Echo, Volume 1: Moon Lake

Echo #1

by Terry Moore, Trey Moore (Editor)

Julie Martin is in the wrong place at the wrong time when she finds herself under a strange explosion in the desert sky. The resulting fallout covers her in a mysterious silver metal that brings her more trouble than she can ever imagine, and a friend to die for. This first trade paperback collects issue 1-5 of Terry Moore's new hit series. Bonus pages include development sketches and design notes.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Comic Book

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Following the examples of independent comic creators such as Dave Sim and Jeff Smith, he decided to publish Strangers in Paradise himself through his own Houston-based "Abstract Studios" imprint, and has frequently mentioned a desire to do a syndicated cartoon strip in the authors notes at the back of the Strangers in Paradise collection books. He has also mentioned his greatest career influence is Peanuts' Charles Schulz.[1] Some of Moore's strip work can additionally be found in his Paradise, Too! publications.

His work has won him recognition in the comics industry, including receiving the Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story in 1996 for Strangers in Paradise #1-8, which was collected in the trade paperback "I Dream of You".

It was announced on June 15th, 2007 that Moore would be taking over for Sean McKeever as writer of Marvel Comics's Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane series starting with a new issue #1. On July 27th, Marvel announced that Moore would also take over for Joss Whedon as writer of Marvel's Runaways.[2]

On November 19th, 2007 Terry Moore announced in his blog that his new self-published series would be named Echo and its first issue would appear on March 5th, 2008.[3]

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I have finished Stranger in Paradise, it is time to move on to Terry Moore’s next adventure – Echo. While it is a different type of adventure than SiP, with volume one, the feel of the writing and the artwork is very much the same. That being the case, I think I am going to enjoy this series as well!



This time we have a superheroine who gets her powers by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Secret government/Area-51 type stuff ruins Julie Martin’s photography trip to the desert. Soon she finds herself with strange powers provided to her by a bizarre piece of metal that has attached itself to her chest. And, while this would make it seem like we are dealing with straight up sci-fi, there are a few relationships being introduced that indicate that Moore is bringing along some human interest – like in SiP.



Volume 1 is basically the origin story (you know, like the Spiderman and Batman movies they keep rebooting!) Things are starting off very interesting and, since I am left with more questions than answers, I am very interested in checking out the next volume. In this volume there are about 2 or 3 characters introduced that you still know nothing about in the end.



The artwork is classic Terry Moore. He is the king of black and white comic book art (as far as I am concerned). Over time, his style has changed a bit and what you find here is what was found toward the end of the SiP series. While I have included some colored cover shots in the review, the best of Moore is found with his basic pencil and ink.



I think if maybe you heard about Moore with SiP but avoided it because you like your comic books with a little more action and a lot more superheroes, this is a good way to go ahead and check him out!

[Sapphir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit after rereading the story: All that I wrote in German before (see below), but: Since when do you concentrate so much on boobs, Terry Moore? 4.5 stars.

Obwohl „Moon Lake“ schon aus dem Jahr 2008 stammt, habe ich diese außergewöhnliche Graphic-Novel-Reihe des Comicautors/-zeichners Terry Moore erst jetzt entdeckt; dabei bin ich schon seit vielen Jahren Fan seiner preisgekrönten Reihe „Strangers in Paradise“ ...
Schon die verhängnisvollen Ereignisse zu Beginn der komplexen Story mit all ihren Verwicklungen und ihren tiefgreifenden Konsequenzen lassen erahnen, wie dramatisch die Geschichte im Verlauf der Handlung noch werden kann. Schon bald wird klar, dass nicht alles so ist, wie es scheint, und wie im wahren Leben entpuppen sich auch hier manche Menschen als schlechter, andere als besser als vermutet. Tragikomische Momente entstehen etwa, wenn die Fotografin Julie Martin, die sich in einer ungewöhnlichen und beängstigenden Situation wiederfindet, mehrere Figuren hintereinander um Hilfe bittet, aber aus verschiedenen Gründen von ihnen allen abgewiesen wird, so dass sie erst einmal allein dasteht.
Mit seiner bewährten Mischung aus zeichnerischer Meisterleistung und hoher Erzählkunst schafft es Terry Moore auch hier wieder, einen aufsehenerregenden Mix aus Spannung, Humor, Tragödie, Drama und Tiefgang mit einer ordentlichen Portion Gesellschaftskritik zu kreieren, der mich mich am Ende des Sammelbandes mit der atemlosen Frage „Wie geht es weiter?“ zurückließ. Ich kann es kaum erwarten, die Antwort darauf zu erhalten.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A life already falling to pieces literally blows up in this promising start to a science fiction thriller from the creator of Strangers in Paradise. A young woman going through divorce gets too close to a military black-ops test flight gone wrong and finds herself attached to fragments of a experimental exoskeleton power suit. In addition to all her regular problems, now she's dodging government agents looking to retrieve their hardware.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contains material originally published in single magazine form as Echo #1-5.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a fan of Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise, though that series went on way too long and began recycling storylines every volume. He writes real, human, messed-up but endearing characters, and then puts them in extreme situations. His stories are like taking the characters from one of the more intelligent rom-coms and suddenly sticking them in a gangster or sci-fi movie.

Also, his black and white art has a lush, hubba-hubba quality to it that's almost cheesecake (he likes decidedly "well-rounded" women) but manages not to be exploitative, nor does he portray anatomically improbable women in physically impossible poses with clothes that could not possibly stay on in said poses.

So, Moon Lake is the first volume in what's kinda sorta a superhero story. At least, it has the trappings of a "superhero origins" story - Julie Martin is a broke photographer who's clinging to denial while her husband pesters her to sign the divorce papers, when she happens to observe some sort of test going on above a desert Air Force base. While she's snapping pictures, the test pilot of an experimental super-suit gets blown out of the sky. By her own people. There are definitely government baddies here, though by the end of volume one we're still not sure which of the MIB are bad guys and which, if any, will turn out to be good guys.

The remains of the test pilot's supersuit rain down on the desert, and some of it attaches to Julie in molten metal droplets. They coalesce together in a silvery breastplate that attaches itself to her skin. She goes to a medical clinic to try to have it removed, with unpleasant results.

Meanwhile, of course, some other people saw the explosion, and a mentally-unbalanced vagrant also got some super-metal rained on him...

By the end of this volume, Julie is on the run from the MIB, with a park ranger who's the boyfriend of the woman who got blowed up on page one.

Not a very original premise, if you've read a lot of superhero comics, but like I said, Moore's schtick is writing real characters and putting them in unreal situations, so Julie is acting like a normal person would act when suddenly finding herself on the run from government agents with some sort of super-science liquid metal attached to her chest - i.e., she's freaking out.

Good art and fun story, and I want to see what happens when they meet the lethally-smart special agent and the psycho homeless guy.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Terry Moore comic I've read, and I have to admit that the many accolades he'd gotten from comic book fans had me nervous he wouldn't live up the hype. But this comic really was fantastic. The art was beautiful and expressive, and Moore is not afraid to make his characters fully dimensional, giving them real flaws and real lives. And the plot was nothing to scoff at either. Will definitely be picking up the rest of this series.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie is out taking photographs one day, when BOOM, atomic plasma rains down on her. A fun and entertaining sci-fi story. This volume contains issues 1-5.

[Elfo-oscuro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una gran sorpresa que no sabes a donde te ira llevando por desconocimiento de secretos sobre los que hace una prganizacion atómica. Grandes personajes, excelente dibujo para seguir la historia y una trama que te hara querer leerlo de una sentada. Que grande es Terry Moore

[Zedsdead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman wearing an experimental liquid-plutonium bodysuit is shot down by an off-the-books government agency over the California desert, and the suit rains down on an unsuspecting photographer (as well as a deranged homeless man). Now the agency is hunting the photographer, who wants nothing more than to fix her shattered marriage, help her sick sister, and play with her dog.

So far so awesome. Solid characters, gripping plot, plenty of tension, good dialogue. I admit to being a little disappointed at the unexpected hints of supernatural (a possibly prophetic sister, the murdered woman appearing to reside in the suit after she dies). Seems out of place. But it's early yet, I'm inclined to withhold judgment.

Moore is a genius with body language, the guy does amazing things with black lines and white paper. It's weird how, just, normal all the characters look. Realistic. I'm used to at least a few impossibly muscled steroid junkies in graphic novels.

[J.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems like a lot of reviewers gushing over this graphic novel were coming to it after being fans of Moore's earlier work. Being unfamiliar with Strangers in Paradise, I read Echo: Moon Lake without any preconceptions.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be continuing on with the series unless my husband buys the next volume. Not sure I would even then. Two-dimensional characters thrown into conflict driven by a gaping plot hole is not my cup of tea.

However: the art is lovely (all pencil, no color or inks), and the characters (especially the women) are drawn refreshingly realistically.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb kickoff to what seems like it may be one of my favorite comics series in quite a while (fingers crossed). Terry Moore blends his indie, grounded, character-driven sensibility with the high-concept idea of a woman accidentally becoming the new owner of some sort of top-secret government supersuit. This is a series that places its character drama at the forefront, allowing the circumstances surrounding the suit and the mysteries around it to, rather than taking over the entire plot, drive the characters' decisions and emotional conflicts. It's really right up my alley, and I'm digging it so far.

This first volume jumps right into the story, revealing details about Julie and her past via her troubles with the sudden appearances of the liquid metal suit and its irreversible attachment to her. Nothing Moore does here is over the top or melodramatic. Julie is a fully realized, complex character right out of the gate, and as such we fully buy her journey.

Most of the focus stays on her for this volume, though we do get introduced to Dillon, a local park ranger who's being drawn into the mystery as well, and some of the government agents who are trying to track the suit down. It feels like these characters will likely get more fleshed out as the series continues, but I didn't feel hugely let down by their secondary nature in this book.

I will say, after the initial burst of narrative energy in the first issue of the comic, this volume slows down a fair amount. They mystery surrounding the suit is well-handled, but a little plodding. I honestly didn't care that much, though, since I felt so drawn to the characters.

Also, I love Moore's artwork. It's cartoonish without being ridiculous. Everyone looks like a real, believable person with clear reactions and emotions, and his attention to detail in his environments is remarkable for someone who is also putting in writing duties.

Very excited to keep going with this series!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first read Moon Lake a decade ago, it was a hard sell, in large part because it wasn't Strangers in Paradise, Moore's hit from years past. On rereading it, it's easier to appreciate Echo as its own thing.

With that said, there's a similar feel of a story told about real people with real emotions and real problems, faced up against a bigger-than-life problem: in SiP it was a noir crime problem; and here's it's a very SF problem.

This first volume is definitely slow, but that's because Moore is setting up all his ingredients. A mysterious metal, a lost love, a sick sister, and a potential love triangle. There's plenty to keep us going through the six volumes of this book, and hopefully volume 2 will take this somewhat static storyline and give it some life.

[John Elbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry Moore knew how to begin his second series with a blast! This first volume drops us in as close to the end of the story as possible. Which means we learn as we go, but because it's Terry Moore we are able to get introduced to fully developed characters right from the start even if we don't fully know whats going on yet. Oh a what colorful cast we are have indeed!

Since SIP was more 'grounded' it was great to see Moore get to flex his artistic muscles with some great action scenes here in a different genre.

Echo began in 2008 less then a year after the completion of SIP. It was around the same time I no longer kept up with collecting books monthly, and because of that missed out on Echo the first time around. Not sure if I could've handled waiting each month for a new installment.

[Dustyloup · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est une histoire science fiction peut-être mieux pour les gens qui ne sont pas des fans de SF. Moi j'ai adorais SIP donc évidemment j'aime Terry Moore. J'ai envie de lire plus... Je pense que je ne l'aurais pas aimé autant en comics individuelle mais en volume comme ça j'ai aimée

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, and drew me in. I did have to confirm that it was published 16 yrs. ago, which explains the slight exploitation and a little more bro vibe than I'm used to, but any outrageous sexism is called out, which is helpful, and there are women characters who are depicted in roles of expertise and power.

I like the ordinary people up against the levers of power kind of storyline.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sort of biological weapon-suit explodes while being tested high over the California desert. It rains to earth in tiny particles, some of which land on a young woman taking photos nearby. These particles merge and consolidate on her body into a kind of living metal plate, one that proves to have some serious defensive capabilities when the feds come looking.

"Echo's" premise is interesting, although the dastardly military researchers here will feel familiar to anyone who's seen "Alien." Moore's black-and-white art is expressive and intricate; I really enjoy looking at his character designs.

But the characters themselves fall short. They all feel ham-handed and over-the-top in their reactions to the admittedly unbelievable developments around them. With some of the dialogue, especially the hospital and soldier scenes, it seems the characters are trying to convince themselves about the lines they're delivering. I don't buy the final chapter's developments, and even before that the story just felt too implausible to continue with.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm re-reading the series now that I have the complete edition, and it starts off with a bang and some uncomfortable people interactions. Julie's apparently been no prize, and while doing nothing special her life crawls further in the toilet.

I like the writing - it's sparse but authentic, and the dialogue keeps the story moving without having to resort to narration or VoiceOver.

It's odd to read a well-done graphic novel that consists only of pencils - no colours or even inks. Harder to appreciate whether the art is great or merely good, but it services the story well - conveys emotion and keeps me engaged in the action, so that's what's important.

I've never read any other Moore, but I'm enjoying this story immensely and will see it through the Complete Edition.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed illustrations and an exciting storyline will appeal to even those who aren't big fans of superhero stories.

[Malapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

No ha llegado a engancharme aunque me ha tenido interesado. No voy a buscar la continuación, pero si algún día la veo rebajada posiblemente le de una oportunidad.

[Katy Vendetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a lot of graphic novels recently, but I enjoyed the Marvel universe when I was a kid, as well as an adult with all of the movies that they put out now. So, when I was looking to begin really getting into the graphic novel genre, I have a friend who is pretty well-versed in all things comics. He suggested this comic.
Terry Moore's art is absolutely gorgeous. Each frame is detailed and visually beautiful. And the story is pretty interesting as well. It begins with a girl named Annie performing tests on a flying suit for a classified military contractor laboratory. And while doing the test, they shoot her out of the sky. Pieces of her suit fall from the sky over civilian territory, affecting a couple of people, though the one in particular that we follow through the book is Julie. The metal from the suit adheres to Julie's skin and chest, and the adventure goes from there.
There is some language throughout the book, and some adult themes, but nothing really too extreme. The metal does adhere to her chest, so there are a minimal amount of boob jokes, but overall, the book merely sets the stage for the rest of the series.
I hope to get the next one soon so I can find out what happens to Julie. It's definitely a great start to getting back into graphic n

[Evelina Parente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho adorato dello stesso autore Motor Girl e anche questa graphic novel in due parti mi sta piacendo molto ed è, come Motor Girl, una storia estremamente estremamente coinvolgente. MOORE è un autore di storie a fumetti che riesce fino in fondo a tenermi incollata alle pagine. Storia e immagini sono davvero ben connesse, davvero un'unica cosa. Non mi da mai l'impressione di leggere qualcosa di forzato o artefatto, effetto che mi producono spesso altri autori di graphic novel. Moore riesce davvero a portare avanti una storia con una buonissima gestione dei personaggi.
I personaggi hanno spessore e profondità, sembrano veri, pur non perdendo mai riferimento al mondo dal quale provengono, quello dei fumetti appunto. Specialmente i personaggi femminili. Le protagoniste di Moore sono scienziate, marines, agenti speciali, fotografe freelance. Donne impegnate ma indipendenti, che lottano dalla parte del bene e della verità. Che finiscono col diventare superoine. È un autore che vorrò sicuramente approfondire.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The military decide to test an experiment to destruction, not incidentally murdering the person running the experiment, and in the resulting explosion debris rains down on Julie Martin out by herself in the middle of nowhere. The debris turn into a weird metal breastplate, causing understandable upset and trauma for Julie, but she can't get anyone to believe that it's not some kind of trick, and the military are hunting her.

So, it's an irresponsible military experiment gone awry and bonded with an innocent bystander so we 'd better hunt her down before she finds out what it's capable of story, but Terry Moore is a fantastic artist and storyteller, so it goes down easy, and his proven skill with interpersonal relationships and great characters is what you come to a Terry Moore comic for as much as for the on-the-run-from-the-military-industrial-complex. Good stuff.

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry Moore ha un tratto semplice, pulito ed espressivo, sa rendere benissimo i corpi e gli stati d'animo, è meno efficace per le ambientazioni, per cui forse avrebbe giovato una copertura di colore, ma in generale la resa delle pagine è molto buona. Echo parla di una scoperta rivoluzionaria capitata nelle mani sbagliate, quelle degli uomini. E' la storia di come l'armatura composta di un materiale avveniristico capiti per caso in possesso di una ragazza qualsiasi, mettendo in moto una serie di eventi fortuiti che porteranno al salvataggio del genere umano. La storia è ben scritta, con i giusti ritmi e il giusto tasso di azione (e di violenza a la Akira). Gli antagonisti sono interessanti e c'è una buona evoluzione dei personaggi. Insomma, gran bel volume della Bao.

[Mateo Sanboval · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terry Moore's stuff always grabs me. I avoided him for a long time because I thought his books were just an excuse to draw beautiful women, but now that I've read a few, even if that is a little bit the case, he never writes them disrespectfully as far as I can tell. Full disclosure: I'm a forty something white dude so that's just, like, my opinion...man. Good stuff so far and I'm on to volume two.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't sure about this one because scifi government coverup stuff isn't generally my thing but Moore is very good at creating a relatable cast of characters that interacts well together so this first volume sucked me right in. Also props to him for giving his main female character what basically amounts to a metal bra and drawing and presenting it in a way that isn't overly sexualized! [Also also I hope she told someone to feed her dog in the last issue, I am very concerned about the dog right now so I've gotta go on to the next volume lol]

[Tanvir Muntasim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written science fiction story, and its indie roots are clearly visible in its focus on characters rather than action.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm interested. Not sure yet if I really like it or just sorta...

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nuclear bomb + liquid metal = a cool flight suit.

[marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto carino... Consiglio!!!

[Jonathan Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too quick beginning but still very intriguing

[anaeliteratura · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5*
it has got an intriguing plot but i don't think it's my cup of tea!