You hear a lot about “missing time” with alien abductions and whatnot, but did you know the British Empire actually jumped ahead 11 days in the 1700’s?
I didn’t either, but according to Warren Ellis’s foreword that’s exactly what happened. It’s got to do with calendar specific gobbledy-gook, but the takeaway is this:
What if we actually DID have missing time, and no one remembered? BAM! You’ve got Archaia Comics’ Days Missing.
I initially picked up Days Missing a few weeks ago—the cover art and concept grabbed me—but when I flipped through, I noticed every issue had a different creative team. Not a fan of that.
Still, it kept nagging at me, and the change-ups actually do work for the story. LikeOuter Limits, each issue is self-contained, jumping to different locales and across time.
The Steward, our main character, is remeniscent of the Sandman (of Gaiman’s Endless) in both appearance and removal from society. He watches, but cannot partake.
Instead, he acts as a sort of guardian to the world. Seemingly immortal, he reacts to crises whenever they arise. His power? The ability to hit the reset button on the past day, erasing it from our collective memory and giving us another shot to get it right.
Days Missing Vol. 1 collects the first five issues, and the concept holds up well thus far. The scope ranges from universal danger to personal horror, and though the Steward doesn’t actually travel through time—at least, he does it in the same way you and I do—the narration isn’t bound as tightly. One issue might be modern day; another, Renaissance Europe.
It’s an effective formula, and the ante is upped in issue #5—but I won’t spoil that for you here. I hope to see Days Missing continue to grow, and from here the forecast looks favorable.
Extras in the hardcover trade include some background stats on the Steward, a sketchbook, Making Of, cover gallery, and a creator diary. Not bad for $19.99.
This review is based on the hardcover edition of Days Missing Vol. 1by Archaia Comics.
