BLEEDING HEARTS #1: Poke and Mush’s Excellent Adventure.

The undead rule the streets as the hordes of zombies meander about in search of purpose and food. Poke and Mush are two friends bonded in undying trauma who are wandering the Earth when Poke’s heart has randomly begun beating once again. Once the heart starts beating, the emotions start to flow, and Poke is left to wonder whether they are the bad guys.

Creative Team: Deniz Camp (WRITER), Stipan Morian (ART and COVER), Matt Hollingsworth (COLORS), and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (LETTERS).

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Story:

This is a straight-up fun zombie story from Deniz, as the way that he tells stories flows excellently in this resurgence from Vertigo. There is a ton of humor in this first issue as Poke narrates and tells us how he exchanged arms with Mush after saving him from the fire. I love the humor, as Deniz does best; there are still a ton of heartfelt and hidden emotional beats. Poke is beginning to feel again and realizes that killing humans might just be the wrong thing to do. It sets up an interesting dynamic with Mush, who, for lack of a better word, is brain-dead and oblivious. I cannot wait to see where their relationship goes from here.

The Art and Letters:

Stipan and Matt have put a ton of fun hidden details into the background of this issue. This is what stood out to me the most as we see Poke and Mush wandering about, every backdrop has a body, bodies, or something that sticks out to me. With their designs, I love the raw flesh ripping from their bodies, and the random flower from Poke’s head is a fun detail we don’t typically see when it comes to a zombie story. For zombies, the art team has done a great job making each one full of expressive emotions and feel like their own lively being.

Final Thoughts:

Bleeding Hearts #1 is a fun twist on a story of zombies roaming the Earth. It’s full of silly moments that have hidden emotional beats within every panel. I cannot wait to read more.

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

For more from Matt at the Hops “Geek” News podcast!