Comic Book Review - Kamen Rider Zero-One #1

Rob reviews Kamen Rider Zero-One #1...

Much like its Power Rangers rival, Kamen Rider has been around for quite a few years. Across its rich history, the tokusatsu show has had various guises, protagonists, antagonists, and plenty of tie-in media. 

Now, Titan Comics is publishing a whole new original comic book series that's based on the popular Kamen Rider Zero-One. And after months of teasing, issue #1 is finally here. 

The focal point for this four-part series is Aruto Hiden, failed comedian and new CEO of his grandfather's company. After only just discovering his grandfather's Kamen Rider technology, Aruto is thrust into a world that's far different from his normality. As such he's struggling to find his purpose within this world, whilst dealing with that higher call to be something greater. 

As characters go, Aruto is very relatable. On the surface, he's simple enough. But dive deeper and he's a troubled youngster carrying the weight of the world on his back. He lacks the confidence to control his boardroom, and his antics as Zero-One have drawn a lot of unwanted attention. Across this opening, Easton introduces Aruto as a true underdog, and as someone, you'll instantly root for. While there is a lot of exposition and character work, it's done to keep the here-and-now flowing. 

It isn't long before we're introduced to this series' big bad, and it's here where we get to see how the Kamen Riders work. Thrown straight into battle, Aruto - now transformed into his Zero-One form - faces off against the superior enemy, Ragnarok. While Easton doesn't divulge Ragnarok's true intentions, he wastes no time in showing that the villain is vastly superior to Aruto and Izu. 

Considering that Kamen Rider isn't well known in the West, Easton manages to strike a delicate balance to not alienate new readers or franchise veterans. My own experience with the Kamen Rider franchise is solely based on the Masked Rider serial of the 90s. Thankfully, this new adaptation doesn't require any prior knowledge to understand the story being told. 

To further help develop this as an already established universe Brandon Easton decides to tell Aruto Hiden's story from the middle while adding bite-sized chunks of exposition and lore. It's also done in such a way, that you'll soon head over to YouTube, and Wikipedia to then lose hours discovering everything about the wider franchise

Well, that's what happened to me...

The artwork for this new series comes from Hendry Prasetya. Due to his previous work on BOOM! Studios Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Prasetya is no stranger to the super sentai style. As such he brings quite an explosive style to his linework that draws the reader into every page. Once the action starts, it's also this energy that makes everything leap straight from the page. It's extremely captivating and feels like a massive labor of love from Prasetya to the franchise.

Colorist Bryan Valenza is the person who's tasked with bringing Easton and Prasetya's vision to life - and he's done an excellent job. Much like the linework, the chosen color palette works well in bringing these characters to life in a wave of strong and vibrant colors. A special shout-out also goes to letterer Jaime Martinez. Martinez's work is the real icing on the cake. Not only do his letters convey the emotion and drama within the characters' speech, but it also brings the spectacle of these super-powered beings to life. 

For newcomers and series veterans alike - Kamen Rider Zero-One #1 is the perfect jumping-on point. Easton manages to craft a delicate balance within his script that doesn't alienate anyone from simply picking this comic book up and enjoying its story. Add plenty of gorgeous - and highly detailed - artwork, and Kamen Rider Zero-One is off to a fantastically strong start! 

Rating: 10/10

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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter, Hive, Facebook, & TikTok @GeekCultureRev