From Publishers Weekly
This story starts, as all stories about the American West do, with the white man murdering the American Indian for his land. In this case there is one survivor, the son of a chief who lives only to seek revenge. Years later, a town has sprung up on the site of the massacre. A sheriff who shows no mercy, a fugitive, a pregnant whore and a bounty hunter all converge here, where civilization is losing its hold. The orphaned American Indian returns to cast an ancient curse. Next thing we know, the dead are rising from their graves and it's every man—and woman—for himself as the townsfolk face the zombie horror. This story has all the conventions of the Western, from the bounty hunter to the showdown, but the walking undead make every cliché unpredictable. Spears and Rob G almost pull off this horror/western hybrid. However, the scratchy pen-and-ink drawings that make the zombies so gruesome also make it difficult to distinguish the myriad main characters from one another, and the disparate story lines flash by without much development. Despite the weaknesses, the story's novelty carries the day. (Sept.)
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up–This edgy graphic novel, which wonderfully blends the tropes of the Western with the zombie horror story, opens with a short prequel. A Native American village is wiped out to make way for a town called Lazarus. Years later, the lone survivor returns and places a curse on the bustling burg. The dead rise from their graves and start attacking and snacking on the inhabitants. Speed ahead one week and a bounty hunter arrives, searching for a fugitive. He finds himself helping the trapped people so he can reach his target. Spears balances heart-pounding action with quick side moments that give readers a chance to catch their breath. The tale reaches its inevitably violent-yet-campy conclusion when the cavalry arrives with guns and cannons blazing. Rob G's artwork adds to the fast-paced plotting through a sketchy, frenetic, and angular style. His depiction of violence will satisfy horror enthusiasts but is not so gore-intensive that it will shock average readers. Fans may be surprised by the lack of character development and deep themes that the pair's Teenagers from Mars (Gigantic, 2005) provided so skillfully. But the intent here is one of pure fun and guilty pleasures. Devotees of zombies, Westerns, and zombie-Westerns will rejoice over this thrilling story. As different as it is from this team's other work, it points to a powerful collaboration that is heading toward a promising and diverse career.–Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
