The zombie hordes in a war-torn jungle start to close in on the survivors in the final part of Vietnam Zombie Holocaust from Cult Empire Comics and since the previous issue upped the pace, this one was sure to be a frantic finale.
The first three issues of VZH brought the worlds of politics, secret government projects & war together in a new series filled with possibilities and while the pace increased with every issue this fourth issue pretty much picks up where the momentum was taking it. Here’ it’s all out war as the quest for survival in the jungle for our band of survivors, our group of zombie soldiers and our covert death squad eases them closer to the end of their journey.
The pace feels much more hectic between the stories here but the extra pages help ease any concerns about it blurring passed and in the context of the story the release of energy across this issue feels like just the right element to add at just the right time. The story captures a unique blend of themes which could well have descended into mindless violence or pointless dialogue but every speech bubble, flash of blood and feeling of risk is needed.
The topsy-turvy world seems bolder in this last issue though and George is pushing the creative team as he goes to make sure that all these elements are finely balanced to allow him to tie up loose ends and entertain along the way. This issue is the clearest example of how fresh this story has felt in a comic scene that’s already awash with more zombie books than you can shake a severed limb at, but the strong foundation in VZH has been key at making this stand out and maintain the following that it has.
Surprising, shocking, funny and full-on – VZH has been a roller coaster ride from the off and George has built up a quality series that has potential beyond this four issue run. Couple that with the constantly improving art from James that captures the gruesome & gory elements alongside the intricate plot of government secrets and it’s no wonder that Vietnam Zombie Holocaust has helped me enjoy horror books even more than i ever thought I could.
You can get hold of this and the previous issues of Vietnam Zombie Holocaust over on the Cult Empire Comics online store. You can also keep up to date with their other projects over on Facebook & Twitter.
9/10
G-Man
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