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Memorial
Memorial
New York Times bestselling author and Eisner-nominated creator of iZombie, Chris Roberson, delivers a magical new series with art by Rich Ellis. Memorial is the story of Em, a young woman who arrives at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, with no memory of her past. A year later, she has rebuilt her life, only to find her existence thrown into turmoil after she inherits a magical shop and is drawn into a supernatural conflict between beings that not only represent, but are, fundamental elements of the universe itself!
148 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2012
6 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Chris Roberson
552 books264 followersChris Roberson is the co-creator with artist Michael Allred of iZombie, the basis of the hit CW television series, and the writer of several New York Times best-selling Cinderella miniseries set in the world of Bill Willingham’s Fables. He is also the co-creator of Edison Rex with artist Dennis Culver, and the co-writer of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D, Witchfinder, Rise of the Black Flame, and other titles set in the world of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. In addition to his numerous comics projects, Roberson has written more than a dozen novels and three dozen short stories. He lives with a teenager, two cats, and far too many books in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 19, 2012
I'm a sucker for stories featuring mysterious curio shops that suddenly appear in alleyways, and this one doesn't disappoint. I hate to discuss the story, since I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that I really enjoyed this and can't wait for more. Highly recommended.
October 22, 2013
Surprising and very gripping story that makes me want to read more ASAP.
August 30, 2015
I found this story quite boring. I think it is aimed at a younger audience. It is along the lines of A Neverending story.
March 21, 2018
This is better than I thought, and I never thought of this as a book for young people, though it is. I love, love cover drawings by the great Michael W. Kaluta, as here, and these affected my point of view. Inside, the six-issue or chapter arc of stories is a rich fantasy, suitable for young and old, featuring delightful cartooning by Rich Ellis. Chris Roberson has something here, and he leaves room for a sequel at end of story.
Recommended for all ages.
Recommended for all ages.
July 18, 2012
I received a netgalley copy of this book from IDW in exchange for an honest review. Please note that I only received the first three issues from this book so I don't have all of the story to base my review on.
The story starts out with a young woman who all of the sudden loses her memory. She has no idea who she is, how she got where she is, or what her life has been like up to this point. We cut to a year later and she has set up a life for herself with a job and some friends. One day on her way home from work she walks by an alley and see's a door at the end that she never noticed before. Of course she has to go investigate!
And from there Em's adventure of cowboy shadows, cats that talk named Shrodinger and three castles with three sisters as queens who are at war with each other. Of course Em gets caught up in the middle of the war as she tried to navigate through this new world with Shrodinger as a sidekick. The story is interesting and makes you want to keep reading just so you can figure out what is going on and why Em got involved in this mess. The story behind the three castles was really well done and I think that was my favorite part about this comic.
But the characters in the story really need some sprucing up! Em felt really flat to me and had no discernable personality. Shrodinger had a moderate personality but was still stale. He repeatedly called Em 'toots' as if that made up for his lack of sidekick antics that should have appeared. But I don't think the point of this comic was the characters and their growth so much as the story that was being told.
Overall I enjoyed and the plot line was good enough for me to want to come back and finish the story up.
The story starts out with a young woman who all of the sudden loses her memory. She has no idea who she is, how she got where she is, or what her life has been like up to this point. We cut to a year later and she has set up a life for herself with a job and some friends. One day on her way home from work she walks by an alley and see's a door at the end that she never noticed before. Of course she has to go investigate!
And from there Em's adventure of cowboy shadows, cats that talk named Shrodinger and three castles with three sisters as queens who are at war with each other. Of course Em gets caught up in the middle of the war as she tried to navigate through this new world with Shrodinger as a sidekick. The story is interesting and makes you want to keep reading just so you can figure out what is going on and why Em got involved in this mess. The story behind the three castles was really well done and I think that was my favorite part about this comic.
But the characters in the story really need some sprucing up! Em felt really flat to me and had no discernable personality. Shrodinger had a moderate personality but was still stale. He repeatedly called Em 'toots' as if that made up for his lack of sidekick antics that should have appeared. But I don't think the point of this comic was the characters and their growth so much as the story that was being told.
Overall I enjoyed and the plot line was good enough for me to want to come back and finish the story up.
July 7, 2012
Rich Ellis has always been one of those artists and authors that I've heard of, but never been that overly familiar with. I'm rather glad to say that this has changed.
The premise of this comic is good. Amnesia is a plot point that always seems to loop me into a series, partially because we're given a main character that knows just as little as we the readers do. That means that our main character of Em is just as likely to feel the same things we will, which helps us empathize and connect with her more. It's a powerful literary tool and Ellis uses it well.
Parts of this reminded me of series such as Fables, which is a good thing since I love those comics. (No worries, it's not a copycat in the slightest.) Just like Fables, we're given glimpses of an expansive and richly developed world that I can't wait to dive into with further issues. I love the idea of the Everlands and while I don't fully understand it, I do like what I see so far.
I also love the character of Em. She's really an "everywoman" type of character and like I said above, easy to connect with. However, I also love that she's prone to curiosity and best of all- isn't some busty and impossibly beautiful female character. (Not that I don't like looking at the impossibly beautiful female characters, but it's nice to see someone who I could see stepping off the page and looking at home in real life.)
For fans of fantasy, this is absolutely a must read.
Four out of five stars
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
The premise of this comic is good. Amnesia is a plot point that always seems to loop me into a series, partially because we're given a main character that knows just as little as we the readers do. That means that our main character of Em is just as likely to feel the same things we will, which helps us empathize and connect with her more. It's a powerful literary tool and Ellis uses it well.
Parts of this reminded me of series such as Fables, which is a good thing since I love those comics. (No worries, it's not a copycat in the slightest.) Just like Fables, we're given glimpses of an expansive and richly developed world that I can't wait to dive into with further issues. I love the idea of the Everlands and while I don't fully understand it, I do like what I see so far.
I also love the character of Em. She's really an "everywoman" type of character and like I said above, easy to connect with. However, I also love that she's prone to curiosity and best of all- isn't some busty and impossibly beautiful female character. (Not that I don't like looking at the impossibly beautiful female characters, but it's nice to see someone who I could see stepping off the page and looking at home in real life.)
For fans of fantasy, this is absolutely a must read.
Four out of five stars
(ARC provided by Netgalley)
June 26, 2012
Once upon a time, all the things that had ever been imagined and might one day come to be lived in a land called Maybe ruled by a Queen of the same name. If any of those things ever became real, they moved on to inhabit a land called Is, ruled by Queen Moment, keeper of the garden of Eternal Now known as the Everglade. When those things were destroyed or died, they moved on to the land of Was, ruled by Queen Memory. All three Queens were sisters who existed in harmony and balance. But now, Moment has waged war against her sisters. She has nearly destroyed Maybe and all that is left of Was is a small antique shop run by an old man named Peter and his talking cat Shroedinger.
But what is Moment's plan? And how does the mysterious Em, a girl with no memory of her past, factor in? What is the mysterious "M" symbol she wears around her neck and why is the old iron key Peter gives her so important?
This story is an amalgamation of many well-known faces and places from just about every story you can think of, from the Bible to Shakespeare and everything in between. Though I found some of the jokes a little silly and found myself rolling my eyes a couple of times (a joke about Shroedinger in a box was particualrly cringeworthy)I feel the series has promise. The art work is well done, and I want to keep reading at the very least to find out if my suspicions of who Em and Peter really are are true. I look forward to the next installments.
But what is Moment's plan? And how does the mysterious Em, a girl with no memory of her past, factor in? What is the mysterious "M" symbol she wears around her neck and why is the old iron key Peter gives her so important?
This story is an amalgamation of many well-known faces and places from just about every story you can think of, from the Bible to Shakespeare and everything in between. Though I found some of the jokes a little silly and found myself rolling my eyes a couple of times (a joke about Shroedinger in a box was particualrly cringeworthy)I feel the series has promise. The art work is well done, and I want to keep reading at the very least to find out if my suspicions of who Em and Peter really are are true. I look forward to the next installments.
May 8, 2013
This comic has a fun background (though it's at times overstructured), but I found the actual writing very weak, which surprised me coming from Chris Roberson. First of all, he acts like he wants to write a novel rather than a comic, and so this collection is just full of purple prose that's often superfluous. Second, the story is full of expository lumps, as fact after fact about the world is dumped on Em, usually with no cost on her part. I dunno if Roberson compressed a 50-issue arc into 6 issues or what, but the result really didn't work for me.
I was quite sad to be so disappointed by this story.
I was quite sad to be so disappointed by this story.
December 27, 2014
This is the first in a proposed series. It gets off to an interesting start, and I like the concept of places existing for memories, moments and maybes. It does remind me of Unwritten, which is referred to in the introduction. I also like the illustration style which makes everything that is happening quite clear. The reveals are a bit obvious, however, and it is not explained yet why Moment seems to be so much more powerful than her sisters. Hopefully subsequent instalments will answer some questions and build upon the world that has been introduced here.
October 28, 2014
Started reading this at lunch (need to return this ILL today), and decided that I really need to buy this book. I love Chris Roberson!
Ok. I did love this enough to buy it. Frustrating that it didn't really end, and there doesn't seem to be another written. Boo. Still and all, an intriguing concept and lively artwork.
Ok. I did love this enough to buy it. Frustrating that it didn't really end, and there doesn't seem to be another written. Boo. Still and all, an intriguing concept and lively artwork.
May 23, 2013
A good solid read but nothing that I haven't read before.
October 15, 2014
A slow starter but once it got going... fantastic. A mix of fairytale, fantasy and biblical tale with beautiful artwork. Looking forward to the next installment!
March 5, 2016
I'm not amazed but this was good. Not quite sure if I'll continue the series but maybe I will, so let's see what happens.
February 15, 2025
The worldbuilding in this was so dense, and I just don't know if a short comic run was the right format to let it really sing. Also disappointed that it's been over a decade and there seems to be no hint of the sequel run this desperately needs. I still like the tone overall, very reminiscent of books like Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians and similar that I read as a kid.
September 14, 2024
An alright comic about a woman who has lost her memory. One day she comes across an old curiosity shop and things get nutty in the standard way these types of stories seem to go these days. It's fine but nothing special.
September 16, 2022
I was really drawn to the concept of this book but I just feel like it wasn’t executed well.
Read
February 10, 2025Pictures cool. Story confusing.
3⭐️
3⭐️
January 3, 2013
The cover does not do this graphic novel justice at all. It also made me think that the main girl is trapped in an insane asylum, which she is not.
Em shows up one day with no memory of her past, but that part is quickly fastforwarded through to the day she finds a door that was not there before. Through the door is a key, an old man and a talking cat named Schrodinger. Em ends up in the Everlands, where an evil queen has taken over the other kingdoms and now rules over all that ever was, ever is, or ever might be. That means that legends and story figures pop up all over the place in the Everlands (Robin Hood, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Mulan, Sinbad, etc. etc.).
I liked the concept - the magic key that can open a door into different places and do other cool things like sending people backwards through their own timelines reminds me of Locke and Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft and the Land of Famous Fictionals reminds me of Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile. This first volume (and I'm thinking it is a series, because Em finishes this volume still needing to defeat the evil queen, find a missing queen, and regain her shadow) is a little rushed. It felt like entire books of story were crammed together into one - Em discovers the magical key! Em goes into the magical land! Em meets lots of famous people! The evil queen keeps sending people after Em! Em meets the evil queen face-to-face! A lot is going on, is what I'm saying, and it has to chug along at a very quick pace without too much pause for character growth or interaction. But there was a lot to establish and now that it's all properly set up, the next volumes can delve in deeper.
P.S. As a native Portlander, I loved that this was set in Portland and that there were lots of little jokes about the city in there. Like one of the Evil Statutes that attacked Em in the beginning was the Umbrella Man.
Em shows up one day with no memory of her past, but that part is quickly fastforwarded through to the day she finds a door that was not there before. Through the door is a key, an old man and a talking cat named Schrodinger. Em ends up in the Everlands, where an evil queen has taken over the other kingdoms and now rules over all that ever was, ever is, or ever might be. That means that legends and story figures pop up all over the place in the Everlands (Robin Hood, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Mulan, Sinbad, etc. etc.).
I liked the concept - the magic key that can open a door into different places and do other cool things like sending people backwards through their own timelines reminds me of Locke and Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft and the Land of Famous Fictionals reminds me of Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile. This first volume (and I'm thinking it is a series, because Em finishes this volume still needing to defeat the evil queen, find a missing queen, and regain her shadow) is a little rushed. It felt like entire books of story were crammed together into one - Em discovers the magical key! Em goes into the magical land! Em meets lots of famous people! The evil queen keeps sending people after Em! Em meets the evil queen face-to-face! A lot is going on, is what I'm saying, and it has to chug along at a very quick pace without too much pause for character growth or interaction. But there was a lot to establish and now that it's all properly set up, the next volumes can delve in deeper.
P.S. As a native Portlander, I loved that this was set in Portland and that there were lots of little jokes about the city in there. Like one of the Evil Statutes that attacked Em in the beginning was the Umbrella Man.
August 31, 2012
Memorial is a hardcover compilation of the graphic novel, created by the team of Chris Roberson and Rich Ellis. It is scheduled for publication on September 11 2012. The galley I received through NetGalley only contains the first three issues, so my review will only speak to those issues.
Memorial is the story of thee kingdoms and one young woman with no memory. Ms. M, or Em, woke up in Portland Oregon with absolutely no memory. After a year has past Em has a job, some friends, and a new life. Then Em discovers a strange shop, a key, and a stranger door, and is introduced to a conflict of supernatural proportions. The foundations of memory, reality, and the universe itself are all explored, and at risk.
The artwork in Memorial is detailed and conveys the mood and the complex storyline beautifully. Em is a solid Everywoman, with no know past or baggage to prevent readers from identifying with her, although suspicions about her past are quick to surface one the supernatural makes itself known to her. I loved the world building done to create the larger storyline; the nature possibilities, memories, and histories and how they are housed in the otherworld. Appearances of favorite places and characters of myth and legend, with a new twist, made the portion I was able to read even more enjoyable. I look forward to looking at the rest of the series and see if my ideas of who Em is, and the battle concludes.
I recommend Memorial to fans of Chris Roberson or Rich Ellis, particularly other graphic novels such as Lock & Key, iZombie, Cinderella, or Paragaea will particularly enjoy this story.
Memorial is the story of thee kingdoms and one young woman with no memory. Ms. M, or Em, woke up in Portland Oregon with absolutely no memory. After a year has past Em has a job, some friends, and a new life. Then Em discovers a strange shop, a key, and a stranger door, and is introduced to a conflict of supernatural proportions. The foundations of memory, reality, and the universe itself are all explored, and at risk.
The artwork in Memorial is detailed and conveys the mood and the complex storyline beautifully. Em is a solid Everywoman, with no know past or baggage to prevent readers from identifying with her, although suspicions about her past are quick to surface one the supernatural makes itself known to her. I loved the world building done to create the larger storyline; the nature possibilities, memories, and histories and how they are housed in the otherworld. Appearances of favorite places and characters of myth and legend, with a new twist, made the portion I was able to read even more enjoyable. I look forward to looking at the rest of the series and see if my ideas of who Em is, and the battle concludes.
I recommend Memorial to fans of Chris Roberson or Rich Ellis, particularly other graphic novels such as Lock & Key, iZombie, Cinderella, or Paragaea will particularly enjoy this story.
February 10, 2017
Equal parts fantasy, folklore, and sci-fi, Memorial takes us into the land of Reality and Eternity, split into three domains, presided over by three sisters: Memory, Moment, and Maybe, who are currently at war with each other. Em, a young woman who wakes up one day without any memory of her past, is suddenly thrust into this conflict, trying to figure out what's going on and what it all has to do with her. Teaming up with famous figures such as Robin Hood, Schrodinger (re-imagined as a cat), Sinbad, and Mulan, to name a few, Em adventures across lands both familiar and imagined. Definitely a fun read, it's pretty tame in comparison to other graphic novels of the same genre; certainly suitable for older kids.
October 24, 2012
A strange fairy tale-type of comic that got a ton of buzz, but I'm not sure how much I really enjoyed. I mean, it was really good, with subtly good artwork, but did I love it? I don't know yet.
The book starts out well enough - Em arrives in a Portland, Oregon hospital with no memory of her past. She ends up inheriting a store that deals in magical items, and unlocks a doorway to a magical land with talking cats, historically-mythical characters, shadow beings, and other oddities. The arc comes out with a fairly significant curveball that I didn't see coming, and it sets up a possible continuation, although I'm not seeing one planned.
I mostly like what Roberson has done - I really enjoy iZombie, and he's done work within the Fables universe, plus his sci-fi/fantasy books always intrigue me even if I don't love them. I think my viewpoints on this may be different when - if! - we see where this goes. The end was better than getting there, to be frank, and if this ends up being a miniseries with an open-ended conclusion, I think I'll simply end up liking this less as a result.
The book starts out well enough - Em arrives in a Portland, Oregon hospital with no memory of her past. She ends up inheriting a store that deals in magical items, and unlocks a doorway to a magical land with talking cats, historically-mythical characters, shadow beings, and other oddities. The arc comes out with a fairly significant curveball that I didn't see coming, and it sets up a possible continuation, although I'm not seeing one planned.
I mostly like what Roberson has done - I really enjoy iZombie, and he's done work within the Fables universe, plus his sci-fi/fantasy books always intrigue me even if I don't love them. I think my viewpoints on this may be different when - if! - we see where this goes. The end was better than getting there, to be frank, and if this ends up being a miniseries with an open-ended conclusion, I think I'll simply end up liking this less as a result.
January 27, 2016
The sort of graphic novel, were it a film by Studio Ghibili, that a family would sit and watch on a rainy Sunday. A girl finds her self lacking memory and identity. She has no medical records and her dental profile reveals nothing of who she might be. Confused and alone she comes across a shop that sits down an alley, an alley she has passed before, or so she thinks, but never before has she seen this shop. In the shop a helpful owner gives her a key. It is not just any key and as she exits the shop so her adventures begin. It is of course a fantasy. As such it is part of the foundation stone of all modern literature. Think Homer or even Shakespeare. The audience it is aimed at is young adults but as I suggest, can also be read by anyone with imagination. The thing that slightly spoils this otherwise good comic book is the authors overuse of redundant captions. Having an image that depicts a scene make comment such as 'and in the other world' or 'meanwhile' manifest tautology. Still a fun read though.
November 17, 2012
I really loved this. First of all, it was a pleasant surprise to see familiar things and realize that the author and artist are both based in Portland.
Beyond that, it was just a really good read. Often with graphic work character development and resolution feels rushed in spots, and the pace is uneven, but I didn't feel that hear. I was rushing, because I was intrigued, and getting through left me breathless.
I know I will need to go back and take time to appreciate the artwork, but I already know that I liked it, and that the color palette was beautiful.
I ordered it based on a recommendation on Twitter, and I'm really glad I did.
Beyond that, it was just a really good read. Often with graphic work character development and resolution feels rushed in spots, and the pace is uneven, but I didn't feel that hear. I was rushing, because I was intrigued, and getting through left me breathless.
I know I will need to go back and take time to appreciate the artwork, but I already know that I liked it, and that the color palette was beautiful.
I ordered it based on a recommendation on Twitter, and I'm really glad I did.
December 26, 2013
A graphic novel, fantasy story. A young woman who lost her memories becomes involved in a conflict between diffeent realms of realty. One realm is called The Land of Was, another realm is called the Land of Maybe, to name just two. She has allies and enemies in the conflict, and is also trying to figure out who she is.
Reading this graphic novel put me in a pleasant mood. The art is nice. A major plot point in the novel is a vast library which contains works of all possible pasts, and all possible futures--run by blind librarians.
Reading this graphic novel put me in a pleasant mood. The art is nice. A major plot point in the novel is a vast library which contains works of all possible pasts, and all possible futures--run by blind librarians.
June 30, 2012
I read the first 3 issues thanks to NetGalley and really want to continue the story since it left me hanging in the middle. Might go to my local bookstore to see if they have the next 3 issues. Also, I think I have it worked out who Em was before she lost her memory.
A really good standalone series, so far. Looking forward to completing it and what else Chris Roberson is working on.
A really good standalone series, so far. Looking forward to completing it and what else Chris Roberson is working on.
April 25, 2013
The idea behind it is great, but some of the dialogue and narration is awkward and stilted. Highfalutin words are used to try and impart a sense of myth but instead reminds you that nobody talks, or talked, like that. The plot is sometimes too obvious, but that is perhaps as planned.
February 22, 2014
Decent book, confusing at the start but it started to make sense towards the end. The art is average but not because of any defect in the artist he is a great penciler he just needs help inking it or a different color style, not sure, but it was enjoyable.
May 21, 2016
Disjointed. I can clearly see where the author was going, but it just didn't get there for me. Maybe it will improve further into the series, but i'm not really sure. I did like the subtle-ish literary refernces everywhere.
December 6, 2012
I liked this fanciful tale. It is a shame it was not given a longer treatment.
January 27, 2013
Nicely done. I'm always looking for graphic novels that middle schoolers can read. And this one fits the bill. Interesting premise and nicely executed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews