Review by C.J. Bunce

After Netflix’s cancellation of the brilliant suspense thriller series Archive 81, we’ll take more of the look and feel of the series any way we can.  And that includes in comic book form.  Writer Christopher Sebela (I Lived in a Clown Motel, Cool Dog Named Zola), artist Hayden Sherman (John Carter), and colorist Nick Filardi (Rogue Planet) seem to have something similar underway in their new Oni Press monthly series, Blink.  The story is one part found-footage trope, and the rest reminds readers why sometimes it’s best not to ask questions about past secrets in that “be careful what you wish for” kind of way.  The first issue delivers a promising beginning for fans of suspense-horror comics.

From the publisher:

Wren Booker was three when she was found catatonic and covered in blood on the streets of New York.  Since that day, she’s been haunted by a childhood she can’t remember.  After decades of searching, Wren stumbles upon a cryptic website streaming multiple CCT feeds from strange rooms in a ruined building and something clicks, setting off hidden memories that lead her back to a place she’s seen in lifelong nightmares.  Hunting for answers, Wren breaks into the building, but instead finds herself entangled in the camera-filled dark mazes of a decayed social experiment known only as BLINK.

Wren’s character is too deep, dark, and detailed not to be at least partially autobiographical for the writer, which is what makes this story different from Archive 81, a story about a quiet young man haunted by ghosts from his past and a mystery involving found video footage taken in an apartment complex related to those ghosts.  It also has a person who wants to film it and questions are raised about whether there’s some religious cult behind it all.  All those components are part of what Sebela is developing in his story.

Here are some pages from the first issue:

If you love a good suspense thriller, add Blink to your comic shop pull list at Elite Comics or your local shop now.  This looks to be a good series.  Look for Issue #1 arriving July 27, 2022.