I’ve been a big supporter and fan of Zombie Tramp since the first time I discovered the series at Long Beach Comic Expo about four years ago. I think the series is terribly misunderstood as its judge more by its name and appearance than substance in most cases. You’re free to like it or dislike it, but if you’re judging it by appearance and title alone I would suggest reading the first two volumes before solidifying your opinion because you might be surprised. I do understand that personal taste will of course always play a factor as well. Clearly I understand the product and have a history with the series which made me nervous about this third volume in which creator/writer/artist Dan Mendoza opens the doors to a co-writer and new artist. Initially I was most reluctant about the artwork since Mendoza’s style was what I was the most drawn to with the first two volumes, but I got over that quickly. TMChu brings his own flair to the series, but for the most part he captures the tone of the world and the essence of the character. I’ll still miss Mendoza’s artwork of course, but TMChu is a solid replacement.
The story on the other hand didn’t resonate with me this time around. It’s still a serviceable story, but it lacks the heart that the other two volumes had. Janey has less page time than any other issue previously and her character is far more aggressive. She basically spends the entire issue killing and hunting perverts which is fine and all, but it’s pretty boring. There’s a twist to the story that could make the next issue a lot better, but I worry that it’s going to go down the same path as the second volume which wouldn’t be very interesting. At some point there needs to be a challenge for the character other than death or people wanting to steal her power.
For me I always liked the dark humor of the series and that was lacking here. The sex appeal was kicked up and while that isn’t a bad thing per-say, it seemed to replace the humor. I feel like I was supposed to laugh at the twist, but I didn’t. It was almost predictable in a way.
Along the way it seems like this series became too serious or felt that it needed to be serious when really it has the opportunity to be cheesy, corny and campy. Mostly I just want to have a fun time with it and for the first time I didn’t. Instead it was just Janey killing perv’s left and right and practicing looking human.
By no means am I done with this series. I’m going to keep with it because it has potential and with it being an ongoing there’s plenty of time for it to work out the kinks as it goes. That’s the great thing about an ongoing series, there’s room for improvement and plenty of time for it as well. If you dug the second volume of Zombie Tramp you shouldn’t have too rough of a transition to this volume. If this is your first time reading it, well I don’t know what to tell you what to expect. It’s new ground for me to, but I’m sticking around and if you like the twist to the story then I imagine you’ll be sticking around as well.
Score: 3/5
Writers: Dan Mendoza, Jason Martin Artist: TMChu Publisher: Danger Zone Price: $3.99 Release Date: 7/9/14 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital