As a genre, Zombies have become undeniably popular over the last 30-40 years. With huge blockbuster movies like Train to Busan and World War Z, and massive hit TV shows like The Walking Dead and Z Nation, it’s obvious that a sizable portion of people actively seek out zombie-themed entertainment. And like movies and TV, comic books are no stranger to the zombie genre.
Zombies are a popular option for numerous big-name comic book franchises throughout comic history. Massive publishers like DC and Marvel have put some of their greatest characters into zombie-themed adventures, and thanks to great comic authors like Robert Kirkman and Christopher Ryall, zombies are a genre that has thrived in the comic world for many years.
10 Marvel Zombies Is A Dark Marvel Tale
As one of the most popular zombie comics of the last twenty years, Marvel Zombies is an essential member of the comic book zombie world. Using numerous legendary characters like Captain America, Hulk, and Hawkeye, author Robert Kirkman crafted a violent story where the world’s most powerful heroes succumb to an infection brought to earth by an unknown character (supposedly from another dimension). Marvel Zombies was recently adapted into an animated story as a part of Marvel Studio’s What If? series, drawing new interest in the book itself.
9 iZombie Is About A Living Zombie
Originally titled “I, Zombie,” iZombie by Chris Roberson is the story of a girl named Gwen – a gravedigger who becomes a zombie and functioning member of society. In simple terms, she maintains normal human behavior like going to work and socializing with friends. However, she also has to consume a brain per day to survive which, as you can imagine, causes numerous problems for her and the relationships she tries to maintain.
iZombie does a good job of mixing a fun noir-like story with lots of the popular elements used in romantic comedies. iZombie was adapted into a live-action series on Netflix in 2015, where it ran for 5 seasons before ending in early 2020.
8 The Goon Fights All Kinds of Monsters
The Goon is a supernatural comic series that does a great job of mixing horror elements with the classic methods of dark comedy. The series revolves around two recurring characters: Goon and Franky. In their small town, the two small-time crooks find themselves fighting a myriad of supernatural figures, including Zombies, Vampires, and rats the size of tigers. Using lots of violent imagery, The Goon provides readers with an action-packed experience that keeps its reader base coming back for more. There have been numerous attempts to adapt The Goon into a major Hollywood film, but they’ve all been fruitless.
7 28 Days Later Continues The Story Of The Cult Classic Film
Serving as a direct sequel to the movie, 28 Days Later, the comic book series of the same name was written as a way to bridge the narrative gap between the film 28 Days Later and its original sequel 28 Weeks Later. The comic series follows Selena, one of the main characters of the original film, who is on her way to London to act as a guide for an American journalist. The series has all the suspense, action, and violence of the films, using scary and graphic imagery to emphasize the extreme peril the characters face.
6 DCeased Transformed The DC Universe
After Marvel unveiled Marvel Zombies in December 2005, many wondered if or when their greatest competitor, DC Comics, would create their version of the dark, zombified storyline. It wasn’t until May 2019 that comic readers finally got to see that idea come to fruition. Created by comic writer Tom Taylor, DCeased is a six-issue mini-series where the anti-life equation, most famously associated with Darkseid and Apokolips, becomes a techno-organic virus that spreads throughout the world.
The success of this series led to DC launching multiple spin-off titles, like A Good Day To Die, Unkillables, and Hope At World’s End. A full sequel, Dead Planet, was also released the following year.
5 Night of the Living Dead Tells Preceding Events Of The Classic Movie
Serving as a prequel to the original 1968 hit film Night of the Living Dead, this comic series of the same name tells a story that many fans of the original film have always wanted to see: the events leading up to the film. Written by the film’s original co-writer, John Russo, Night of the Living Dead does a great job of matching the tone and pacing that made the movie so popular. The book also shares a few locations with the movie, like the farmhouse and the diner. Considering it was written by the original film’s co-creator and co-writer, many diehard fans of the series count the comics as an essential part of the franchise.
4 Daybreak Is A Unique Adventure
Daybreak is a gripping and unique tale by author Brian Ralph about an anonymous person who wakes up in a pile of debris, only to be greeted by a friendly man who’s missing an arm. The story builds into a classic zombie invasion tale. However, what makes this story so unique is how the art is drawn from the perspective of the main character, effectively making the reader the main character. The comic series, which ran for five issues, is full of witty humor. Considered a cult classic zombie tale, in 2019, Netflix adapted Daybreak into a live-action series. However, the show was very short-lived.
3 Victorian Undead Pits Sherlock Holmes Against Zombies
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous characters in the history of fiction. Appearing as far back as 1887, Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Watson have featured in dozens of great mystery stories.
In author Ian Edginton’s comic series, Victorian Undead, Holmes and Watson are tasked with dealing with a supernatural threat. This leads them to an investigation in Victorian England during a large-scale zombie outbreak. The series ran for twelve issues in total and includes 3 separate storylines: Sherlock Holmes vs Zombies, Sherlock Holmes vs Jekyll/Hyde, and Sherlock Holmes vs Dracula.
2 Zombies vs Robots Is An Artistic Take On The Apocalypse
One of the wildest comic series of the last twenty years is Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood’s, Zombies vs Robots. The title alone sounds a bit ridiculous, but what makes this comic so great is its willingness to wear that ridiculousness on its sleeve. It’s packed full of wild, over-the-top action that features highly intelligent robots armed with weapons like guns, blunt objects, and other advanced tech. The incredible art style of Zombies vs Robots, which is done entirely by Ashley Wood, has a rough and detailed look that adds to the Mad Max-esque atmosphere described in the robots’ dialogue.
1 The Walking Dead Is A Drama Story Told In The Apocalypse
While all previously mentioned titles are great and important in their own right, no other comic book is as crucial and popular for the zombie genre as The Walking Dead. Starting in 2003, Robert Kirkman – the same author who gave fans the previously mentioned Marvel Zombies – created an epic zombie tale that follows sheriff Rick Grimes and his group of survivors as they navigate their way through a world overrun with zombies and violent gangs of people.
Running for a total of sixteen years, The Walking Dead has sold over three hundred thousand total copies, which easily makes it one of the top ten largest comic book franchises ever. The Walking Dead was eventually adapted into a live-action series that gained mainstream success and has currently run for twenty seasons.
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