Another one-shot today as I take a look at Top Cow’s new series, Eden’s Fall.
Eden’s Fall 1
Written by Matt Hawkins and Brian Hill
Art by Atillio Rojo
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I decided to buy the first issue of Eden’s Fall on a whim – the premise sounded interesting and it came on a fifth Wednesday, traditionally a slow week for comic books. The solicitation copy noted that it was a combination of three of its popular titles. Going into the book cold meant i didn’t realize they were talking literally.
Eden’s Fall brings together story beats from Postal, The Tithe and Think Tank, three books I hadn’t read before. But it wasn’t as daunting a task as one might think. Hawkins and Hill give a very helpful “What You Should Know” guide at the beginning of the issue, catching newcomers up on what has come before. Even without the primer to start the issue, the writing makes the whole issue accessible to a new reader.
The story follows a group of former FBI agents as they track down a mass murderer who was secreted away to a town called Eden, in Wyoming, by a U.S. Senator. The lead agent on the team, James Miller, goes undercover into Eden to try and find the killer and bring him to justice. But, you know, things don’t ever go as planned.
Everything about this story was easy to get into. Hawkins and Hill have created the comic book equivalent to a mega-crossover between the three Law & Order franchises. There might be little Easter eggs that dedicated readers understand, but newcomers aren’t as in the dark as they think they would be.
Although, if you want to catch up on things, Comixology is thankfully running a sale right now on the books that lead into Eden’s Fall. I think I’ll grab a couple collections before the sale runs out, not because I feel like I need to be more up to speed before the next issue, but rather because I’ve become a fast fan of the universe here.