Ancestral Recall #1 Review

 

Writer: Jordan Clark

Artist: Atagun İlhan

Colorist: Pippa Bowland

Letterer: Rob Steen

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Cover A: Atagun İlhan $4.99

Cover B: Khary Randolph $4.99 (1:3 unlock)

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

Melvin Waring fears leaving his studio. June hands him her prescription and assures him that there will be no complications. She has even called ahead to let the Pharmacy know he is coming. Why should Melvin fret about leaving home? And does he have anything to worry about? Let's leap into Ancestral Recall #1 and see!

 

Story

Melvin dislikes going outside. His studio may be messy, but he controls the chaos. Outside his home lie things beyond his control. Like writer "Alex Rover" in Nim's Island, Melvin resents going outside. He wants everything brought to him. Ordinarily, his wife would make the trip. But this time, his wife is recovering from surgery. So, Melvin removes his sandals, puts on shoes and a jacket, and ventures outside. 

 

In Ancestral Recall #1, June holds Melvin's world together. His wife functions as his art dealer and agent. She filters out the extraneous details of life so he can capture the truth in his paintings. Outside his studio, and away from her, Melvin struggles to make decisions. Nor does he want to talk with other people.

 

Jordan Clark lets us look inside Melvin's mind to see the world through the artist's eyes. He prefers silent contemplation to conversation, at least from anyone other than his "Junebug." Yet, as Melvin goes through his days in Ancestral Recall #1, he receives help from an unwanted source.

 

Myran Byun is a budding photographer. She may be a mere sixteen-year-old, but she notices things others miss. In the digital age, when phones have made cameras obsolete for most people, Myran numbers among the few who still use film. Melvin may not feel comfortable around anyone aside from June. But when his wife goes missing, Melvin needs someone's help, regardless of whether he wants it or not.

 

Art

Atagun İlhan reveals a silhouette of Melvin beholding an empty canvas. As he stands among scattered pencils and paintbrushes, his wife enters the room. She breathes color into his sepia world. Atagun packs pages with panels. When Melvin ventures from his studio, his thoughts orbit his head like miniature suns. Things seem off inside the Pharmacy. But like the image in Myran’s photograph, Ancestral Recall #1 suggests that we direct our steps carefully. One wrong turn could transport us to another realm.

 

Pippa Bowland presents colorful characters amid gray or lightly colored surroundings. The sky above Melvin's neighborhood fills with a vivid sunset as Melvin walks home. A close-up of Melvin's eyes resembles a starry purple and magenta nebula, while a glimpse of the past occurs in Black and White. Melvin's upraised black hair and pointed white beard enhance his confusion. So, Myran's black and white panda puts its paws on his knees and gazes into his wide eyes.

 

Rob Steen introduces characters with bold print in blue boxes. While everyone else speaks black uppercase words into white dialogue balloons, symbols often replace Melvin’s words. And then there are the squiggles, which evoke Chloe's drawings in the Doctor Who story "Fear Her." Whether Melvin's sketches are responsible for recent disappearances remains to be seen. Thankfully, beige boxes translate Melvin's scribbled dialogue for readers. Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The past can empower us or drag us down. When Melvin’s wife goes missing, the artist draws on his ancestors’ abilities to find her. Aided by a Korean/Puerto Rican teen and her animatronic pet, Melvin takes on the strangers threatening his future in Ancestral Recall #1.

 

The issue also includes two prose stories. Bryon Ackerman probes the frailties of superheroes via internet message board posts in Worst Mom Ever. Then, Dave Giarrusso's story, Dockers, reminds us of the importance of education. Ed Catto and Chris Giarrusso enhance these short stories with fun illustrations.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Ancestral Recall #1.