Rachel Rising

Rachel Rising
Cover to issue #13, featuring (l-r)Rachel, Jet, and Zoe art by Terry Moore
Publication information
Publisher	Abstract Studios
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing
Genre	Horror
Publication date	August 2011 – May 2016
Number of issues	42
Main character(s)	Rachel Beck
Creative team
Writer(s)	Terry Moore
Artist(s)	Terry Moore
Collected editions
The Shadow of Death
Fear No Malus
Cemetery Songs
Winter Graves
Night Cometh
Secrets Kept
Dust to Dust
Omnibus

Rachel Rising is a 42-issue American comic book series created by Terry Moore and published through Abstract Studios. The first issue was released on August 3, 2011, to positive reviews. Reviewers sometimes criticized the pace later in the run, but the series won industry awards throughout its publication. Plans for a television adaptation were announced April 17, 2013, but was still in the scripting stage in 2015.

The story follows Rachel Beck, a young woman who wakes up in a shallow grave after being strangled. She does not remember the circumstances of the attack, but begins trying to solve her attempted murder with the help of her Aunt Johnny and close friend Jet. Their investigation soon gets put on hold when they learn of a plot to destroy their town through witchcraft and demonic spirits. The women ally with Zoe, a young girl who was possessed by a demon for nearly fifty years. Together, the women save the town and Rachel finds her killer.

Moore initially had the idea for Rachel Beck, then called "deadgirl", while he was writing Birds of Prey for DC Comics in 2002, but left that series before introducing her. He held onto the concept for nine years before turning her into the protagonist of a horror series.

The first issue was released August 3, 2011, and quickly sold out at the distributor level, prompting Moore to announce a second printing eight days later. A third printing of the first issue was released for the 2014 Halloween ComicFest. New issues were released approximately six weeks apart.

During a Twitter conversation with fellow comic writer Joe Hill in 2013, Moore mentioned sales of Rachel Rising had fallen and he may have to cancel it if they fell any further. Concerned fans responded by using the #SaveRachelRising hashtag in an effort to show support and promote the book. Afterwards the sales stopped falling, but they did not increase. In January 2016, Moore announced the series would end at issue 42.

Rachel Rising has been collected into a series of square bound paperbacks containing six issues each. The same day the first collection was released, The Walking Dead #95 included a promotional excerpt from Rachel Rising #1. A hardcover omnibus, Rachel Rising Black Edition, was made available to order at the 2016 Emerald City Comicon and through Moore's website. The 776-page book has an all-black cover and was limited to 750 copies, each signed by Moore. A standard edition omnibus was released in June 2016 with the same cover image as issue number one.