Graphic Novel Review: MARVEL ZOMBIES 2

I’m not one for reading anything that the comic book company Marvel has put out in almost a little over a decade but when I heard that writer Robert Kirkman had his hands in the original graphic novel I couldn’t help myself. This was the man who brought horror back to comics with his phenomenal ongoing series THE WALKING DEAD, so, if he was behind the series it couldn’t be all that bad. Point of fact is that the first MARVEL ZOMBIES series was an unquestionable success, so, who am I to be the one to say that there was no need for a second series.

MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 opens years after the first series ended in which all the superheroes of the Marvel universe became infected with a zombie plague turning them all into flesh eating zombies who practically devoured everything on Earth. After eating the Silver Surfer and Galactus, the surviving zombie-superheroes flee Earth in search of more food. In this new series the zombie-superheroes have eaten everything that they can and now set their sights on returning to Earth in order to find Reed Richards dimensional machine that will allow them passage to another world so that they can find a new world to feast upon.

When the zombie-superheroes return to Earth they have a surprise in store for them as an aged Black Panther and Forge had assembled the last of humanity in a settlement that they refuse to let go to the menace of the zombies. Things get even more complicated as a zombie-Wasp has taken up refuge with the survivors and has learned how to live in peace without letting the “hunger” of being a zombie get to her. Now it’s a fight for survival as humans battle zombies, zombies battle zombies, and everything is fair game.

Kirkman presents a compelling story where there are no easy answers or solutions to what lies next for humanity. This is a theme he’s put to great use in his THE WALKING DEAD series and works on a much bigger canvas then that series. Sean Phillips’ artwork compliments Kirkman’s story perfectly. The story is filled with great references from Marvel’s history and will be a favorite with comic book fans.

Like the first series this series steps far beyond anything that most readers of Marvel’s comics is accustomed to which makes the series that much better and now that the creators realize that they have a hit on their hands this series is left open for the impending third story in the series. I recommend this to both fans of Marvel comics and those readers who just want to read a very good story. I may not read anything else that Marvel puts out but I’ll continue to read this series as long as they continue putting them out.