by Joe Schickman, Reporter

Spectrum is a beautifully unique story in which writer Rick Quinn composes a complex narrative that expertly explores the counterpoint juxtaposing reality and the ethereal. In the simultaneously grounded and fantastic world Quinn creates, we learn how sound not only fills the universe, but created it, and ever since, an invisible war has raged over the direction of this surreal symphony. From the offset the reader is entranced by artist Dave Chisholm’s creative chorus of color and stunning tonal tapestry utilized to give the power of music visual form. This is starkly contrasted by the nearly monochrome surroundings depicting our young homeless protagonist Melody Parker’s physical life, who’s bleakly tragic circumstances are set against the violently busy backdrop of the 1999 Seattle WTO Protests.

Official Synopsis:
Melody Parker is losing her mind. She’s living on the streets of Seattle during the WTO protests of 1999. She is seeing things. Androids. Aliens. Pigs in high fashion. And a creature named Echo—one of the Sustained: elemental beings with the power to alter reality through music. She invites Melody to join her as she brings about the end of the world. As Melody tries to escape this strange woman, suppressed memories from across vast spans of time flood into her awareness, bringing her very identity into question. You don’t want to miss this stunning new release from writer Rick Quinn and music-comic-specialist Dave Chisholm (Miles Davis & the Search for the Sound). 

Creative Team: 
Writer: Rick Quinn
Artist:  Dave Chisholm
Letterer: Dave Chisholm

As Melody hides in a world made up of music, shielding her sanity with her headphones, the events around her devolve into dangerous chaos. But Melody is not concerned with the violence surrounding her as she is far more afraid of losing her mind to the visions which plague her. Unknown to her, Melody’s powers include unique perception which allows her to pierce through the veil of the mundane, and focus on the true nature people deny and hide. A couple masked as pigs to her sight walk apathetically by the protests with luxurious shopping goods which could feed a family for a month, while an insecure human fights so hard for artificial perfection that Melody sees only their robotic shell.

All these spectacular secrets buried beneath the smoke permeating the people rioting are brightly spotlighted for Melody. For Melody has a secret of her own, one kept even from herself. That mystery transcends her current incarnation and reverberates through her past lives, perhaps to the origins of the universe itself. Her only clue to unlock this enigma is a cicada tattoo she has no memory of ever receiving, or even when she first noticed it. However, before she can expend too much time worrying about the tattoo’s origins, out of the turmoil of police and protestors clashing saunters a new aberration unlike the others. This mystifying figure named Echo knows Melody and beseeches her with an outstretched hand while two angry armored soldiers stand to either side with weapons at the ready.

As Melody flees the menacing woman through the multihued madness, she inadvertently stretches out with her powers, riding on sound waves of dissonance and harmony paving the way down memory lane… or is it down Melody lane… as we see her past lives displayed in myriad meticulous artistic styles. Mirroring Melody’s migration among the millenia we see how musicians throughout time have played pivotal roles in imbuing their art with magic powerful enough to effect reality. Echo claims Melody shares this talent, and she wants to use Melody to her own malicious ends. As reflections of our own world’s musical greats are given complimentary histories which expand upon their influential importances, Melody struggles to maintain her sanity while great artists, writers, and musicians of the past appear as phantoms to help her understand her destiny, crescendoing in an ending which leaves the reader hanging.

Can Melody traverse this labyrinth of noise, push through the acoustic chaos, and escape her pursuers when “every sound has Echo?”

Spectrum‘s suspenseful tale of Melody Parker and Echo richly orchestrates an analysis of multiple themes and social issues concerning, among them, disparity, loneliness, isolation, and the power of music to overcome them all, concurrently with world building a novel mythos. In concert, the story deconstructs how on the eve of the new millennium the technological advancements which would shape the 21st century threaten to bury humanity in its indifferent wake, underscored by the duality of music and mathematics, toting the tensions between Beethoven and binary.

Rick Quinn’s skill as a writer is complimented by his impressive knowledge of music history and resonates in his creative implementation of both. This difficult but successful feat is matched by the equally daunting and arduous task of bringing sound to optic form, which artist Dave Chisholm manages magnificently, exhibiting his own extensive music education. The visually striking interpretation of music blends, line, color and texture to yield a harmonious triad that strikes a chord with readers, accompanying the terrific writing to produce a truly sonorous duet.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Spectrum #1 – 4 out of 5 overtures.

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