31 Days of Halloween (Day 27) - '68

What's better than a set of inter-related zombie comic book series? How about setting them in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War? Yep, that's better. And that's what '68 is all about.

The world they take place is, starts out just like our world in February 1968. The Tet Offensive has been launched, anti-war protestors are in the streets of America, Lyndon Johnson is president (but not for long), "peace, love and understanding" clash with war, racial divisions and generational strife. Each series expands on this, showing what is happening in Southeast Asia and in the United States.

Too much tanning bed for you sir.

Then, the dead start to rise.

Most of the issues are focused on Vietnam, following various soldiers and civilians as they try to survive the rise of the dead and the attacks of the VC (the dead may be rising, but the war goes on). Even though Vietnam is the central focus, the home front is not ignored; the zombie plague is global and we get to see what is happening to the loved one's of men "in-country." There is also a one-shot (68: Hardship) that is set in rural Nebraska and follows a soldier who has been sent home for mental health reasons - he is suffering from PTSD - who has to cope with his shattered psyche and the undead. The decision to have multiple characters with their own story arcs and to follow the multiple limited-issue series format keeps the over-all world from becoming repetitive. Although the narrative focus is on the horror, there is enough variety in themes and tone to keep the stories interesting.

Zombie Hendrix, undead, but still a great guitar player.

The art - primarily by Nat Jones (pen and inks), Jeff Zornow (also pen and inks) and Jay Fotos (colors) - is spectacular, with attention paid to the technical details (crucial, because this is a "real world" war comic) and some pretty stunning gore scenes. The series is graphically violent and not for the squeamish.

When you're a politician, every voter is worth courting...even if they hunger for your brains.

The writing, by Mark Kidwell, is consistently strong. Kidwell pays attention to character development, which is important, because you rarely know who is going to get killed; there are few obvious "red shirts." The stories capture the flavor of the times and the brutality of war. The stories also construct a believable view of a military (and a society) rapidly falling apart. As a bonus, each issue has a fact page which goes into the real-world history behind the events of each issue.

If you like zombie comics or want to see a neat historical-horror mash-up, check out '68. Remember, "Zombie Charlie don't surf!"

Does a skull reeally make a "Thwock" sound when you hit it with a machete. Time for the home version of "MythBusters."