ALiS 1 - First Impressions

First Impressions is the 1st published story in Another Life in Strangeverse. It was published on November 2 2012.

Plot Synopsis
The comic begins with Ed have a fractured dream of his past lives before he wakes up and finds himself being interrogated by a mysterious stranger (The Mediator). He is informed that he was apprehended hijacking a bus and crashing. Ed claims to have no knowledge of this event. The Mediator the informs Ed that his mother has disowned him and wants nothing to do with him anymore.

Heartbroken and shellshocked, Ed sits outside and thinks about what to do next. From the surrounding garbage a strange creature (Dirge) emerges and proclaims itself to be the "Trash King". Ed and Dirge talk for a while until Ed decides to leave and figure out what to do next with his life. Dirge then tells him that he has nobody to go home to either and that he has been outside the building that Ed woke up in for several days. Ed then asks him if he wants to tag along.

Dirge agrees and as they make their way into the desert Ed names his new companion Dirge.

Trivia

 * It seems fitting that the first thing we see is Ed's fracture recollection of his past incarnations since it will be a major plot point in later stories.
 * Ironically the story is named "First Impressions" and yet this as far from Dirge and Ed's first impression of each other as it could be. They've met before in countless lives.
 * "First Impressions" has always been the name of the "first" story featuring Dirge and Ed. Azriel Black has stated that he often tried to kick off the series with Dirge and Ed meeting each other but he was never happy with it.
 * When Dirge emerges from the trash heap you can see Ed's helmet fly out of it. This helmet can be spotted in the fractured dream in the first panel as well as in the series' banner.
 * One of Ed's memories is of him holding Maggie as she seems to be bleeding from her stomach. In comic 43 you can see another fractured memory of her smiling towards Ed while Sceritus stands behind her aiming a gun at her. These two memories are directly linked.
 * Maggie can be spotted in two different memories in the first panel.
 * An early incarnation of Dirge and Ed as lame-ass superheroes can also be spotted in one of the memories.
 * A character named Grom can be spotted close to the lower right corner of the fractured memories. He also appears again in comic 21. He has also been reincarnated with Dirge, Ed and Maggie several times.
 * In one of the panels, in the background you can see a sign that reads: "Warning! Kick-Ass Nuclear Beach Party! You're not invited".
 * The birds in the last panel have four wings.