Terry Moore has referred to Rachel Rising #12 as a sort of Season 1 finale for the series. It's not hard to understand why. These past two issues have delivered a number of critical answers regarding the deeper mythology of the book while also dredging up plenty of new questions in return. Issue #12 offers a particularly enjoyable blend of revelations and quiet character moments.
This month, Moore sheds much more light on the demon Malus that is currently inhabiting Jet's body and what it wants from young Zoe. One of the more enjoyable qualities of this book is that every character has the potential to surprise you and cast themselves in a different light from one issue to the next. Such is the case with Zoe here. But perhaps my favorite scene involved Earl of all characters. Though a relatively minor presence in the book overall, his love for and loyalty to Jet is endearing. The issue carries a sad, wistful quality, as bad things continue to happen to good people and the general sense of darkness in the town of Manson grows. But Moore sets the stage for the conflict to come, and it's not all darkness and depression.