An explosion over Moon Lake catches photographer Julie Martin by surprise. Liquid metal rains from the sky, sticking to her skin and her truck. The metal seems… alive. The pellets gravitate to her and start forming a metal coat over her skin. She can’t take it off and it burns anyone who tries to touch it. To be honest, this is the last thing Julie needs. She’s going through a rough divorce, her sister Pam is in the hospital, and all her bills are coming up due – or way overdue. She needs some time to think it over, but time is one thing she doesn’t have. There are people after her now. People from the government, who are acting like she’s a threat… who might actually be trying to kill her…

This was a fascinating graphic novel. The story is very character-driven: we really feel for Julie and her struggles, and feel at first like this extraordinary event is just one more thing on the to-deal-with pile. It also leaves some things to the imagination, like why Pam is in the hospital and other major plot points, that leave it wide open for a second volume. It’s in black and white, and though the characters are drawn well, only a few have distinguishing features, which can make it difficult to tell who’s who at times. Would appeal to superhero and science fiction fans who like their characters relatable.

– Kathleen

Moore, Terry. Echo (Vol. 1): Moon Lake. 2008.