Zombo: Can I Eat You Please?

Like their very nature zombies have been done to death and beyond. Surely there’s no more variations on the shambling corpses to be had? Well how about a gentleman zombie who asks permission before going for the teeth/brain combo? Say hello to Zombo.

Torn from the pages of 2000AD, these two stories stick to that title’s formula of violent fun in five page chunks. It’s remarkably inventive for what’s essentially a one-note character and Al Ewing’s to be commended for coming up with increasingly nasty and unusual deaths for dark thrills and blood spills. It’s never boring, except when the dialogue scenes become a bit too fond of speech bubbles to the detriment of the story’s fast flowing nature. Thankfully these ‘wordy speed bumps’ don’t upset the journey too often.

There’s even a nice bit of satire in second story Zombo’s Eleven due to his search for stardom merging with a bunch of “Suicide Boys” so desperate for fleeting fame they’re uploading videos of each other’s deaths to ‘Deathtube’ and praying for 5-star ratings. There’s also cameos of such vapid celebrities as Simon Cowell and Russell Brand who exist simply to annoy, cause problems and then die in a grisly manner for our reading pleasure. It’s not subtle, but it gets Ewing’s point across in a tongue-in (and through)-cheek manner that’s in keeping with the comic’s style.

Speaking of style, Henry Flint produces some of the finest work of his career in this book. He’s clearly revelling in the opportunity to bring the warped characters and mangled mayhem to life on the page. His characters are distinct, his panels packed with detail and there’s a thrilling sense of energy to his action scenes. There’s the rare spot of garish or murky colouring but it never threatens to spoil the visual delights.

All in all a simple treat for those looking for crazy brutality that pleases the eyes.

By Gordon Mclean