Mnemovore

(Vertigo, 2005)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

Kaley Markowic is a typical Vertigo girl: cute, likable, sincere, and spunky but somewhat vulnerable. She’s also a killer snowboarder with Olympic aspirations, which are dashed when a poorly executed jump and resulting wipeout give her a concussion and a dislocated shoulder. The accident leaves her mnemonically impaired, meaning she can’t remember much of anything or anyone, including her sport of choice, her boyfriend, or her home state.

Naturally, since this is a Vertigo title, mere amnesia is not enough of a plot point to carry the story, so something slimy, slithery, and supernatural is introduced (looking like a cross between an Alien face hugger and an octopus). It’s impossible to ascertain why the “mnemovore” appears shortly after Markowic’s injuries occur and why it is necessary to the tale in the first place, since the fall ostensibly caused the memory loss. Future issues may explain these matters, but it makes for a bumpy beginning.

Despite this setback, the characters and creatures (not to mention the art) are compelling enough to warrant a mild recommendation.

— Brett Weiss

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