X #0

We've got a dark hero with a mysterious vendetta against some bad guys. Without knowing much more than that, it was easy to get excited at all the blood and gore. The comic is very dialogue driven and I appreciate that. But more than that, I enjoy that I didn't get bored by overly long conversations or too many details at once. Read Full Review

While I overall loved what Swierczynski did with X in these stories, sometimes certain situations came this close to being overkill. Some of the situations felt off and their resolutions didnt entirely work for me. Atmosphere worked, but execution was sluggish on occasion. The ending is what sells X #0 and is what got me hyped up for #1 and wanting to see where this story goes. If youre curious about X, give #0 a shot if you missed the initial DHPs these were in. It's well worth your time. Read Full Review

“X” #0 is a terrific combination of crime drama, vigilante action, and merciless revenge. After reading this issue, you will understand why X is one helluva scary superhero. Read Full Review

While I worry about interest in the long term, Duane Swierczynski has written a great first installment that is worth going out of your way for. Read Full Review

Overall, X #0 is a fitting return to solo issue status of one of Dark Horse Comics' legendary original heroes. Along with Ghost, X is going to help Dark Horse Comics up the ante on quality superhero comics. I for one can't wait for more... Read Full Review

X #0 may not offer much in terms of substance and characterization, but it does offer a lot in the shooting, slicing and explosion area. If that's what you're into then this comic is definitely for you. If you want your gruesome heroes to have a little more substance I still wouldn't pass this comic series off just yet as there are some key points that could offer more in the areas of character development down the road. Read Full Review

"X" is a hard, rated-R crime book with a masked killing hero in the lead. Mob goons are wiped out nonchalantly and without much narrative explanation. While readers can assume that the eponymous masked man must be the hero, it's actually just as much fun thinking he might be another villain. All that readers will see is Swierczynski and Nguyen finding fun ways to wipe out comically thin bad guys -- which I have no problem with. This is a gleeful bloody spree that executes bullet pace writing and splatterhouse art to bring out one of the most brutal vigilantes in comics today. Read Full Review

Look elsewhere for character development and plot, this one (so far) is about the ultraviolence, although (as yet) none of the old in and out. If you felt Luther Strode was lacking a certain je ne sais quoi, this one's for you and comes RECOMMENDED. Read Full Review

Like I said, I like this comic and I totally recommend it, but as a monthly series… we’ll see. Read Full Review

This is wonderfully complemented by the fantastic artwork by Eric Nguyen. The art is very well done throughout the entirety of the book. It seems Nguyen and his colorist had a blast making the blood, gore, and violence visually stand out against the black and grey pallet of their gritty, dilapidated setting. Although the violence, story, and artwork of X earn this comic a place in my weekly pull pile, the dialogue in X is so riddled with puns and dated insults that it takes me out of the dark, violent world Swierczynski so brilliantly creates and has me wondering why supposed mobsters and criminals are bantering like 1960s comic book villains. Its a small gripe, but distracting enough to disengage me from the overall pace of the narrative. Overall though, X is a great comic to begin reading if you have a sweet tooth for violent vigilantism. Or at the very least, an unhealthy obsession with pun-filled dialogue. Read Full Review

Taken as a whole, it’s an interesting start to what potentially could be a great character with methods and tactics that provide a solid counter point to Batman’s non-lethal tactics. If it’s a revenge tale, it will be interesting to learn what started it. It will still have an audience if it never dives into these deeper, headier issues, but hopefully it will and if it does, I’ll follow. Read Full Review

No complaints about the work of artist Eric Nguyen and colorist Michelle Madsen: the art in this issue is appropriately tough and arresting; frankly, it wouldn't have looked out of place in a Punisher MAX book. If the art team stays together, they bring enough visual punch to carry a series like this, even if the story's still looking for its own identity. Read Full Review

I just wish I had more of sense of where this book is going or even where these characters have been. Right now, as things stand in this zero issue, I kind feel like I've walked in halfway during an action flick and everybody tells me to shut the fuck up when I ask them what's going on. Does that make me want to buy X #1? I'm not really sure about that, eithe Read Full Review

There is an audience for this book but for me I have other similar ones that scratch that itch more to my liking. Read Full Review

This is a depressing, dark book where everything seems hopeless. Why would I spend three dollars a month to get depressed? The Walking Dead has more hope than this book! I'll give the “official” first issue a try, but if it's more of the same, why bother? Read Full Review

GreyMouser

Apr 13, 2013

. . $3,24pgs. Vicious cover. Minimal ADs@back . . . A Gritty, Bloody Crime meets vigilante comic returned for the current market via Dark Horse Presents. Collected here, it makes for a good read that fulls out the book well. Art and colors work well for this sort of story and genre, although it stretched a bit thin at times. Good writing with a charming '3 little pigs' motif. Good dialog, but there are times that dont makes sense or seem disjointed with an odd ending. A good read overall