Spectrum: Take That Leap into Issue 1
Spectrum Issue 1 is worth jumping into
Rick Quinn and Dave Chisolm push the boundaries of what the world is, amplifying its true meaning with the power of music. Not only will you explore the music sheet of a confused Melody, homeless for weeks and uncertain of memories and a tattoo on her arm, Spectrum Issue 1 expands our minds by exploring how daunting life can be when relentless noise doesn’t allow us to think clearly.
What You Need to Know: Spectrum Issue 1 Captures the Right Beat
Writer Rick Quinn (The Ghost Butterfly, Spirit Drifters) delves into Spectrum’s main character by highlighting memory loss, while also showing Melody’s fantastical visions of another world within the world she lives in. The cicada tattoo on her arm is mentioned briefly in the beginning, but its very purpose seems significant – even if it’s just a feeling when the tattoo is focused on as she ponders its existence on her wrist. Then, of course, Quinn establishes Melody’s importance to the story as people in that other world begin chasing her.
Quinn hits all the right marks to make you want to wonder what’s happening and flip to the next page. Who is Melody? Who is this futuristic looking person decked out in orangish-red clothes and spiked blonde hair? And why does Melody keep singing (quietly) “One Day,” which is most of her main dialogue?
This trippy evolution of a story represents a stepping-off point one does not just stop short of. Quinn presents the lore of past musicians, while showing the significance of those melodies, despite not fully understanding everything. Good! That’s a perfect reason to want to read Issue 2; to dive further into the mystery. Well, that and the incredibly talented Dave Chisholm and his artwork.
Artwork Notes: Stunning
Dave Chisolm (Enter the Blue, Canopus) presents a spectacularly vivid world within Spectrum Issue 1. Although this is (I believe) my first experience of Quinn’s works, Chisolm’s work is all too familiar in the best way possible. From Melody’s expressive eyes to ripped jeans to every last strand of orange hair, her life resonates meaning as she moves from one panel to the next.
Each page is filled with variously sized panels, some overlapping, differently shaped, or even tilted; matching the somewhat chaotic chase Melody endures through Spectrum’s colorful pages. From varying shades of green as Melody overpowers a robot, to a wild array of blue, purple, and pink soundwaves overwhelming her senses, Spectrum is beautifully drawn.
Chisolm’s artwork will plant your feet squarely in Melody’s world and you’ll be following along just as our protagonist is trying to understand her role within Spectrum. If anyone wants a story where they will feel immersed within its pages, then you’ll be in for a treat as you (and Melody) attempt to unravel the musical mystery she’s somehow become entangled within.
Overall & Behind the Scenes of Spectrum Issue 1
The story will entice you; the artwork will captivate you. Spectrum Issue 1 is worth every penny just knowing you’ll want to immediately dive into Issue 2.
Title: Spectrum Issue 1
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Writer: Rick Quinn
Artist & Letterer: Dave Chisolm
Publish Date: November 27, 2024
Rated: Teen+
Available: Order Here
And, for anyone interested, the music playing in the background during this review process: Gore by Deftones.
