It’s hard to keep saying the same thing sometimes when a comic book series is so consistently good in terms of quality and storytelling. Originality is something that in this day and age is hard, but Generation Zero keeps firing on all cylinders. If this sounds like a little bit of fanboy speak, I won’t blame or. Generation Zero is exactly the sort of comic from Valiant that I love and is probably the most consistent book currently being written.
This time, the story is pretty simple, with nothing flamboyant or shocking, but it still manages an interesting plot twist that I didn’t see coming. It managed to surprise me as soon as it hit and shows that the team here understands how to really pace a story arc. As always, the reading this issue is easy, light and very fluid, with little problems, even if you don’t have an already solid background on the past events of this book.
There are no new characters, which was becoming an interesting characteristic of this series, but instead it gives us a clue on what happened before the actual events in city. Generation Zero #6 makes me think we’re in the middle of some grand conspiracy in which everyone is involved somehow, even those we think are innocent. This may be a reflection of our own real world, where nothing is as it seems a first sight.
The lack of action in this comic may be counterproductive for some readers, as it could turn into a slower paced book, but the concepts of justice, police, politics and family add a different point of view than what we are used to getting in comics. With Generation Zero #6, it’s clear that this is more than just entertainment for teens and adults. There is something deeper here that can clearly be seen.
And the art is on the same way, reflecting the characters’ emotions, feelings, and I’d even say their memories as well. There’s not enough material yet for this to be a real-world sort of art style, but it’s a great mix that works well with the story. The tones and general coloring match all of the events we see in this issue and lend a uniqueness to the book.
Also, as it’s becoming more usual in this comic, there are a couple of panels and pages in Generation Zero #6 that offer up an interesting proposal, with some real different points of view. The large amount of text in some cases could be an issue from some readers, but since it’s the first time it’s happened, we can forgive it for being a bit on the dense side.
I’m a little unsure about the next issue, as the art looks like it will be completely different from what we’ve seen in past chapters; simpler, more childish and colorful. I felt I was reading an unstable hybrid-creature between comic and manga for a much younger audience during the final pages. It makes sense in the story, but it still feels a little weird.
It’s great to see that the people at Valiant taking risks with Generation Zero #6, as the natural response is to keep doing the same thing. I’m not surprised, however, because the standard they have set is pretty high-quality. We just keep getting the same great quality storytelling and the same solid art since we got in issue #1. Generation Zero is on track to go down in history as something truly special.
5/5
“Superb”
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