Dark Academy

Did you know that Quatre used to be a conceited little bastard?  

STORY - Episode Zero delves into the childhoods and lives of various characters leading up to Operation Meteor. Notably, Masashi Ikeda, the director of Gundam Wing, asked Katsuyuki Sumisawa, the series' scriptwriter and composer, to create this manga. These historical details are considered canon, as they were initially intended to be part of the series. The volume is divided into eight chapters: an origin story for each Gundam pilot and Relena, a chapter dedicated to Operation Meteor, and an extra segment about the pilots' lives as Preventers after Endless Waltz.  

The narrative in Episode Zero can feel somewhat disjointed. Each character's section jumps around within their history; sometimes dates indicate these shifts, but other times transitions occur mid-page. Despite this, the stories are engaging and logically lead into the anime's beginning. The Preventer 5 chapter at the end serves as a decent follow-up to Endless Waltz. Though its plot is generic and perhaps over-the-top, it effectively conveys life after the series' conclusion. This chapter makes Episode Zero both a prequel and sequel, so it's best to have watched the anime and OAV before reading.  

CHARACTERS - The manga aims to deepen understanding of each character's personality and perspective by exploring their pasts. It succeeds in showing how events shape those involved. However, some moments rely on coincidence, like Relena meeting a "boy who looks exactly like Heero" when they were younger. Additionally, Quatre's ideological transformation feels rushed compared to others, which flow more naturally. Duo's backstory is my favorite, partly because he's my favorite character, but also because his and Heero's stories seem more detailed than Wufei's. Their younger experiences make their development feel more organic. One unaddressed aspect is how the pilots acquired their skills. Most likely lacked mobile suit training before meeting the doctors. While some had developed skills in other areas, if all combat practice occurred after joining Operation Meteor, it's surprising their abilities surpass trained soldiers, even with superior suits. That's my main critique, though overall, the personalities and beliefs align well.  

ART - Akira Kanbe excels with the art in Episode Zero. The younger versions of the characters are convincing, and less spotlighted figures like Lucrezia Noin and Treize Khushrenada are particularly impressive. Surprisingly, I enjoyed young Relena's design more than her older version; her intense eyes made her more intriguing. As characters age in the story, they resemble their anime counterparts, making panels look like lineart screenshots. The style is meticulously captured. Kanbe's page layouts enhance exciting scenes, especially during action sequences. There's little to criticize here; the art is consistently strong.  

OTHER - Viz licensed and published Episode Zero in 2002. It's in a flipped, left-to-right format with translated sound effects. Given this, it turned out well—sound effects work, and dialogue typography is consistent. Emphasized words in bold give it a Western comic feel. The only text issues are the font for chapter titles and the script font for handwriting. Again, Viz added newspaper-like clippings between chapters. While often corny and redundant, they clarify facts and provide speculative information, mostly considered canon. They help ensure clarity.  

A detailed timeline of events is included at the back, covering major events from AC 001 to AC 196, including everything from Gundam Wing up to Mariameia's relaunch of Operation Meteor in Endless Waltz. There's also a translated author's note by Sumisawa and a short note with concept sketches by Kanbe.  

OVERALL - I kept this manga when selling off others, which says something. Episode Zero offers valuable insight, and Sumisawa considers it essential for fully appreciating Gundam Wing. The storytelling is decent, and the art is highly satisfying. If you're a fan, I'd recommend picking it up.

Call them on their garbage

Was looking for Evil MC tag... Found the man, the myth, the legend, daddy Konrad! ~skip SPOILER chapter 0~