Victorian Undead #1 Review
The zombies are coming for the brains of England's greatest detective.
November 18, 2009
This industry has birthed way too many zombies books. Aside from The Walking Dead, I would be perfectly happy if every single zombie-themed series on the market chose to shamble off into the sunset and leave my brains in peace. In turn, I love detective stories in general and Sherlock Holmes tales in particular. So how exactly am I supposed to feel about Victorian Undead, a mini-series that combines the trappings of a zombie comic with the characters and setting of Sherlock Holmes? If you can't eliminate this particular genre, I suppose the least you can do is find some way to inject new creativity into it.
I'll get right to the point and reveal that Victorian Undead is actually a pretty decent read, in spite of or maybe because of the wacky concept. Writer Ian Edginton actually puts a lot more thought into the series than you might expect. Some could argue almost too much, as Edginton spends so much time on setup that Holmes barely encounters a zombie before the issue ends. But in this case I'd prefer Edginton err on the side of caution. The narrative begins in the mid-19th Century as a glowing meteorite brings a terrible affliction to the citizens of London. From there the story shifts the relatively more modern time of Holmes at the turn of the century.
One element of the book I can appreciate is the authentic period dialogue. Edginton seems to have a good head for the slang and general cadence of old timey London. And when the story moves forward in time, the dialogue shifts with it. Edginton's plot doesn't flow quite as smoothly, however. Along with the excess of setup material, the script comes across as crowded because Edginton has too many characters and concepts bumping into each other. Before ever catching wind of the zombie threat, Holmes and Watson are seen battling a killer android. I have no problem with that, mind you, but Edginton is essentially working with material that should have been divided into multiple stories. Let Holmes battle the zombies now, and sales willing, he can handle the Victorian robots later.
Crowded or not, the issue certainly is fun. The zany level could probably have been dialed up even further, actually. Even still, I get a nice Five Fists of Science vibe amid the clashing of fictional and historical characters, real-world organizations, and ludicrous concepts like androids and zombies. And I have to applaud Edginton for giving Watson his due and not depicting him as the bumbling oaf the past 100 years of film have done. The art is definitely slick, though that can just as easily be a fault. Davide Fabbri turns in some sleek pencils and fairly cinematic panels. What he misses is conveying a necessary level of grit and grime. London is not the cleanest city on Earth today, to say nothing of the London 150 years ago. Fabbri's characters are generally too pretty, and the entire tone of the series is too bright and cheery to function as either a zombie tale or a period piece.
This is definitely a zombie book that shows some promise. If nothing else, it's sufficiently different from the pack. With the setup hopefully behind us, next month we'll see just how the esteemed pair of Holmes and Watson can handle the undead hordes.
Bonus: Sherlock Holmes vs Jekyll and Hyde
Replies
As promised, the Victorian Undead video comic - low bandwidth and high bandwidth versions.
------
The Fantastical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Victorian Undead Part One
'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'
In 1854, citizens watch as a mysterious glowing meteorite crashes to earth. Forty-four years later, consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his erstwhile companion Dr. John Watson are enlisted by Scotland Yard to investigate a most bizarre occurrence: the dead returning to life...
Victorian Undead Part Two
"I fear it is safe to say that the Almighty has no place here, my friend, for we are truly amongst the damned!"
Holmes' and Watson's investigation into the Victorian zombie plague leads them into a labyrinth of tunnels beneath London, and an encounter with horror beyond their imagining.
Victorian Undead Part Three
"I shall reaquaint this city...this nation...with a sensation to which it had long thought itself immune...I shall teach it fear!"
Holmes and Watson learn the origin of the zombie plague, as Moriarty unleashes his army of undead upon an unsuspecting London...
From the Wildstorm comic book series by Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri, featuring a dramatic vocal enactment and fully enhanced with music and sound effects.
Merci beaucoup mon ami. ------------------------------------------------ Rick
If you have the bandwidth (and the patience) get the hi-res version. Better video AND sound.
Did you know that there's a video version of this comic, made by an outfit called heroic productions/
No I didn't. Is it postable? ----------------------------- Rick
I'll see what I can do :>)
If not do you have a link public or private. Discussions are easily erased LOL ---------- Rick
Posting now - just finished uploading them.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next