Dead Life #1 (of 3) Advance Review
Statix Press/Titan Comics 2018
On Sale July 18th 2018
Written by Jean-Charles Gaudin
Illustrated by Joan Ugrell
The Worldwide Zombie Epidemic Has Arrived. When Steven Unknowingly Drinks From A Cursed Chalice He Finds In His Grandparents’ Attic, He Has No Idea That His Actions Will Have Dire Consequences... Turning The World Into An Undead Nightmare!
Well in this day and age it takes a lot to do a zombie story that sticks out in the already crowded field. I think that the ideas that Jean-Charles brings to the table here is spectacular and the way this all starts out has me thinking I wish this were more than just a three issue run so he could flesh out some backstory more. So I do think how the opening rolls is something incredibly interesting and as we Curtis and Kate and the conversation they are having reveals marital problems and they’ve left their son with his parents they could have some alone adult time.
So innocent so innocuous in all how it all plays out and then suddenly out of nowhere whammo and we’re into it big time. The pacing of this is amazing to me, nothing feels rushed and even though you want to know more about the past keeping up with what’s happening in the present is almost hard enough that it doesn’t matter. There is this whole thing going on here that in the beginning lulls you into the false sense of security and it is utterly bloody brilliant work.
The way the story is structured and how we experience the whole ebb & flow as information is presented and perceived is done in a way that like a roller coaster has those expected moments that don’t prepare you for the sudden drops or change in direction, the old wooden coaster mind you not these newfangled ones that never seem to work. When grandpa discovers that Stephen had touched one of those items he forbade him to well that’s when the shit hits the fan.
It is also when we realise that perhaps just perhaps (now I have the Coupling theme song in my head and you should too) there is much more to this than meets the eye and we may never get a chance to find out. Though through childhood adventures and the desire to play Indiana Jones is what ultimately starts off the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. Hmm now REM this is turning into a stellar soundtrack in my mind thanks to this.
Joan does some seriously wicked work on the interiors here. He has a great unique style that she brings to this and I can appreciate how he uses the varying weights of the linework to create those subtle moments which stand out and add to the characterisation. The way he fills a panel and how that linework shows off detail is amazing, I love that the backgrounds are so essential to how we see the story and the bigger picture. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a such a strong eye for storytelling. Also that he can bring this old school horror vibe in the work back and make it creepier without seeing carnage is a huge bonus.
There is something to be said for something so innocent as a child playing adventurer that leads to such a massive outbreak of the unknown. That Chalice and what it represents is something I would love to know more about as it’s the whole key to how this started. Plus the characterisation we get is stunning. When you look at Curtis and see from the opening car ride to the last moment you can feel how he’s processing this and how it’s changing him. That this happened like it did isn’t easy to convey and yet Jean-Charles makes it look so easy.
It is time to welcome Dead Life into the mainstream zombie genre. This story, this book re-envisions the genre in a way that is welcome and needed. You might though you’ve seen it all but I guarantee you ain’t seen nothing yet!
Statix Press/Titan Comics 2018
On Sale July 18th 2018
Written by Jean-Charles Gaudin
Illustrated by Joan Ugrell
The Worldwide Zombie Epidemic Has Arrived. When Steven Unknowingly Drinks From A Cursed Chalice He Finds In His Grandparents’ Attic, He Has No Idea That His Actions Will Have Dire Consequences... Turning The World Into An Undead Nightmare!
Well in this day and age it takes a lot to do a zombie story that sticks out in the already crowded field. I think that the ideas that Jean-Charles brings to the table here is spectacular and the way this all starts out has me thinking I wish this were more than just a three issue run so he could flesh out some backstory more. So I do think how the opening rolls is something incredibly interesting and as we Curtis and Kate and the conversation they are having reveals marital problems and they’ve left their son with his parents they could have some alone adult time.
So innocent so innocuous in all how it all plays out and then suddenly out of nowhere whammo and we’re into it big time. The pacing of this is amazing to me, nothing feels rushed and even though you want to know more about the past keeping up with what’s happening in the present is almost hard enough that it doesn’t matter. There is this whole thing going on here that in the beginning lulls you into the false sense of security and it is utterly bloody brilliant work.
The way the story is structured and how we experience the whole ebb & flow as information is presented and perceived is done in a way that like a roller coaster has those expected moments that don’t prepare you for the sudden drops or change in direction, the old wooden coaster mind you not these newfangled ones that never seem to work. When grandpa discovers that Stephen had touched one of those items he forbade him to well that’s when the shit hits the fan.
It is also when we realise that perhaps just perhaps (now I have the Coupling theme song in my head and you should too) there is much more to this than meets the eye and we may never get a chance to find out. Though through childhood adventures and the desire to play Indiana Jones is what ultimately starts off the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. Hmm now REM this is turning into a stellar soundtrack in my mind thanks to this.
Joan does some seriously wicked work on the interiors here. He has a great unique style that she brings to this and I can appreciate how he uses the varying weights of the linework to create those subtle moments which stand out and add to the characterisation. The way he fills a panel and how that linework shows off detail is amazing, I love that the backgrounds are so essential to how we see the story and the bigger picture. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a such a strong eye for storytelling. Also that he can bring this old school horror vibe in the work back and make it creepier without seeing carnage is a huge bonus.
There is something to be said for something so innocent as a child playing adventurer that leads to such a massive outbreak of the unknown. That Chalice and what it represents is something I would love to know more about as it’s the whole key to how this started. Plus the characterisation we get is stunning. When you look at Curtis and see from the opening car ride to the last moment you can feel how he’s processing this and how it’s changing him. That this happened like it did isn’t easy to convey and yet Jean-Charles makes it look so easy.
It is time to welcome Dead Life into the mainstream zombie genre. This story, this book re-envisions the genre in a way that is welcome and needed. You might though you’ve seen it all but I guarantee you ain’t seen nothing yet!
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