likely because there’s a general escalation of craziness in this volume as things start building up towards the end. Gen. Cale starts tightening her grip as chaos infests The Farm, while the revivals being kept there start making plans with their souls for escape. Meanwhile, Dana’s ex Derrick finds a lot more drama in his life as he tries to keep helping out his former flame, gets into fights with his current girlfriend over her actions at a strip club, and has to deal with army grunt Gianni Sarkis and his thuggish approach to enforcement regarding Derrick’s marijuana-dealing activities.
All of this comes together in a bloody, over-the-top climax that leaves plenty of people dead and Wausau likely thrust under further military control. This is a great setup for the finale, even though the bizarre final scene involving Emily’s unborn child does threaten to derail things somewhat. I really don’t know where Seeley is going with that, even if that same feeling is fueling my excitement for the main plot. It’s entirely possible that things could go off the rails in “Revival’s” final act and that kind of tension doesn’t make waiting for it any easier. Re-reading everything before that happens should prove to be an illuminating experience, however…