SYFY’s new Image Comics adaptation, Revival, has premiered to a strong critical reception. The series, which debuted on June 12, adapts the acclaimed comic book of the same name, plunging viewers into the eerie reality of a small rural Wisconsin town where the dead have inexplicably returned to life. These “revived” individuals are not monstrous zombies but appear and behave as they did before their demise, creating a unique and unsettling supernatural mystery. The narrative follows Officer Dana Cypress (Melanie Scrofano) as she attempts to maintain order and investigate a murder in a community where the lines between the living and the dead have become terrifyingly blurred.
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The horror noir show, which will run for 10 episodes, currently boasts an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This positive initial critical consensus indicates SYFY has successfully translated the compelling premise of the source material for television audiences.
The series quickly establishes a world irrevocably altered by “Revival Day,” an event that saw the recently deceased of Wausau, Wisconsin, return to life with their memories and personalities intact. The premiere episode sets a tense atmosphere, moving from the initial shock and quarantine period to a new normal where the community grapples with the presence of the “revivers.” Officer Dana Cypress navigates this unsettling landscape, balancing her duties with personal conflicts, including a strained relationship with her father, Sheriff Wayne Cypress (David James Elliott), and concerns for her sister, Em (Romy Weltman), one of the revivers now roaming the town. The first episode firmly grounds the series in a compelling central mystery surrounding the nature and purpose of the revivals, all while hinting at darker secrets within the community and even Dana’s own family, laying the groundwork for future reveals.
Scrofano’s performance as Dana Cypress is being highlighted by critics as a standout, with many reviewers appreciating her ability to portray a tough, flawed, yet relatable protagonist. In addition, the show is also being commended for its unique blend of genres, successfully weaving elements of supernatural horror, small-town mystery, and dark character drama. Reviewers have also noted that while the premise is inherently dark, the series manages to inject moments of humor and avoids taking itself too seriously, which distinguishes it from other entries in the undead genre.
Revival Comic Book Origins Means the Show Can Air for Years
Image Comics’ Revival, created by writer Tim Seeley and artist Mike Norton, ran for a substantial 47 issues, published between 2012 and 2017, concluding its acclaimed run as a complete, self-contained story. During its publication, Revival garnered significant critical praise and was nominated for multiple Eisner Awards, including Best New Series in 2013. The comic’s consistent quality and its ability to sustain a multi-layered narrative over nearly five years provided a rich world for the television adaptation to draw from for multiple seasons.
The comic delves much deeper into the societal breakdown within the quarantined Wausau, exploring the rise of extremist cults, the government’s increasingly desperate and ethically compromised attempts to understand and control the reviver phenomenon, and the long-term psychological toll on both the living and the returned. The comic also introduces a wider array of reviver types and explores the unsettling idea that the returned are not always who they once were, sometimes exhibiting disturbing changes or abilities over time. Furthermore, the overarching mystery of why Revival Day happened and its connection to ancient forces is a central plotline that unfolds gradually throughout the 47 issues. This suggests the television show could explore themes of prejudice, the weaponization of the revivers, and the unraveling of Dana and her family’s deepest secrets as it progresses, mirroring the comic’s trajectory from a localized mystery to a story with more terrifying implications.
Revival airs Thursdays on SYFY.
What are your thoughts on Revival based on its premiere? Let us know in the comments!
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