Mature action/drama.

Going back to 1984, this series represents Richard Moore’s first fully realized comic story. After experimenting with fine art and screenwriting, Moore went back to his old hobby of comics, but this time he was creating them. This method of storytelling was the most expedient way of getting the manifold stories of his hyperactive imagination out to an audience. Movie-making was so cost-prohibitive that it might be many years before any of his stories saw public awareness, if ever. Comics represented the next best solution for getting the ideas out to others. It also allowed for tremendous creative freedom since even a film director cannot control every tiny element of a motion picture by himself. Comics however allowed Moore to work by himself and present the finished product as he saw fit.

That did not mean though that they would be published immediately. Deja Vu sat on a shelf for 6 years awaiting publication. Finally in the Fall of 1994 it made it and we can look on this to see where Moore began and see how he has progressed in the mean time. The amazing part of it is that this freshman effort while having some rough edges and a few unconventional methods, (Moore had not read any comic books since the mid to early 80’s and was not using any other work as a template. This was a comic done in a virtual vacuum.) is a notable success when compared to many of today’s brightest comic stars’ first works.

Deja Vu tells the story of a highly powerful and rather evil-minded witch who discovers that she doesn’t like who she is and throws away the greatest part of her power to live as a decent person. Due to her long life of bad deeds and fantastic adventures however she has made a long list of powerful adversaries who would like very much to get their hands on the now vulnerable spell-caster. So now accompanied by her familiar Beowulf (He seems to like just ‘Wulf.) she assumes the role of a nameless drifter. Sadly however the cosmic forces which she commanded in her earlier life still seem to be drawn toward her as if she were still a vortex for the strange and magical. How she deals with the bizarre and awesome creatures she encounters now that she is little more than a homeless illusionist is the centerpiece of the tale.

As with most of Moore’s work this is a mature title which does not shy away from adult language and sexuality. Our beautiful witch uses her charm to her advantage whenever necessary and benefits from not only her familiar’s shape changing ability but her own personal extra-dimensional wardrobe. A hidey-hole of sorts from which she can retrieve some of the belongings that make her life easier or safer. Other than these things and a few low level magical spells, she’s on her own in the big bad world.

Deja Vu is a two issue limited series published by Radio Comix. Copyright © 2001 Richard Moore. For Mature readers only.