Written by: Ales Kot
Art by: Tonci Zonjic
Publisher: Image
This was another strong issue from Kot on what has become one of most eagerly awaited series that Image is putting out there at the moment.
Every issue has the feel of a one-shot yet there is some underlying story that seems to be developing and it is this first issue of the new arc that takes the reader out of the present and in to the past that makes me think a story is being weaved that we might be about to veer from the one-shot style.
We saw last issue Zizek, Zero’s former handler, is dead, this issue we go back 27 years and we see a younger version of Zizek working for the agency in the midst of what appears to be an arms race. It is a nice version of Zizek, one that appears to be less corrupted and more personable. He appeared to have feelings for individuals, or at least one individual, and it is this that drove this issue.
The issue was very clever. It showed us a side to Zizek we hadn’t seen and it seems to show us why Zizek is the way he is in the first 8 issues, that this event 27 years prior to last issue changed him forever.
As expected, an issue set 27 years ago has no Edward Zero in it, so it would be nice to see him back in the next issue as we haven’t really seen much of him in the past few issues, and I can only assume this is not the end of Zizek in the series, otherwise I question what was the point of kicking off a new arc with this story.
This was a great issue with fantastic storytelling. This is what this book has been about since the beginning, and it is why readers keep coming back. Most one-shot books don’t hold an audience but this one does for the simple reason that Kot writes it so well and the book always looks great no matter who is on art.
Any fan of spy thrillers should be reading this book, and this perhaps is a time to jump on the book, but those of you that will jump on, I urge you to go binge on the first 8 issues as they are true masterpieces and you will appreciate this issue even more so.
