Night of the Living Dead Series Review

Title:	Night of the Living Dead
Contributors:	Mike Wolfer John Russo Tomas Aira
Publisher:	Avatar Press
Issue #:	1 - 4
Year:	2010
Pages:	88 Pages
Age Rating:	18 (Language, Violence, Gore, Nudity, Sex, Adult Themes)
Story Grade:	B
Art Grade:	A

Night of the Living Dead, written by Mike Wolfer and John Russo, with art by Tomas Aira, is a companion story to original "Night of the Living Dead" story in the movie of the same name. This is a story about hippies, politics, rebellion and social unrest happening in the middle of zombie outbreak. It's a fun, five issue, story that is a truly new tie in to the original events in Romero's "Night". But don't go into this expecting any depth.

Horrifying stories keep streaming in, telling of a rural apocalypse in Pennsylvania in which the dead have risen. The hippie community believes it to be nothing more than Urban Legend. The government, who at this point believes that the events being reported are nothing more than an elaborate hoax perpetrated by the anti-war  hippie counter culture, is taking counter measures to try and stave off the ensuing social unrest as thousands of protesters descend on our nation's capitol.

But the politicians are not expecting the horrors that follow as the capital is not only invaded by dirty, naked, free-loving hippies, but hordes of infectious zombies as well.

Wolfer and Russo deliver a fantastic, entertaining zombie-attack sequel to the original, Romero-"Night of the Living Dead" story. Russo was the co-writer, with Romero, for the original Night of movie, so you know the mythology of "Night" is well represented. What is lacking in this series, and happens to be popular in these days of "The Walking Dead" and "28 Days Later" storytelling is any character development. So if you are looking to get into the mind of the numerous protagonists in this book, you will be sorely disappointed. But if you want a good zombie apocalypse story... this is your series.

Whatever you do, don't expect a perfect story here. In true "Night" fashion, there are mile-wide plot holes cratering the landscape, but most fans of Romero's "Night" aren't worried about that sort of thing.

This series introduces us to the amazing risque styles of newcomer artist Tomas Aira. Tomas, who has since worked on three different Night of the Living Dead series, Grimm Fairy Tales, Warcraft and Starcraft books, brings us gore, gunfire, politicians and full frontal hippies partying in the reflecting pool in front of the Washington Monument beautifully rendered and with all the bite that one would expect for a horror comic.

This is not a kids series.

I grade this series a solid B+ and here is why; With "The Walking Dead" storytelling being so damn popular right now, I find it awesome that these writers and artists did not try and do something that mimics "The Walking Dead". Instead, they told their own story using their own voice and stayed true to the roots of what "Night of the Living Dead" is. And while this can add to the weakness of this series overall, it was still them not being a follower and I applaud them for that.

Until next time... Remember that they're coming to get you... Barbara.