Marvel Zombies Return is the latest miniseries detailing the adventures of alternate versions of the Marvel Universe who have succumbed to a zombie plague. Picking up from where Marvel Zombies 2 left off, we find out what happened to the main group of zombies who were teleported away from their home reality. Now they seem to have been split up to different universes. Honestly, it’s amazing that the series has gone on as long as it has. This is the sixth miniseries telling the story of what the Marvel Zombies have been up to, and that’s not including the story arcs of books like Ultimate Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Marvel Apes and Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth.
It’s been quite the story so far, giving us looks at each of the reanimated heroes and the worlds they have been sent to burden. The weekly series started with a look at Zombie Spider-Man and an alternate world wherein the world is still like the sixties. A lot of talk for this issue occurring on the internet seems to be about the painful death of that world’s Spider-Man, which can be called gruesome to say the least. It seems that the Marvel Zombies are doing rather well with fans, despite the fact that we could very well be getting too much too soon.
YAY:
- The continuation of the story of the original Marvel Zombies that the first and second volumes were about is very welcome to fans of the series. Seeing what happened to those former heroes like Spider-Man, Wolverine and Giant Man is an interesting subject.
- By spreading the story out into worlds that haven’t already been destroyed by the plague widens the opportunity to be more vile and horrifying. One of the best parts of this series is to watch new superheroes and villains be turned by one of the creatures.
- A number of popular themes consistent with those you would find in zombie movies are utilized, especially in issue two. We see Tony Stark and his many employees cornered in their building and left with few options. By singling out each hero and keeping it in a more restricted continuity, we oddly enough get a less chaotic zombie story.
NAY:
- The story seems to ignore some of the past continuity in a few ways. Despite having said that the zombie illness had evolved to only infect super-powered individuals, we see a number of regular humans get turned by the zombified heroes and villains. Also, a severely damaged Zombie Spider-Man is shown in the first issue fully repaired (as far as zombies go.)
- This series is coming out just on the heels of Marvel Zombies 4, which could be a little too soon. It may not be long before fans of the series decide that they’ve had enough of seeing their favorite heroes slaughter innocents. Hard to believe, I know, but it could certainly happen. Not to mention that making the book weekly isn’t really helping it’s possible issue of “too much, too soon.”
Let’s be fair, the series is two of fanboys’ favorite things: superheroes and zombies. I’ve been strongly enjoying the Marvel Zombies so far, and my favorite moment so far has been Zombie Deadpool saying to his mute courier “Shamble boy! Shamble like the wind!” as he stumbled about. It’s a beautiful thing to see a severed head and his dead, silent ally drone off into the distance. It truly is.
