There’s no question that zombies have been exhausted. At a time when the majority of the subgenre’s films are uninteresting and the bar for its comics has pretty much been set by Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD, it seems like a risk to be putting out yet another book featuring the ghouls. But there’s always room for a fresh venture, and Mark Rahner and Robert Horton have gone back—back to the roots of George A. Romero’s intelligent use of the undead and back to the Old West, and there isn’t a wink or nudge in sight. What these two writers have crafted is a horror comic to be excited and intrigued by.
“1877 is turning into a rotten year,” we are told, and it isn’t only because of the flesheating outbreaks. Moonstone Books’ ROTTEN follows William Wade, a stop-lossed government agent, brought out of civilian life by a president undeserving of being in office, reunited with his old partner John J. Flynn and charged with the task of finding out just why the hell the dead are rising. Issue #1 (out today) finds Wade infiltrating a small mining town plagued by the living dead, which seem to be arising from the depths of their workplace. Rahner and Horton are not only interested in the resulting gore, however, but in the plight of the town’s workers and the lack of protection they receive from the mine’s wealthy owner, who lives atop a hill away from the townsfolk under his influence.
This is what’s so good about ROTTEN: It takes itself seriously, as the writers not only tell a kick-ass zombie story but also address and observe current events. It uses its rough and harsh frontier setting to provide intriguing and timely parallels to our modern world, and while there are moments of humor, there’s nothing cute about it. The narrative is as much about the ghouls as it is about working-class men and families, and even women’s roles in this milieu. The debut issue is a whopping 52 pages, but barely gives you time to settle down; very few comics have gotten me frustrated because I couldn’t blaze through them as fast as I wanted to. Dan Dougherty’s art is the best of companions to this storytelling, and helps complete the image of Wade as a certified bad-ass, as heroic and caring as he is brutal.
ROTTEN has without a doubt gotten off to an excellent start, and will be something to watch as it progresses. Having already laid my eyes on the next four issues, I can attest to how wonderful the succeeding installments are and how much I enjoyed the change in tone each undergoes, balancing atmosphere and narrative moves in ways that complement the overall arc at hand.
If you’re doubtful that a quality zombie story can still be told without slapstick humor and an abundance of film references, pick up ROTTEN. You won’t be disappointed.
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