SECTION ZERO vol. 1 by Kesel/Grummett

SECTION ZERO VOL. 1 - THERE IS NO SECTION ZERO
by Tom Grummett and Karl Kesel

So, way back in 2000, a bunch of creators known for super-hero work at DC and Marvel planned to launch a new publisher for their creator-owned work, Gorilla Comics. Apparently some financing fell through, so the creators ended up self financing and publishing through Image, still with the Gorilla Comics imprint. Some of the announced books finished as planned (SHOCKROCKETS by Stuart Immonen and Kurt Busiek), some finished through other publishers (EMPIRE by Barry Kitson and Mark Waid) and others remained incomplete (CRIMSON PLAGUE by George Perez).

Another of the unfinished ones was the highlight of the line, SECTION ZERO by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett. Having worked together for several years on Superman and Superboy comics at DC, here they did their own creation based on their interests, commonly pitched as "if The X-Files was created by Jack Kirby". Back then they only got three issues out. There have been some moves towards a revival over the years, including a short lived webcomic. Eventually they had a successful crowd-funding campaign, which led to a hardcover collection completing the original story, which was later serialized in six issues at Image, which has just been reprinted in this mass market edition. This has the preview story from CRIMSON PLAGUE #1 and first three issues, slightly modified from the original and three issues of new material.

The book is about a group of adventurers in the Challengers Of The Unknown / Fantastic Four school who are the latest iteration of a long-running UN-backed group that secretly investigates phenomena in the broad categories of Fortean, urban legend and supermarket tabloid fodder (back then, before tabloids became mostly celebrity gossip). The original three issues were a lot of fun, quickly moving through an adventure while exploring a wide world of weird. I was very sorry to see it end so quickly, and happy to hear it was coming back (and with more on the way next year with SECTION ZERO 1959).

The new material is very clearly not exactly how the story would have gone back in 2000, with a time jump 18 years forwards a dozen pages into the new material. I get the feeling that the story contained in these issues probably would have carried the series up to somewhere between #12 and #18 if the series had been able to continue back in 2000, and without the time jump. So the story is much more dense, with several new characters introduced and the main storyline wrapped up, ready for new adventures. The actual story set up in the original prologue is only tangentially related to the actual story here, with a one-page epilogue promising more on that line later.

The series is still a lot of fun. Kesel is exactly up my alley when he's doing the his modern take on classic comic storytelling in the Kirby lane, and I love Grummett's clear storytelling and creative character designs, especially when inked by Kesel. Hope that this time around they're able to continue exploring this world for a good long while.

The book also has an impressive selection of covers and pin-ups by guest artists, including the original Gorilla Comics artists, plus artists like Walter Simonson, José Luis García-López, Dave Gibbons, Jerry Ordway and others. A good showcase of the strength of the character designs.