Terry Moore's RACHEL RISING

I have been a huge fan of Terry Moore’s work since the first time I stepped into an issue of STRANGERS IN PARADISE back in 1993. Like any good fanboy, I hung with that series for it’s complete run., along with 14 issues of PARADISE TOO and 30 issues of the science fiction epic ECHO. I also followed his work on SPIDER MAN LOVES MARY JANE and RUNAWAYS. Terry Moore has done it again with his newest series, RACHEL RISING. And, as always, the book is a masterpiece of art styling, characterization and intrigue.

The series begins with Rachel digging herself out of a grave and going back home as she tries to reconstruct her last her hours before her death and resurrection. She also has no idea why she has rope burns about her neck and why people don’t know her. She visits her Aunt Johnny who works on corpses at a local Mortuary. It takes Rachel to bring Johnny to her grave to get her to believe she’s not an apparition. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman (who we saw at Rachel’s rebirth) arrives at the home of a young girl named Zoe Mann. Not long after, the Zoe kills her sister after whacking her with a frying pan. 

Rachel goes to a nightclub to visit her friend Jet. The mysterious woman is there too. Rachel tells someone she meets in the bathroom that she won’t live long. The mysterious blonde gets to talking to the bathroom woman’s fiancé and the next thing we know the woman AND Rachel are taking a long tumble off the roof while the blonde watches. And Zoe Mann? She’s torched her house and is in the process of stealing a car to dispose of her sister’s body.

Rachel is brought to the hospital morgue where a distressed Jet gets the surprise of her life when Rachel is reborn for the second time. The distraught husband to be goes to the woods, the same place where Rachel arose, to bury his partner but not before a snake climbs into her mouth and crawls inside of her. Soon Zoe crashes her car into his and now the pair buries the girl’s sister. And then she kills him too. The blonde arrives and the girl tells her to go away and that she won’t be needed ever again. 

Jet and Rachel recall their youth and how they made a pact to be together “to the grave and afterlife”. A certain Dr. Seiman comes to dinner and insists that Rachel is actually the “Angel of Death”.  Zoe ends up with an agency and pair of potential foster parents arrive. Mr. Boyle, the father, apparently has done some bad things, because Zoe tells us so. He chases after her as she threatens to expose his deeds. He ends up losing his head in a scene straight out of FINAL DESTINATION 2.

Johnny, Jet and Rachel investigate the scene of Rachel’s second death while Dr. Seiman goes whom to the corpse who is his wife. Meanwhile, the dead fiancé comes back from the grave and the snake within her begins to attack victims. The trio run into Zoe and Rachel has a talk with the mysterious blonde, who only she and Zoe can see. Zoe explains that every time she sees the witch (Zoe’s words), who calls Rachel her sister, someone dies. True to form, there is a car accident. Johnny is mortally wounded, Rachel gets impaled and Jet dies. 

And then she is reborn too. And that really manages to freak out morgue attendant Earl who has a long conversation with Jet. We also learn that Johnny is a lesbian (Terry does enjoy writing strong lesbian characters into his work), police report Zoe not being at the scene and that Jet died from a broken neck, even though Rachel insists they spoke before she died. At a graveyard on the outskirts of Manson, bodies explode out of the ground and form a pentagram in the ground. Jet gets stitched up and gains a neck brace. The blonde “witch” commands wolves to drag the dead husband to be from issue #2 out of the witches’ cemetery where they consume him.  We soon discover that 10 year old Zoe is actually a demon name Malus who has been living in her and murdering people for 47 years.  The woman, who we learn is Lilith, gets to talk to the demon but not for long. Zoe slits her wrists and Malus must flee or die. And it looks like he has fled into…Jet’s body!

I can’t say enough. First: it’s Terry FREAKIN’ Moore!!! That in itself should be enough to have you buy this book. Second: he writes some of the best characters in the world with some amazing dialogue. Quentin Tarrantino writes amazing dialogue. Terry is that good. Third: his art. While not as detailed as his early SIP work, it still is wonderful and he features some of the best looking faces in comics. His expressions are priceless! Fourth: I have no idea how this whole thing will end but I’m sure it will end with a twist we never see coming. Last: it’s Terry FREAKIN’ Moore!!!  

Just buy this book! You have been advised!