Zombie stories are a dime a dozen these days, but only a select few really give the genre something as special like Year Zero from AWA Studios. What started with writer Benjamin Percy, and finish (but also before) with Daniel Kraus, Year Zero offers a unique perspective and narrative in zombie storytelling.

An epic series that offers a global look at the Zombie Apocalypse. These harrowing tales follow several survivors of a horrific global epidemic from all around the world who must draw upon their unique skills and deepest instincts to navigate a world of shambling dead. Year Zero wrestles with the weighty moral and theological questions posed by the pandemic and investigates its cause and possible cure.

Tackling a zombie horror story with new purpose and vision can be a difficult task, as the story can blend into the background or can standout like a sore thumb. Few can say they have crafted a zombie tale that stands with legends such as George A. Romero, yet Year Zero does just that. Percy sets out in the first volume telling tales from four different points-of-view and from four different social levels and backgrounds. Giving a new version on what its like to take on a zombie apocalypse.

Things continue with four other perspectives in the second volume by Percy and gets a prequel, a look before the first volume, by Kraus. each of the volumes feature stories from all over the globe (and even space) from people we tend to see avoided in the typical zombie story. We get versions of these stories from those who don’t typically get a voice or get avoided in the mainstream. Its refreshing to see what it would be like to be plunged into the zombie apocalypse from all over the globe.

While I don’t usually connect Percy with zombie stories, I do find one of the better people to jump into this universe and succeed is Kraus. He takes his knowledge of working with Romero on The Living Dead and brings this to Year Zero Vol. 0, a prequel to the original story. However, each of these 12 different perspectives are unique and captivating, while also emotional. There is heart in these stories and you cannot help but feel for those who get a raw deal.

It’s not just the writers on Year Zero who set these stories apart from the crowd, it’s the artists. We give credit to Ramon Rosanas for kicking things off and Goran Sudzuka for bringing vision to the prequel, but it’s the illustrations by Juan José Ryp in the second volume that shines for me. The attention to detail and stunning panels that had me in awe.

Year Zero is a fantastic series taking the zombie genre and giving it some heart and soul while also bringing attention to the forgotten corners of these stories. Benjamin Percy and Daniel Kraus write fantastic tales, while Ramon Rosanas, Juan José Ryp, and Goran Sudzuka bring fantastic visual storytelling.

Year Zero Vol. 1, Year Zero Vol. 2, and the prequel Year Zero Vol. 0 are available at your local comic shops and bookstores everywhere from AWA Studios.