Bleeding Hearts breathes new life into DC Vertigo, serving as a stellar platform for the imprint’s revival.
After a phenomenal 2025, Deniz Camp keeps the momentum flowing in 2026. Of course, anthology series Assorted Crisis Events (which was our standout series of 2025) is continuing, as well as Absolute Martian Manhunter, and so on. Camp is one of the most prolific comic book scribes out there. It isn’t just the glut of quantity, but the sheer quality of his projects is top tier. Collaborating with work class artists, he’s helping define a generation of the comics medium, one panel at a time.
This brings us to Bleeding Hearts, a new ongoing zombie series kicking off the launch of the new Vertigo line at DC. The series comes from the esteemed team of Deniz Camp, Stipan Morian, Matt Hollingsworth, and Hassan Otsmane Elhaou. The series sees both Camp and Morian collaborating again after their immense success with 20th Century Men. Stay tuned for our full review of Bleeding Hearts, but in the meantime, let’s explore how the new series is garnering all of the hype and attention from some of the biggest names in the industry.
In a genre that’s so ubiquitous in the comics medium, and perhaps a little too saturated, Camp ushers in a new series that takes a novel approach, while capturing what makes zombie stories so thrilling. Unlike many zombie comics, from classics like The Walking Dead to more recent entries like Everything Dead & Dying — Bleeding Hearts takes a twisty, subversive approach. Rather than being a slice of life story, Camp has taken to describing it as “slice of unlife”.
The official log-line for Bleeding Hearts reads:
The zombies won and ten years after the fall of humanity, they’re the dominant form of life (or not-life) on Earth. They’ve developed their own cultural practices, their own language, their own society. Mouse-Pokes-Golf-Ball-Through-Hole-In-Head (Poke for short) is a beloved member of his community and with his brother-in-arm Mush, he’s happy to shamble along through the only world he can remember… until the day his heart mysteriously starts beating again. And in a blink, the first humans he sees have stopped looking like food and have started looking like… friends…?
“This is a zombie story in the same way, I think, that 20th Century Men was a superhero story,” Camp wrote on X. “We play with a lot of the tropes, elements, etc to tell a different kind of story.”
What’s more, Camp has also confirmed that Bleeding Hearts is intended to be a long-running comic, rather than a limited series. As of now, there’s no ending in sight. “I will say, if you’re looking for a long form, character-focused, creator owned series (either to follow in singles or trades), this is the one. DC/Vertigo was very clear about wanting something that could run indefinitely.”
Additionally, the artwork is pretty spectacular. We’ve come to expect Camp’s intelligent and creative use of panels from Assorted Crisis Events and Absolute Martian Manhunter, and Bleeding Hearts is no different. See for yourself:
What are people saying about Bleeding Hearts #1?
The new series may not be out yet, but some critics and writers have already got their hands on it. The general feeling? VERY positive. Let’s take a tour of some early reactions:
An unbelievable debut issue. Reimagines the well-worn world of zombies into something entirely new and novel. You need to get in on the ground floor of this one, folks.
Thank me later! https://t.co/qkCO6rbJ1B
— Zac Thompson (@ZacBeThompson) January 19, 2026
Extraordinary work here. Just when you think you’ve seen the definitive statement on the zombie archetype, it crawls back out of the grave and runs amok in the zeitgeist. You need this one. https://t.co/KGLRIqSjFg
— Alex Paknadel (@AlexPaknadel) January 19, 2026
I am a big zombie enthusiast and I’m difficult to impress in this genre. But BLEEDING HEARTS is outstanding and a stellar launch for the new Vertigo line. @DenizCamp never misses. pic.twitter.com/R5BCA3M65f
— Ashley (@AshWHurst) January 18, 2026
Having read the first three issues, this is an incredible series to launch the new Vertigo line. Absolutely do not miss it! Sign up NOW ⚡ https://t.co/GgF1wIyiPB
— luiseatscomics (@luiseatscomics) January 16, 2026
Do NOT sleep on this book – a groundbreaking take on zombies. https://t.co/R8y0ZlFUEY
— Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 16, 2026
Bleeding Hearts #1 debuts February 11. Suffice to say, get yours pre-ordered, folks!
