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.