Year Zero has been a highlight in the world of horror comics over the past few years and this continues with Year Zero, Vol. 0 #1 from AWA Studios.
In this action-packed prelude to the hit series, acclaimed horror writer Daniel Kraus (George Romero’s The Living Dead, The Autumnal) unveils four globe-spanning tales from the earliest days of the zombie apocalypse when even the wildest rumors couldn’t measure up to the horror to come. Kraus is joined by artist Goran Sudzuka (Walk Through Hell, Ghosted).
A streetwise Russian cop patrols the back alleys of the opportunistic black market that emerges in response to the crisis…a North Korean soldier observes strange happenings on the DMZ…An E.R. nurse in the rural South fights to protect her hospital from threats without and within…A transgender flight attendant who has observed disturbing clues as she crisscrosses the globe keeps a wary eye on the passenger in seat 23C.
Kraus took over the writing duties from Benjamin Percy, who wrote the 10 issues over the first two volumes, and continued to the trend and feel Percy set.
Taking the start of the zombie apocalypse and splitting the point-of-view between multiple characters of different ages, races and geographical locations gives the story depth. Plus, it allows you to care for the characters as they struggle to grasp the world falling apart around them.
After the success and my love for The Walking Dead, I always seem to compare zombie stories to the Robert Kirkman creation and most fall short. Year Zero definitely holds up and should be included in the conversations of zombie apocalypse comics to read.
Yero Zero, Vol. 1 did a good enough job kicking off the series, that I never told myself a prequel of sorts would be a good idea, but in the end Year Zero, Vol. 0 added more to the on-going story to make it worth the read.
Sudzuka was able to seamlessly create illustrations to not veer too far from the work Ramon Rosanas (The Astonishing Ant-Man) and Juan Jose Ryp (Rai) gave us in the first two volumes respectively.
Check out the Year Zero, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 available now, plus keep an eye out for Year Zero, Vol. 0 #2 hitting shelves on November 9, 2022.
