Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Ramon Rosanas
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover Artist: Kaare Andrews
Year Zero is the fifth miniseries from creator-emphatic publisher AWA. From writer Benjamin Percy (Green Arrow, X-Force, Wolverine) and artist Ramon Rosanas (Astonishing Ant-Man, Mighty Captain Marvel), Year Zero blends a hefty dose of Stephen King’s The Stand with a sprinkling of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead.
Beginning on a research base in Antarctica, the story works its way around the globe as it explores five unique individuals from backgrounds differing as much ideologically, theologically, professionally, and economically as they do geographically. The only thing they have in common now is that the majority of Earth’s inhabitants have been infected with a disease, and they must rely on themselves to figure out how to prevent this from being humanity’s “final chapter.”
Percy’s writing gives each character a unique voice, further distinguishing them from the others. Meanwhile, Rosanas’s art is full of detail, giving each locale a distinct look and rarely allowing a panel’s background to be filled with simply a solid color. Even when they are, Loughridge’s colors lend a particular palette to every location, giving yet another layer of distinction between the characters and their settings.
Year Zero #1 offers a promising introduction to a five-issue miniseries that takes a global approach to a pandemic apocalypse from the eyes of a few individuals. Although the timing of the subject matter is an unfortunate coincidence (the book was originally due out April 1st, with an appended letter from the writer dated March 3rd), the series seems like it will focus much more intently on the characters than the pandemic surrounding them. If you haven’t gotten sick of that p-term yet, and you’ve enjoyed any of the other work from these creators, this book is worth checking out.
Review by Andrew Fellner