Comics / Comic Reviews / More Comics

Number 13 #0 Review

By Troy-Jeffrey Allen
November 21, 2012 - 22:05

In Number 13, the world has gone to rot and humans have been largely wiped out by a mysterious plague. Forced to exist in a desolate wasteland, those fortunate enough to survive have been disfigured by aggressive mutations from the plague’s aftermath.

One such survivor is "13," an anime-eyed innocent with the unlucky number tattooed on the side of his shaved head. 13 is discovered in the middle of nowhere by a mutant girl named Lorna. When he rescues her from being torn apart by a hostile, 13 turns out to be more weapon than peer. Despite the title character’s disturbing adaptability during violent situations, Lorna and her dad agree to help 13 find his rightful father --- a promise that is ominously foreshadowed by the character’s namesake.  

Originally segmented in Dark Horse Presents, Number 13 #0 collects the five-part dystopian tale in one 42-page primer. The idea is to whet your appetite for the up and coming ongoing in mid-December. A move that is almost mandatory by the time you reach the finale of issue 0’s dangling conclusion.

Written by David Walker (Darius Logan: Super Justice Force) with artist Robert Love (Alpha Girl), Number 13 is a brew of intriguingly oddball ideas. Walker and Love seem to be aiming for a sci-fi yarn that effectively tugs on the reader’s curiosities. For that exact reason, issue #0 doesn’t completely satisfy but does make you demand to see what additional horrors these characters are on collision a course with. That, along with Walker’s ambitious world-building and Love’s amusingly bizarre-o character designs, gives Number 13 numerous possibilities.

Rating: 8.5 /10

Last Updated: January 17, 2025 - 08:20