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Spoiler Warning:
First off, I’d like to apologize for taking so long between reviews.
You know what January can be like, don’t you? DON’T YOU?!
I'm reeling a little and not quite myself, so forgive me if my writing
abilities fail me this week. Anyways…When Zombies Attack…
 To be honest, this was the first I’d heard of this book. I was
browsing the racks today, picking up my standard horror fare, when I
happened upon the cover to this book. It looked like a fun romp, so I
picked it up. I looked inside and recognized the art style immediately.
Jim Mahfood doing a zombie book? I’m in…
I’ve been a fan of Jim’s art for a few years now. I was
a big fan of his ‘Stupid Comics’ books before they got so
repetitive I had to give them up. His art is still great though; it’s
one of the most unique styles I’ve seen in years.
The book follows the exploits of the Post Mortem Animation Control (P.M.A.C)
team while they deal with the undead and supernatural threats in the
small town of Burke County. The real clincher is that a reality television
crew, filming their escapades for the viewing public, is following them.
The main focus of the show is on officers Frank and Chet and their crusade
to rid their hometown of this reanimated menace. Frank is your general
bad ass character, using his field experience and general tough demeanor
to dispatch wave after wave of zombies. Chet however, is a rookie who
usually causes more problems than he solves. In addition to his inept
techniques, he is also stuck living with his Jesus-freak mother and seems
to be struggling with latent telekinetic powers. I was expecting your
standard ‘buddy’ style story, with the two conflicting personalities
finally respecting each other, but it is handled in a completely different
way. Frank obviously cares for Chet and is constantly watching his back
and giving his tips and hints on protecting himself. There’s a
real father/son element to the team, especially since it appears that
Chet lacks a real father figure in his life. Frank is also very protective
of Chet when it comes to fellow officers belittling and playing pranks
on the new recruit. It’s a nice change of pace, for sure.
Make no mistake though; despite the horrific subject matter, this is
a comedy title. The way general citizens react to the zombie menace really
cracked me up. There are certain scenes at the start of the book that
I loved, involving kids spray-painting the word ‘ASS’ across
three zombies and lining them up. The madcap style of Mahfood really
makes the zombie destruction a good laugh. The cartoony style lends itself
perfectly to the tone of the book and despite the subject matter, never
grosses you out. (Note: I like being grossed out, but this is again,
a welcome change of pace for the genre)
Any bad points? Um…yeah…
This issue throws you in at the deep end, almost to the point where
you wonder if you’ve missed previous series. You’re straight
in to the action, and there’s no real explanation for the supernatural
threats or how the P.M.A.C were formed, but I’m sure we’ll
see all that in subsequent issues. Also the revelation of Chet’s
telekinetic ‘gift’ was a shock. The scene where we first
see it used isn’t particularly well handled art-wise, and was quite
confusing. I think that the writers asked a little too much from the
reader with no real explanations. We’re really given everything
right away and expected to wait for the next issues to explain it. I’m
fine with that, if it’s handled well, but it just seems like they’ve
had a good few ideas, and weren’t quite sure how to tack them all
together.
Still, it’s a solid read and one I’d heartily endorse for
any fans of the horror/comedy genre. Mahfood’s artwork is strong
as ever, if a little more chaotic and looser than usual. The story set
up so far has been solid, and I can’t wait to see more background
on these characters.
So pick it up people!
Grade: B
Note: This book is in black & white, which may put some people off
at first glance. Give it a shot, you crap-shack!
Next week we’re back on track, and I hope to get a few reviews
done rather than a singular entity. Stay strong people…we’ll
get through this! TOGETHER!
Talk about It came from GAV! When
Zombies Attack. |
