THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS

Publisher: Random House Worlds | Writer: Max Brooks | Artist: Ibraim Roberson

From the Stone Age to the information age, the undead have threatened to engulf the human race. They’re coming. They’re hungry. This is the graphic novel the fans demanded: major zombie attacks from the dawn of humanity. On the African savannas, against the legions of ancient Rome, on the high seas with Francis Drake . . . every civilization has faced them. Here are the grisly and heroic stories–complete with eye-popping artwork that pulsates with the hideous faces of the undead. Scripted by the world’s leading zombie authority, Max Brooks, Recorded Attacks reveals how other eras and cultures have dealt with–and survived– the ancient viral plague. By immersing ourselves in past horror, we may yet prevail over the coming outbreak in our time.

This promotional tie-in comic, designed to supplement the Zombie

Survival Guide book in which these short stories appear in an appendix, is superbly written and skillfully drawn. Max Brooks, son of legendary comedian, writer and director Mel Brooks, is a master of modern zombie fiction. The Zombie Survival Guide combines fictional accounts of zombie attacks as well as guidance on how to survive future attacks. If you enjoyed the Zombie Survival Guide or its follow-up World War Z, you’re going to thoroughly enjoy this comic book. Brooks masterfully weaves geo-political topics, history and fiction into a bloodsoaked tapestry that George A. Romero would be proud of. Each fictionalized historical account of zombie outbreaks and events is worthy of its own stand alone comic. It’s a shame the concept was never developed beyond this promotional piece. A proper anthology series in any medium based on this property would have made major bank for Brooks. Brooks’ vision of zombies throughout time could hold its own against Marvel Zombies or the

Walking Dead. Roberson’s black and white art exists in perfect balance with Brooks’ writing. Like the writing itself, the art is perfect in its balance of absurdity and reality. Recorded Attacks takes us through several short stories ranging chronologically from the earliest man to modern day Los Angeles. Each story, although written and illustrated by the same fantastic duo, has their own unique feel. From the aforementioned caveman story presented sans dialogue to the truly heartbreaking, infuriating tale set in mid-1800s St. Lucia, each account is presented in a clear, concise and entertaining manner. Despite a lack of any clear protagonist, a common element with all Brooks’ zombie literature to date, the presence of a terrifying undead antagonist is the one unifying element in each anthology story. Brook’s zombie stories, including Recorded Attacks, are a must read for any fan of apocalyptic horror.

9.5/10 VERDICT