Night of the Living Dead – Revenance #1

Writers – S.A. Check and James Kuhoric

Artist – Giancarlo Caracuzo

Sunday April 28, 1968, started off like any normal day. It would end up becoming a day to remember. That was the day undead ghouls started shambling across the Southwestern Pennsylvania countryside.

There have been a number of horror releases at the local comic shop this month and when I saw this one, I was tempted to pass on it but picked it up anyway.

This story acts as a prequel to the events of Night of the Living Dead as we learn what Ben, Tom and Judy, and the Coopers were up to before their paths crossed at the old farmhouse where they fought for survival and their very lives.

We see shades of Ben’s heroism at Beekman’s Diner and Mr. Cooper’s thickheadedness as he makes his way to Toledo, Ohio with his wife and daughter. The meat of the story is Barbara and Johnny’s fateful visit to the cemetery. I like how this first issue fleshes out some of the details and backstory of the tales told by the main characters and what they had to endure before finding shelter from the invading masses of messed up people they encountered.

Caracuzo’s artstyle is reminiscent of Silver Age comics – his pencils remind me of a bygone era – simple pencils that aren’t too flashy and distract you from the narrative. Sometimes art dazzles the mind too much and overpowers the senses.  Caracuzo’s art style reminded me of Jeff Lemire and Tony Moore.

The biggest surprise to me was this comic was in color! Since Night of the Living Dead was in black and white, I thought this story would have also been in black and white as well to maintain some continuity from screen to page. I can understand why coloring is used. Jeremy Kahn uses gray as the skin tone for the living dead to help distinguish them from normal, healthy, living specimens.

In addition to the story, there is an article about Living Dead Weekend and some art pinups to close out the comic.

The only bad thing I can say about this comic is that I enjoyed it so much and I’m looking forward to Issue 2. Unfortunately, according to Previews, the next issue isn’t scheduled for release until December 28, 2022! That is a heck of a long time to see what happens next.

Halloween is almost here and this comic is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of George A. Romero and his cult classic that gave birth to the zombie apocalypse. If your local comic shop doesn’t have a copy, you can order one online at American Mythology’s website.