Take 3 parts Romero-style zombies, 2 parts Frankenstein, 1 part MacGyver science fair project, and about 20 parts sheer messed-up creepiness, and you get ’68: Rule of War #1 from Image Comics.
Set in 1968 in Vietnam, CIA Special Agent Declan Rule is on the hunt for a monster of the human kind. This mad neurosurgeon has not only killed Rule’s son but is creating all kinds of battle-ready walking dead. The idea of placing zombies in Vietnam is simply brilliant. War makes for just about every type of hell imaginable, so why not zombies, too? The time period for the comic is a wonderful homage to the strain of zombies that were unleashed by John Russo and George Romero in 1968. The Vietnam War also provides a great backdrop for the atrocities committed in the comic.
The story keeps up the pace for a page turner and doesn’t become too entangled in wartime subplots. The characters are believable and easy to follow. There are bits of humor alongside crafty dialogue that perfectly balance out the violence.
While I loved the story, the art simply blew me away. The cover is beyond amazing. Blacks, greys, Army green, splashes of red . . . everything that’s needed to create a war-weary zombie from the laboratories of hell. I kept getting lost in the details and color and splattering body parts, and then I’d have to go back a few panels and read the story. That’s when you know the art is great, when you just want to move ahead without reading to take a peek at what the next set of panels will look like.
The lettering manages to hold its own and add lots of depth to each panel. I enjoyed that the zombies have their own lettering, as do the grunts and moans of the living. It all fit in very well with the art and the story.
’68: Rule of War #1 is the first comic in a series of four and continues the already successful line of ’68 comics. There are three covers available for this issue. If the rest of the series keeps up with this initial release, it’s sure to be a great one. If you love zombies, a lot of innovation, and ooey-gooey gore full of innards, do not pass this up!
