Library Classics - 'Zombieworld: Winter's Dregs and Other Stories' – Fingerman, Jones, Rennie and Mills' (Dark Horse)

It's the very early hours of Friday (well, at time of writing), I've got a ton of work to get done before I go on holiday and I'm still surprised that I managed to find the time to post a review for 'The Knight of the Swords'. All of this can only mean that it's time for another 'Library Classics' post, where I natter on about something horror, fantasy or sci-fi that's a little special to me and my reading. If you've pored through this blog, or the other two that I ran a few years ago, you'll know that zombies are a pretty big deal to me, from the sublime (the early 'Walking Dead' comics) to the ridiculous (I'm looking at you 'Hard Rock Zombies' and you as well 'XXXombies'), if there are zombies then I'm reading it. Well, I'm going to take you back to where it all began; a comic book shop in Northampton, some time in the mid-nineties...

I read a few bits here and there but by the time I went to college, I hadn't really touched a comic for a couple of years. Not that it helped with my A-Levels at all, my results were dreadful and I ended up going to the first college that would take me, Nene College in Northampton (I hadn't heard of it either until I went there). I found 'Phoenix Comics', in the middle of town, went in and I haven't looked back since.

'Zombieworld' was one of the comics that I picked up back then, a series of vaguely interconnecting stories set in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and it was brilliant; really dark and true to one of the main rules of a good zombie story, anyone can get bit and most people will. I collected what back issues I could, lost them all and a little while ago, managed to finally get my hands on 'Winter's Dregs' the trade collection. I don't think it collects every issue (I'm sure there was a tale about a serial killer artist but never mind...) but what is does collect is superb and was (still is) a great reminder that horror isn't just films and Stephen King. These are stories that are brutal in terms of how few fucks they give about the reader's sensibilities; this is a zombie apocalypse and gory shit will happen, of course it will. If you can't handle that then you're the one who needs to put the book down.

In the traditions of the best zombie media, the 'Winter's Dreg' collection throws you in at the deep end with no real clue why the zombie apocalypse is kicking off (I'll own up here, it was a few years later that I realised there was a prequel, 'Champion of the Worms', that explained everything, you don't need to have read it but it helps). Nope, none of the writers care why it has happened, they just want to show us what people can do when faced with hordes of the ravenous undead.

The answer is seemingly 'to act bloody stupidly' or pull, or a mixture of both. Bob Fingerman's hero tries to get together with a girl that he met once the day before. Kelley Jones' lead is also after an affair of the heart and is prepared to take it to the next level. Gordon Rennie's lead just shuts himself in the attic, and locks everyone else out. And as for Pat Mills' tale... That's just madness on a whole other level but we'll get to that in a bit.

You know what though? I can get behind this as it makes 'Winter's Dregs' that bit more believeable. Not everyone is going to be a Rick Grimes etc (watch people try in 'Winter's Dregs' and see how far that gets them), people make stupid decisions at the best of times so of course a full on zombie apocalypse is going to ramp everything right up and that just makes these stories all the more horrifying when the inevitable occurs. They can't see it coming but we can and that tension is expertly used by our writers.

I don't think there's a bad story here but 'Winter's Dregs' is probably my favourite of the opening tales, the artwork is a little crowded but Fingerman's tale shines through with some really engaging characters and a nicely managed buildup of the undead. And it's a prequel to Fingerman's excellent zombie novel 'Pariah' which is a nice little bonus.

Kelley Jones' 'Eat Your Heart Out' is suitably gory with a twist at the end that's good advice for any relationship – don't take it too literallly though...Gordon Rennie's 'Home for the Holidays' hearkens back to 'Night of the Living Dead' in all the best ways, the main one being that relentless siege that can only end in one way.

So far, so normal. The zombie apocalypse is happening and it's asking hard questions of the characters, all well done but no surprises. Then you turn the page and it's time for Pat Mills' 'Tree of Death', all of a sudden all bets are off and 'normal' isn't a word that you'd even think to use.

'Champion of the Worms' is the book that starts the 'Zombieworld' series rolling and 'Tree of Death' brings it to a close. There's no real connection to the preceding three tales which is no surprise as Mills throws everything cosmic horror at the professor and his team and that's not something we've seen previously. If you haven't already read 'Champion of the Worms' then it's worth picking up if you can but there's enough explanation given for it not to be a huge deal if you haven't.

I love 'Tree of Death' because there's just so much going on in the story and in the background as well. Mill's plot and J. Deadstock's art combine to really capture and hold your attention as there's always something happening and it's always grim. If that wasn't enough, the addition of the Killcrop adds a hint of Slaine that I, in particular, really enjoyed as it really helped bring out the Clark Ashton-Smith elements sown in 'Champion of the Worms'.

I'd be hard pressed to choose between this and 'Winter's Dregs' as my favourite tale of the collection but if you really insisted, it would have to be 'Tree of Death'. Everything here is so much more intense and it makes for a manic read in all the best ways.

It's probably a bit of a stretch to say that 'The Walking Dead' wouldn't have happened without 'Winter's Dregs' but reading through it gives you an idea of how important this book is to what came after as far as zombie comics go. You have to really hunt for a copy of the trade these days but it's really worth that effort. A great mix of Romero style action and weird horror that I'll always come back to.