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Written by Leah Moore & John Reppion
Art by Hugo Petros
Review by Mike Fish
I never thought I’d say this, but there’s a page in this book that has the best looking zombie ass I ever did see. I’m sick aren’t I? That’s alright. I can officially join the Zombie Trash fanclub now and smile with glee as I tear my shirt off on a grave screaming, “Let’s get nekkid!”
Dynamite Entertainment continues it’s love of horror (They put out the Army of Darkness books) with their original zombie title, Raise the Dead. The cover of Uncle Sam rotting like a pumpkin in December is worth the price alone as it speaks volumes about what’s going on in the world today. Well, at least to me it does. We’re zombies ourselves in this world of insane gas prices and $1.70 push pops. We just have better skin care and mouthwash. That’s why we love ‘em!
So what separates this book from other top notch zombie comics like The Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies? The storytelling really. Right away, writers Leah Moore and John Reppion offer up the overused newscast that explains what’s going on outside the door and of course, “to shoot them in the head.” Okay, that’s not verbatim from the book, but you know what I mean, Vern. From there, the structure is put in place, borrowing from popular television shows like Lost and The Nine. Okay… The Nine wasn’t so popular since it got cancelled pretty quick last year (or was it this year?), but it sure feels like The Nine which is why I mention it. Taking place in a diner where a handful block the doors and windows, we get the stories of how most of them got there in this out of nowhere zombie invasion. The first flashback rushed me and I had to flip back a page to find out if it was a flashback because you’re used to quick flash editing on the TV screen or in the unique style of Lost, a quick airplane engine revving up to it. But the reader grasps it pretty quick the second time, and I give kudos to either the letterer or writers for not holding the reader’s hand and using captions to differentiate the time. But I bet you they argued about it! “You must! It’s comic book law!” I applaud those that defy the norm and take risks. Why buy the same book over and over again, right?
The art is great, and Hugo Petros puts his soul into the pages as he takes on both pencils and inks without showing lackluster speed-demon panels that many artists give with a deadline. He takes his time, fleshing out the look of each character and making it theatrical. Each page really shines, and did I mention the nice zombie ass I saw? Cheers to you Hugo! You’ve made me a dirtbag, zombie pervert!
So if you’re a fan of shows like Heroes, The Nine, and Lost, you’ll like the way this book tells the tale of a city coming to grips with a zombie invasion. It’s kind of cool mixing TV and Comic Books together on paper rather than on television, and I hope to see more of this kind of thing. Because if I read another carbon copy superhero book because that’s the way Stan Lee did it, I’m gonna get my horde of zombies to trash your table at the next comic book convention. You with me Trash baby??? Zombies… ASSEMBLE!
GRADE: B
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