Writer: Miles Gunter
Artist: Victor Santos
Publisher: Image Comics
"Feudal Japan, ninjas, samurai, mystical monks and the undead? Holy crap, SIGN ME UP. This better not suck."
Those were the first words that sprang to mind when I saw this book. I am very happy to say that I wasn't disappointed!
Zombee is a tale that takes place in a not-too-historically-accurate-but-who-cares feudal Japan. The main character is Fumenaga, a devoted samurai, who is sent on a fool's errand and along the way bumps into vicious undead (we'll say zombies) that try to kill him. He then meets up with a whacky, wise-cracking, psychic ninja and a mute, but very mystically attuned monk who is able to communicate with the ninja via telepathy (or so the ninja says). After they all meet each other and team up, gory hijinx & violent entertainment ensues as they try to get to the bottom of things whilst hacking their way through many a zombie.
First, this creative team gets big-time points for combining feudal Japan and zombie-lit. They continue to get high marks due to the rollicking good time of a story they so kindly provide. The fight scenes are almost epic in scope, kinda like a brutal Korean action film, and that ninja adds a lot with his being a total smart-ass. All three main characters are fleshed out just enough to get me to like them. Fumenaga is the quintessential samurai, dutiful and loyal to an extreme. Oh, and he's a one-man killing machine. Ishida is a psychically endowed ninja who usually has something to say, even while he's kicking ass, and what he has to say usually induces laughter (must be a secret ninja weapon). Uzu is a monk who doesn't talk, although Ishida can hear his thoughts, and he seems to have magical/mystical powers. Together, they are a zombie's worst nightmare (as Ishida's former ninja pals discover; which, by the by, is a GREAT part). In the end, they meet one tough hombre and I was quite impressed by how it was handled.
Miles Gunter, the writer, shows us that his talent is "keeping it simple, yet effective" to great effect. The story is easy to follow and the characters likeable. Humour is used frequently, which offsets the serious tone of their situation to satisfactory degree. It should be noted that this book is pretty funny throughout, so don't expect a zombie story by Tolstoy. The dialogue is witty, as well, helping with the enjoyment of Zombee.
The art is in black & white, with Victor Santos putting shadows and silhouetting to good use. It's pretty simplistic, but that's a good thing as this being in black & white and all, it works. If I had to make comparisons to other things in other media, I would say that this book is the cartoon Samurai Jack meets the films Seven Samurai and Evil Dead with it all directed by John Woo with Edgar Wright assisting. Evil Dead is most definitely an influence, and that's fine by me.
I suppose there are some things that might not be completely up to snuff, but I can't seem to recall them because this book is so much fun and done so well. Seriously, any faults Zombee has is overshadowed by the Good in it. This was a rare treat, indeed.
Well, I guess if I had to point out one tiny problem it had, it would be that it wraps up rather quickly and almost abruptly. Yeah, other than that, there's not much else to say (considering the material).
Though I am curious to what the deal is with the way the title is spelled.
Fans of the "zombie genre" should pick Zombee up, especially if they enjoy samurai films and such. Also, said fans will probably be happy to see some fresh air in a field which is chock full of rotting corpses, if you know what I mean. It's not perfect, but its humour and action turn any rough edges into roguish charm (thus actually making it perfect for what it is). I'm really hoping that Gunter and Santos do more with these characters in this setting, because it's pretty damn awesome. When and if that happens (it better, dammit), I'll be first in line to check it out.
What did you think of this book?
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