Mississippi Zombie [Part One] - Caliber Comics

MISSISSIPPI ZOMBIE, February 2020

Playing out like a re-run of George A. Romero’s 1982 American horror comedy anthology film “Creepshow”, complete with its own ghoulish narrator, creator Bradley Golden’s “tale of horror based in the rural state of Mississippi” must have delighted any gore fans out there with its mix of grisly mutilations, genuinely touching emotional moments, and last minute acts of desperate bravery. Indeed, despite the brevity of some of this graphic novel’s yarns of brain-munching mayhem, every story will arguably leave an indelible impression upon the mind of its readers, whether it be caused by a hapless soldier suddenly realising he won’t ever be playing video games with his son again, or a heavily bearded local drunk shockingly coming face-to-face with the zombie apocalypse he thought his government were just lying about…

Initiating this plethora of “horror and dismemberment” is Golden’s very own “Mississippi Crossing”, which briefly depicts a trio of tales arguably set during the early days of the Undead uprising. Enthusiastically pencilled by Phil Williams, there’s a disconcertingly gripping terror to be seen in the faces of the figures ‘stumbling’ upon the gore-fest exploding around them, with Private John Hilliard’s brave final stand against a gigantic zombie horde “coming from south of here near Yazoo” proving especially poignant.

Bradley’s penmanship, alongside co-writer Alex Barranco, is equally as heart-breaking in “Grave Times”, which follows the desperate efforts of Theodore Brown to keep his marriage alive despite the fact his wife has become ill with an untreatable sickness. Everyone in this comic’s audience will undoubtedly know what is in store for poor Angela, but what is surprising, and resultantly enthralling, is the change her zombification has upon her devoted husband. Clearly, a very morally-upright and adoring partner, Theodore’s decline into a grave-robber is wonderfully written within the space of just seven-pages, to the point where despite his misguided criminal acts, any bibliophiles will surely feel he deserved better than the grisly fate which ultimately befalls him.

Adding to the grim nature of this particular story are Antonio Acevedo’s layouts, whose heavily pencilled shadowing makes Brown’s world even darker to the perusing eye. Packed full of delicate details, such as the tangible rot on Juan Perez’s coffin lid, this narrative is made all the more haunting by the look in Angela’s eyes as she sees her aghast husband pitifully watching her feast upon a corpse and becomes enraged (or extra-hungry) at the sight; “And just like that, the zombie outbreak in Madison starts.”

Writers: Bradley Golden & Alex Barranco, and Artists: Phil Williams & Antonio Acevedo