Zero, Vol. 1 An Emergency – Review

by Ales Kot (Writer), Michael Walsh, Tradd Moore, Mateus Santolouco, Morgan Jeske, Will Tempest (Artists), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

There are some times in a comic’s enthusiast life when we take chances. Perhaps it’s because of good reviews, because we liked what we saw of the writer prior to reading this, because of a low price points or whichever reason is best, but we just try something new. It might turn out to be a disappointing affair, something that did sound good in terms of concept, yet the execution is somehow lacking. Taking chances doesn’t automatically mean the experience will be good.

However, there are other times when the best happen, when a certain leap of faith gets rewarded in ways that could not be anticipated in the slightest. It becomes something almost transcendental, upon which untold riches can now be seen.

The latter is how my experience with the first trade of Ales Kot’s Zero can be summarized. With but the recommendation of one of the employee where I buy my comics to base myself upon and the 9.99$ price to encourage my purchase, I went blindly and found something spectacular.

Zero is a comic about Edward Zero, a secret agent, a spy if you will, that works for an agency unoriginally called The Agency. His story, which starts in 2018 and then ends in 2038, is told in various moments throughout his carrier, with several moments in the first five issues showing just where he ends up in 2038. With the trade comprising of the first five issues which all tell a complete tale, Kot is able to bring a lot to the character of Edward Zero, about who he is and what he does.

The Witching Hour #1 – Review

By: Too many to list—or even to review.  Just check out the issue.

The Story: Will you catch any of these folks speaking with the devil?

The Review: These Vertigo showcases are proof positive that there really are an endless number of ways to look at the world, or even just one thing in it.  Both Ghosts and Time Warp offered stories that dealt with actual spirits and time-travel, but just as many stories that explored spirits and time as concepts, and a few that struck at the subjects on both a literal and figurative level.  It’s pretty amazing to see what the imagination will dream up when prompted.

Take Brett Lewis’ “Mars to Stay,” which in both substance and form resembles less like anything having to do with witches and more like a hard piece of science-fiction—the hardest kind, given how Lewis doesn’t take too many liberties with the fiction to deliver science that actually falls within the realm of possibility, if you have a cynical view of the way people work.  Maybe that’s where the witchcraft lies, in the slow, creeping way that the stranded crew’s psyches break down, as if infected with a curse.  Either way, it’s an impactful, haunting tale, despite having no clear connection to magical women whatsoever (and it doesn’t hurt that you get Cliff Chiang’s starkly sharp art illustrating the whole thing).

Change #1 – Review

By: Ales Kot (writer), Morgan Jeske (art), Sloane Leong and Ed Brisson

The Story: I’m honestly not sure….

Quick review: This just isn’t a comic for me.  I know that there are people who like this sort of story and I know that I should just agree to disagree with those people.   But deep inside I wonder what the hell is wrong with people who enjoy these oblique and impenetrable stories.

The beginning of the end (for me) happened early in this comic where we have a lovely splash-page showing a cityscape and narration boxes that say, “This is a tale of beginnings and ends, and all that lies between.  This is a tale of becoming, for forgiveness, or moving on.  This is a tale of me…and you.”  Ugh.  I just can’t abide this type of storytelling.  I could write 1000 words about how weak it is to warn us that you’re about to tell a seriously deep story and that we need to pay attention or else we’ll miss it.  I don’t have a problem with deep stories or stories that make you “work for it”, but I DO have a problem with writers who feel the need to announce the impending deepness with flourishes of jiber-jaber language.  Get over yourself and just tell the damn story…