I know nothing about Kamen Rider. I’ve seen the character but don’t know the story, powers, really anything. So, going into Kamen Rider Zero-One #1, I was hoping I’d find a comic that balances introducing the character and world to new readers while entertaining long time fans. What It felt like was being thrown into the deep end.
Written by Brandon Easton, Kamen Rider Zero-One #1 is an interesting debut in that it feels like you’ve missed a lot of the story. Arturo has inherited a company from his grandfather and with it some sort of supersuit. There’s others that have similar suits too. Then there’s some beam that downloads the suits powers but also disks to do that as well? It’s all there for these who want to parse the issue but as presented, this is a beginning that feels geared towards those that are familiar with the property.
Kamen Rider Zero-One #1 drops us into the story as Arturo is grilled for the damage that his battles have done, which we haven’t seen. But, he’s thrown into a mysterious conflict with a new villain Rangarok. What is Ragnarok? You can read the comic as Arturo’s assistant explains everything in detail, which feels rather odd since a lot of the characters and concept of the comic itself is not. Kamen Rider Zero-One #1 is plagued by over explanation in some aspects and not enough in other. The fact there’s too much at times highlights the need for more when it comes to the basics of the comic. The new villain is interesting enough and the designs stand out but overall, something doesn’t click here.
The art by Hendry Prasetya is nice. The page layouts really stand out bringing the kinetic feel that manga and anime is known for. The characters look solid, especially Rangarok, as they battle it out in a duel like feel. The comic looks good.
But, looks aren’t everything as Kamen Rider Zero-One #1 has a choppy feel overall like you’re constantly missing details. A mysterious person just stands and watches the battle and is given one thing to say, as if we’re supposed to know who they are. The backstory is explained multiple times but done so in a way that feels like a book report. There’s a stiffness to the narrative that could be part of the charm of the original releases but for a new comic, this is one those new to Kamen Rider might want to avoid.
Story: Brandon Easton Art: Hendry Prasetya
Story: 6.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 6.75 Recommendation: Pass
Titan Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle
