Broken Frontier

Jenny Romanchuk’s Zombie Hunters is a substantial zombie chronicle of post-apocalyptic proportions. The webcomic follows the aforementioned Zombie Hunters are they battle the undead so society – safe and cloistered on an island – doesn’t have to. Unfortunately, society hasn’t been the same since the infection began, as the population is split into two groups – the segregated and heavily-monitored Infected minority, and the freewheeling Uninfected populace.

Unlike the Uninfected, the Infected will reanimate into zombies upon death. This puts the Zombie Hunters – all Infected – in a truly precarious situation, as they are hunting the very things they are destined to become upon death. There is also a social dimension to Infected, as each struggle through the terms of their disease and decisions in the ranks of the Zombie Hunters.

The rest of Zombie Hunters plays out – in premise – a little like a video game. There are different kinds of zombies in the food chain, ranging from the simple Romero-esque Crawlers to the more dangerous sub-species like the Howlers and Hunters. And since the Zombie Hunters are competitive – each one of these zombies have a point value to make things more interesting. But eventually, the video game similarities end as the drama takes hold. It becomes refreshing just watching the Zombie Hunters take the edge off by betting beer on how many points they can rack up – or who makes it home alive. And speaking of edge, some of the zombies – from the hypnotic Basilisk to the angelic Mercies – are just plain creepy, as the Encyclopedia viscerally illustrates. In story or art, Romanchuk’s Zombie Hunters is an explosive feast for the eyes.

The current storyline takes place eleven months earlier, and focuses on two previously unseen members of the Zombie Hunters – the previous team leader, Milo Ritter, and the constantly ill-fated Jameson Walters. What became of them in the eleven month gap between the current story and the Zombie Hunters’ debut mission? I’m not sure – although things certainly aren’t looking good for Jameson Walters. While the backstory is appreciated, it is a bit of a distraction – Zombie Hunters has been moving at a shambling pace for a while, and we haven’t seen the full team back in action for a while. But the current storyline is moving at a breakneck pace, and I’m sure they’ll be plenty of surprises along the way.

Overall, if you’re looking for a post-Halloween dosage of zombie fun or you just need to get your George A. Romero fix, The Zombie Hunters is a fun and vibrant romp through the pages and streets of the undead world. From realistic characters to terrifying zombies, The Zombie Hunters is shaping up to be an immense achievement in the webcomic horror genre.