Marvel Zombies 3 ( Marvel – Van Lente / Kev Walker)
“Board up Avengers Tower! Lock down the Baxter Building! The ravenous hordes of Marvel Zombies are invading … the Marvel Universe! That’s right, the next chapter of the MZ saga is a non-stop in-continuity gorefest with major implications for at least one Marvel hero! When the super-undead stumble into the MU from the Man-Thing’s Nexus of All Realities, all of Florida is quarantined against the zombie plague. Time is quickly running out for a cure, so the Initiative sends a most unlikely group of heroes into the Zombieverse on a desperate mission to find the one item they need before the whole MU is consumed! The scream team of Fred Van Lente (INCREDIBLE HERCULES) and Kev Walker (ANNIHILATION: NOVA) unite for a Marvel Zombies story like you’ve never seen before!”
Well after MZ2, I was sure I was done with this franchise. MZ2 smacked of, “Yeah, but the first one sold so well lets just put out another one,” and it wasn’t very good, in fact it was downright stupid and by all accounts should have sunk the franchise. But here again it rises and actually brings a little bit of life with it.
and oh, for the record, I like Kirkman and Phillips, let’s get that straight.
I picked this one up, well ‘cuz I own a store, but on the strength of Kev Walker’s art, who, it turns out, I was actually confusing with Cory Walker of Invincible fame. Weird how stuff like that works out.
So, I liked MZ3 #1. It was a fresh, different direction for the concept, but true to it’s roots. Plus it has the Wundarr the Aquarian, alien pacifist, in it with his creepy beard and tunic. While the subtlety of the writing isn’t there, it sets up well. It plants enough seeds to keep it interesting for its 4 issue run, I’ll bet. Plus, it’s setting its own tone, not trying to mimic Kirkman’s unique voice & strengths. So, Van Lente is playing within himself, which is good, cuz trying to copy someone else’s success, usually ends up as a failure.
The art is okay also, ya get a pretty clear idea what is going on, and the characters are distinguishable. What makes the art though is the colors for some reason. Good job of making things pop and keeping our eye trained where it needs to be.
I just finished issue #2. It is chock full of good Marvel Zombie land ideas. The plot strays a bit into the contrived at the end, and could have been set up better, and it always drives me nuts when the bad guys let slip critical info, and the heroes are like, “Sound really important and potentially, catastrophically dangerours, but whatever, we’ll deal with that later…” I hate stupid characters who are supposed to be smart (super computered brain robot guy) and their worlds deserve to get eaten by zombies. Not gonna make me stop reading it though.
Overall B. A Good Start. Not to big for its britches. Not walkin’ some miles in anyone else’s shoes.
