ZVR Adventure Series Review

Title: ZVR Adventures (Zombies vs. Robots) Contributors: Chris Ryall (Writer) Menton Matthews III (Kampf Art) Paul McCaffrey (Masques Art) Gabriel Hernandez (Zuvambies Art) Publisher: IDW Issue #: 1 - 4 Year: 2010 Pages: 104 Pages Age Rating: 18 (Language, Violence, Gore, Adult Themes) Story Grade: A Art Grade: A

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Welcome to Halloween month... this issue of Honest Comics brings another horror-based review.

The comic book ZVR Adventure is a four part Zombies vs. Robots companion series from writer Chris Ryall and a slough of artists each contributing to one of the three completely different stories told throughout the four part series. Even for newcomers to the Zombies vs. Robots story this is great standalone series that reads well on its own and would provide a great introduction to the ZVR universe. Each story is loosely themed around understanding the lengths, and ultimately the sacrifices, mankind would be will to make in an effort to battle the zombie apocalypse.

In the first story, Kampf, we follow the story of a military man in command of a very unique motley crew of robot soldiers and augmented human soldiers as they battle the zombie hordes. This is truly a human interest story that focuses on the commanders personal sacrifices as he falls down a spiral staircase to a personal hell when things go horribly awry on the battlefield. This story was by and far my favorite of the three. And while I'm not saying the others aren't good, because they are, I am just saying that this one touched me the most of the three.

In Masques an unlikely hero, a janitor, with all the best intentions, emerges from the rubble to find out if he is capable of fulfilling some delusional mission he has taken on. It doesn't take long and his allusions of grandeur are wiped from his rose-tinted glasses and he sees the reality of zombie infested world around him.

This is a peculiar tale of human simplicity and the catastrophe that can befall a man who doesn't think before he acts. Think of those videos you have watched of kids imitating wrestlers or trying to make their own "Jackass" fame only this has a sense of honor.

In the third story, Zuvembies, we are transported to Haiti where a small band of guerrilla fighters are betrayed by their commander in his quest to secure final victory against the robots. This is a unique story of the three in which mankind isn't fighting the zombies, but rather fighting the robots.

Each story in the series plays with the theme of sacrifice and humanity and finding or completely disregarding the balance between the two.

The artwork throughout is amazing. All three artists bring a unique style to each of the stories told making it easy as a reader to slip from one story to next in each book.

In Kampf, Matthews paints a melancholy world which is fitting to the story being told. In Masques, McCaffrey keeps the art light and fun while we drive down the rabbit hole at full speed ahead. In Zuvembies, Hernandez brings a dark, moody tone to the world of Haiti, which is very fitting for the story being told.

All in all, I grade this series a solid A. The stories are entertaining while containing deep thought provoking concepts and themes and the artwork is stunning. All in all, this was a hell of ride worth every word written and every turn of the page made.

Until next time... Don't count on others to have your best interests at heart.