Comic Books

Is It Good? Zero #3 Review

November 20, 2013

So, I’m taking over for Jordan this week with reviewing Zero. That’s right, with no idea what this book is about and without reading either of the first two issues I am attempting to review this issue. Why would I do this? Who knows. Is it good? Let’s find out.

Zero #3 (Image Comics)

Check out our review of issue #2 here.

I honestly have no experience in the spy genre, so this book was a look into a whole new world. And I have to say, I enjoyed this mystical new land. This story takes place at a terrorist fundraiser, so to speak, something I don’t think exists in real life, but an interesting concept. We take no time to get to know the bad guy, Ginsberg Nova, but that actually works to the book’s benefit, making him a more mysterious, interesting villain.

This book is focused heavily on the relationship between protagonist Zero and his partner (are they in any kind of relationship?), Mina. I sense a really interesting bond between the two of them but can’t exactly describe it, it’s somewhere between incredibly close friends and lovers. They are dynamic in the field together and captivating heroes.

The story itself isn’t bad either. It’s from what I can tell a one-in-done story, although I’m not sure the effects of it won’t be felt in future issues. The fact that it isn’t part of an arc makes it much more fun, putting less weight on the writer for thinking about how it will translate into an overall narrative but rather lets him cram as much action and fun into one issue. This is definitely a compelling story in and of itself.

Oh, the artwork! An array of vibrant and sophisticated colors were splattered all over this issue making it lively and intense, and giving it a completely different feel than anything currently on the shelves. The line work is intricate and crisp; no detail was spared when drawing this comic. This comic really couldn’t look any better.

Ales Kot does a great job on every written aspect of this comic, from the dialogue to Zero’s thoughts. Everything sounds real enough while maintaining the crazy, unreal atmosphere. While I am often not a fan of inner monologue (it tends to feel cheesy), Zero’s thoughts are translated well into comic format. There is that Batman-esque sense of “scanning the room” but also a good amount of humor and wit.

I wonder is Ales Kot can keep this pace up. Would it be placing my expectations too high if I asked for done-in-ones this good every time? I think that there is a lot of potential here, and I really hope the remaining issues are just as good, if not better.