New Beginnings - Return of the Living Deadpool #1

by Matt Puddy

Some time ago you may remember that last year I reviewed Night of the Living Deadpool by Cullen Bunn. Now in true Romero-esque fashion we have the follow up - Return of the Living Deadpool.

For those who didn’t read NotLD, the very quick and basic premise was that over the course of four issues Wade Wilson found out that everywhere had been infected and people were turning into brain hungry zombies. Fighting his way through them all and trying to help people could only go so far, until he found there was a cure. The way to administer the cure though was to infect himself and then allow the surrounding zombies to rip him to shreds and eat him thus saving the world in his own bizarre way.

So where can Bunn and Virella go with this then? Considering how things were left I have to admit that even I wondered, so reading this first issue was with some trepidation.

Carrying on the artistic theme of having a greyscale story with the only colour being Deadpool, the story opens with a young woman called Liz scavenging. A few years have passed since the original outbreak so lore and stories have spread, both good and bad. So when Liz comes across a ‘pool her reaction is not the expected. She tries to decapitate him and is equally shocked when the amnesiac ‘pool doesn’t try to kill her and surrenders. Dressed in nothing more than his trademark red along with his inane and random commentary on the world the pair head off to safety from the night's visitors.

All is still not what it seems though. Along the way elements of Deadpool’s memory are slowly coming back along with his deadly skill and penchant for quips and violence towards zombies amongst other things. This is cut short when they run across a new band of people. A very familiar group as well. They’re all Deadpool variants! The main difference being they don’t seem to have the humour but very definitely have the blood lust. For the problem isn’t really the zombies any more. The real problem is far worse. The “cure” did stem the zombie problem but at the same time created, introduced and wreaked havoc in the form of the Deadpool plague and the newer deadlier living hell.

As I said before the artwork follows the same path as NotLD and the same colour palette, which makes the Merc with a Mouth really stand out at centre stage. The now typical colouring of his speech bubbles adds further familiarity to it all. The characterisation is also a return to the more split-personality that readers previously knew, so all in all this version of Deadpool is well outside the current Marvel Universe.

Aside from that there isn’t really much more I can say without going over how I reviewed NotLD, as it’s very much just more of the same. If you liked that arc you’ll probably like this one too!

Bunn has created an interesting new problem tale out of what was initially a fun four part tale to begin with. Seeing how he wrapped up the first arc, it’ll be fun to see how he’s going to solve this situation especially as the previous cure only made things worse...

Deadpool fans will love this; even zombie fans will get a kick out of it too. All in all a fun little comic, but nothing revolutionary after last year's offering. Very much more of the same. Which is no bad thing in this instance.

Matt Puddy is waiting for the inevitable Fifty Shades Of Deadpool miniseries...

New Beginnings - Night of the Living Deadpool #1

by Matt Puddy

Hot on the heels of his Deadpool "Killology", Cullen Bunn returns to the Merc With A Mouth with a loving homage to most of the mainstream zombie movie ideals. Entitled Night of the Living Deadpool, the cover points directly at George Romero, whilst inside there are nods and winks to the current king of the block, The Walking Dead.

This is the first part of a four part series where ol' Wade Wilson finds himself in quite the predicament. After being rudely awoken by screams after overeating in Chimichanga’s, Deadpool is left in a small dilemma. Having been in a food coma for the past few days, the world has simply passed him by. However in that time - here come the first shades of The Walking Dead or of course 28 Days Later - the world has descended into a post apocalyptic zombie filled zone.

Now for the normal person this may be a shocking revelation but in true Deadpool style he can’t believe it and thinks it’s all some sort of prank. It’s only when he starts to move through the city that he comes face to face with the recently deceased that it all finally hits home. It takes an attacking horde and a pickup truck with a mounted machine gun to round it all up, adding the punctuating note that Deadpool may actually be the last remaining superhero in the world.

There are some interesting changes to the genre norms that I noticed that Bunn has made. For instance the zombies have a semblance of cognition and even talk a little, begging for him to finish it. 

Ramon Rasanas has given us the artwork and I really like it. It has two really strong aspects that grabbed me. Firstly it has great line work with a lot of detail in pretty much everything. Secondly the art style has more than a cheeky wink to The Walking Dead. The zombies are arguably reminiscent of Tony Moore's in the early days of the Image zombie comic, while the monochrome presentation is reminiscent of Cliff Rathburn's grayscales and tones throughout the same series. It is further enhanced by the colouring - or rather lack of - using only red for Deadpool himself, other than a few full-colour flashback sections.

This is another good example of how Deadpool is best used - parody and comedy. He was created for that exact reason after all. I can understand why this will probably work best as a limited series, but at the same time I’m a little sad that it won't last a little longer. Deadpool fans will most likely lap it up and with the ongoing popularity of the zombie genre there could also be a few zombie fans who pick it up as well.

Matt Puddy is hungry for BRAAAAAINS!

Proud Lion's Christmas Gift Guide, part one - The Walking Dead & other scares

So here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody's having fun… until they go into the town centre to do some shopping, then it becomes a bit of a nightmare. Some of us now do it all online, which is great until some lamentable error with the courier sees your carefully chosen items failing to arrive, or turning up damaged.

Have no fear though, your friendly neighbourhood comic shop is here with a more personal touch to shopping. Pop in and we'll do whatever we can to find the perfect gift for your comic-book-reading, action-figure-covetting, fantasy-daydreaming, sci-fi swashbuckling loved ones!

Over the next few weeks, I'll be serving up a few great gift ideas from the carefully selected items we have in stock. To start off with - and to celebrate the mid-season finale airing this week - we have various Walking Dead merchandise, along with other horror genre gift ideas.

THE WALKING DEAD MONOPOLY BOARD GAME - £35

It's the classic family board game, themed to fit Robert Kirkman's zombie apocalypse with some amazing playing pieces including Michonne's katana, Rick's hat and Dale's RV. Currency has been replaced with supplies. Houses are walls and hotels are guard towers. Chance cards become Scavenge cards, and the Community Chest cards are Supply Chest cards. Income Tax has been replaced with Herd, the Luxury Tax has been replaced with Protection. A fun spin on an old favourite!

THE WALKING DEAD THE BEST DEFENSE BOARD GAME- £33

(with free limited edition promo cards while stocks last!)

In this survival board game, players must cooperate in order to defend their locations from Walkers and other, more-human horrors. Playing as key characters from The Walking Dead, one acts as the leader, making decisions in order to maintain supplies and protect resources - but those decisions can be ignored, at a price, particularly if they prove to be detrimental to your character's ulterior motive. The ultimate goal is to survive; how you manage that is up to you. Featuring superior production values to Cryptozoic's previous Walking Dead games, this looks like the zombie apocalypse's answer to the fabulous Battlestar Galactica co-op board game.

THE WALKING DEAD TV SERIES

MERLE & DARYL DIXON ACTION FIGURES 2 PACK - £35

Everyone's favourite zombie-killing rednecks are back, in tiny posable plastic form! Featuring Daryl's trademark crossbow and capturing his older brother's inimitable bad attitude, McFarlane Toys bring you the ultimate family reunion for Christmas Day! Daryl sold out in record time when he was released on his own a while back and now goes for silly money on eBay, so this a great and affordable way to own your very own Norman Reedus.  

THE LAST OF US AMERICAN DREAMS TP - £13

Any fans of the hit Playstation 3 game should definitely get their hands on this. American Dreams, co-written by the game's creative director Neil Druckmann, is a charming, if bleak, insight into Ellie's past, introducing new characters as well as drawing in a few familiar faces. The story gives a taste of her military school days and her initial encounter with the Fireflies and their leader Marlene. Of particular interest to players will be Ellie's first meeting with her friend Riley and their first adventure sneaking out of the school looking for freedom, beginning a pattern of thrill-seeking that presumably leads to the horrific encounter Ellie describes in a couple of memorable scenes in the game. All of this graphic novel takes place before the forthcoming DLC (with the players assuming the role of Ellie and accompanied by Riley) currently expected to be released during the holiday season. This is the perfect accompaniment to the Naughty Dog triumph.

MARVEL ZOMBIES ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL 01 TP - £26

Ah, Marvel Zombies! A few years ago, this was one of those eureka comics book moments, where an idea emerges that is so captivating it makes you wonder why it hadn't been done before. First introduced in Mark Millar's run on Ultimate Fantastic Four, the initial reveal of the undead versions of classic Marvel characters was a jaw-dropping piece of misdirection. The subsequent Marvel Zombies miniseries capitalised on the concept, with The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman at the helm, ensuring a certain shambling authenticity to the whole undertaking. Sadly, later volumes went off the rails a bit, but this newly released Ultimate Collection contains the initial offerings and none of the later nonsense making this a must-have volume for anyone who has yet to experience the magnificent Marvel Zombies. Highly recommended!

ALIENS GENOCIDE 7" ACTION FIGURES 2 PACK - £37

In the years between the excellent Aliens film and the appalling Prometheus train wreck, Dark Horse Comics published a series of wonderful Aliens comics including the wonderful Genocide miniseries. This four issue comic story, featured a human expedition funded by a billionaire with dubious motives travelling to a xenomorph world to capture a live Queen, only come face-to-face with a planet torn apart by two warring tribes of berserk xenomorphs - one breed of black aliens and the others a vibrant red. A truly memorable Aliens story that is now celebrated in these two excellent NECA action figures.

Watch this space with more wonderful Christmas gift ideas!

Big Game Hunting Live - The Last Night On Earth

This weekend heralds the arrival of the second Big Game Hunting Live! This is our monthly gaming event that takes place on the first Saturday of every month. Players will get a chance to learn and play a different game every month.

On Saturday 6th July, we will be playing Last Night on Earth! This horror board game is all about facing an oncoming zombie horde in a small town. You can play as the humans struggling to survive, or the shuffling zombies trying to stop them. The board changes every time, and there are multiple scenarios to play, so you get a new experience every time! This game was featured on season one of TableTop.

If you've never played before, or just want to brush up on the rules, we recommend you come to one of the learn-to-play sessions, taking place at 11am and 1pm. We'll show you the ropes and get you up to speed on how to play.

If you're already familiar with the game and want to jump right in, come along to the full game session at 3pm! This is also suitable for people who attend the learn-to-play sessions earlier in the day. No sign-up is required, and participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you like the base game, you may also like one of the game's expansions: Growing Hunger and Timber Peak. Growing Hunger provides you with new scenarios, characters, items, and boards, to name a few. Timber Peak is both a standalone game and an expansion, featuring several new game components as well as some new gameplay features. You might also like the Zombies with Grave Weapons miniature set, or the Hero Pack which offers up new heroes to add to your game.

All participants will receive a voucher that entitle them to 10% off Last Night on Earth, or any of the expansions or supplements. As Proud Lion is only a small store, we only hold a limited stock so you may have to backorder your copy if we sell out on the day. Expansions are currently only available if you place a customer order (NB: a 25% deposit may be required).

Rae is really enjoying all the sunshine this week!

Why Should I Read... Rachel Rising?

You remember when you first listened to your favourite band? That feeling that you had discovered something new and special, that was just yours? That was the feeling I genuinely got reading Rachel Rising. I didn't necessarily expect to write that, but it's true. Getting in on the ground level with something that's just beginning, but you already know will be great is a real treat, and one that this book gave me in spades. Thing is, you have to be brave to pick this book up.

Starting something new is often a little scary. That's not a new concept, fear of the unknown is a constant in general human life. To counter this fear, we are imbued with an insatiable curiosity. Terry Moore takes both these staples of humanity and uses them as the building blocks for the structure of this horror piece. ComicBuzz describe him as a "master storyteller", and I don't see anything to dispute that in this first piece of the Rachel Rising story.

The first eight pages of Rachel Rising contain no dialogue. This is itself is an immense accomplishment, because the introduction to the lead character couldn't be more gripping. The artwork used is simple and effective, stark lines and ink blocks with no shading forced my brain to fill in the intricacies and draw me in to the story. I turned the page, presented with the details of a basic human fear; death before you are prepared for it. Ultimately the staple for every horror and thriller book (or artistic horror effort of any kind), but in this instance it's so well-presented, it's border-line attractive. The artwork also meets the script in a wonderful companionship, in a way that I feel comes from the artist and writer being one in the same.

When the dialogue does begin, Moore does not force the issue. His words are just like the artwork in that they are clear and uncomplicated, easing you along. He's avoided complex or slick vocabulary in favour of honesty. He has avoided gimmicks in favour of clarity. He has avoided shock tactics, there's no strong language in favour of consistency. As a result, the story slid gently in to my brain making reading very easy. I know it's a horrendous cliché, but at times I genuinely wasn't sure whether I was turning the pages or the story was making me.

I don't want to mislead you, this is a horror book, and it does have the power to shock. The concepts are certainly not all original, but my particular turn-on for this book is that I have not seen this kind of presentation before. Fans of the big Whedon franchises will most likely gravitate to this book, for example. They should, because I like those kind of stories, and I like this book. Not because of the comparison, it certainly stands on it's own merits. I like it for it's uncompromising approach, that comes for the aforementioned writer/artist singularity. It's not often when you can feel that the originator of the story has poured his brain on to the pages which is the feeling I took away from my first read.

As with every book, Rachel Rising may not be for everyone. Horror books became fashionable again a few years ago, and like all good corporate driven industries, they've been squeezed until the zombie juice has run dry. Über violence has been played out for a good while too, and any die-hard reader of the genre is most-likely desensitised. These factors could steer a potential reader away from 'just another horror book'. But these are also the reasons I feel compelled to push you to pick up a copy of Rachel Rising. This is stuff that's been done before, but it's fresh.

Elvis did rock and roll, but I didn't love the music until I heard the likes of Kiss and AC/DC. To be fair, I wasn't there when those bands first put out an album, but I was able to get in on the Rachel Rising story right at the start. Ok, they may not be on the same level, but they both make me feel good. I think you might like reading Rachel Rising whilst listening to AC/DC...

Chris Boyle thinks that if you want blood, you got it.

Why Should I Read... The Walking Dead?

You aren't real. I know this because Robert Kirkman told me so. I trust Kirkman, he knows his stuff. He also came up with that über fashionable TV show called The Walking Dead, so he must be right. But if you aren't real, who the hell is reading this? To find out, read on!

Chances are that you've heard about the Walking Dead. Cool TV show, very glamourous, pretty people and a zombie apocalypse. Nothing to think about. But Robert Kirkman has been blowing minds with his gritty take on the end of the world ages before the fella from Teachers showed up. So why read it? Because it will make you doubt you are real, and not many comics can make a claim like that.

I struggled with whether or not to reveal your immateriality to you. After all, discovering you aren't real is something you should find out for yourself. When Robert Kirkman wrote The Walking Dead, he looked past the genre, the (and let's be honest) hundreds of zombie clichés and decided he'd disassemble society. He picked it up, held it up to the light, turned it back and forth and saw how fragile and worthless it was, like a empty whisky bottle. Then like a hobo trying to get his life together, he threw it on the ground and dashed it into a thousand pieces.

Kirkman creates characters you know. He reached deep in to the pot of stereotypes and took out the biggest, fattest, juiciest ones he could find. He used them like worms on a hook to bait his readers, they are access points straight to the heart of the story. But Kirkman knows how to use worms properly, so he sticks them at the bottom of a big bottle of zombie juice tequila. So you drink, like the hobo. You slurp down that tequila and it feels good. You know it well, green-grey hands grip you warmly, and you chew on the worm... but it doesn't taste like you thought. Because Kirkman tainted the whole brew with a dirty secret. The Walking Dead are the characters of his story. The policeman, the hillbilly, the little Asian boy, the angry black people? They are the Walking Dead - not the zombies.

The question is, what is a policeman without a society to police? What is a husband without a wife, or a father without children? What is an outlaw without a law to be outside of?

Well, thanks Kirkman. You got me addicted to your weird home brew. It's got me sat in an alley, out of my mind and drunkenly questioning everything. If you strip away everyone I know, everything I do, everything I interact with, what am I? Just as demanding in my drunken zombie thoughts is this; how the hell did a comic make me doubt my existence?

What a simple premise for a book. You are nothing without society, because we are a social animal. OK, Kirkman distilled his concoction with the usual zombie shtick. He threw in the shotguns, the gore, and for bite, a little sex and racism. Everything the fashionable geek needs on the label of his favourite tipple. But the message is clear, even through the beer goggles. You shouldn't be scoping out your plan for killing zombies in the event of a zombie apocalypse. You should be working out how to rescue a decent therapist, so you have a hope of hanging on to your sense of self.

The artwork has a certain simplistic honesty that compliments the brew like a little bowl of pretzels. The dialogue and narrative are much the same, not over-the-top, but with enough flavour to keep you going on to your next glass. The cheese and onion crisps of my laboured alcohol metaphor, if you will.

But then, I'm not worried if you're bored with the booze talk. I told you before, you aren't real. From reading The Walking Dead, I've learned that it is society that defines us, and we it. Without it, you might as well be my drunken hallucinations of the absinthe fairy or grenadine goblin.

So then, why should you read The Walking Dead? Because every book gives you another moment to look at an aspect of your life, assess it, and hopefully make it better. You can't say you can take that from many books, let alone a graphic novel. So I suggest you get a glass and pour yourself some. But then, what do I know? I'm just the alcoholic at the end of the bar.

Chris Boyle is preparing the impending apocalypse. No wait, impending childbirth. So easy to get the two confused...

The Watchers’ Council - Zombies

When Halloween loomed into view like a shuffling ever-living nightmare - combined with the recent return of The Walking Dead to screens in the UK and US - attentions here turned to the idea of a gathering at Ben’s to watch a few zombie movies and devour a mountain of pizza.

With the monument to Italian dough and cheese established on the coffee table and assorted beverages and extra snacks on hand, Rob, Stef and Ben got cracking with the original Romero zombie film, in many ways the precursor to the whole living dead genre (though of course, not the first zombie movie – I think White Zombie (1932) has that distinction).

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

BEN: Have you guys watched this recently?

STEF: No.

ROB: Ten years ago at Uni.

BEN: Controversial I know, but I remember this film being pretty bad.

ROB: I remember it being quite atmospheric. All the open spaces, a lot of it is outside which is a contradiction to the claustrophobic zombie movie cliché.

BEN: Well, I last watched it as a teenager with a low attention span!

STEF: The pace of it is what I noticed. We’re used to stuff happening all the time, but it builds the tension.

BEN: They haven’t got to the idea yet of doing gore in this film, it’s almost just a grey pallor to them.

ROB: Which doesn’t help when it’s black and white anyway!

STEF: Extra levels of grey!

And we’re off. Our initial protagonists Johnny and Barbra arrive at the graveyard after a lengthy series of shots of them driving in a car, like a really dull Sixties version of old Top Gear. We debate whether it’s just ponderous or if creates tension. As they pull up, Johnny turns off the radio just as the announcer is beginning to provide some exposition. A potentially vital clue is ignored to the chagrin of Rob and Stef, though Ben is amused by the seeming scorn towards exposition.

Then a tall pale stranger looms into view.

BEN: I'll say this for Romero, it definitely has a sense of immediacy. We've already got to the graveyard and there's our first zombie, less than ten minutes in. A lot of modern films would have started with some sort of unnecessary backstory for these two characters.

ROB: Shaun Of The Dead did that two with subtle appearances of the zombies before you realised.

The iconic line “They're coming to get you Barbra!” is uttered and all present display appreciation for the classic quote. The first zombie is noted for it's lack of gory make up and the fact that he doesn't try to bite them when he lurges at the siblings. Stef declares that he looks a bit rapey. It's the buggy eyes.

STEF: He could just be a desperate guy who's not been laid in a while.

He gets decidedly more animated as he ignores the fallen Johnny and chases after Barbra, he promptly looks herself in the car. We're all surprised when he picks up a rock and tries to smash his way in - the use of tools is something we associate with Day Of The Dead or Land Of The Dead, not this initial Romero offering.

As Barbra flees into the night, culminating in finding refuge in the house that is the primary location for the rest of the film, we begin to discuss the rules of zombie movies – whether it's an infection that is passed through blood or saliva

Inside the house, Barbra finds a dead body and we get our first gory image, which comes as quite a surprise. We all commend the film for having a black male protagonist in the Sixties. Barbra feels like a very unsympathetic character, Ben muses that this may be because she just ran away leaving her brother behind. A motley crew of people find shelter in the house.

ROB: I've never understood how people get caught by zombies in these early films because you just have to walk fast.

BEN: I think I remember reading an interview with Simon Pegg about how that was why they kinda like it. They're not a threat unless you lower your guard. A lot of the time – and in fact in this one – the problem with them is that the humans descend into infighting and then aren't careful.

STEF: It's like The Walking Dead. There's an aspect of that theme in that. It's about the humans really. They get distracted and argue amongst themselves and then they're screwed. There's danger amongst you.

BEN: The under siege mentality of the zombie genre is definitely laid down here.

Noticing that despite the progressive colour blind casting, the sexism of the Sixties remains as the woman goes to pieces and the man is doing all the work. We take a moment to muse how we would cope in a zombie apocalypse, like all good movie fans.

STEF: I'd be one of those people who see it as an excuse to beat people around the head. I'd go a bit nuts I think, I'd probably lose my mind in the mass craziness of it all and cave someone's head in with a hammer.

ROB: Let's not hang out with Stef if this ever happens.

BEN: It's fine, we'll just push him towards the zombies and away from the other people!

Zombie Flesh Eaters (or Zombi 2) (1979)

Eleven years later, we are now entering the era of the video nasty. Sure enough from the word there is a shadowed man shooting a hooded body in the head, boom! brain splatter!

Rob points out that at the time this tried to cash in on the popularity of Dawn of the Dead, they even marketed this as a sequel! Hence the original "Zombi 2" title as Dawn of the Dead was released under the title of "Zombi" in Italy.

An eerily empty looking boat enters New York harbour - the pre-credits are rolling and we try to work out the connection between the very gritty start and this sequence.

BEN: Again very much like Night of the Living Dead it has a very snappy start, just straight into it.

STEF: Well the initial 'shot' as it were.

BEN: Very interesting that this was Italian funded and directed but they set it in America and filled it with American actors.

ROB: Like a spaghetti western, in a way really.

BEN: Strange how they marketed this as a sequel to Dawn of the Dead - at the end of Dawn the world has gone to shit and yet here everything seems fine.

ROB: It's rather like the sequels you find at a market stall.

BEN: Akin to the recent popularity of 'mockbusters'.

As the music continues to mimic a bad episode of classic Who, we get our first zombie reveal. This feels much more like the zombies that we all know and love nowadays, with its skin and flesh decaying. As we witness the first jugular spurting attack, Ben points out how the effects are noticeably fake and Stef mentions the change from the previous monochrome bloodless zombies of Night of the Living Dead to this.

During a scene where our lead actress is on the phone to what appears to be a news editor we pick up on some awful dubbing which makes us ponder if the movie was shot all in Italian and then re-dubbed later but some post podcast investigation proves that in fact the movie was filmed with half the cast only speaking English and the other half only speaking Italian.

ROB: She looks like a young Jamie Lee Curtis.

BEN: Really? She doesn't look anything like a man to me!

As the daughter of the boat's owner boards the boat to investigate she bumps into a reporter who is doing the same, so they join forces to find her father.

STEF: The line "I have a morbid curiosity," does that mean he's into necrophilia?

BEN: In a zombie film?!?

As the main characters meet some tourists who are traveling the caribbean they ask them to take them to the island of Matul. (STEF: Sounds like my-tool!) Ben and Rob discuss how the audio mastery levels on this film seem to be a tad all over the place, some scenes being noticeably louder than others.

The characters, whom we seem to have lost to random conversations about the Avengers movie have now moved onto the island itself. Ben resorts to asking Siri if this movie will get any better but unfortunately gets no answer. Weirdly the next scene of the movie was a topless female scuba diving with some tiny, tiny pants and a swimming cap.

ROB: That bathing cap really spoils the look.

STEF: She's no longer hot.

ROB: It's like a bald man with boobs!

The movie captures our attention further when it introduces an actual live shark into the scene and a underwater zombie!

STEF: Zombie vs shark!

BEN: This guy is holding his breath for a very long time! He must have a buddy diver with a regulator. Woah! That guys properly wrestling a shark!

ROB: Quite impressively done this scene, I will give it that.

We are all sat in shock and awe at actually how good this scene is, also finding out that René Cardona Jr. the actor who was originally cast to play the Underwater Zombie got sick (or chickened out?) at the last minute and had to be replaced by Ramón Bravo, the shark's trainer.

The next scene is very notorious for its eye-impalement section, this made us all cringe but at the same time point out that it was very well cut and shot. Again showing that this movie isn't all bad and definitely fits its gory 'video nasty' reputation.

Ben leaves the room for a brief moment, and the movie enters a flashback explanation of the first scene and that the doctor on the island isn’t a bad guy he is just trying to cure his patients before resorting to shooting them in the head! It is also hinted at that the cause may be a Voodoo Witch Doctor’s curse on the island.

STEF: Definitely has a voodoo feel to the music in these scenes.

ROB: Yeah Ben will be sorry he missed this exposition!

STEF:He's trying to figure it out.

ROB: Science versus religion.

STEF: Isn't that always the way?!

The main group are sent to check on the Doctor's wife (who we know as the eyeball lady), we start to wonder what what has happened to Mr Fardon...

STEF: We seem to have lost Ben.

ROB: Hmm... yes.

STEF: Maybe gone for a number two?

ROB: Or bed?

STEF: Dead to the world, ha!

ROB: He'll come back as the undead Ben!

The pace is upped as our characters find the Doctors’ wife being delicately munched on (by a zombie of course). The conclusion is made that actually this film is not as cheap or b-movie schlocky as we were expecting.

We wonder why the doctor is only now deciding to pack his bags and leave, we would have ages ago! Our group of strangely unaware characters, crash their jeep on the way back from the doctors home and decide to take a lie down in what seems to be a Spanish Conquistador graveyard. And also what a perfect time to try it on with your female friend, as you’re lying on a grave. A hand rises . .

STEF: Looks the dead wants some loving too.

ROB: Yet another rapey zombie!

Ben walks back into the room just as the carnage begins.

ROB: She’s just sat there while it has taken that Conquistador zombie five minutes to get out of their grave.

STEF: Still just sat there?

BEN: Paralysed with fear?

ROB: Or stupidity?

As the woman frozen in fear gets her throat torn out we point out that they do like to use that effect. The remaining survivors manage to get back to the Doctor, he begins to examine an injured member of the group.

STEF: That looks painful, he's pretty much dead.

ROB: That's quite good acting there, while the Doctor is touching his ankle his foot is twitching. Someone went to RADA didn't they?!

All of a sudden the zombies break in and take a massive chunk out of the Doctor's face!

STEF: Well he's dead then!

ROB: Why didn't the doctor inform them about shooting them in the head?

STEF: Good point.

The climax of the movie takes place as the survivors are surrounded and barricaded in a wooden barn and are throwing molotov cocktails at the zombies and then shooting them. Further stupidity abounds as one of the group is attacked, but survives to me taken with them on the boat back to America? Still it doesn’t really matter as the parting credits shot is a traffic logged bridge with a legion of zombies shuffling across.

The Walking Dead S01E06 (2010)

As things begin we recap the season.

BEN: The whole episode with the lake in season one was by far my favourite.

STEF: I do feel this episode wasn't the strongest.

BEN: It is proving that a lot of people are just wanting to watch the graphic novels made into video, they cannot handle it veering away too much.

As we see a flashback to where Shane is struggling to decide what to do with the comatose Rick in all this madness, as armed Special Forces work their way through the building killing all they encounter, zombie or human alike.

BEN: It's always assumed in the graphic novel that he just abandons Rick, but now you can see that he at least tried - he just didn't know what to do.

ROB: He was worried he would kill Rick if he took him away from his life support.

STEF: Very intense.

BEN: This is already more compelling than anything we have watched tonight!

We then discuss wether Robert Kirkman will start writing the novels specifically so they can be transferred to screen due to the popularity of the TV series.

BEN: Kirkman was the first new Image partner to be taken on.

ROB: After the original guys from Marvel Comics?

BEN: Yeah, the first who was not an artist too. And the first thing he did in the position? He hired himself an editor.

ROB: Basically hired someone to give him some self discipline.

STEF: Good idea, keep yourself focused.

The series - even though it takes things in different directions - still manages to capture the characters and the actors who play them seem to fit the bill perfectly.

BEN: I think if Kirkman had known the comics were going to be a success he would have kept Shane around for longer so that it could add further tension to the group dynamic. Which he has obviously now done here in the TV series.

A lot of people struggle with the fact the TV series is different to the comics, but most of the time they have to be due to the difference in medium. If it is done well and keeps true to the spirit like this has then it’s not noticeable.

Our characters have reached the CDC facility and met its only survivor.

BEN: I love this beginning shower scene where you are observing them in a safe environment, Rick and Lori happy to be re-united, Shane clearly still bitter and Andrea completely devastated by the loss of her sister.

A moment is taken to try and ponder who actually within the original group of survivors is left? Spoilers - it's not many.

Dr Edwin Jenner (the only surviving scientist in the CDC) reveals to the group his research into the zombies and what happens to a human brain during the transformation. Ben points out that Kirkman shied away from explaining any details about the zombies in the comics but the average TV audience would become frustrated without it and thus they've got that out of the way early on.

JENNER: The brain stem is re-activated just enough to get that person up and moving but nothing like before. The frontal lobe - the neocortex it doesn't come back, you’re just a shell driven by mindless instinct.

We sit in silence as the very evocative visuals of how the brain's synapses shut down and then spark back into life as the person changes.

STEF: I think having the visual effect helps you grasp onto the idea of what is actually happening.

BEN: Something very powerful about that.

STEF: And linking it to actual diseases.

BEN: It definitely grounds it, like a lighting rod for reality.

ROB: A very modern fear, disease and infection. Whereas Night of the Living Dead, it was radiation – a typical for of that time.

Due to not being anywhere closer to a cure and what with the facilities power rapidly running out Jenner has had enough, he has no energy to try and survive any longer. So he locks the group in to die with him.

He mentions the stupidity of how our world runs on fossil fuels, which is very topical right now due to how we are such a tech-centric generation. If we did find ourselves in this situation (running out of power that is, not the zombies) most people wouldn't know how to cope.

A rather ‘Chekov’s gun’ moment occurs as a grenade which has not been seen since the first episode helps save the day. All while Dale is trying to convince Andrea to not stay with Jenner and kill herself - at the last moment they both leave the building and join the other survivors.

STEF: Even though we have not been completely paying attention, I have forgotten how much I have enjoyed this series as a whole and I cannot wait for more!

No one is safe, do not get attached, everyone can die.

Stefan, Rob and Ben went to see The Thing last night. Rob's review should be up on Tuesday.

The Reluctant Geek - Bite me…

I am not a morning person. I never have been. When faced with a situation where the world demands that I should be ripped untimely from my bed I tend to resort to stumbling around, wailing incoherently and snarling at anyone unfortunate enough to cross my path. Whilst in this mind fog of resentment and swooning irresistible sleepiness, driven only by the most primitive urges (primarily to go the hell back to bed) I have some sympathy for the lot of another group marked by their shuffling gait, absence of rational thought and tendency to bump into stuff. Perhaps zombies are misunderstood creatures really, only resorting to a little bit of brain snacking out of frustration and sleep deprivation when they’d much prefer just somewhere comfy to lie down and maybe have a nice cup of tea... Well I mean really. Has anyone ever stopped to ask? (This is if they get time before their brains are sucked out of their ears of course.)

What is certain is that sympathetic to their plight or not, we have never been so fascinated by this idea of the undead amongst us. I seem to come across zombies wherever I go at the moment, which makes me feel that the universe is sending me a clear if indecipherable message, (possibly to do with it being rude to bite?!). I’ve tried to trace this pattern back and I suspect that The Walking Dead has an awful lot to answer for. As a comic book with a visceral, paired down style and a body count higher than a psychiatric hospital for lemmings it is brutally engaging enough, but the recent TV series removes another level of distance between us and the heartbreakingly normal, recognisable characters that surround protagonist Rick. And really, poor Rick. As all-American as heroes come, he functions as the epicenter of Hurricane Zombie, death and carnage swirling around him. He resists, but to do so is to engage in a task as endless as that of fighting nature itself. The zombies just keep coming.

Of course, zombies aren’t natural really. One of their most terrifying aspects is the fact that they exist against the natural order of things. If death and taxes are supposed to be the only certainties then zombies cast us loose from even these constants. Not only is your loved one gone, but their corpse is trying to nibble on your shoulder-blade. I’ve talked before about how my gaming tastes tend towards the girly and the obsessive, and in keeping with the sub-conscious "zombie theme' of the present I have become more than a little pre-occupied with a rather lovely game called Plants versus Zombies. Tapping in to this idea that zombies upset the balance of nature, the game involves defending your property by means of the judicious application of a variety of plant-based guardians. Trust me, zombies lose all their terror if the face of a sweet pea shooter or two, a thoughtfully placed walnut or a wonderfully grumpy squash. It is nature’s own backlash against the zombie threat!

But if a little plant based anti-zombie therapy isn’t enough to allay your fears of a living dead invasion, you might take comfort in the idea that our current obsession means that you can look to prepare yourself for the coming apocalypse with people only considering you to be mildly eccentric rather than a total kook. The shops are full of self-help guides with tips and hints for succeeding in your continued existence where others will inevitably fail and films like 28 Days Later and Zombieland are full of good advice for staying alive. (In the case of the latter, it’s as simple as following the ‘rules’ although if you need to be told to ‘beware of bathroom’ you’re probably screwed anyway.)

(pinched from Motivated Monkey)

Finally, you might take comfort in the fact that even the authorities are starting to wake up to the zombie threat. Last week, a "concerned (this may be a euphemism for crazy) citizen" in Leicester berated the City Council there for their lack of preparation in the face of a zombie attack, which if nothing else should meant that the seed of zombie based fear has now registered on the disaster planning authorities map. Perhaps readers, we should be writing our local MP with similar questions. It’s not all about the Coalition and the NHS. Sometimes it’s about infection and reanimated corpses too.

Misunderstood or not, zombies can’t have my brain. At least not for free. There are some mornings when I’d probably swap it for a longer lie in though...

This week Kate is preparing for some cave based partying.

First Walking Dead zombie pictures!

AMC has begun shooting the first six episodes of the TV adaptation of The Walking Dead, set to air in the US this autumn.

Based on Robert Kirkman's graphic novels, the project will be directed by Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist) and produced by Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Termaintor 2: Judgement Day and Aliens). This Life alumni Andrew Lincoln will play lead character Rick Grimes.

"AMC strives to make original shows that play like movies and 'The Walking Dead' is a perfect complement to the network's celebrated movie franchise, Fearfest, which has always been an important destination for our audience," said AMC president Charlie Collier. "With its depth of story and the remarkable talent attached, The Walking Dead gives us an opportunity to raise the bar significantly within this popular genre, and continue our commitment to being the home of premium programming on basic cable."

To promote the series, AMC have cleverly released pictures of the zombies inspired by Charlie Adlard's artwork, rather than the usual cast photos. I'm sure most of you have seen this now, but in case you haven't here they are...

Ben Fardon isn't using the zed-word. Are there any out there though?