Just A Fanboy

Zombie Fest

Ok ok, I've been bitten by the Zombie bug. It all started in the summer of '05 with Frank Cho's Zombie King #0 (link is to the entire issues free on-line). ZK was just about the sickest zombie story I'd ever read and I loved it! I couldn't wait for ZK #1 to come out. I waited, and waited, and waited, and........then in the summer of '06 Frank broke the news that there wouldn't be a ZK #1. What?! But wait......instead he was going make a ZK movie! Cool, if it ever gets made. We'll see.

Now you need to keep in mind that I've been a Marvel zombie most of my collecting carrier so the only reason I even read ZK was because my LCS guy recommended it and told me I could have my money back if I didn't like it. Needless to say, having Marvel tunnel vision was keeping me from the best zombie comic ever made.....but we'll get to that.....

So a little time passes and Mark Millar writes "Crossover" for Marvel's Ultimate Fantastic Four #21-23. In this story the FF travel to another universe inhabited by zombie versions of Marvel super heroes. It was a fun read and was also the lead in to the mini-series Marvel Zombies written by Robert Kirkman. The mini was a great read and lead into the final chapter "Frightful" in Ultimate Fantastic Four #30-32. I recomend all of the above if you can find them at a resonable price.

Having enjoyed the Kirkman MZ mini, and having been hooked on his book Invincible for a couple years (another LCS guy recommendation) I thought it was time to look into this Kirkman dude and see what else he'd written. Needless to say, it didn't take more then a google search and about thirty seconds to learn that he'd been writing the best Zombie comic ever, The Walking Dead, for the last three years.

Well the timing was perfect. Image Comics had just published a nice hardcover collection of The Walking Dead #1-12 for $30. I bought the book and planned on reading it over the next week or so. I read the entire volume the first night I cracked the cover open.

Total.

Comic.

Crack.

I've had fun over the last few months putting together a run of the original TWD comics (#1-31) and now only need the first and second issue to have a complete set. I also picked up the Walking Dead omnibus that collects issues #1-24. The thing is massive and the art is great to see at over 1.5x it's originally published size. These go for about $100 on eBay. If you consider the cost of putting together a run of the original books from #1-24, a $100 is a good buy. Even at cover price the originals were $72. The omnibus includes all of the color covers as well as some original material.

I've also found myself getting into Escape of the Living Dead and George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead published by Avatar Press.

Kirkman is currently working on a one-issue prequel to Marvel Zombies called Marvel Zombies: Dead Days and that book will tie into Marvel Zombies Vs. The Army of Darkness, a five-issue crossover limited series co-published by Dynamite Entertainment and Marvel Comics. I'm really looking forward to this. Kirkman has also said that there will be a sequel to Marvel Zombies, Marvel Zombies 2. Nice!

Another future project of interest is a comic book adaptation of 28 Days Later: The Aftermath. It'll be published by Fox Atomic and Jimmy Palmiotti will edit it.

I wont even get into all of the great Zombie movies that have come out in the last few years or any of thee films currently in production, that's a story for another time.... If you haven't been bitten by the zombie bug yet..............what the hell are you waiting for?!

posted by @ 8:09 AM