GM Recommended Reading: Marvel Zombies

Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, gives us another chilling zombie adventure set within the Marvel Universe. Marvel Zombies is a gory and captivating story spread over the course of 5 issues. 

Basic Plot

A random flash in the sky and ripple in the clouds results in an unknown disease descending and infecting the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. This disease causes the infected to have an incessant hunger for human flesh and a decaying body. Now in this shattered world, the infected heroes and villains fight over their next meal of living flesh, while the survivors do their best to avoid becoming lunch for the Marvel Zombies. 

Art

Sean Phillips illustrates this world in a superb fashion. His drawings of the zombified heroes create some dark and horror-like aesthetics. Phillips’ artwork is what makes this comic stand out as a horror story and not just an average zombie tale. As I read Marvel Zombies, his gore-filled panels gave me goosebumps and chills. 

Writing

Robert Kirkman does a great job at telling a zombie story from the perspective of the zombies. He creates his own lore and rules within this world that make sense when you consider that the characters in Marvel Zombies are not the normal zombies you would expect. Kirkman’s signature style and plot organization are very apparent in this comic and mirror his writing for The Walking Dead. He also provides a great sense of empathy for these zombies as the reader can tell that every infected character is living a personal hell. As I read this comic, I constantly felt fear for the infected and the survivors. It’s just a shame that it’s only 5 issues. I would have loved to read more about these alternate characters and dig deeper into this universe. 

Verdict

While Marvel Zombies might have been a short read, Kirkman’s writing and Phillips’ art made this one gory and freaky comic that hits most fans close to home by including Marvel characters. 

8/10