Review: Harbinger #0

Before the Harbinger Wars erupts this April, you need to know what started it all!

In the days following the bombing of Hiroshima, a young boy walks the streets in search of his father. What he encounters is a broken, diseased and depraved new world that has enveloped this once simple town. It is the actions of man, prior to and after the bombing, that will forever change the life of Toyo Harada. This once innocent boy has had everything burned away, the being left standing in it’s wake — will become a harbinger of change for the entire Valiant Universe!

I have stated before how fantastic a storyteller Joshua Dysart is, with Harbinger #0, he has surpassed all previous praise. The origin story of Toyo Harada is one of the most harrowing tales I have read in recent years. It is an in depth look at how the actions of man can forever change the world, in the blink of an eye everything can be gone and something new created. Man, god and monster can become grouped into a single entity and all it takes is an action. Dysart encases his tale of the birth of a monster with an overwhelming sense of empathy. Toyo Harada is a product of the comportment of others, he never asked to become what he has, but he will never let it happen again.

Dysart convinces the reader that Harada’s actions have a plausible justice to them, creating a morality play of ones conscience. Are the horrific actions of a man justified if they are done to others that have blood on their hands? But what if he hurts innocents in his actions? Are his atrocities still justified because his own innocence was torn asunder? The grey area of what justice truly means is a hard one to discern and Harbinger #0 will leave you pondering it for a very long time.

Dysart has created a tale that far surpasses the conventional approach to the comics genre, a true case of how magnificent and personal the world of comics can be! So, be sure to add Harbinger to your MUST have list each month, you will be astounded by how thought provoking a book can be!