Xombie Reanimated #1
Written by David Baldwin
Published on 05/12/2007
Originally from Binary Culture / [the-lowdown.net]
http://www.binaryculture.net

When EIC Mark Osborne sent me a preview of Xombie: Reanimated #1, graciously provided by Devil’s Due Publishing, and asked me to review it, I thought it was simple enough. But after going to their website, xombified.com, I realized the series was a little more involved.

James Farr first wrote Xombie 13 years ago. He turned it into a web cartoon in 2003. After posting the second episode on Newgrounds, the show became immensely popular (the first six episodes were downloaded over 13 million times). There are nine episodes so far, each one done completely by Farr, except for the voice-acting.

The series was so popular, in fact, that a novel titled Dead on Arrival was published in March. In case that wasn’t enough, there is an animated DVD movie in the works. And there are rumors of a possible video game. All they need is a soundtrack and Xombie will have covered pretty much every possible medium it can.

A big part of what makes this series so popular could be attributed to the new twist it puts on the standard zombie-based plotline. I’m no expert, but it seems to me that most zombie stories are essentially the same. You have your main group of humans struggling for survival, tons of gore, some douchebag that messes with the aforementioned humans, etc.

Xombie is, if anything, not your standard zombie story.

It’s set 30 years into the future, after humanity has learned to deal with the reality of the undead. Zoe, a six-year-old, purple-haired little girl, wakes up on a beach with little recollection of where she is or even who she is.

Zoe is then saved from zombies by Dirge, a buff badass with a shovel and a chain. He is a “variant” – a special and rare type of sentient zombie with a free will. Dirge and his undead dog Cerberus escort Zoe to the nearest human settlement – Acropolis, where her family hopefully awaits her. On the way, they hook up with Nephthys, another “variant” from ancient Egypt.

The idea of a sentient zombie is, according to Farr, something that some zombie movies have touched on, but never really explored. It makes for a very interesting character – Dirge has the mind of a human and is probably smarter than many (in one scene he’s reading a book titled Theoretical Neuroscience), yet he can never be accepted into human society. Dirge looks upon his condition as a curse, while Nephthys considers it a second chance at life.

Dirge uses his impressive physical abilities to protect Zoe, to whom he becomes a sort of older brother. By the time they reach the Acropolis, the two are very attached and don’t want to leave each other. There’s a particular touching moment where Dirge, Nephthys and Zoe are standing before the bridge to the human settlement. Zoe wants Dirge to come with her, but he knows he can’t. Before they part ways, Dirge tells Zoe to “keep breathing.”

Xombie: Reanimated takes place ten years after the events of the original cartoons. Zoe is now 16 and has developed quite nicely (meaning, of course, that she now looks like an actual human and not something akin to a Power Puff Girl). The humans of Acropolis seek out Dirge, who they need to hunt down another “variant” that is messing with their supply lines.

It’s written by Farr and drawn by Nate Lovett. The art stays true to Farr’s – cartoony designs, sharp edges and bold lines with a bright color palette that almost reminds me of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible.

I’m interested in seeing where this need for Dirge’s help will take him as a character. He tries to keep tabs on Acropolis through a surveillance system he’s set up and possibly feels that being there when they need him gives him a purpose and allows him to use his curse for something good.

I have faith that this comic series, which will be six issues in length, will do well for Farr – his previous work on Xombie certainly has.

I’d suggest picking up the first issue and adding the series to your pull list. I’m going to