An Unnerving, Atmospheric Slow-Down In Days Of Hate #8

By Josh Davison

Xing gets in touch with Amanda to tell her about the regular rendezvous with Freeman. Xing pines to leave the country with Amanda, but Amanda is dedicated to her cause. Freeman himself avidly continues his search for Amanda and Arvid. Arvid misses his family and confides in Amanda.
Days of Hate returns to its slow-boil formula with #8. Little transpires in terms of plot advancement, and the revelations we are given are a bit expected. I won’t spoil them, but they’re easy guesses based on what we already know about our lead characters.
The book has become a far cry from its first issue that had Amanda and Arvid bombing an all-American diner that had become a meeting hub for white supremacists.

It does some solid character work, with Amanda having deep and emotional conversations with both Xing and Arvid. Plus, we see just how deep Freeman’s atomized perception of society runs when he talks to his own wife.
As always, Days of Hate is unnerving and atmospheric as hell, but the book frustrates with its detached and slow-going storytelling.
Danijel Zezelj and Jordie Bellaire once again are the main reasons the comic is as atmospheric and chilling as it is. The world looks just real enough to easily embrace the reader but is washed-out and off enough to alienate that same reader. Those two elements, along with an often frigid and monochromatic color palette, is enough to create a world that is relatable but disturbing. That said, that warped and shadowed artistic style still makes it hard to distinguish characters at times.
Days of Hate #8 is an intriguing read, but the pacing comes to a near-complete stop once again. That grows more concerning as we reach the end of this 12-issue maxiseries. One could be excused for wondering how satisfying the ending could be at this stage. That said, there are good parts to latch onto, and they are enough to make this an easy recommendation for anyone already invested in this series.
Days of Hate #8 comes to us from writer Ales Kot, artist Danijel Zezelj, color artist Jordie Bellaire, letterer Aditya Bidikar, cover artist Zezelj, and designer Tom Muller. Image Comics is the publisher, and the book is available now for $3.99.