Recently watched 28 Years Later? Already seen 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later? If you find yourself craving more stories from the franchise, there’s a wonderful comic book series to check out!
With all eyes on Danny Boyle’s long-awaited movie 28 Years Later, the beloved British zombie franchise is very much seeing a resurgence in popularity. Viewers are going back to the seminal 28 Days Later (2002) and its sequel 28 Weeks Later (2007). Sure, a sequel to 28 Years Later is due to arrive in 2026, but if you’re craving more content before it arrives, the much-forgotten comic book series is the ideal way to bridge the gap. That is, if you can find it.
Written by Michael Alan Nelson (Hexed, Supergirl) and drawn by Declan Shalvey, Alejandro Aragon, and various other artists, the 28 Days Later comics were published between 2009 and 2011, and collected in an omnibus edition by BOOM! Studios in 2014. Told over 24 issues (collected into six volumes), the story bridges the gab between 28 Days and 28 Years Later. It sees the return of Selena, the survivor in the original movie played by Naomie Harris. The story follows Selena as she’s recruited by a team of journalists and mercenaries, with the aim of returning to infected Britain to investigate the truth behind the Rage virus.
The comics retain the brutality and the raw, gritty nature of the original movies. It fleshes out the world, showing parts of the UK not shown in the original films (or even the latest movie, 28 Years Later). And, of course, it massively expands on Selena’s story — which was left very open at the end of 28 Days Later. The movie has a couple of alternate endings, but the ‘canon’ one sees Selena in relative safety in a cottage with Jim and Hannah. It also builds on the American presence in the UK, which is a massive part of the second movie.
The 28 Days Later comics are difficult to find.
If you want to pick up the comics, be warned that they’re not the easiest works to find. Visit Amazon and you’ll see ‘Currently Unavailable’ stamped across most listings. And where it is available online, prices are insanely high. If you’re lucky, you might find some physical copies buried inside comic book boxes at conventions. But other than that, reading digitally is your best option.
Clearly, a reprint is needed. Given the success of 28 Years Later, and the subsequent eyes on the original movies, reprinting the comic book series feels like a no-brainer. We’ll keep you updated! In the meantime, consider subscribing to our free, weekly newsletter:
