ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction #1

Posted by Adam on August 18, 2008

(Red 5)

Hi, I’m Adam. I’m the only comics reader in the universe who isn’t utterly sick of zombies at this point. This is because I haven’t read any of the recent zombie books–not because I have anything against the subgenre, it just happened to work out that way. As a result of all this, I think I’m in a pretty good position to review this comic dispassionately and with no biasÃ¢â‚¬Â¦but then, since there are so many zombie books out there, maybe mine is the minority opinion.

Put simply, this is a modern war comic with zombies, which immediately calls to mind the “Masters of Horror” episode “Homecoming”. That episode, while insightful and funny, didn’t really click for me; the problem is that if you portray the zombies as sympathetic Iraq war veterans who are there for political reasons, you don’t really allow for the kind of rampaging carnage that is the genre’s raison d’etre. Nevertheless, satire is ingrained in the zombie genre at this point, so it was inevitable that someone would try and combine current events with the zombie genre again. But who would have guessed it would be the writer of Underworld?

The premise is really simple: the US government has, apparently, found a way to create zombies, and is dropping them in military hot spots as a kind of biological weapon. As the issue opens, we see the undead being dropped into a firefight in Iran (exactly who is fighting who isn’t made clear, but both sides appear to be Middle Eastern) and proceeding to basically sterilize the area. The benefits, as military officer Krane enthuses after arriving on the scene, are pretty obvious: you basically get a horde of de facto soldiers who are hard to kill, don’t need feeding or any other amenities, and can be abandoned after deployment. But what about the possibility of a zombie outbreak that goes beyond the target area? Well, that’s covered: these zombies are designed to be photosensitive, and crumble to dust the instant the sun rises. Why, nothing could possibly go wrong!

Naturally, something goes wrong.

Like a lot of Hollywood writers, Kevin Grevioux apparently has more smarts than comes out in the movies produced from his scripts. I found Underworld to be monumentally, hilariously stupid, but this comic featres a nifty premise that’s set up and executed (this first issue, anyway) expertly. There’s no fat at all–virtually the entire issue is a battle-turned-zombie massacre, yet all the information we need to draw us in is elegantly conveyed in a few dialogue exchanges. I could quibble that Krane seems a little too obviously hubristic and dismissive of the potential dangers of zombies–he may as well have “AUTHORITY FIGURE DUE FOR A COMEUPPANCE” tattooed on his forehead–but to Grevioux’s credit he’s not a simpleminded villain. He almost makes you believe that deploying zombies in any way, shape or form is a good idea. The art, by Geraldo Borges and a squad of inkers, is solid and unremarkable, but tells the story proficiently.

If you’re utterly sick to death of zombie tales, I obviously can’t recommend this book to you. But you have any interest left in the genre at all, this series promises to be a worthwhile read.

4 out of 5 Vikings.
4 Vikings

Filed Under: Rack Raids

Tags: 4/5, Horror/Supernatural, Red 5, War, zombies

Max said,

As someone who IS utterly sick to death of zombie tales, I can tell you that this book didn’t do much for me, to the point that I’m hesitant to even pick up the next issue. It’s certainly competent (and the gimmick is decent), but in a genre as tired as this one, competent doesn’t really cut it. Like you said though, if you haven’t burned out on zombies yet, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Add A Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

home | top

ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction #1

Filed Under: Rack Raids

Tags: 4/5, Horror/Supernatural, Red 5, War, zombies

Add A Comment

Meta

Comic Sites

Digital Comics

Professionals

Publisher

Raiders

More Information Can Go Here