Marvel Zombies Return Hardcover Review

Marvel Zombies Return

Marvel Comics
Oversized Hardcover
120 pages
$24.99 (2009)
$19.99 (2010) TPB
ISBN 9780785142775

Contributors: Fred Van Lente, Seth Grahame-Smith, Jess Harrold, Jonathan Mayberry, John Rhett Thomas, David Wellington, Jason Alexander, Wellinton Alves, Nick Dragotta, Richard Elson, Andrea Mutti, June Chung, Lee Loughridge, Luca Malisan, Matt Milla, Simon Bowland, and Arthur Suydam

Reprints: Marvel Zombies Return #1-5 (of 5) and Marvel Spotlight: Marvel Zombies Return!

Synopsis: The zombie Avengers responsible for destroying almost all life across the universe were banished to another dimension by the son of Fabian Cortez in order to rid his universe of their threat forever. They all appear in the same universe, but at different times! 

• Zombie Spider-Man arrives in the past and tries to reclaim his humanity through a mystical object, but with predictably tragic results
• Zombie Giant Man arrives at Stark International while Tony is on a bender and only Jim Rhodes can fend off the zombie plague!  
•  Zombie Wolverine appears in Madripoor fighting and eating the Hand.  Zombie Spider-Man is on his trail and it's a battle royale as a healthy Wolverine fights his undead shadow!
• The Hulk arrives on the moon to confront Black Bolt at the beginning of World War Hulk, but something is wrong.  All he finds are zombie Inhumans - looks like Zombie Giant Man got there first!
• This dimension has been overrun by zombies just like the one where the super zombie plague originated.  Zombie Giant Man is trying to harness the Watcher's technology so the zombies can use the multiverse as their own private buffet!  Zombie Spider-Man has formed a Zombie Avengers to stop them once and for all! 

Pros: Covers by Suydam return and are good, some gruesomely funny zombie stories, nice oversized hardcover w/dustjacket

Cons: Five different creative teams with no cohesion, price increase

Mike Tells It Straight: This series brings back the original Marvel Zombies after the events of the second series and returns some excitement to the franchise, but overall misses some great opportunities.  The five different creative teams make the story feel disjointed and the ending wraps everything up very neatly.  I think a single writer would have given the story more cohesion, but it's much better than the third and fourth installments.

TO BUY and Recommendations: