Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Review: The Other Dead #1

By Reboot


Today, I review the first installment of IDW's The Other Dead. This comic is brought to you by co-creator's comic's veteran Joshua Ortega and Art Asylum co-founder Digger T. Mesch, with art by Qing Ping Mui, colors by Blond, and with creative consulting by indie comics legend Kevin Eastman. Additionally, this comic is based on a film treatment by Digger T. Mesch.

The premise of The Other Dead is that something is causing dead animals to be reanimated in Southern Louisiana. We see these events unfolding primarily around one dysfunctional family. I don't want to give away any hints the story gives as to why they're coming back, but it does have some subtleties to it so keep your eyes peeled!

Story wise, you get a nice blend of old school B zombie flicks right up to a scene with the president being briefed on what's happening in the oval office, as well as a more contemporary feel with the family that we follow and the different generations and subcultures they represent. This is all executed effectively and the comic is well paced from beginning to end. It does set itself up to be predictable in some ways, but that seems to be done intentionally like in the films that inspired this tale.

Art wise, I feel that many of the pages work exceptionally well. The first few pages with the deer hunt stood out to me the most in being haunting and beautiful. A few parts throughout the story I feel the art wasn't quite as exceptional, and some panels and pages may have not been used as efficiently as they could have been, but the art is certainly compelling and keeps you turning the pages. The colors are rarely vibrant, but the dull darkness adds to the feel of impending doom.

Really, this comic is like watching the best kind of B horror movie out there. And I'm not talking about bad horror movies, I'm talking about the off beat and brilliant ones. I've said to people for years that I was burnt out on zombies. Zombies are more popular than ever. The Other Dead gives the zombie genre a fresh new direction it both needs and deserves. If you love zombies, pick up this comic. If you love cult classic horror flicks, pick up this comic. Also, Avatar Press fans, this book is for you too. Pick up your copy today!


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