Mississippi Zombie [Part Two] - Caliber Comics

MISSISSIPPI ZOMBIE, February 2020

Much more your typical campfire fright-fest feature than the two terrifying tales which preceded it, Marcus H. Roberts’ “Zombie Attack On Horn Island” is this anthology’s sole historical contribution, and resultantly provides an enjoyable romp back to yesteryear when American settlers had little to hand with which to fend off the flesh-chomping cadavers threatening them, except muzzle-loading firearms and a trusty wood-axe. Firmly focused upon the flight of the Johnstone family from an island packed full of the walking dead, this twelve-page chronicle is well-paced with plenty of pulse-pounding moments as Adam desperately attempts to keep the zeds at bay as his panic-stricken wife, daughter and friend try to run to the safety of a nearby vessel.

Crammed with examples of heroic sacrifice, misplaced elation, and just plain old bad luck, this headlong dash for survival is well-drawn by Dan Gorman, whose ‘old school’ styled pencils will surely take the more mature comic reader back to the days of the early Seventies and “Weird Mystery Tales” by “DC Comics”. Indeed, the artist’s ability to imbue his characters with plenty of dynamism as they’re chopping heads, spilling putrid guts and blowing out brains, somewhat imitates all the charm of such Bronze Age greats like Luis Dominguez or Abe Ocampo.

Further fixed in the post-apocalyptic world, complete with zombie panthers, pirate galleys and pet crocodiles, Peter and John Breau’s “It’s All About Commerce” definitely has a story to tell about old college friendships, and the sense of trust those relationships develop during a time when everything seems to want to eat your flesh. Initially concentrating upon having good cardio, similar to Columbus’s rule #1 in the 2009 comedy film “Zombieland”, this ultimately successful ‘last stand’ has some nicely penned moments where experience and a pre-conceived plan of attack certainly help increase one’s chances of survival; “Raina… Play 14.”

Harrison Wood’s artwork also adds a nice claustrophobic element to the storytelling, with many of his panels being populated by all manner of undead nightmares, such as bulldogs, fearsomely-tusked wild boars, and even a slithering King Cobra. These cluttered scenes make it seem almost impossible for anyone to even raise a barbed-wired bat in anger, let alone bludgeon a reeking ghoul to bloody bits, yet it also makes the trio’s final moments together all the more tense, as zombie after zombie appear from the woodland surrounding them.

Finally this graphic novel finishes with Joe Wight’s futuristic “Planet Z”, which rather enticingly teases that Judgement Day isn’t simply going to be confined to a single world of the ever-expanding human empire. Prodigiously pencilled by Rod Espinosa, this frantically-fast account of a factory facility suddenly being overrun by a gazillion ghouls contains some eye-wateringly gruesome deaths, especially once the plant’s security are deployed, and genuinely leaves the reader wanting to see more of Mister Adams’ exploits, if not his singing...

Writers: Marcus H. Roberts, Peter & John Breau, and Joe Wight