Comic Review: Pestilence #1 (Aftershock Comics)
Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Oleg Okunev
Colorist: Rob Schwager
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Rating: Mature
Here’s a little history lesson, kids. In 1968 George A. Romero’s directorial debut Night of the Living Dead is given a theatrical release. While panned by critics it managed to gross $30 million world-wide on its meager budget. And just like that the modern zombie genre was born. Flash forward to the present and you’ll see that zombie culture has become a thread in the fabric of Americana. Films such as Zombieland, World War Z, Dawn of the Dead and TV shows like The Walking Dead and Z Nation show that the genre’s popularity is as strong as its ever been. This brings me to Pestilence #1.
Reminiscent of the popular What If… One Shots Marvel Comics would release following an event series, it asks a simple question. What if the Black Plague was actually a zombie apocalypse? It’s an intriguing concept given the unique disadvantages that life in Middle Ages Europe presents. We follow the men of Fiat Lux, the assassin’s arm of the Catholic Church, as they deal with renegade Crusader Sir Archibald and his band of minions. Led by Roderick Helms, the story unfolds through a letter he’s written to his beloved Jaqueline. Fiat Lux quickly lays waste to rogue leader Archibald returning control of the Hall to the Church. It is an encounter with a lone zombie traveler upon leaving that sets the course of events to come. They manage to kill the traveler after several unsuccessful attempts and after doing so they find a message. The Vatican has been overrun by a horde of zombies.
While I found the story a tad short given its larger implications, Frank Tieri (New Excalibur, Weapon X) manages to make it interesting and Oleg Okunev (Red Fury, Meteor) does amazing things with the art throughout. This is another solid start for Team Aftershock as they continue throwing caution to the wind in the name of unique and interesting storytelling. If you’re a fan of the genre it is definitely worth a read.
🌟🌟🌟1/2 out of 5
