My husband brought back a special surprise for me from his trip to C2E2 2010 (comic book convention) in April. It turns out that Max Brooks was at the con for an appearance and book signing, so Bo figured I would like to have a signed copy of Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide, even though we already owned it. When he got up to the table, however, he found something new and unexpected and awesome!
Recorded Attacks is a graphic novel offshoot from The Zombie Survival Guide, and it’s REALLY REALLY COOL! The stories pull you in; whether they are based even somewhat in reality or completely conjured up in Brooks’ overactive imagination, they seem easily believable… like rumors from the next town over that can never be verified.
The illustration artist is Ibraim Roberson, who’s style is absolutely fantastic! There is a very fine line to walk when illustrating zombie fiction, between too humorously cartoon-like and over-the-top gore-for-the-sake-of-gore (and shock value). Roberson’s style is perfectly balanced in this book; lifelike enough to be believable, while the grotesque horrors are precision-tuned to turn your stomach without completely overpowering the underlying ideas. Top notch stuff!
I would recommend this book for even the pickiest of zombie genre snobs! It’s also great for the weekend zombie enthusiast, your teenage sibling, conspiracy theorists, your undead grandma, or anyone who appreciates the relevance of zombies in the arts. Final grade: A (for Awesome)
