Ancestral Recall #1 Warps Sci-Fi, Noir, and Grief Into a Time-Bending Mind Trip You Won’t Forget

Ancestral Recall Debuts from Ahoy Comics

This is the first issue of the surrealist science fiction thriller Ancestral Recall. A comic book series which pairs comic book writer Jordan Clark and artist Atagun Ilhan - consequently published by Ahoy Comics. Jordan Clark, a comic book writer known for independent releases like Hive Mind where zombies get smarter with the more brains they eat which displayed a tongue-in-cheek humour as early on as 2014 (its release date). He’s also the host of the podcast White People Won’t Save You which I’ve yet to check out but if his social commentary in his podcast are half as good as the dialogue in this comic book then, trust me folks, you’re in for a treat. Admittedly, Clark is a writer whose work I’m not as familiar with so it was nice to be introduced to his work at the level of being traditionally published.

Spotlight on Atagun Ilhan

On the other hand, we have Atagun Ilhan, the more familiar name for me out of the pair. Thanks to his superb work on Mad Cave Studios’ BATTLECATS and more recently the twenty fifth issue of POISON IVY which elevated Ivy’s look and feel as a convincing anti-hero. Newcomers to Ilhan’s work will note well-rounded artwork which never shys away from experimentation, both in form and style.

Now, let’s dive into this comic book.

Into the World of Melvin Waring

Ancestral Recall #1 - Cover A by Atagun Ilhan

This first issue of Ancestral Recall introduces us to African-American protagonist and world famous painter, Melvin Waring. A painter caught in the throes of artist’s block and shallow in the pool of inspiration. This “artist’s block” is interrupted by his wife, June, who sends him on an errand to pick up medication from the pharmacy. As he heads out on his errand, we begin to see Melvin’s vision of his wife. How he perceives her. The intricacies of what makes her beautiful to him and how she’ll serve as an inspiration for his work later in this story and series. We’ll come back to this point later in the review but for now it’s important for you as the reader to note that Melvin doesn’t see the world as we see it. He sees it in on a canvas with shapes and colours needed to be assembled in a particular way to reveal the final masterpiece. A puzzle to be solved. There’s a certain level of neuro-divergency about him which, I’m not going to comment on because I’m not an expert, but that’s the overall feeling I get from him. I’d be keen to hear your thoughts on the matter when you pick up this issue.

A Mystery Emerges

Melvin encounters Myran Byun at the pharmacist who helps him out with his script when he gets frustrated. She accompanies him home, explaining she’s noticed some strange events going on at Liberation Park and how she thinks it’s tied to people vanishing in their neighbourhood. She explains this again - this time to June - going so far to show photographs she’s taken of mysterious men movies bodies around at the dead of night. June offers to hear more of Myran’s the next time she’s over for dinner. This foreshadows the strange events of Melvin awaking the next morning to find June missing and to suddenly be catapulted across different time periods. The first, a black and white noir setting where a detective offers his assistance, before Melvin awakes in a pile of rubbish outside (but don’t worry he has pants on). Myran sees him and after explaining June has gone missing they begin searching the entire city for her. There’s something heartbreaking about an elderly person looking for their partner who has disappeared without a trace.

Ancestral Recall #1 - Page 9

Enter the Mechanical Men

That’s when nightfall is upon them and they spot the same strange looking men in Myran’s photos. Tailing them, they are spotted and approached by these would-be assailants who have a mechanical nature about them - with lights emanating from where their eyes and hands should be. Robots!

Time Travel and a Fight for Survival

Just as they’re almost upon Myran and Melvin, he time jumps to a period where he is a swash buckler during the 19th Century. Somehow pulling that skill with him as he reverts back to the present day, grabs a nearby pipe and uses it to fend off these robotic henchmen. As he lays waste to them with ease and is caught in a rage he is stopped by Myran saying she’s found some identification on one of their bodies.

“Hey! I think I found a clue! MLC… Modern Living Corporation? Weird, I feel like I’ve seen that before.”

Art, Identity, and Surrealism Collide

Ancestral Recall #1 - Page 14

It certainly raises more questions than answers. This is where I’d like to go back to that initial scene about Melvin’s inspiration and how he sees the world. Jordan Clark and Atagun Ilhan are communicating a surreal experience that Melvin is having. Whereby June is being reduced to the sum of her parts, her linework, shapes and everything that makes her a character in this comic book. It’s a terrifying prospect to be trapped within a story and to see beyond the limits of the story and your world itself. How that would mess with you, how your mind would be caught in a state of flux as you question your environment and your state of being. All the while being forced down the path the story is forging leaving you to compartmentalise the complete and utter turmoil of your loved one who has disappeared without a trace.

Final Thoughts!

While this is going on there’s a terrifying Doctor Who borrowed-science-fiction-sequence of abduction and terror. An imprint of British-bizarre plastered on an otherwise very American urban cityscape. It’s refreshingly complex yet simple enough to get your head around, although I’d recommend a second read, so you can experience what Clark and Ilhan are doing here. When all else fails, you can simply bask in an art style which manga-fans will find comforting. It’s neo noir just not the kind you’re used to - and certainly not the kind you’ll ever see again in this generation.

Pick up via Ahoy Comics.

Cheers!