Slugfest!

Marvel Zombies has a cool logo. Zombies have really been popular lately, so it's no surprise that Marvel tapped writer Rob Kirkman to write a story where all the heroes are....well, zombies. The painted cover by famed artist Arthur Suydam does a good job of beginning the desecration. Yeah, that's a take off the cover of Amazing Fantasy # 15 (originally done by Jack Kirby.) I think it's what they call a "homage"...heh. The smog filled sky is a nice touch. But the question is: Is it entertaining? Is it worth tracking down the issue that seems to have flown off the shelf? Is it even worth the cover price of $2.99??? (First of 5 parts...collect them all!)

Marvel has yet to announce a second print...er...Marvel Must-Have edition of the book, but they waited a looong time to reprint Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe. I mention PKtMU because it's kind of in the same vein. Kinda like Sergio Aragones Destroys the Marvel Universe or Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe. But where those are funny "haha", Marvel Zombies is funny rancid. Funny rancid because this is a story that takes place within the current continuity....of the Ultimate universe books.

Previously in Ultimate Fantastic Four #21-24 in a story titled "Crossover" , Reed is duped into traveling through a portal to a dimension where using the Sentry as a host, a virus from another infected universe lands on Earth and within a 24 hour period infects all the heroes turning them into flesh-craving zombies. Fortunately, the only way to become infected is get bitten by one of the zombies. Unfortunately, Reed is targeted for their next meal. And he does what you might expect from one the smartest minds in the universe....he runs!

Luckily, he finds someone who has managed to remain uninfected....Magneto. Then Reed realizes the zombies are going to use the portal to travel to his home dimension and begin the infection. And that's exactly what happens. Fortunately, the Ultimate FF manage to quarantine the zombie version of the FF, then they use the portal to head to the zombie dimension to find Reed. Finally, they safely return home, leaving Magneto behind to destroy the portal and save the Ultimate universe. (Even though the zombie version of the FF is still in quarantine in the Ultimate universe.) Of course, this entire story was written by Mark Millar and lavishly illustrated by Greg Land....who even manages to make zombie-girls look "hot".

Now what does this have to do with Marvel Zombies # 1? Well, Zombies is a follow up to the excellent Ultimate Fantastic Four story. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near as clever. But it does have a cool logo.