Zero Volume 1: An Emergency TP (Zero 1)

Zero has gained a lot of buzz during the last several months. It’s typically described as a spy story with ruthless violence and a cold, detached protagonist. Its main claim to fame is that it features a different artist with each new issue.I’ll be honest. I’m not much for spy stories, but the book has garnered such acclaim, I figured I should give it a shot.I’m glad I did.First of all, yes, this is a spy story … sort of. I would actually tell you that it is a spy story with a heavy dose of subtle science fiction. In fact, while the street fights and the gunfights are graphic, violent, and disturbing, the heart of the story revolves around cybernetic enhancements, teleportation devices, and something I’m not going to give away. I like to think of Zero much the same as I think of Aliens—science fiction grounded in thrilling military realism.And, quite honestly, the revolving artist tool works tremendously. For the most part, each story is unique in terms of tone, content, and plot, and each individual artist fits those aspects perfectly. Zero has found an inventive, authentic way to get many artists involved on the title, and though I’m not sure this technique would work as well with mainstream comic books, it suits Zero well, especially because this single volume spans thirty-eight years.But, even after having said all of these positive things, I wasn’t sure until the very end of this first volume that I was hooked. I liked what I saw and read, but a book has to be very special indeed to warrant my following. The very last page, though … the very last page did it. That last page hooked me. I have to see where this title is going.

I continue to be amazed at how comic book writers can reinvent genres while Hollywood and network tv continues to recycle or run out of ideas, unless they use comics as their source material. Zero is an intelligent and thoughtfully crafted series that gives the reader an exciting twist on the spy genre. Do yourself a solid a read this right away. It is a better entertainment investment than an over priced movie ticket. I read a ton of comics that range from super to horror to sci-fi to crime noir. Read Zero before some bloated executive in Hollywood decides to destroy its integrity with a bad film or television adaptation. The art is solid and spread out across.some.of the best artists in comics today. I would compare the writing to classic Warren Ellis such as Global Frequency or his Storm Watch run. I may have to get the single issues now as I don't think I can wait for the next trade to find out where this story is going. Be warned, the cliffhanger is a boozy but an exciting WTF moment to ramp you up for.the rest of the series.

It's rare to find a writer who can tell a good story, much less synthesize war, technology, and very human (but not entirely) futures into a compelling, nuanced narrative.Ales Kot is one of these.If you're new to his work, or even comics in general, you'll find the self-encapsulated-but-connected-stories to be brutally honest, wonderfully strange and creative, utterly violent, and, somehow, altogether endearing. Zero, in all its parts and wholes, stays with you.In fact, I'd argue, that the series is close to mastering the comic book medium. How? An army of artists making their impact. Not just in visuals, but in style, in form, and in story. Each adds to every issue and the story overall.That's the value of having this volume in hand. You can see the evolution of the character, the story, the writer in one sitting. And then the nuance, the meaningful silences, in another.It's worth the read. (Again and again.)

Interesting and a bit unusual in the art style, I was quickly drawn in.The story is presented in a really cool way and I'm hooked now. The main character is not very sympathetic yet but you can see it going that way. I'm ok with him being an anti-hero and the situation feels like things could change drastically with the next book.The contains a lot of graphic violence and some sexual situations and nudity, so be aware of that before buying. I would put it at R level rating pretty easily. However, I wouldn't say it is gratuitous or included just for shock value, though some might see it that way.Looking forward to the next release!

The idea of a shooter sitting through the target's entire career story is just too implausible, although the building of the Zero character is well-done. Perhaps, without the framing device, the story may have held up. Also, this reader just wasn't in the mood for clearly added-for-effect sex and violence.

The change in artist from volume works well with the spy theme. The character changes as he needs to, and the art compliments this throughout. There's a theme of loneliness with one of the most gut wrenching panels I've seen since Scalped, Vol 3.

The first five issues of the series "Zero" collected in this paperback are deeply entertaining and beautifully presented. As a standalone read, this ~$10 book provides a lot to like and is a great way to get caught up on a currently published comic series. The plot is a interesting mix of suspenseful spy/science fiction and the various illustrators provide great presentations for the varying plot points. Overall, this is a great start to a series that provides much to look forward to in the world of comics.

Many recycled plot ideas from the spy vs spy & sci-fi genre but worth an hour of your time. A decent read with good pacing and script.

James Bond meets the twighlight zone the story of a trained assassin each one has a different artist this book is good but it gets progressively stranger as it goes on ales kot is a good writer but he's a bit of a acquired taste the first story has a particularly good fight between two augmented soldiers that's a lot of fun

So, this was bought on spec based on me reading a couple of issues of Ales Kot's frustratingly short run on DCs Suicide Squad. In those comics I realised I'd found a writer with a good voice and an interesting take on the characters he was working with. I had no idea what to expect from 'Zero' and after reading the first volume I am far from disappointed. This is one of 'THE' books to be seen reading; it's cooler than cool, ice cold in fact.Volume One collect the first five issues of the ongoing series and each issue is a self-contained story.To say too much about the story is to give it away completely and remove the pleasure of discovering it for the first time. What you get, though, is a mosaic that will, over-time, become more and more complex, losing you in the minutiae. Eventually, when there are enough tesserae you will be able to pull back and see the finished picture.Do yourself a favour and buy this, read it and be swept along by it all.

Fine series from Ales Kot, and we're only part way there yet.A spy saga for the current century, other espionage and thriller series just fade in comparison. Tightly written and drawn by a fine rota of artists. If this is anything to go by, you should watch out for Kot's other work coming up elsewhere. I can see why Marvel have hired him for Secret Avengers on the back of this.

Led me down the garden path initially, only to slowly make you realise things are not what they seem...Poignant meditation on violence and how it travels through history.

Ales Kot is a huge new talent in the field and this is arguably his best book. Intelligent, thought provoking, some amazing action set pieces all interspersed with black humour. Could not recommend more highly.