Comics
[Comic Book Review] “Zero” #13 Brings Us Back To The Beginning
And so, we go back to the start. After the stunningly gruesome visuals Adam Gorham provided last month, Ales Kot returns to “Zero” #13 with the help of illustrator Alberto Pontecelli to pick up right where we left off.
WRITTEN BY: Ales Kot
ART BY: Alberto Pontecelli
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: December 17, 2014
Reviewed by Nick Brehmer
Issue #12 saw Agent Zero investigate a quarantined house where child-agent, Chaz, was hiding out. It would appear that Chaz, like Zero, suffers from severe mental instability and may have released a chemical weapon in order to “preserve” his parents. the toxicity of which appears to have no effect Agency members. Upon his return to the Agency, Zero learns that Chaz was leaking Agency information and, according to Agency chief, Sara Cooke, he wasn’t the first. The child recruitment program has to end. With that, Edward Zero’s complete file is handed over and details of his history are revealed. Unbeknownst to the Agency, a very real threat was waiting outside the Agency headquarters.
Issue #13, entitled “Farewell”, has the headquarters in full lockdown as a squad of biomodified soldiers has infiltrated the building. The soldiers are outfitted with the same iron-man-esque blue chest lamp that was introduced to us all the way back in issue #1. As you may recall, we first met agent Edward Zero as he was trailing a biomodified Palestinian terrorist who was equipped with stolen Agency technology. The fear was that the Israeli army would get their hands on it before it could be recollected by the Agency. Naturally, agent Zero didn’t let that happen…or so we thought. Sara Cooke understands that the attack could have been orchestrated by a number of Agency threats, but the destruction of sensitive Agency data and the preservation of the child agents are of utmost importance now. However, a ghost from Beit Hanoun stands in the way.
13 issues in and what’s most evident is how much of a master Kot is through his narrative direction. Along with his team of artists, he has managed to create stunning levels of intrigue, grit, and emotion throughout the series. This issue is just one of many which creates a remarkable cinematic flow through its panel progression, often with minimal-to-no expository text. Pontecelli’s work is tireless – you can practically here the blood vessels break and the bones shatter during the fight-scene in the latter part of the issue. My only hope is that issue #14 picks up right away again. I need to know.
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A product of the harsh lands of Northern Ontario, Nick Brehmer is in fact a sensitive flower currently blooming in the GTA. He spends his downtime wishing he was British. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @nicholasbrehmer
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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