MARVEL ZOMBIES

Publisher: Marvel Comics | Writer: W. Maxwell Prince | Artist: Steffano Raffaele Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Years after an incurable zombie virus ravaged the world, a small colony of survivors is protected by the Marvel U’s few remaining heroes, including Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Falcon. But when their last chance at salvation arrives, will they be willing to sacrifice their own humanity in the process? From the twisted minds of Ice Cream man writer W. Maxwell Prince and Stefano Raffaele (Generations: Hawkeye) comes the next macabre obsession for fans of The Walking Dead and The Road!

Let’s just be clear, the title of this issue isn’t a typo. This story is about Marvel’s original zombie, Simon Garth and I am a sucker for Simon stories. Although I question the logic of why superheroes surrounded by tens of thousands of zombies would still wear their masks and cowls in public I can absolutely suspend disbelief and logic in a book like this. This stand 9.5/10 alone issue has everything a horror fan could want and more. When I say “more” I mean a giant robot tyrannosaurus rex. Zombie hoards? Check. Marvel superheroes? Check. Robot dinosaurs? Check. Do we honestly need anything more? The art on this book perfectly encapsulated the tone of the book which you would think would be grim and somber but instead is cheery and hopeful. Simon Garth walks a thin line between hero and monster. He is technically a zombie but lacks the insatiable hunger present in the undead. He lacks the ability to speak but maintains his cognitive abilities. Simon makes a human friend by standing up to, and stopping a group of zombies from consuming the young boy who in turn presents Simon as a hero to the resistance group led by Daredevil. Simon sees the same bloodlust in their eyes that he sees in the zombie horde, blurring the line between hero and villain. Both the zombies and the humans kill but in the zombies case, it is an uncontrollable desire versus the human need to eliminate and control. It’s a clever take on the concept that evokes the first piece of apocalyptic literature, I Am Legend. For a while, especially after multiple seasons of The Walking Dead, I heard about “zombie fatigue.” I don’t subscribe to the notion of fatigue in any genre. Zombie literature, like superhero stories, need inventive writers and artists to push the envelope and put their own spin on the concept. This issue does exactly that. This is a gem of a story that doesn’t get talked about enough. This issue should get a perfect score but it had one of the bait and switch covers that truly vex me; showcasing Thor’s hammer, Cap’s shield and Iron Man’s helmet only to see that none of these characters or items appear in this story. Simon Garth and a well developed and delivered plot elevate this book’s score tremendously.