In only a few decades the remaining Marvel Zombies have managed to consume all life in the universe, all life but a few humans led by The Black Panther back on Earth, and when the Zombies decide to head back to their home planet, The Black Panther and the surviving humans are going to be in for one hell of a fight. Contains Marvel Zombies 2: 1-4
You know what I really want to see made into a zombie franchise…Planet of the Apes. Can you imagine an undead Cornelius feasting on Dr. Zaius while Dr. Zira is chased by a horde of undead gorilla soldiers? How about a zombified Charlton Heston killing or converting all the human slaves in their holding area and creating an undead uprising? Come on Hollywood, you’ve destroyed enough franchises already, what does it matter if you take a chance with yet another one. Plus, someone would get the privilege of really trying to take Charlton’s gun “from his cold dead fingers.”
This time around we begin with the Marvel Zombies meeting on an asteroid near the end of the known universe. As well as the seven Galacti (those that ate Galactis), the group has grown to include Thanos, The Phoenix, Firelord, and Gladiator, all gathered as the Galacti ate their way through the universe, devouring everything living along the way and leaving the entirety of space devoid of life. Well, nearly devoid anyway. A small group of survivors led by the Black Panther hid onboard Asteroid M until the last zombie had disappeared from the planet, once their scans showed the planet was absent the undead menace, the group grounded Asteroid M planet side and have been living there ever since (40 years give or take). Unfortunately for them, the Marvel Zombies are on their way back in the hope of finding the machine Reed Richards built to travel through dimensions, and to make matters worse the small community is already facing internal divisions that threaten to tear it apart. With the zombies on their way and strife ruling the community, the last of humanity’s survival is far from assured.
I really don’t have much to say about this addition, not because it’s bad but because I’ve already said it a few times before now. Marvel Zombies 2 is actually the third set to be added to the series with the five issue Marvel Zombies and the single issue Dead Days preceding it (not including Army of Darkness vs Marvel Zombies). I was still very much a fan of the zombie storyline, but it just came across as more of the same. Dead Days kept it interesting by taking us back to the begging and giving us a better idea of how this Marvel universe fell apart while 2 continues the story of the Galacti. I can’t really tear it apart because other than the lame ending which I won’t give away there really wasn’t anything I didn’t like, it just came across as the continuation of a story that didn’t need it. All I can say is that if Marvel wants to keep the series fresh they are going to have to come up with some new things they can do with our favorite undead superheroes.
Regardless of my getting just a little bored with the storyline at this point there is still one thing done completely right…the artwork. Not only can you see artist Sean Phillips getting a little more comfortable with set 3, pushing what we’ve already seen in the first 2 sets, but the alternate covers are better than ever, including an amazing zombie rendition of Tales of Suspense # 39 (1963), one of my favorite Jack Kirby covers and also the introduction of Iron Man to the Marvel Universe.
{Some alternate cover designs}
Whether or not you’re going to want to own this one is going to depend on the individual collector. If you’re the completest I am and already own Marvel Zombies and Dead Days than go ahead and grab this one, same thing if you enjoyed the other two additions to the storyline. You won’t be overly impressed but you will still enjoy it. Otherwise I’d just borrow it from a friend and hope the next go around gets better.
The Undead Review
Published By: Marvel Comics
Written By: Robert Kirkman
Artwork By: Sean Phillips
