LIFE ZERO #4, from Ablaze Publishing on May 18th, 2022, imagines the unthinkable when a soldier and his wife must flee a zombie uprising after the loss of their daughter. Is anywhere truly safe?
The Details
- Written By: Stefano Vietti
- Art By: Marco Checchetto
- Colors By: Andres Mossa
- Letters By: Saida Temofonte
- Cover Art By: Marco Checchetto (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: May 18th, 2022
Was It Good?
Some of the best kinds of comics are the ones that force you to think, “How would you feel and how would you react if something this horrible happened to you?” LIFE ZERO #4 begs you to ask that question and layers on a race for survival with grounded, gritty action and hard emotional punches. This is zombie apocalypse storytelling at its finest, rivaling even The Walking Dead.
In the last issue, Derek, his wife, and his team managed to escape the building, but at the cost of their daughter’s life. Vietti nails the stunned, disconnected behavior of Derek as he latches on to the basic motions of escape while seeming to be disconnected from the moment. You can hear the faraway distraction in his voice as the fleeing team encounters one obstacle after another when they try to leave the city. You can see him take little pauses in action as he struggles to take action while feeling like he’s about to fall apart.
Thre’s not a lot of dialog in this issue. It’s not needed. But the vacant stares and sleepwalking movements express so much emotion, you can’t help but empathize with what Derek is feeling.
Cecchetto’s art is top-notch in this issue and would give this series a leg up in a head-to-head against The Walking Dead. The linework is razor-sharp, the landscapes and urban backgrounds are gritty, and the zombie hordes are an unrelenting and terrifying force of mangled monstrosities.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Derek struggling to shake off the haze of shock. His daughter’s death has shaken him to his core, and it’s all he can do to make it back to the car where Laura (his wife), Roney, and Mitchell are waiting. As soon as Derek gets in the car, they decide to head North to the nearest military camp.
On the way, they find their way blocked by a crashed school bus. Derek, still reeling from shock, decides to get out to move the bus and clear a path. Unfortunately, engine noise draws the wandering zombies. They manage to clear the bus, but the zombies approach too quickly and in too many numbers. Roney doesn’t make it.
The team makes it out of the city and arrives at the military camp. We conclude the issue with lost time, lost family, and lost hope.
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Final Thoughts
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LIFE ZERO #4 is the zombie horror comic to beat with an unforgiving mix of grounded action, zombie terror, and emotional gut punches. The ending is predictable, but in a way that makes the weight of Derek’s grief exponentially heavier.
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