(This is a flashback to my very first piece on Zombie Zone News (from April 27, 2010) and I will be sharing some of my other favorite posts from that site in the future. I would stand by this list today, with just a few additions...)
Anyone whose mother ever said “Those comic books will rot your brain!” knows a thing or two about decomposing gray matter. So, how wonderfully appropriate to talk about some of the best zombie comics out there! The great thing about zombies is that they could potentially pop up anywhere – all you need is a glowing comet passing through Earth’s atmosphere, an unexplainable gas cloud erupting from an underground fissure or some good old-fashioned biochemical engineering gone wrong. And there have been multitudes of books out over the years, fitting every possible locale and time period, so where to begin? Well, let me suggest my ten faves and we can go from there.
This book proves that storytelling can create just as visceral a reaction as any graphic gore. Done in a sleek black and white style, Dead has made readers plenty squeamish both with and without visual flourish - Tony Moore’s art set the standard with the original story arc, and Charlie Adlard has been doing a fantastic job since he took over (way back on issue 7). Often, we are more shocked at what the living are willing to do when societal conventions fall away than we are at the obvious behaviors of the undead. And Kirkman’s willingness to kill off any of the title characters if the tale veers that way has left many stunned jaws hanging open. This October, TV viewers will be invited into this world as well – AMC has picked up a six episode first season that will adapt Dead for the small screen.
2. Living Corpse (Zenescope Entertainment, 2007-present) – What happens when one of the ranks of the undead suddenly becomes self-aware and gets a rush of memories from his previous life? You get the hero of the book…duh! Searching for redemption while struggling with his need for human brains, The Corpse has become a gatekeeper for our world. He tries to keep out all the demons and beasties as they try to pass into our reality, and he may even hang out with Frankenstein’s monster now and again…not that he’s trying to name-drop or anything. Currently in talks to jump publishers, the title is still in full production on its big screen transformation – the Living Corpse movie is tentatively scheduled to release in October 2010 in 3D.
3. Zombie (Marvel MAX Comics, 2006-2007) – A revamp of the campy ‘70s B&W magazine Tales of the Zombie, the retelling presents title character Simon Garth as a bank robber with a conscience. Enter the military (complete with crazy scientist!) and some canisters of “experimental gas”, and I think we all know what happens next. This book sets up Garth’s transformation into a self-aware zombie with a penchant for saving people as he travels the world. Like the old Hulk TV show, but with more biting…
5. Jesus Hates Zombies (Alterna Comics, 2007-present) – The story starts out in the anthology volume Jesus Hates Zombies: Those Slack-Jawed Blues, giving a glimpse of why the Son of God would hate ANYTHING, let alone smash their skulls in with a blessed baseball bat. And with faith waning in this post-apocalyptic backdrop, Jesus was lucky to find a true believer…even if it comes in the unlikely guise of his zombie sidekick, Laz. The two continue to kick butt in the four- part sequel Jesus Hates Zombies, Lincoln Hates Werewolves: Yea, Though I Walk, in which they pick up more misfit sidekicks and gain an adversary of formerly angelic proportions…
7. Zombie Tales (Boom! Studios, 2005-2009) – Following in the footsteps of such infamous horror anthologies as Tales From the Crypt and Creepy magazine, this collection of shorts began with a series of prestige format one-shots, and eventually morphed into a 12 issue series. The various issues boasted such industry giants as Keith Giffen (Lobo) and Steve Niles (30 Days of Night). And with zombies as the stars of every tale, how can you go wrong?
8. Zombie Highway (Digital Webbing/Bughouse Comics, 2003-2007) – Mouse, Kuji, Tag and Yeti are four unlikely traveling companions transporting a mysterious stolen package to a shady buyer. But when the dead begin to rise, somehow these jokers become mankind’s best hope. And zombies aren’t the only ones after them - there’s a creepy hitman (who just happens to look like he stepped out of a ‘50s sitcom) with his pregnant zombie wife, the lawmen they’ve pissed off along the way and a fairly innocent looking fellow…who happens to be able to mystically transform zombies into demonic “hunters”. The boys better watch their backs – especially if Yeti never finds a pair of pants. It would suck to face down the zompocalypse in your tighty whities…
10. Living With Zombies (Goat Head Publishing and on the web at livingwithzombies.net, 2005-present) - Imagine a mashup of Clerks and Night of the Living Dead, and you’re pretty close to the plotline of this book. This supremely indie comic is the comedic story of two friends (and their faithful sidekick, Poop Dog) who had spent a lifetime watching zombie flicks and preparing for the inevitable undead uprising were proven right. Ahhh, the joys of finding your first abandoned chainsaw, and slicing through some revenant giblets… could there be anything more exhilarating? And, god help me, one of the book’s main duo is another character who enjoys battling undead hordes while not wearing pants. Is that two too many in one Top 10 list?
