Geekscape Comics Review: ’68: Hallowed Ground’

Way back in 2011, at ZombCon, me and Jonathan ran into Nat Jones. The creator of the amazing Zombie Comic ’68. His elevator pitch for his book hooked me on the spot. “The Night of The Living Dead came out in 1968. Where was the worst place on the planet during 1968? Vietnam of course!” The art style from this series is hyper detailed and extremely graphic. It really brought me in. So when Hallowed Ground came across my digital desk I jumped at the chance to read it.

Hallowed Ground is the turning point for the series. It takes the narrative home from Vietnam and back to the States. If you haven’t read the entire back issues, like I have, then this is a great jumping on point for anyone.

The opening scene of the book really shook me. We see a desolate church with gibbed zombies laying all over the yard. We see the sign of the church has been changed. Be it in a very macabre manner.

The next panel made me express an audible “DAYUM!”. The first six pages owe their amazing layout to the late Josh Medor, who before his passing in 2012, started this book. His scenes are very dramatic and have focus emphasized in all the right places. We meet our characters inside the church. All are polar opposites of eachother. Our protagonist Apollyon, is fresh off the boat from Nam. The church priest Hiram and his wife. The chubby Sheriff and a small orphaned child. The narrative was full of exposition and mostly back story for Apollyon.

Here is my biggest gripe for the book. There isn’t actually a whole hell of a lot going on. Pages and pages of narrative, then 1.5 pages of extreme violence. The amazing art and gory bits really make up for it though. I have to give it some leniency: It is a series starting point for the new issues next year, and doesn’t lend itself for a whole lot of action. They’re trying to setup the new series. It is actually a double issue, the story of the church is told from two point of views ( I’ll get to the 2nd one shortly). It is a dieing mans last work, and I feel if Josh was able to finish the whole book it may have been a tad bit more cohesive.

After a quick fast climax in the story, we are jarred out of the inside of the church and into the Bell Tower. This was when I realized this was actually a two parter. Part 1 ended with “a blast” and part 2 links up with the first narrative at that point and moves on.

Up in the Bell Tower we meet another Vet. Angel, who is a sniper, is picking off zombies in the yard all the while protecting a hurt woman named Sarah. Again my main gripe returns, way to much narrative setting up the characters motivations and past with little to nothing actually happening. It doesn’t last long as the action ramps up quickly in the Bell Tower, all climaxing in about 1.5 pages, but like the first part. What I particularly enjoyed during this scene was a reanimated torso climbing the drain pipe of the church. These Zombies aren’t your normal dumb Walking Dead, they feel like they have a bit more brains and will stop at nothing to get their feed on.

All I was very pleased with this one shot. It really set the tone for the new issues coming out in 2014. My score fluctuated a half point the entire time I read this book. Apollyon’s very dark origin story felt drawn and tedious, but it all paid off in the end. I am going to have to err on the lower score though, its a great book and it looks amazing, but it is just missing something.

Final Score: 3.5/5 Rotting Corpses.