Marvel Zombies 2 (2008)

Original Release Date: June 1, 2008 (collected)
Number of Issues: 5
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment

 “MZ2” follows the continuity of the storyline set up in the first “Marvel Zombies” mini-series. It is now 40 years after the zombie plague first found its way into this dimension, and the small group of superhero zombies that survived and somehow managed to work together have gone all around the known universe, eating every living thing they can find. They believe they have eaten everything, so they decide to return to Earth to see if they can repair a dimensional gateway the Fantastic Four were working on, in order to travel to an alternate universe, presumably one with a fresh food supply. When the zombies return to Earth, however, they find that a small group of humans and superheroes have survived, and the battle for survival ensues.

Everything else you need to know about the premise and overview of the “Marvel Zombie” series has been explained in the previous reviews of “MZ: Dead Days” and the original “MZ” mini-series, so let’s jump right into the Score action.

Marvel Zombies (2006)

Original Release Date: August 1, 2006 (collected)
Number of Issues: 5
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment

Even though “Dead Days” compiles the stories that came first from a chronological standpoint, this series is the true “mainstream” beginning of the MZ series. Picking up immediately where the “Dead Days” prequel story left off, this series tells the tale of how the zombie virus spread through this alternate-universe Earth, and it takes a lot of pages to show some really great aspects of superheroes and zombies mashed together: some heroes are reticent to attack and eat other, fearing they have lost too much of their humanity and their morals; some heroes realize that they can only think clearly when they are not hungry, so they engage freely in eating people when they have to; and some heroes just plain can’t fight the hunger and attack every living thing in their immediate vicinity.

Written by “the zombie guy” himself, Robert Kirkman of “The Walking Dead” fame, the first part of this story really tackles some pretty heavy issues and ideas of how super-powered beings might grapple with the moral and survivalist consequences of being undead with an insatiable hunger for flesh. It is well-written and well-drawn, and Kirkman really gets to show that he can write a good zombie story to fit pretty much any situation; whether it’s the gritty, reality-based world of “The Walking Dead” or dealing with reanimated versions of some of the world’s most beloved superheroes, Kirkman steps up to the challenge and absolutely delivers.