“Reunited, and it feels so good…”
That’s at least what Ancestral Recall would have us believe as we enter the fourth and penultimate issue from creators Jordan Clark and Atagun Ilhan. And, on one level, it’s about dang time: Melvin and June have been the very heart and soul of this time-hopping, existential exploration of art, identity, technology, and the arc of the Black experience, and they deserve a some quality time. And as the first three issues worked organically toward this inevitable reunion, it was meant to feel earned and significant for everything that human core does for this multifaceted story experience.
But don’t start dancing just yet, Peaches and/or Herb— Ancestral Recall has its own way of reuniting our love birds while setting up even bigger stakes for the grand finale.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
After smashing their way through the twisting roads of the Bay Area, and battling fierce robot dogs along the way, Melvin and Myran found themselves at the door of MLC hoping to find June. (Bad news: She’s in the dang future!) Issue #4, then, drops us right into the action as the Warings are basically locked into some VR machine (like The Matrix meets Tranquility Lane, really) that, for reasons that are best discovered on your own, replays the pair’s love affair.
Again, it certainly fits with the hyper-emotional focus that began in issue #3, where it felt like the balance between the personal and the socio-political leaned oh-so closer to the former. And that’s even more so the case here as their adorable story as a couple really hits on some big ideas as it marries the personal with these distinctly larger trends and ideas. The end result is a profound rush of intimacy super-charged with something so much bigger still. It’s not just a romance, but a microcosm of Black people and their lives over the last 50-plus years.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
I don’t want to spoil too much of this part of the story as it really is this uber charming, effortlessly spun tale about the hard, hard work of two people forging a life together. We learn a little more about why Melvin is so shy and closed off, and that feels like a powerful message regarding the Black community’s “relationship” (perceived and otherwise) with mental health. (Again, though, in a way that feels earnest and gentle, a “lecture” filtered through the intimacy of two people.)
We also get to explore how Melvin’s “disposition” is affected by the criticisms of his art, and the often single-minded views of critics. (There’s an exchange with June and a journalist that singularly exemplifies her power and role as buffer for Melvin in a deeply satisfying interaction.) The criticism aspect, then, really speaks to other key aspects of being Black in America, and how there are things happening that not all of us can (white people) experience but maybe ought to at least try and understand/embrace.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
And that’s really the best tone and speed for Ancestral Recall: It’s close to the ground (the lives of just two people) but these critiques, warnings, declarations, etc. truly ring with a universal heft; it’s the world shaped into two imperfect people. It’s not about bashing people in the face (even if some of us need it), but rather showing us that there are no monoliths here — just people experiencing their lives in the best way they can. And those stories are worth paying attention to because they ring with a love, honesty, and firmness that everyone should care about when choosing their favorite stories.
It’s never, ever about divorcing this from the Black experience (Ancestral Recall never shies away from what it is at its core). Rather, it’s about showing the connective might of a people and what it’s worth it for all of us to let these stories shine. You never know what joy and life lessons they have to offer every single one of us.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
It’s a certain cadence and general approach that’s augmented by the art team (with Ilhan joined by colorist Pippa Bowland and letterer Rob Steen). As we spend the bulk of the issue slow-dancing across the Warings’ life, we see decades of life and love forged. And I got a real sense of anachronism occurring, as if styles from one era bled into another. Or, that things are more or less modern/”old” in ways that can initially seem disarming. And that to me felt quite deliberate: If you’ve been with anyone long enough, you know that time just sort of blurs together — it’s a function of a brain trying to hold onto a lifetime’s worth of memories.
And so in that way, it also feels like another layer to the real and true love between Melvin and June. At the same time, given this book’s interest in AI/technology, it feels like a pointed commentary about life in the digital age, and how things can feel warped or shaped by these outside forces. (Or, that our memories are affected by these devices and platforms in ways we can’t yet fully understand.)
Either way, it’s the art not only doing things for the narrative to a level that this “aspect” can’t always achieve, but it manages to balance similarly huge themes without overpowering the purity of the June-Melvin story. And from day one that was a real concern, but now I see Ancestral Recall has always had a master plan to address this technology as well keep the spotlight on the sheer humanity. Few books can do what it has so perfectly: Meld story and visuals, duh, but let each aspect really shine in a thoughtful, complimentary way to show the depths of this story’s heart and inventiveness.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
And speaking of that very “merging” effect, the end of the issue provides us with yet another great moment: a proper Kung fu battle. (It’s also a pretty overt reference to The Matrix, and that is just another way in which Ancestral Recall demonstrates its own ability to channel some “elders” in interesting ways.) Here, Melvin meets up with Doctor Moses Powell and Grandmaster Ronald Duncan, and more than learning how to beat up robot dogs, the arc of this whole story becomes increasingly clear following their session in the dojo.
Yes, it’s a decidedly refreshing breather from an extra poignant issue that tackles, among other things, anxiety and how your problems affect your relationship. (I’d genuinely read a whole book of Melvin just kicking and slamming robot dogs like some zen Bruce Lee. It’s just that rich and satisfying.) But mostly, it makes clear that this book is about fighting. Real, proper, meaningful fights, folks.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
Knowing who you are, and what you are (or are not) capable, how will you fight for yourself, your community, and the ones you love? If you are afraid of the world, and it’s very real threats, how do you move forward with true intent and purpose? And could you face your biggest fears if you knew even one person had your back? These are all questions facing Melvin as he makes one big final move toward the conclusion.
I don’t have the answers, but neither does he, and in that way we’re all together on this strange and wondrous journey through art, technology, culture, and love itself. It’s just one reason why Ancestral Recall is so special, and why no matter what happens in issue #5, this book has been a magical deep dive into the center of life itself.
Now sing it with me: “There’s one perfect fit/And, sugar, this one is it.”
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