DEAD DAY # 1 (Aftershock Comics, in stores May 27 - - place your pre-order at your local comic shop by the May 4 FOC -final order cutoff.) Ryan Parrott, writer. Evgeniy Bornyako, artist. Junacho!, colors. Charles Pritchett, letters. Andy Clarke with Jose Villarrubia, main cover.
Just when it seems safe to assume that no one is going to come up with a fresh take on zombies, DEAD DAY arrives.
However, it would be incorrect to refer to them as “zombies”, as some younger characters help prolong an urban myth that they’re coming to eat you. "Undead” is closer, but "Undead For 24 Hours" is spot on. Because on Dead Day, for one day that occurs when the celestial bodies align correctly, the dead return “for fun and family visits” (as the helpful Dead Day guide in the extra back-pages content explains for our education).
The opening page uses a classic poem in the captions as a framing device along with night-time scenes of deserted highways, cemeteries, and empty streets, save for one shrouded figure in the shadows. The first line from “On Death” by John Keats serves as foreshadow for what will come: “Can death be sleep when life is but a dream?”
Some will greet their departed loved ones and celebrate; others will shun them by staying indoors and securing their homes. Some buy party favors, others buy weapons to defend themselves. Don’t forget the revived criminals out for a night of revenge and/or retribution. If your loved one was cremated, you probably don’t have to prepare for a visit.
The story focuses on the activities of this years’ Dead Day as father Daniel plans to stay home with teenage son Brandon and younger daughter Jewel while mother Melissa hooks up with an old flame. Apparently, this was planned and Daniel has reluctantly agreed. Brandon wants to sneak out of the house to party with a girl who’s part of the Revivalists, a cult with mixed views on the meaning of it all.
There’s a lot of ground covered here (and not shoveled over) in the first issue. I found it all very engaging, especially the last page which serves as a cliffhanger to whet our appetite for the next issue.
RATING SYSTEM
STORY: A clever premise that holds much promise. I’m anxious to see what Parrott does with this. Almost all my questions were answered here, so I’m expecting the story to move faster as it goes forward. 2.5 POINTS out of a possible 3.
ART: Some of the scenes and backdrops are perfectly rendered, like a still life painting. More importantly, Bornyakov matches the facial expressions to the story events. That tells a lot. 2.5 POINTS out of a possible 3.
COVER: Raises plenty of questions. Trouble in River City? (Actually, it’s Pewter Falls). 2 POINTS out of a possible 2.
READ AGAIN? I love the family exchanges. 1 POINT out of a possible 1.
RECOMMEND? There’s enough zombie fans out there missing The Walking Dead. While this is definitely not the same, they should find this appealing. I love a good horror comic, and think this will hit the spot. 1 POINT out of a possible 1.
TOTAL RATING: 9 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10 POINTS. Near perfect. So good everyone should read it.
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