The Fallibility Of Memory: Ruby Falls #4 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Blair and Lana propel into the Ruby Falls caves to search for Lana’s grandmother, Clara. Lana explains to Blair what Clara always said about memories and Lana’s recent fights with her mother. Blair points out what one of the root causes may be to Lana’s chagrin. In the depths of the cave, Clara is waiting with the man sent by Marty Byrne to kill her. They send Queenie the dog to go find rescue while Clara begins to pickax away at a potential exit. Back in town, Ruby Falls is still on the hunt for Clara and Lana’s parents debate about what to do with Lana and her current aimless path.
Ruby Falls #4 brings this Berger Books mini-series to a close. The hunt for Clara reaches its conclusion, with the fate of the old woman and her memories on the line.
It also finds Lana confronting some of her greatest personal flaws and how they may be keeping her from building a life for herself. It’s a deeply personal journey for everyone involved, and that allows it to be especially connective for the reader.
Memories are the central theme of the book–how we interpret our memories and how we preserve and destroy them. Lana is questioning her own memories and Clara’s memory is failing her to the point that she’s taken on a completely new personality.
The conclusion to this thematic exploration is that memories are important and keep us honest, but they also serve a purpose–they should be used as needed to help us keep going and survive.
Flavia Biondi’s artwork is absolutely gorgeous. The world of Ruby Falls is full of personality and life. Blair, Lana, and Clara are very expressive characters. The fluidity of gender is another central theme of the book and Biondi’s work visualizes this concept with aplomb. Lee Loughridge brings it home with a vibrant, yet balanced color palette that adds to the beauty of the book.
Ruby Falls #4 is a beautiful conclusion to this mini-series. Ann Nocenti has scripted a beautiful yet tragic tale for the denizens of Ruby Falls, and we get to see how each of them cope with failing memories and missing family. It’s an excellent read and earns a recommendation. Feel free to give it a read.
Ruby Falls #4 comes to us from writer Ann Nocenti, artist and cover artist Flavia Biondi, color artist Lee Loughridge, and letterer Sal Cipriano.
Final Score: 8.5/10