Customer Reviews

Days Missing

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There are days missing from history. Days of tragedy, days of disaster, days which altered the course of history forever. You see, humanity has come close to the brink of extinction countless times, only to be pulled away at the last possible second by The Steward. Minor spoilers ahead.

Imagine The Watcher meets Dr. Who, and you've got a basic understanding of the story Days Missing tells. However, this description does not do the book justice. He watches and guides the progress of the human race, only intervening when absolutely necessary. He then folds the days back so we, his charges, have no recollection of the events, only vague dreams and half forgotten memories. His influence has not only avoided disaster, but brought about advancements as well.

Each issue is written and drawn by a different team, while being bookended by writer Phil Hester, who provides the strongest stories. The others are very good, but just aren't as powerful as Hester's efforts. Each issue tells of a different time The Steward has been forced to interfere and each expands upon his character as well as the rules surrounding his powers.

The art is consistently good, though once again, some issues are better than others. However, this may be a storytelling device, as the art tends to correspond to the overall feel of the tale. For example, the first tale, which tells of the failing efforts of a scientific team trying to find the cure for a virulent strain of ebola, features art which is dark and sacrifices detail to give the story a frantic, apocalyptic feel.

The hardcover version of this book is heavy and beautiful, with glossy pages, a lovely dust jacket, and loads of extras. It is a book made to last, which is a good thing. I constantly find myself rereading it and lending it to freinds. While they look through my bookshelf and ask, "have anything I should read?" this is always the first choice.

This book is perfect for mature readers looking for something other than the usual superhero fare, as well as fans of sci-fi, especially Dr. Who. I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers, as certain images may be unsettling for them and they may not be able to understand all of the themes in the book. The book also contains a more hopeful outlook than some of the other stuff I read (Ellis, Ennis, etc.) which is a welcome change. Even my girlfriend loved it, and she is new to comics and hasn't been exposed to much of the medium.

The main reason I love this book, and I do love it, is because of the last few pages. I was along for the ride, enjoying the story, the art, all of that. But then out of nowhere comes this twist and you realize the whole book has been nothing but a set up to another, greater story. The first issue of this new story has just been published at the time of this writing, and finally got me off my duff to write a review for Amazon. Now is the perfect time to pick up Days Missing and start reading the new series, called Days Missing: Kestus.