Spill Zone, Book 1

Three years ago, something weird happened in Poughkeepsie, New York. Nuclear disaster, alien invasion . . . nobody knows for sure. Addison was out of town that night, and her little sister Lexa is one of the few kids who made it out. Now, they live in their house just outside the spill zone, and Addison makes a living sneaking into the zone and photographing the weird stuff there. Though it's illegal, certain people will pay well for her art. Now, one of those investors is offering her a million dollars to go into the zone and retrieve a specific item. Of course, to do so, Addison will have to break a couple of her cardinal rules: never get off the bike, and never, ever go inside the hospital where her parents used to work.

This was show more right on the border of too creepy for me. There's all the weird stuff inside the spill zone, including the zombie-like remains of some of the townspeople (our heroine charmingly refers to them as "meat puppets"), and also a possibly evil sentient doll who only communicates with Lexa. But it's a compelling story, so I powered through (in the bright daylight -- this is definitely not bedtime reading for me!), only to find that this first volume ends on a pretty substantial cliffhanger. It sets up for several storylines that will continue in the next volume, including the introduction of a character from North Korea, who escaped from a similar spill zone on the same night as the Poughkeepsie spill (coincidence? I think not). The next volume isn't out until July 2018; my advice is to wait until then to read it -- if creepy dolls and dystopian disasters are your thing. show less

Poughkeepsie, New York has become what Stephen King has described as The Bad Place. Three years ago something awful happened there. But for young photographer, Addison Merritt, it’s become the meal ticket for her younger sister and herself. Her pictures of the horrors inside the spill zone are their sole source of income since her parents were caught at the epicenter of the disaster.

Breaking through the National Guard check point on her motorcycle, she stops at an overlook above the city to muse.

Nobody knows what the Po’Town spill was, exactly.
A nanotech accident colliding with the local nuclear power plant?
An alien visitation? Something spilling from another world?
Most of the people who escaped don’t say much about what show more happened that night.
My little sister, Lexa, hasn’t uttered a sound since then.

But Lexa does hold conversations with her doll, Vespertine, and the doll answers back. Vespertine looks like a counterfeit Raggedy Ann with large button eyes, but she sounds more like Chucky. So when Addison goes into the spill zone to shoot pictures of corpses hanging in midair, swings that swing with no one in them, or nightmarish monsters Lexa presses her to take the doll along so Vespertine can get “recharged.”

In addition to a daring heroine and an evil doll, the setting, Poughkeepsie is a location already famous among readers of fantastic literature because science fiction author Harlan Ellison claimed that’s where he got his ideas. “There’s a post office box there. You send them three bucks and they send you an idea.” What better setting for a comic about reality gone awry? show less

Something mysterious has happened in the area that is now the Spill Zone. No one knows exactly what, and the only people who dare venture into the territory is the HAZMAT crew and Addie. Addie lives with her sister just outside the Spill Zone. Her parents are gone, taken by the bizarre and unexplained happenings of the zone. She doesn’t know what has happened to them, but now she must do whatever it takes to take care of herself and her younger sister Lexa.

Addie risks exposure to the Spill Zone, and takes photographs of the eeriest scenes, from what used to be her hometown. The Spill zone is full of strange and frightening creatures, not to mention potential traps and dangers. Addie sells her photographs to collectors in order to show more support herself and her sister. Lexa herself has changed since the Spill Zone happened, and she no longer speaks. The loss of her voice is a mystery to everyone, and because of the strangeness of it all Lexa’s only friends are her stuffed animals and dolls. Vespertine, her favorite raggedy doll is always by Lexa’s side, but there’s something not quite right about that doll.

When Addie receives an offer she can’t refuse, she risks her life and goes deeper into the Spill Zone than she has ever been before. Addie doesn’t know what she will find there, or what dangers she might accidently bring back home with her.

Scott Westerfeld has masterfully created a graphic novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. From just a few pages you, you are immediately “sucked” into the story, and you can’t help but worry about the strong willed and determined Addie. You hold your breath in hope that she will return home safely. The suspense is thick within these pages, and you know something dark is lurking just around the corner. Along with Alex Puvilland’s creepy and distinctive illustrations, the story truly comes to brilliant life.

The cliffhanger at the end had me literally screaming “NOOOOOO”! I was not ready for the story to stop, and I need to know what happens next ASAP. Will Addie be okay? Will Lexa speak? What’s up with the creepy doll? I highly recommend this graphic novel to lovers of sci-fi and suspense. Anyone looking for something new, different and special will not be disappointed by the creativity flowing out of this story. show less

Spill Zone is about Addison and her little sister Lexa, two of the survivors of a horrible something that happened in Poughkeepsie, New York. They now live alone/together in a cordoned-off area just outside the abandoned not-exactly-a-ghost-town. Lexa doesn't speak and Addison financially supports them by sneaking back into town and taking pictures of the derelict buildings and frightful creatures -- but never the people who have been left behind, the ones who hang almost-lifeless in the air with creepily glowing eyes.

In a time where we now have to face the possible prospect of nuclear war, a town that has been destroyed by some sort of bizarre radioactive substance is not the easiest subject to read about. But Addison's story is show more compelling, Lexa's is perplexing, and this book definitely will leave readers yearning to know what happens next. I did have to tell my son (almost 13) that he couldn't read this book. He asked if it was because of blood but, no, it was because of the super high amount of foul language. It seemed entirely appropriate for the plot and the characters but it's not something I would put in front of a tween or younger teen. This one definitely skews older YA or adult even.

http://webereading.com/2017/05/spill-zone-and-decelerate-blue-or-ya.html show less

I think I have already read this one, but I don't have a record of that, so leave it at maybe. Of course, this one didn't get logged last week when read, because they get knocked out in one quick sitting, then immediately on to the next thing. Volume 2 is out now, so a refresher was necessary. Like Paper Girls and Lumberjanes, strange things are afoot and it could be anything. It is so gratifying to read about girls having adventures just like they are real people. Kudos for Westerfeld who puts female and minority characters front and center, without making it the point. If I can get #2, I'm going to use it for my New Release.

Puvilland has different styles and palettes that set off the sheer strangeness of what Poughkeepsie has become. show more Approaching it from the woods in particular puts me in mind of footage from Chernobyl twenty years later.

Library copy show less

I tried to read this slower than I did, but I couldn't help myself. The story was full of mystery and adrenaline. I want more! I hope #2 isn't far behind.

I love the world that Westerfeld built in the Zone. The untied phenomenon that occurs around every turn in the exposed town. I also like that there wasn't a dire need to tie all those loose ends by the end of the story. In a good way, I am left with more questions than answers. But in this case, I would call that 'intrigue'.

As for the illustrator, Alex Puvilland did a wonderful job with the story. The faces of the characters seem to be the least detailed of everything drawn, very minimalistic. But aside from that the way that Puvilland drew motion and large scenes were incredible. show more Great use of space and linework. The vertical spread on pages 147, 148 is my favorite in the story. The color Hilary Sycamore added married very well with the linework and story. So many awesome color combinations were added to the Zone so as to further push the boundaries of "weird".

This will easily go into my collection of beloved comics. I eagerly await a sequel! show less

Pros: atmospheric, interesting characters, intriguing story

Cons: a little slow

No one knows what caused the Spill Zone, but its dangers are numerous. Addison supports herself and her younger sister by sneaking into her old hometown, now a quarantine zone, and selling the pictures she takes. She stays safe by obeying a set of rules. Now she’s offered a large sum of money to bring something back from the zone, but it means breaking the rules…

This is the first volume and so mostly sets up the spill zone and the characters. It’s a bit slow, but that’s due to the many panelled atmospheric nature of the artwork. While the artwork wasn’t entirely to my liking, it does embody the post-apocalyptic feel of the city and the creepy stuff show more going on inside it. It’s also highly expressive, showing a lot of motion and emotion.

Addison’s pretty interesting as a protagonist, gutsy if not terribly business savvy. Her obvious love for her sister shines through. I have to admit, I’m most intrigued by Vespertine, her sister’s telepathic, snarky doll.

The story ends with several mysteries introduced and I’m very curious to see what happens next. show less