Identified by some as The Walking Dead for aliens, Resurrection is the post-post apocalyptic story of what happens to society once the alien invaders leave. Filled with twists and political intrigue, the story takes a hard look at humanity’s values.
People seem to have survived based on luck while they hunkered down in underground shelters or concrete buildings. Some unfortunate survivors were subjected to experiments by the aliens, leaving them disfigured, less than sane, and classified as “burns.” While not all of them are out to get their fellow survivors, they are generally avoided by a population that has no idea what to do with them. There are also “Road Warriors” who roam around wreaking havoc on their fellow humans by looting, pillaging, and killing anyone they overpower. They seem like either the most blood-thirsty forest pirates or a land based version of the Reavers from Firefly (with less self-inflicted deformation and cannibalism).
Several characters take the central focus, although their post-alien lives eventually weave together in some way or another. The story is designed to show many perspectives but jumping from character to character and back and forth throughout the timeline takes some adjustment. The story is intriguing, and the writing pulls the reader in, if only to figure out what happened while the aliens were here and what’s going to happen with humanity now. But many questions are asked in the series, while only a few of them are answered. With no Volume 3 in sight, this left me feeling dissatisfied, though I am the kind of person who likes a neat and tidy wrap-up.
The artwork is very stylized but has a gritty feel, especially in black and white. However, two-thirds of the way through Volume 1, everything goes color. This does make some of the characters clearer and easier to differentiate, but it decreases some of the mysterious, dramatic effect of the earlier illustrations. The illustrations are surprisingly cohesive considering that three different illustrators worked on the series. Still, the aliens are creepy, the “burns” are disturbing, and the artwork helps increase the drama of the story.
There are also short stories at the end of each volume called “Resurrection Tales” that are mostly written and illustrated by others. One in particular stuck with me, a wordless tale by Ross Campbell about a little girl surviving alone with only a dog as her companion. The lack of narration, with only the sounds of alien stomping (“Doomp”) and the dog’s brief bark (“rrauf”), perfectly embodies this silent world of destruction in which the girl is scavenging to stay alive. There are many gems in these short bonus tales that are well worth checking out.
With some extreme violence by both humans and aliens, this is not your little brother’s alien invasion. The psychological intensity of some situations will intrigue yet horrify audiences in such a way that might be too much for the less mature.
Resurrection Volumes 1 & 2
by Marc Guggenheim
Art by David Dumeer, Douglas Dabbs, Justin Greenwood
Volume 1 ISBN: 9781934964286
Volume 2 ISBN: 9781934964477
Oni Press, 2010
