Secret Weapons #0 Review

Secret Weapons #0
Writer: Eric Heisserer
Artist: Adam Pollina
Colourist: David Baron 
Publisher: Valiant

Review by Josh Rose

A couple months after Secret Weapons ended, Eric Heisserer returns to tell the backstory of Nikki Finch. Heisserer, as part of his process for creating his characters’ voices, wrote backstories for each one. Secret Weapons #0 follows Nikki from before she was recruited by the Harada Global Conglomerates for the Harbinger Foundation and on to the middle of the first issue.

This is an emotional and character-driven issue. We see Nikki going through a lot of tough times: high school, arguing with her parents, struggling with her powers, being rejected, Harada being exposed and losing her home and friends. I really like how he keeps track of the days and each panel is only a single snapshot in each day.

Adam Pollina’s art makes Nikki look very expressive: happy when she goes after her dreams, nervous before her activation, and in pain during activation. I love how Nikki is always front and center in each panel. David Baron’s colours really lend to that effect as he uses brighter colours on Nikki, and everyone else is a bit darker like the background.

Verdict:
Buy it. Secret Weapons #0 is a wonderful study on one of my favourite characters from the series. Nikki is charismatic, and we get to see what makes her tick. You don’t need to have read Secret Weapons #1-4 to enjoy this issue or know what’s going on. It’s a great introduction to the Valiant Universe.