Zombies: we’ve seen them down a thousand times at this point. Ever since the pioneering of the genre done by George Romero in 1968, zombies have slowly hobbled their way into become a staple in modern pop-culture, most popularly referenced in comics in Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard and Image Comics’ seminal The Walking Dead (now also a hit show on AMC).
While the zombie plague is certainly a popular go-to horror device, there are few new versions of the shuffling monstrosity that truly recapture the horror they used to induce. Zombies have become generally as threatening as a warm kitten, popping up everywhere but seeing quick defeat from the protagonists. A genre once exciting and inviting has since become too run-of-the-mill, in the same way that pop-culture has ultimately dumbed down vampires and werewolves.
But then there is Rebel Blood.
Check after the cut for some thoughts on Rebel Blood as well as a series of exclusive zombie animal designs and two unused covers by series creator and artist Riley Rossmo, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the book come March.
Co-written by Riley Rossmo and Alex Link and featuring art by Rossmo as well, Rebel Blood takes zombie horror up to the next conceivable level, infecting humanity and animals alike while filtering it through the cracked lens of a nightmare. Focusing in on young Chuck Neville, the book takes place in an eerie zombie wasteland that can be described as “The Grey meets 28 Days Later” with its bleak environment and not-quite-zombies-but-still-basically-zombies zombies, where there is literally no safe corner to hide in. If the people don’t get you, the animals certainly will, and with limited supplies and grotesque creatures lurking in the shadows (not to mention a pesky phantasm), Rossmo and Link have created a true horror landscape.
What makes Rebel Blood so unique in its execution is its necessarily uneven narrative. This isn’t a book that goes from Point A to B as it explores the wasteland, dragging the reader along, but rather one that takes side roads at every possible instance. You’ll see the past, present, and possible futures all at once as the book assaults you from all angles, bringing you into Chuck’s (quite literal) nightmare in more ways than one. In a medium often struggling to create ways for readers to connect with unfamiliar protagonists in even more unfamiliar situations and habitats, Rossmo and Link give you front row seats to the fantasies and terror dreams of a man with nothing left to lose but his life.
Of course, a large part of what makes the book so infinitely visceral is Rossmo’s hyperactive and kinetic artwork. With jagged lines, ink splatters and a bleak color scheme, Rossmo has developed an art style familiar, unique and quite visually traumatic. The world Rossmo brings us into is one both terrifying yet entirely inhabitable; a horrific vision of a world gone mad in the best way possible. The use of color throughout, both in the real world and Chuck’s dreams, help accentuate the brutal reality of the situation Chuck finds himself, and the book plays out like a shotgun blast to the face (and given Chuck’s weapon of choice, that seems more than appropriate).
Rebel Blood is the kick in the pants that zombie-based books need. It doesn’t settle for just existing in the world of the undead, but rather brings to life a dark new vision perfect for any horror buff. Suffice it to say, if you’ve ever had any interest in the zombie genre, Rebel Blood is a must buy. Beautifully illustrated and absolutely horrific, Rebel Blood is the first truly exciting thing to happen to the reanimated dead in some time.
But don’t take my word for it. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words:
