While it isn't quite as compelling as HARBINGER's previous #0 issue about Toyo Harada (not too many books are capable of topping that), this is still a completely absorbing experience and, to me, deserves 5-stars. Sure, the timing is a little odd (or seems to be), but it's still an engrossing standalone story that hits us with some impressive character work and finally sheds some light on an interesting character. Now that they've given him a brighter spotlight, here's hoping Valiant has some big plans for the character in HARBINGER's near future. Needless to say, this is something every HARBINGER fan should pick up. Read Full Review

Like I said before, this issue is able to attract the reader in quickly and make them care about both the characters and the story. The creative team executes an intricate,visually striking experience that only makes readers behind on Harbinger want to catch up for these kind of stories. For ongoing readers, this is yet another entry into the Harbinger series that is oh-so worth it. Read Full Review

The original creative team of Joshua Dysart and Khari Evans is what this #0 issue needed and deserved knowing what comes next. The story is deep, it's told in an interesting manner, and it looks great. We know the psiots are going to war, and everything that has happened up to this point is all for the approaching conflict. The stage has been set now and still leaves much room to be surprised as now that we know the whereabouts of the Bleeding Monk, the next question is what comes next? Read Full Review

While not a crucial issue for understanding events in the main book, it's an enjoyable story even taken out of context and brings a level of storytelling depth sometimes lacking from many of the Valiant books. Dysart clearly knows his history and manages to capture many historical events in a context that creates a sense of uniformity to the march of time. Readers will find themselves pleased in the way many of the surrounding mysteries were revealed without taking the sense of wonder away from what makes the character interesting. In the end the story raises as many questions as it answers and doe sa great job serving as a segway between the current Harbinger storyline. Read Full Review

I love and hate zero issues. When they're done cheaply they come off as a gimmick just to pick up a few extra bucks from the publisher, but when they're done like this; with quality and care they can be every bit as important as the main series. From reading this you won't know what's happing in the main series, but you should be curious and more importantly you now have a ton of information about the history of the series. Whether you're a first time reader to Harbinger or you have been here from the beginning, this is a great issue to read and enjoy. So do just that. Read Full Review

This issue does suffer slightly do to the fact that four different artists tackle the pages. The jumps in time help to justify the new looks and tones, but it's hard not to notice just how different some sections look from the others. Considering how interesting the story is, it would have been nice if one artist could have handled the whole thing. Khari Evans, Mico Suayan, Stephen Segovia and Lewis LaRosa all dow fine work, but nobody sticks around long enough for you to really get into their stuff. Thankfully, Ian Hannin's colors help hold the issue together. Read Full Review

At the end of "Harbinger: Bleeding Monk" #0, readers are left to ponder their own existence. Have they just read a comic or merely thought they read a comic while thinking about a comic book being read? While this issue is nowhere near that meta-reflective, it does incite readers to flip back to the beginning and digest the story once again. I'm not certain what ramifications this holds for the near future of this title, but it certainly does provide relevant insight to the origins of the Bleeding Monk and gives readers a milestone to return to as "Harbinger" carries on. Read Full Review

It's not bad but it isn't great. It just kind of exists. Maybe that was what they were going for. Meditative tranquility. Read Full Review

This issue seemed unnecessary to say the least. While The Bleeding Monk did appear in some issues of Harbinger, he really didnt need his own origin tale because ultimately, hes not that important of a character. Joshua Dysart has a knack for great story telling, but this issue falls flat and is at times tough to get through. The art was amazing and carried an otherwise slow story, which doesnt happen very often under Dysarts pen. Read Full Review