- Five Years #1
- Abstract Studio
- Story and Art by Terry Moore
- Published by Robyn Moore
- Cover Colors by Steve Hamaker
A dangerous paper written by Lilith has been leaked to the nations of the world containing a formula for the ultimate weapon and now labs around the globe are attempting to build and test the Phi Bomb. Tambi, in an all-out effort to find the labs and stop them, has enlisted the help of Ivy Raven, Julie Martin, Rachel and Zoe. Meanwhile, Katchoo and Francine have moved their household, including the kid’s new bodyguard Samantha Locklear, to the beach where Katchoo devises her own solution to the problem. Five Years weaves the Terryverse into one epic saga that has been years in the making!
Five years… That’s how long we have until the Phi Bomb, currently in development, unravels the universe.
In a nutshell, the Phi Bomb will begin a chain reaction that causes hydrogen atoms to break down. Anyone with a passing knowledge of biology and chemistry will understand that in the Grand Scheme of Things, that’s a very bad thing. Once begun, it can’t be stopped and contrary to what the room full of scientists who dream this stuff up might believe, it can’t be controlled.
This is why Katchoo and Francine (Strangers in Paradise) have packed their things and moved their family out to a remote Hawaiian beach house, as far removed from any populated areas as they could find. It’s not going to save them from the Bomb, but it will keep them removed from the chaos that’s going to erupt when the general public finds out about what’s coming. As an extra precaution, the couple have hired former Marine Samantha “Sam” Locklear (aka: Motorgirl) as security to protect their family.
I might have been a little late to the party (typical) but I’ve been a fan of Terry Moore for a while now. My first dip into the Mooreverse was the most outstanding Motorgirl (Semper Fi), a book about which I’ve raved and ranted to anyone who’d listen. Some of my friends still aren’t talking to me. From there I jumped into Rachel Rising and decided that I’d be grabbing everything the man does from then on (don’t tell Moore, but I haven’t gotten into Strangers in Paradise… there’s just a lot of it and I haven’t been able to pull that trigger just yet).
Despite the SiP shaped hole in my life, I will hold this hill proclaiming Terry Moore to be one of the most talented comicbook creators out there right now. My personal top ten, easily. His ability to create characters who never seem to be two dimensional caricatures, who are all beautifully flawed in their own unique ways, is nothing short of miraculous. Even when Moore is just giving us a room full of people sitting around talking, his dialogue shines with wit and wisdom… and that might be where he hooked me in. Dialogue is the key to great writing. It’s the toughest aspect for a writer to nail, because it has to sound natural and distinct to each character. Moore nails it. When his characters are chatting it up, it’s never a chore to read through because it’s the insight into those characters that pulls the reader fully into their world.
And did I mention that Moore also handles the art in his books? His style is a simple, no frills or fluff black and white format. His lines are clean and crisp, staying away from unnecessary details that can jumble together on a page that doesn’t have colors to further separate the different elements. Moore just gives us the important stuff to focus on, without the clutter that some artists will try to push through in a black and white comic. He does break that formula in the beginning of this issue, but it’s done to illustrate a point rather than just for the sake of filling a panel.
If there’s going to be one challenge Moore will have to overcome, it could be that many of his characters share similar facial features. I only mention it because where his titles are generally more focused in their cast, Five Years is bringing them all together, Avengers style. I’ll follow up that potential concern with the observation that I think Moore is already on it… I’ve already noted some steps taken to further separate his characters, physically, so I’m more than happy to have a little faith. This isn’t Terry Moore’s first rodeo.
If you’re a fan of Terry Moore, you’re probably very well aware of this title and have already added it to your pull list. If you’re not familiar with Moore’s work, you might wanna think about looking into it. I’d suggest Motorgirl as a good starting point as it’s the shortest of his series and makes for a great gateway drug.
