Written by Robert Love & David Walker
Penciler: Robert Love
Inkers: Robert Love & Dana Shukartsi
Published by: Dark Horse Comics
Some people believe that we float through life reaping the repercussions of our choices and actions; others believe everything that happens to us was predetermined by fate and that we all have a higher destiny. Number 13 is about the latter of the two. A young boy with special gifts is traveling through life without a path, and worst of all, he can’t even remember his own name. Little does he know that in a war zone resembling a chessboard, he’s the most important piece.
I’ve never read any books by either of the two writers of Number 13, but if this story is indicative of their work, this won’t be the last time I read one of their stories. I’m a sucker for stories about destiny, and this is a very good one. It started off a bit slow for me, but there’s a moment early on that attaches you to the character and draws you into the story. It’s a very different take on a post-apocalyptic society, but it’s very refreshing to see something like this with a literary market flooded with zombie titles.
At first I found the art a little underwhelming, but as I continued to read it really grew on me. There are emotions on all ends of the spectrum in this book (anger, confusion, sadness, and happiness) and they pull off the facial expressions quite well. (For those of you who have read my reviews before, that’s really key to the art in a book for me!) I could’ve done with a bit more color, but that is just be nitpicking a bit. All-in-all the art is very solid!
I read A LOT of superhero titles, and I’ve honestly not read a ton of stuff from Dark Horse. After reading Number 13 I see the error of my ways and I’m definitely going to start picking up more issues from them! This is a collected trade and is definitely worth checking out for those of you that enjoy post-apocalyptic war stories. Not to mention that it being a Dark Horse release would also mean you’d be supporting a great indie publisher! Give Number 13 a shot!
4 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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