Publisher: Cult Empire
Writer: George Lennox
Artist: James Devlin
Lettering: Colin Bell
Release Date: 5th September 2014

Vietnam war stories. Zombie stories. Two genres that have certainly seen more than their fair share of attention in the world of comicbooks in recent years (the latter in particular). However, when you put these two worlds together, you end up with something that feels comfortably familiar while at the same time managing to add something fresh and exciting to both genres. And that’s exactly what writing newcomer George Lennox and four-time SICBA Award winner James Devlin have done with the gloriously named Vietnam Zombie Holocaust.

This slice of schlocky, B-movie awesomeness serves as the initial foray by comic back-issue website Cult Empire into the world of publishing, and boy do they hit the ground running. For a first-time writer, Lennox displays a strong, surprisingly confident voice within the pages of this first issue, steering the story like a man on mission and taking great pleasure in showing off his clear affection for both genres. He does a decent job of providing his own unique spin on the government-manufactured ‘vaccine’ that leads to the zombie outbreak, and while he’s not exactly re-inventing the wheel, he does manage to ramp up the tension and the horror significantly as a result of his decision to locate the carnage in the middle of the already brutally violent Vietnam War.

The characterisation does take a back seat somewhat – for this issue, at least – in favour of setting up the premise. Which, when you’re dealing with a property that could very easily be unfairly dismissed by some people as “just another zombie comic”, is probably a wise move. VZH sets out its stall impressively here, establishing the back-story without bogging the issue down too much with boring exposition, and keeping everything moving forwards with some well-timed and beautifully illustrated zombie carnage.

Ah yes, the illustrations. I can honestly say that I don’t think James Devlin’s artwork has ever looked better. Which, considering we’re talking about a two-time SICBA ‘Best Artist’ award winner, is definitely no empty compliment. Detailed, expressive characters coupled with fantastic page layouts and some truly impressive colour work (the reds in particular are a thing of beauty, if you catch my drift) make the Vietnam zombie brutality pop off the page and give this book a slick, professional appearance that wouldn’t look out of place on any comic store shelf in the world. It’s also worth noting, as if it needed to be mentioned, that Colin Bell’s lettering is absolutely first-class here, adding to the professional ‘vibe’ with his usual impeccable work.

Okay, I’ll admit it… I was a tiny bit wary when I picked up this comic, unsure of whether Lennox would be able to find his voice in his writing debut, and concerned that this could easily miss the mark and come across as yet another derivative attempt to ‘reinvent’ the zombie genre. Thankfully however, both of those concerns proved to be wholly unfounded as Vietnam Zombie Holocaust serves as a respectful love letter to both the Vietnam and Zombie genres, as well as an intriguing and absolutely gorgeous looking debut from the fine folks at Cult Empire. One to keep an eye on, for sure.

Vietnam Zombie Holocaust #1 goes on sale from 5th September 2014, but you can pre-order yourself a copy right now from the  Cult Empire website.

The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says