Joshua Dysart has done a phenomenal job with Toyo Harada, making him one of the most complex characters in comics. This issue drives home the history behind those complexities and further cements the idea that Harbinger is as much (if not more) about Harada as it is Peter Stanchek and his group of rebels. Dysart’s use of Darpan’s dealings in current events worked nicely to highlight Harada’s dealings in the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima, and also gave an insight into the fatherly (albeit manipulative) side of his character. The entire format (although uninventive- a story being told) worked very nicely giving us his past and present to show us his inner motivations. It’s evident he is a bad man, but deep down he thinks he is doing the right thing.

The art in this issue was more than adequate, but uninspired. It was easy to follow, had some horrific bombing scenes, and did a good job contrasting a young Harada with his protoge Darpan, but Suayan had some opportunities to create some imaginitive panels, and instead chose the safe route.

Harbinger 0 is a good character-building issue and worth picking up. It also gives insight into the Syrian oil deal that has been talked about since issue 1, and raised a good question, “Do you know where my Daddy is?”