Writer: Chris Ryall / Artist: Ashley Wood / Image
Back when I was first getting into comics circa the early 2010s, one of the trades that caught my eye was a copy of Complete Zombies Vs Robots. There was no grand pretense, no elaborate arc. Just a simple, simple premise: ‘what if zombies fought robots?’ That was it and that’s all it ever needed to be: the undead and the machine locked in a hyper-violent conflict. It was a fun romp to experience because it knew exactly what it was. Now, whether you wanna call it rising from the grave like a zombie or rebooting after a long slumber like a robot, Zombies Vs Robots is back on the shelves with a fresh coat of chrome and viscera – ready to entertain.
Zombies Vs Robots Classics is kinda like a remix of the original comic, with some added material there for those who weren’t already embroiled in this series. It features a new intro that does a very quick summary of the events of the first run, before quickly returning to a new Ashley Wood cover and a familiar page. Admittedly, this page is $#%@ing awesome, so I’m here for more readers to experience it firsthand.
The first three chapters are a spruced-up version of the origin story (at least my feeble eyes seem to think, compared to the original printed version I dug up), but still holds up after a decade. Between the hilariously snarky dialogue from Chris Ryall and the pulpy illustrations from Ashley Wood, the intro is a welcome romp through memory lanes for the first three-quarters of the issue, before introducing some new bespoke content in the form of an equally campy outro.
If you’re familiar or otherwise vividly remember the first run, I don’t think you necessarily need to rush out and buy it. But if you’re like me and had fond memories of the original, or are completely indoctrinated, let this be a sign to add this to your pull. There’s no greater scope. It’s the story of how a bunch of zombies ended up fighting a bunch of robots, and it’s bemusing and fun to read.
I’m glad to see Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood resume full creative control over the IP and I’m excited to revisit the world and get some new tidbits of content along the way I hope you’ll join me in basking in the carnage.
9.3 “Existential Questions” out of 10
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