Published by Image Comics 2019 | Writer: Ales Kot | Artist: Daniel Zezelj
DAYS OF HATE act one, written by Ales Kot is a solid piece of reading. Kot always seems to come up with an interesting and attention grabbing story concept with his numerous comics, and Daniel Zezelj is one of my all time favorite artists. I will buy any comic or book his amazing artwork graces.
DAYS OF HATE is a story of a dystopian future world, America. An America that has taken the hard right turn into total authoritarian-ism. Our main characters, are artists, writers & musicians who have created work that is now outside the legal guidelines of this future America. By doing so, they are now in effect, terrorists. DAYS OF HATE is a story of rebellion, corruption and a future that at times seems all to prophetic considering the real world America under, President Trump.
So that's my surface reading of this book, to get specific though, I really was hoping this was going to be better. It's a solid read, but despite the stunning art, Zezelj provides us, the story struggles to maintain my excitement from page to page It sputters and stops as far as flow and energy. And suffers under a sense of pretension that, I believe is the fault of lots of long winded monologues by the main and secondary characters. Show me the world in this story, don't explain it to me. The beauty of comics is it's visual depiction of the story matter. Ales Kot, for all his brilliant concepts and solid plot ideas, his skills as a technical storyteller, have often bothered me. This story is no different.
So, while we need more stories of rebellion right now, considering the times, this one just doesn't engage me, disturb me, frighten me, or demand I continue to buy and read. I wish I could say otherwise, considering Daniel Zezelj is one of my all time favorite comic book artists.
But, feel free to come to your own conclusions. I recommend this book for the art alone, at the very least. Zezelj's style is so harsh and dramatic, and oozes genius in every stroke. I can't get enough of it.
