Graphic Novel Review: ZOMBIEWORLD: CHAMPION OF THE WORMS

The zombie genre has become its own cottage industry when it comes to the comic industry so it was with great apprehension that I picked up ZOMBIEWORLD Vol. 1: CHAMPION OF THE WORMS but I did because of the talent behind the book. I’ve always been a Mike Mignola fan so I was curious on how he would approach the material and even though I am not familiar with the art of Pat McEown it was very similar to Mignola’s own.

The story does not waste time getting straight into the story as Major Damson and his group of paranormal specialists has been consulted by a museum with a new Hyperborean relic which has been causing the museum several superstitious problems. Damson believes that the museum has unwilling set into motion the resurrection of Azzul Gotha, one of the most dreaded necromancers of the Hyperborean people, who was entombed alive in a sarcophagus. Azzul Gotha wants to bring about the end of the world and appease his Worm Gods. Now Damson and his team must find the resurrected Azzul Gotha and stop him before he can raise the dead and bring about the end of the world.

Like many of Mignola’s stories this is very fast paced but unlike the successful Hellboy books this story lacks the depth and characters of those books. This story falls flat partly because the characters never become fully developed and the story lacks any real creativity or originality. There is nothing new here that hasn’t been seen or done before. Damson’s team all seem unique and interesting but very little time is spent on any of them and they come off as being very flat and at times dull.

Being a huge fan of the zombie genre I wish I could say some good things about the title but I’ll reserve that for the next Hellboy story.