MARVEL ZOMBIES: WAR ZONE #1: The Hunt For Frank Castle.

A ravenous plague has overrun New York City as The Hand, led by a mysterious man named Gorgon, has let the undead loose upon everyone, causing the city to be placed in quarantine! Now the hunt for Frank Castle is on as Gorgon wants to make him join his ranks. The remaining heroes have fled to space, and now it’s up to Frank to bring an end to this plague!

Creative Team: Tom Waltz, Jaime Infante, Bryan Valenza, Travis Lanham, Tony Parker, and David Curiel.

The Story:

Tom Waltz is bringing a new and refreshing take on the long-time storied Marvel Zombies franchise. Having the plague have a cause behind it and a villain behind it all. Frank is the perfect character to take on this new arc because he knows the underbelly of New York City perhaps better than anybody. Frank also may not have powers; however, he is a machine when it comes to leaping into action. What stood out to me in this issue was how the main heroes almost feel like cowards in a way. Tom explains why they have run to space to regroup and we even get Nick Fury involved but, they feel helpless for the most part. If you thought we would just get heroes turning into zombies then you’d be wrong as Punishers rivals make an appearance and there are hints of Kingpins involvement being in play. I’m excited to see where this run goes as they are introducing some new ideas while keeping the creep factor raised.

The Art:

Bryan and Jaime have some stellar detailing and designs within these pages. The streets feel grimy and disgusting as they should when we are dealing with the world below the city, as well as hordes of zombies ripping people apart. I thoroughly enjoyed how Bryan made use of greens and reds, with the green feeling radioactive at times. It wouldn’t be a zombie story if there wasn’t some sort of violence, and Jaime gets creative with how body parts are blown apart. A certain character makes an appearance within this issue and if you thought they couldn’t get any uglier, you’d be wrong, much to my delight. The art sets the tone for this story and takes us into a unique and complicated adventure.

Final Thoughts:

Marvel Zombies: War Zone #1 quickly showcases that this isn’t the same old song and dance in Marvel’s take on zombies. Frank Castle won’t go down without a fight, and there is more to this than a simple virus outbreak. The art brings us into the muck, not holding back in bloody fashion. This is a fresh and unique take on the long-time franchise, reminding us that New York City isn’t only for those with powers.

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

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