Ancestral Recall Vol 1 Review

 

Ancestral Recall Vol 1 Review

Writer: Jordan Clark

Artist: Atagun İlhan

Colorist: Pippa Bowland

Letterer: Rob Steen

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Price: $17.99/$24.99 CAN

Release Date: April 15, 2026

 

Melvin Waring is a renowned artist who draws on his Black heritage to create paintings that speak to people around the world. Yet while his studio is his stronghold, he fears venturing outside without his beloved Junebug. So Melvin rarely leaves home and devotes his life to what he's best at. How will his life change when his wife needs surgery? And who will help Melvin when his wife leaves him alone? Let's leap into Ancestral Recall #1 and see!

 

Story

After June's surgery, the doctor confines her to bed rest. Still, she knows how flustered her husband gets when interacting with others. So June calls ahead to let the pharmacy staff know that Melvin is coming. Reluctantly, he steels himself and ventures out to procure her prescription. But while he focuses on completing his mission and returning to his stronghold, he meets Myran Byun.

 

His teenage neighbor also feels insecure interacting with others. But instead of hiding away like Melvin, she focuses on photographing the world around her. Petunia eases her discomfort, accompanying Myran as she observes the people and patterns of life behind the protective shield of the camera lens. With the animatronic Panda walking alongside her, or sitting in the basket on her bicycle, Myran realizes that some of her neighbors have gone missing. One of her photographs, of workers in coveralls carrying a body-sized bag, seems to offer a clue.

 

In Ancestral Recall Vol 1, Melvin's world changes when June vanishes. At first, he frantically searches for her. He seeks strength and inspiration from the historic people who inspire his paintings. As he strives to emulate them, Melvin stumbles. But as he continues to push through the barriers he has erected to protect himself from the outside world, Melvin grows increasingly adept at overcoming the challenges he faces. When Myran notices his distress, she insists on helping him. While Melvin recognizes that he cannot afford to turn away a helping hand, Myran's incessant need for connection threatens to overwhelm him.

 

Art

As Melvin contemplates his progress with a palette knife in hand, creative chaos surrounds him. A painting rests on an easel, and sketchbooks lie open on his desk. Pens, brushes, and open pots of paint adorn desks, tables, shelves, and the floor. Slim and athletic, June ventures into her studio. While a smile seems her natural mien, Melvin hides his serious features behind a black-and-white beard in Ancestral Recall Vol 1.

 

Atagun İlhan reveals Melvin’s thoughts as images that seemingly float above his head like balloons or suns. A pink-red energy rises from his upturned hair as Melvin increasingly channels his heritage. As opposed to the vibrant colors of Melvin’s world, Pippa Bowland casts the future in green interior lighting. And as the man who rules the future wears a domelike hat, his silver servants follow his bidding in Melvin and Myran's era.

 

A cursive white quote in a black box welcomes readers into each chapter of Ancestral Recall Vol 1. Blue block letters in light blue boxes introduce characters and locate readers in time and space. While Rob Steen fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters, a black rat's nest in a balloon indicates Melvin's turmoil, while letters in a beige box translate his distress. Sound effects enhance a bid for freedom, an attempt to recover disused skills, and a dramatic high-speed chase as danger threatens to prevent Melvin and Myran from ever seeing June again. Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Some see Artificial Intelligence as crucial to sustaining society and propelling technological progress. Others view AI as robbing Humanity of its uniqueness and individuals of their livelihoods. When an inventor strives to reduce people's fears and meet their needs, he robs them of their heritage to keep them safe and comfortable in Ancestral Recall Vol 1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside, see my preview of Ancestral Recall Vol 1.

 

For a more in depth view of the first issue, see my review of Ancestral Recall #1. 

Ancestral Recall TP Preview

 

Melvin Waring fears leaving his studio. Besides, why should he? He's a visionary artist who inspires people all over the world. But his wife can't go. His beloved "Junebug" is bedridden. She needs him to overcome his inclinations, and his fears, and venture outside.

When June hands him her prescription, she 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? 

Here's all the info from Ahoy Comics:

 

ANCESTRAL RECALL TP

Writer: Jordan Clark 

Artist: Atagun İlhan

Cover Artist: Khary Randolph

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Price: $17.99 / $24.99 CAN

Release Date: April 15, 2026 

 

 

An Eccentric Painter Taps into the Literal Power of Black History in

ANCESTRAL RECALL, A Historical Sci-Fi Graphic Novel From Writer Jordan Clark,

Artist Atagun İlhan, and Publisher AHOY Comics

A New Graphic Novel That’s Everything Everywhere All At Once meets Don Quixote

This April, acclaimed Syracuse-based comic book publisher AHOY Comics will publish the trade paperback collection of ANCESTRAL RECALL, a culturally rich, stunningly drawn historical science fiction graphic novel from writer Jordan Clark (Aquaman, Star Wars Adventures) and artist Atagun İlhan (Poison Ivy, Milestone Universe: The Shadow Cabinet) about an eccentric abstract painter who taps into the literal power of Black History to solve a series of supernatural disappearances with the help of his wife and preteen neighbor. The gripping new saga from the two Milestone Initiative members uses science fiction and comedy to explore the importance of Black history, the connections between the past and present, and learning to push through difficult life changes. The trade paperback will feature a cover by artist Khary Randolph and be published on April 15, 2026.

Melvin Warring is a famed abstract painter, known for some groundbreaking work in the late 80s, who now lives a reclusive life in East Oakland with his wife and business manager June. One day as he’s picking up June’s prescription after her hip surgery a force suddenly overcomes Melvin, displacing him from time itself. Meanwhile Myran Kang, Melvin and June’s preteen nextdoor neighbor, has noticed a string of disappearances: a few unhoused people who normally set up in the park, some people at her grandmother's nursing home, a few of the bus drivers on her normal route... She has a feeling it’s more than a coincidence but can’t get anyone to listen to her — until June disappears too. As Melvin and Myran dig deeper into the mystery, Melvin finds he’s literally able to tap into the power of Black history when under duress and access the knowledge and abilities of Black people throughout time — everyone from writers and musicians to sword fighters and acrobats, transforming Black history into an actual super power. Will it be enough for Melvin and Myran to discover and disrupt the plans of the mysterious organization disappearing people and find a way to bring them back?

AHOY Comics is a Syracuse-based publisher dedicated to satirizing horror, space opera, social satire, sword & sorcery, and superhero stories with critically acclaimed titles like THE TOXIC AVENGER by Matt Bors and Fred Harper, BABS by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, SECOND COMING by Mark Russell and Richard Pace, and many more.

Here’s what folks are saying about ANCESTRAL RECALL:

“Come for the propulsive adventure and masterfully expressive art; stay for the miracle that is Clark’s ingenious conceit for exploring and reframing diasporic history.”

—Ezra Claytan Daniels, UPGRADE SOUL

“ANCESTRAL RECALL combines Black History with Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

—IGN

“Right out of the gate, I loved ANCESTRAL RECALL! Here's a team with a certified fresh idea that knows how to get every single ounce of it. It's SINNERS meets QUANTUM LEAP, as a struggling artist's quest to solve his wife's disappearance careens into a cross-time war to preserve his culture! He might be fighting in the present, but Melvin Waring has the skills of every ancestor on his side—and he's not stopping until his family's whole again!”—Steve Orlando

“[A] time-hopping, existential exploration of art, identity, technology, and the arc of the Black experience… The art is packed with joy and kinetic might but also so much more nuance and texture… A magical deep dive into the center of life itself.”

—AIPT

“Steeped in mystery and wonder, Jordan Clark's ANCESTRAL RECALL, takes us on an action-packed adventure you never want to end!”

—Che Grayson (Exquisite Corpses, Dark Spaces: Good Deeds. 

“Black history is infused on the pages… Beautifully illustrated by Atagun İlhan… This is a premise that sings as it celebrates Black history… Smartly written with beautiful art and some inspired paneling.”

—COMICS BEAT

“Jordan Clark is doing the thing. He quickly pulls the reader in through the mundane that becomes a maniacal mystery in minutes, which went by almost too fast, because by the last page—I needed more! Buy ANCESTRAL RECALL now.”—Kwanza Osajyefo, author and creator of BLACK

“Quite the meal for comics fans. It's a unique fusion of supernatural adventure and historical celebration that reminds me of why the comic medium is so essential and how we can utilize it to remember our past while envisioning a boundless future.”

—Stephanie Williams (NUBIA AND THE AMAZONS)

“Brilliant… ANCESTRAL RECALL is a fun, inventive story that cleverly combines a lot of disparate elements into a smooth piece of work.”

—BLACK NERD PROBLEMS

"ANCESTRAL RECALL is beautifully deceptive. It's thought provoking while always being fun. It's heavy while also feeling dreamlike. It's smart while staying so damn cool. This is one of those books that will stick with you in all the best ways."

—Matthew Rosenberg (DC VS. VAMPIRES / WE'RE TAKING EVERYONE DOWN WITH US)

 

  

 Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

For more updates on AHOY Comics, visit them on X, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. 

 

Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us. 

Ancestral Recall #5 Preview

 

 

Melvin paints about the Black experience. His canvas is as all-encompassing as the history of Blackness. But now he intends on capturing a greater vision than what it means to be Black in America. Melvin’s search for his wife has taken him on a road trip with his neighbor Myran and her animatronic panda Petunia. But while a mad inventor has Melvin in his clutches, Myran escaped his pack of robot dogs. Can the teen photographer rescue Melvin? Or will Melvin channel the power of Black History to rescue his wife? 

 

Here's all the info from Ahoy Comics: 

 

  

Ancestral Recall #5

Writer: Jordan Clark

Artist & Cover Artist: Atagun İlhan

Colorist: Pippa Bowland

Letterer: Rob Steen

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 17, 2025

 

 

Riveting final issue! Melvin wakes up in the future, where he must call on the power of Black history to rescue his wife and thwart the plans of the Modern Living Corporation. 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us. 

Ancestral Recall #4 Preview

 

Accompanied by teen photographer Myran, Melvin has taken to the road to find his wife. In the headquarters of Modern Living Corporation, the company that created the AI software for Myran's animatronic panda bear, the investigators encounter menacing robot dogs. 

Now, Melvin is in MLC's clutches, while Myran remains at large. With Melvin's "Junebug" in the future, will he join her there? And what role might "future Myran" play in Melvin and June's captivity?

Here's all the info from Ahoy Comics: 

 

 

ANCESTRAL RECALL #4

Writer: Jordan Clark 

Artist: Atagun İlhan

Cover by Atagun İlhan: $4.99

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Release Date: November 12, 2025

Penultimate issue! Aided by his “ancestors” in Black history, Melvin has finally found his wife June. But even with Melvin’s mysterious power, can they break out of the corporation’s futuristic headquarters?

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

Ancestral Recall #3 Preview

 

Melvin is a reclusive world famous painter. Myran is an irrepressible teen who takes photographs to understand the world around her. Melvin's wife, June, brought the two opposites together. Then she disappeared from their bed in her sleep. The duo have tracked June to Mitchell Evans' company, Modern Living Corporation. His company makes the artificial intelligence that powers Myran's pet panda, Petunia. 

Although they don't realize it yet, June works for Modern Living Corporation. But she works as a slave ten years after her mysterious disappearance. Is June destined to live out her remaining years testing Paw Fur One, a food suitable for pets and their owners? And what will Mitchell Evans do with Melvin and Myran, when he finds them sneaking into his headquarters?

Here's all the info from Ahoy Comics: 

ANCESTRAL RECALL #3

Writer: Jordan Clark 

Artist: Atagun İlhan

Cover A: Atagun İlhan: $4.99 

Cover B: Jamal Igle: $4.99 1:3 unlock

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Release Date: October 8, 2025

Besieged by robot dogs, Melvin Warring must use his still-new powers to call on Bill Pickett, turn-of-the-century Black rodeo hero, for help! Meanwhile, in the future, his wife June comes face to face with her captors at last. “It's SINNERS meets QUANTUM LEAP,” raves writer Steve Orlando, and we think you’ll agree.

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Here's another cover option:

 

 

Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

Ancestral Recall #2 Review

 

Writer: Jordan Clark, Carol Lay & Bryce Ingman

Artist: Atagun İlhan, Carol Lay & Shawn Crystal

Colorist: Pippa Bowland

Letterer: Rob Steen

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Cover A: Atagun İlhan $4.99

Cover B: Jay Hero $4.99 (1:3 unlock)

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

Melvin is a world-famous artist. His mind ranges across time to paint scenes relevant to people today. The outside world confuses him. Melvin can’t even visit the local pharmacy without getting lost. But with his wife on bed rest, he takes the prescription and ventures outside.

 

Something strange happens when Melvin enters the pharmacy. Things don’t look right to him. As he passes a sign for the Modern Living Corporation, a woman offers to help him. Melvin tries to show her the prescription but drops it. His neighbor, Myran, picks it up and guides him to the counter.

 

Melvin hates relying on others. But when June vanishes, and he can’t find her again, his teenage neighbor again rushes to his aid. Can Melvin and Myran find his wife? And what role will Petunia, Myran’s animatronic panda, play in Melvin and June’s lives? Let's grab our VR glasses, leap into Ancestral Recall #2, and see!

 

Story

Like forgotten Inkling Charles Williams, Melvin is a dreamer. His wife serves as a buffer between him and the minutiae that keep the modern world spinning. Freed from time-consuming details, Melvin can concentrate on his passion. But when June disappears, all thoughts of painting vanish. Instead of meeting with the Smithsonian, Melvin spends the day searching his neighborhood without rest or sustenance.

 

While Melvin’s thoughts span a vast tapestry of space and time, Myran is a keen observer. The irrepressible teen sees things others miss. She has noticed other neighbors disappear. And she photographed people garbed in MLC coveralls carrying away what looked like a body bag. In Ancestral Recall #2, Myran aids Melvin in his quest to find his wife.

 

At the crux of Jordan Clark’s story is Mitchell Evans, an MIT graduate who founded the Modern Living Corporation. He doesn’t share society’s fears about Artificial Intelligence. Mitchell’s company contributed the software that helps Petunia interact with Myran like a living pet. Yet like Melvin’s mind, Mitchell’s creations span space and time. Perhaps this explains the futuristic robots prowling the streets at night, carrying their neighbors away in body bags.

 

Art

Atagun İlhan paints a convincing portrait of life in near-future Oakland. While his car may seem old-fashioned, it transforms when Melvin envisions a famous ancestor. Like Dorothy and Toto, the woman gets swept up in a tornado summoned by Melvin’s lively hair in Ancestral Recall #2.

 

While Pippa Bowland paints Melvin and Myran’s roadtrip with a loaded palette, she casts June’s adventures beneath a green pall. Like her fellow test subjects, June wears a sleek, dark uniform with a white M emblazoned on her chest. Amid this confining industrial setting, Myran appears clad in her familiar blue jeans and white-and-black crop top. And like Myran, Petunia has matured in Ancestral Recall #2.

 

Rob Steen portrays dialogue with black uppercase letters in white balloons. Jordan Clark’s narration appears as blue uppercase letters in light blue boxes. Vibrant sound effects enhance Melvin’s search for June and her imprisonment in the future. Yet most important is the enlarged text that appears behind Melvin as he studies Myran’s sticker-adorned laptop. Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Adherents insist that artificial intelligence will never replace human ingenuity. Yet as AI-created art proliferates, people craft stories, essays, books, and school reports with this emerging technology. While June finds solace with Myran in the future, Melvin returns the teen’s unflagging support in Ancestral Recall #2.

 

The issue also includes two prose stories. Carol Lay contributes a contemplative and affecting story about inventors and survivor’s guilt in “The Unhappy God of Children”. Then, Bryce Ingman compiles residents’ complaints about local wildlife in the wildly humorous “Animal Control Incident Reports: 437 Red Cedar Lane.”

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Ancestral Recall #2.

 

For how this series began, see my review of Ancestral Recall #1. 

 

Ancestral Recall #2 Preview

 

Melvin Waring is a famous artist. While he pours his heart and soul into his paintings, his wife functions as his connection to the outside world. But when June goes missing, Melvin must abandon his safety zone to find her. Aided by a teen photographer and her animatronic panda, Melvin will hit the road to find his beloved Junebug. Just one question, Melvin: Do you know how to drive?

Here's all the info:

 

Ancestral Recall #2

Writer: Jordan Clark, Carol Lay & Bryce Ingman

Artist: Atagun İlhan, Carol Lay & Shawn Crystal

Colorist: Pippa Bowland

Letterer: Rob Steen

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Cover A: Atagun İlhan $4.99

Cover B: Jay Hero $4.99 (1:3 unlock)

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

 

Painter Melvin Waring sets out to find his missing wife June, and solve a series of supernatural disappearances. He is armed with the literal power of Black history, and aided by a smart but awkward teenage friend. But the futuristic Modern Living Corporation has other plans for June. 

 

This gripping new saga from the two Milestone Initiative members uses science fiction and comedy to explore the importance of Black history, the connections between the past and present, and learning to push through difficult life changes. Jordan Clark's writing credits include Aquaman and Star Wars Adventures. Atagun İlhan's previous projects include Poison Ivy and Milestone Universe: The Shadow Cabinet. 

 

Ancestral Recall #2 also includes two short prose stories. Carol Lay writes and illustrates The Unhappy God of Children. Then, Shawn Crystal illustrates a Bryce Ingman story, Animal Control Incident Reports, which previously appeared in Bronze Age Boogie #1.

 

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's another cover option:

 

 Thanks to Ahoy Comics for sharing this preview with us.