Zero Instance #1 Review
When a team of adventurers defeat a great evil in the land, that evil decides that he needs to try something new and to return the favor. —by Jonathan Cadotte
ZERO INSTANCE #1
Writers: Frank J. Barbiere and Stephen Rhodes
Artist: Vic Malhotra
Colorist: Lauren Affe
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: Comixology Originals
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: July 15th, 2026
Previously in Zero Instance, Rhys and his friends are players in an online game called Everon. They manage to defeat what is supposed to be an impossible boss, which draws the attention of the developers. In the real world, Rhys struggles to find his place while maintaining his passions.
Raid Time
Zero Instance #1 kicks off with Rhys and his team storming the castle of Braxir Hex. After a handful of encounters, they finally enter his throne room and challenge him directly. To everyone’s surprise, they actually defeat him. After logging out of the game, Rhys goes to his parents’ house to borrow his dad’s suit for a job interview, which he isn’t excited about. Back in the game, it seems that Braxir isn’t fully destroyed and is up to something. Elsewhere, the developers of Everon discuss how Rhys’ team won. They make a few tweaks and decide to watch the livestream of Rhys’ team’s next attempt at the boss. The interview doesn’t go well, and after briefly stopping by his mom’s birthday party, Rhys heads home to dive back into Everon. But it soon becomes clear that something isn’t right.
Not Much To Latch Onto
As a straightforward story, Zero Instance #1 is fine. The action is okay and the main character has at least some semblance of pathos. The problem is that none of it coalesces into something engaging; it all comes across as surface-level and underdeveloped. Rhys’s issues with not wanting to get a traditional job are relatable, but his family is incredibly supportive of him, so there’s a lack of tension there. There’s some mystery going on with Braxir Hex, but it’s conveyed via just a bunch of vague technology and green swirls. The ending adds some stakes, but it’s also not really a surprise as to what was going to happen. I will say that I did appreciate the dialogue not devolving into a bunch of cliché gaming jargon and lingo. There are also some nice hints as to what type of world these characters exist in, without it being plainly stated that it’s somewhat futuristic. There are elements to this comic that are enjoyable, but there are just too many other options for “imaginary world bleeds into real world” type stories for this to just be not bad.
A Good-Looking Videogame World
The look of Zero Instance #1 is mostly just okay. The characters have unique looks and body shapes, even though we primarily only see Rhys in the real world. It’s the video game world of Everon that shines in this issue. There’s a certain type of cheesiness to it that gives it the feel of a classic sword and sorcery world. Rhys’s avatar is a broad-chested knight, there’s a hairy-faced dwarf, and all the other fantasy tropes as well. It creates a nice dichotomy with the real world that comes off as very clean and sanitized and a bit bland.
Bottom Line: Maybe If You’re Getting It For “Free”
Zero Instance #1 is a Comixology Original title, which means that with certain Amazon subscriptions, this can be read without paying directly for it. If you’re one of those people, this is a perfectly fine read. It’s quick and breezy, and there’s a decent enough hook to maybe check out the next issue. Also, the art is inoffensive and pleasant to look at. But I can’t recommend paying for this on its own. It just simply doesn’t do a good enough job on most of the things it’s going for. 2.5 out of 5 stars.