Zeb Larson reviews Transference #1…
Colton Moss and his elite team of special agents run counter-terrorism operations utilizing a secret form of time travel technology called “transference,” which enables them to send their consciousnesses back in time – but, when Colton’s past is altered to reshape his life in the present, he discovers this technology isn’t as exclusive as he thought. Now Colton must prevent a large-scale insurgency in the U.S. – and do so in the transference-past, where a terrorist’s consciousness could be in any body, so everybody is a potential suspect.
Transference feels familiar, in part because it shares so much thematic territory with all time-travel media. A group of government agents led by Colton Moss lead counter-terrorism operations by projecting their consciousness back in time, but now a terrorist has found the technology for himself. In the process, Colton’s personal life has begun to unravel as changes are made to his life. While the book shares common ground with series like 24, Moreci’s writing helps to elevate a familiar premise with a believable main character and questions about what is real and what has changed. I will be discussing spoilers in this review, so consider yourself forewarned.
In September of 2014, Colton and his team witness a train bombing outside Paris that did not happen in their timeline. In the present-day 2015, Colton rejects an offer from a wealthy businessman to reunite him with his wife in the past: most of their funding comes from private sources. Colton goes home and finds both his wife and son gone, and to his shock, a bottle of scotch in the fridge. Something’s different, which he confirms when he finds out that he and his wife are separated. Bigger problems are on the horizon, though. The inventor of this technology, long thought dead, is actually alive and in the hands of a terrorist named Fasad, and Colton and his team only find an empty machine in his compound. The train bombing was just a message and a prelude.
On its face, this is a story that’s been told before. Don’t get me wrong, time-travel stories are commonly told because they’re entertaining, and this is no exception. If you’re a fan of Moreci’s other books though, especially Roche Limit, this book will feel a lot less heady and abstract. Yet the fact that it’s not so philosophical in tone is not a bad thing, and there are some nuances injected into the story to give it depth. Is Colton an entirely reliable viewpoint? He obviously has a problem with alcohol, has problems sleeping, and is misremembering details of his life. Even if it’s not in his head, it’s clear that his life is being unraveled. How much is Colton going to be able to trust?
Even the concept of transference is a wrinkle on other-time travel stories, because Colton and his team inhabit other people’s bodies. Is transference a one-way road, or is it having effects on the travelers as well? And if Fasad can inhabit anybody’s body, Colton and his team can’t just look for a specific person. It’s not so simple as an episode of 24: this is going to require a lot of detective work to solve. And for a protagonist who’s already unsure about his own life, he’s about to become deeply paranoid about just who he can trust.
This was a strong opening issue. How Colton will react to these revelations, and how his team reacts should make the second issue just as strong.
Rating: 8.5/10
Zeb Larson
https://youtu.be/IWWtOQOZSTI?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published July 7, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
