"Days Missing: Volume 2 – Kestus" Graphic Novel Review

Written by James Ferguson

Published by American Mythology Productions

days missing kestus 00

Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by David Marquez
Colored by Digikore & Rachelle Rosenberg
2011, 144 Pages
Graphic novel released on November 29th, 2016

Review:

The Steward watches over humanity, using his power to fold time to protect us from ourselves.  It's a lonely task and he yearns for the time when the human race has advanced to the point where he can consider them equals.  You can imagine his surprise and delight to find a woman that's like him.  Kestus is immortal and has total recall of history, including the days that the Steward has erased from the timeline.  The two run into each other again and again and while there's an instant attraction, it's clear that they don't have the same goals in mind.  The Steward is working to save us while Kestus wants to destroy us.

Where the first volume of Days Missing introduced us to the Steward and showed us his victories throughout time, this volume shows his failures, mostly at the hands of Kestus.  We witness the destruction of the library of Alexandria in 48 BC and the beginning of World War I.  This time around it appears that the Steward only has one shot to change things, whereas in the previous volume he could fold time again and again until he got it right.  This is a limit to his powers and it dramatically raises the stakes to his adventures.

What I'm unclear of is how the Steward chooses the days to go after in the first place.  Can he go back in time or jump back and forth from the past to the future?  It seems like he only goes forward, so once a day is gone, he can't go back and fix it.  This was tough to discern in the first volume as it bounced around through time, but this one is presented in a [mostly] chronological order so it seems to fit.  

The relationship between the Steward and Kestus is what drives this book.  Imagine living alone for millions of years, hoping for someone to talk to that won't be dead in what feels like a blink of an eye.  Then, suddenly you meet someone that shares this same feeling, although not the omniscient powers.  Wouldn't you rush to this person and try your best to become immediate best friends?  It takes some time for the Steward to realize who – or what – he's dealing with with Kestus.  Once he does, he wants to hold on tight and never let go.  This is why it's rather heartbreaking when she works to cause mayhem and disaster for the human race.

Kestus' reasoning for this destruction is rather vague.  She's lived forever, so she's seen humanity at its best and worst.  She's determined that we're all horrible and deserve the fate that we're dealt even if that means extinction.  In this respect, she's the complete opposite of the Steward.  

Having one artist throughout Days Missing: Kestus is a big step up from the first volume.  David Marquez's style works well for the story, which is much more cohesive this time around.  His design for Kestus helps bring the character to life in a big way.  Marquez shows her in various different lights, from vulnerable and sensitive to confident and determined and everything in between.  Just as she's the opposite of the Steward in intention, she's the opposite of him in look.  Where he is cold and distant, she is warm and full of life.  

Days Missing: Kestus is a solid sci-fi comic with the fate of the entire human race at stake.  More questions are raised about the Steward, where he comes from, and how he got to this position of power in the first place, however none of those really require answers, as the story is presented in such a way that you just go with the flow.  It is still a little dry, but that's mostly due to how the Steward presents himself and explains the situation.  He's rather long-winded in that regard.

Grades:

Story: fourstars Cover
Buy from Amazon US
Cover
Buy from Amazon UK
Art: fourstars
Overall: 4 Star Rating

This page includes affiliate links where Horror DNA may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

James Ferguson
Lord of the Funny Books
James has a 2nd grade reading level and, as a result, only reads books with pictures. Horror is his 5th favorite genre right after romantic comedy and just before silent films. No one knows why he's here, but he won't leave.
Other articles by this writer

OBEY - CONSUME

Join Us!

Hit the buttons below to follow us, you won't regret it...