As a self-confessed zombie geek, I was incredibly excited to sink my teeth into the complete collection of Zombie Tales, and I was not disappointed. This is ultimate zombie anthology.
From George A. Romero’s classics, to contemporary masterpieces like The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, and 28 Years Later — I love everything about zombies. Bizarrely, I’d never picked up the original prints of ongoing BOOM! Studios series Zombie Tales, which includes Zombie Tales, Zombie Tales: Oblivious, Zombie Tales: The Dead, and Zombie Tales: The Series #1-12.
With the arrival of the big, 100+page complete edition of Zombie Tales, giving it a read was a no-brainer (pun intended). The anthology series features works from some of the medium’s most esteemed authors, such as Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Steve Niles, Joe R. Lansdale, Karl Kesel, Andy Kuhn, Tom Peyer, Ming Doyle, William Messner-Loebs, Tom Fowler, Ron Lim, and J.K. Woodward. The artistic team, too, stands out with names like Eisner-Award winning artist Fábio Moon (Casanova), among many others.
Like most anthology series, Zombie Tales is hit and miss. But I’ll gladly report that it’s almost all hits, which is just about the highest praise an anthology series can receive. The stories have a rich blend of themes, whether its dark and disturbing tales, to killer Zombieland-esque wit, to social satire. It’s the ultimate box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.
Zombie Tales has several magnificent stories inside!
The tales in this edition range from laugh-out loud to cry-out-loud. Some have a very Creepshow feel to them, while others offer more gritty, grounded and introspective stories. Let’s go over a few highlights, starting with A Game Called Zombie written by Jim Pascoe, which delves into the imagination of a boy playing a game of ‘zombie’ with his father. It plays into the innocence of youth, and the fierce imagination of children.
Another excellent, rather bizarre entry is Zounds by Todd Lepre (writer) and Chee (artist), where a trio of survivors find themselves beholding the works of Shakespeare being performed by zombies.
Next up is I, Zombie, one of the most popular stories from the saga. Written by Andrew Cosby with art by Ed Dukeshire, it’s an introspective tale from the perspective of a sentient zombie, reflecting on its existence.
These examples perfectly encapsulate the weirdness you’ll find throughout this collection. Surprises are in store on every page.
If you’re anything like me and you’ve sought out great zombie comics for years, reading through all of The Walking Dead, Year Zero, Crossed, Marvel Zombies, Empire of the Dead, and so on — Zombie Tales will feed your hunger for more tales.
Rating: 5 out of 5
You can find Zombie Tales: The Complete Collection here from BOOM! Studios.
