Comic Review: Section Zero #5

Section Zero #5

Image Comics

Writer: Karl Kesel

Artist: Tom Grummett

While Section Zero is still a little shaky, issue #5 was nonetheless a solid story. Unfortunately, the novelty of the book’s in the universe and real-world 18 year time jump is already starting to wear off. Especially since the time-bending shenanigans are becoming almost detrimental to the narrative.

With Titania missing in both the past and present, Section Zero #5 reveals how the search for the super scientist tore the team apart. The grief-stricken Sam Wildman is still on the hunt, with his psychometric friend Pepe and an even more ridiculous haircut in tow. On the subject of absurd designs, Sam’s old bandmate Pepe has the goofiest, dated one in this whole series. The matching jumpsuits were bad enough on their own but especially when paired with a color-coded fedora.

Aside from some questionable designs, issue #5 also falls back into the series old habits. Well written genuine moments are starting to take up more prominence in the book. Sam defending his haircut stands out as one of the better exchanges in the whole series. But so much of the book is still made up of awkward expository dialogue. The writing still prioritizes the cast’s powersets over anything else. They’re at least delving a bit more into certain characters’ histories but Section Zero isn’t in-depth enough.

The enigmatic Ghost Soldiers also get some much-needed development. As previously mentioned, they’re a group of four immortal warriors. But the reincarnation based specifics are an interesting addition to the book. The story also hints at what drives the Ghost Soldiers to fight across the world. While their presence is a little more justified now, they still feel too divorced from the main plotline. They’ve certainly left their mark on their story but how they factor into everything is unclear.

Tom Grummett’s art for these newer issues is far preferable to his work on the first three. However, it doesn’t work quite as well in issue #5. The art’s framing feels a little too claustrophobic and it’s hard to get a sense of where a character is in a scene or what they’re doing. The layouts have a similar problem, though oftentimes they’re just not very pleasant to look at rather than being outright confusing.

The next issue of Section Zero will be the last one, at least according to the solicits. The book has set a lot up, more than I think it can resolve in a single issue. Honestly, I’ll be sad to see Section Zero go, as I’m sure with a little more time it could have found the rhythm it’s only just started to grasp. For now, all I can hope for is a satisfying conclusion, which I trust Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett to deliver.