It’s safe to say that not everyone is going to like a book about a Zombie that was once a call girl and that even in the afterlife dresses… well you see the cover use your imagination. As a site we’ve covered the first volume of this series previously and even have a video interview with creator/writer and artist Dan Mendoza from Wonder Con two years ago. Needless to say, we’ve been waiting. With all group reviews each of the writers/reviewers will give the series a score of: Buy, Borrow or Pass and then a reason for that score to follow afterwards. First here’s what Danger Zone has to say about the series: We're back for volume two, and picking up right where we left off, where does Janey, our former Hollywood call girl turned undead heroine, go from here? What fetish fashion will she wear?? And more importantly, why is it called the Taint Train of Terror? All aboard to find out!
Carl aka The Info Zombie: BUY
Former call girl Jane Belle got a bite from the undead and became the Zombie Tramp. A group of thrill-seeking youths explore an abandoned whorehouse rumored to be haunted. There, they come upon a young girl who announces the arrival of the titular character. The little girl is not what she seems, and she sends The Zombie Tramp on an adventure to reclaim the soul of a lost friend.
This selection for mature readers features all the blood, guts, and zomnudity one would crave. Irreverent, depraved, and fun, The Zombie Tramp turns the zombie craze into an entertaining romp courtesy of a fun story, original characters, and morbid illustrations. Of note is the artwork that seems simple due to the predominantly black and white mode. Yet, the injections of colors reveal a depth of well-placed design.
Grab this book to get a head start on your Halloween build-up because this romp into the world of undead hookers is as fun as saying the term ‘undead hookers’.
Samantha: BUY
I haven’t gotten a chance to read everything comic out from Action Lab’s Danger Zone, but when I get the chance to I jump for it. They really have put out some quality titles with badass art and even better narratives. Promising the readers some danger and real gore is easy but delivering with every single title is the hard part; Action Lab has gone above and beyond to provide us with entertainment at the danger level for a supposed mature reader.
Zombie Tramp is exactly what you think it is; lots of blood splatter over the necessary parts of boobies. I enjoy the coloring of this book. The pops of color here and there give it that eerie feel. The little girl’s story paired with a whore will give it that intellectual humor on top of hopefully a cute little story. It is a quick read, so I have no doubts that most readers will stick around because it is so quick and enjoyable. I don’t know exactly where the little girl is taking us and why her parents are so bad, but it alludes to some pretty interesting turns in the long run.
Jordan: PASS
With art that looks like a half-baked teenager’s web comic and enough meaningless nudity to make Heff blush, Zombie Tramp pretty much exactly fulfilled my expectations. Look, I get it, this whole thing is silly and that’s kinda the point but any book called Zombie Tramp or Vampire Slut or Grenade Gimp or whatever dumb crap some guy thought up in a basement somewhere will pretty much always annoy me. It’s a cheap gimmick to throw a trending genre in with some tits and an “audacious” title and call it anything less than childish. The kind of people who are really into this type of thing are the same type of guys that have a folder on their computers full of cos-playing women pumped up to the brim with silicone called “Jimmy`s bank o` spank” or something like that or ignorant “trendophiles” who get their neathers all worked up over anything 'indie' and 'edgy' regardless of quality. It’s sad. And this comic is lame.
I get it, boobs exist and so does blood but honestly what’s the point? As far as I could ascertain it’s to show you more boobs and more blood, the whole time nudging you in the ribs in an “amirite?!” type of way and in an odd way reminding you of that one kid from 6th grade. There’s ridiculousness where the silly-makers are in on the joke and enjoy it with you and there’s ridiculousness where the joke is lame and at some point the tables tip and you’re laughing at the person making the joke. This comic takes it a step further. This comic is trying to joke and all I can think is, “stop... god—just stop.”
Zombie Tramp does have an element of dumb entertainment to it. But mostly it’s just dumb. By the end of my read though I felt every bit as dead inside as the grotesquely buxom protagonist.
Dustin: BUY
Ready for the most biased opinion on this title? Good. I loved it! I’m a huge fan of this series and have eagerly awaited the second volume to begin at Danger Zone. I actually already read this issue, but I was happy to see it in print and heading to comic shops around the country because that’s where it needs to be.
For me, this series and this issue is just fun. Yes the sex appeal is poured on, but that’s what makes it hilarious at times. The gore is just right and black and white suits the story. I’m going to plug my full review for this issue which you can find here. Basically if you just want a romp of a good time then you should pick this book up!
Steve: BORROW
Initially, I was gonna give this one a pass, but I'm feeling saucy, so I'll ratchet it up to a borrow. I can see how Zombie Tramp would appeal if you're just looking for a slinky little horror strip with a fair share of cheesecake. You won't be breaking any mental sweats here, but then again, if you're coming to a book called Zombie Tramp looking for intellectual discourse, you're gonna have bad time. I'd never read the first series, but I doubt it's necessary in a story as straightforward as this, though it might shed some light on the girl haunting its ending a bit. The art is largely unpolished, and it takes a while to get used to, but it does have some moments of greatness. I'll just say "hand-mouth scene" and leave it there. This is rail t&a fare, which isn't my cup of tea these days, but I can see why it might have cult appeal, if for no other reason than it is what it is. Give it a glance if you get a chance, but I personally wouldn't throw down for it.
Kevin R: PASS
I don’t like zombies. It’s not anything against the concept- there is something obviously pretty frightening at work here- but I’m just so burnt out. I feel like everybody in any medium has at one point been zombified by now. Between four different incarnations of The Walking Dead, enough Marvel Zombie stories to fill a 1000+ page Omnibus, and enough ripoffs of those two to fill a warehouse, I feel like there’s been enough zombie fiction in comics- and any medium, really- for a while.
So as you can expect, when Dustin sent me over “Zombie Tramp #1” my expectations were not necessarily high to begin with. And boy, does this book deliver. It’s a zombie story with absolutely no bite. I’ve no reason to like any of the characters the book introduces- including the title character- besides “Hey, that’s cool,” a gimmick I had assumed died with the Liefeld/Lee/McFarlane era of Image Comics in the mid-90’s.
Matched with these problems is the gratuitous nudity. Now, to be fair, the book’s called ‘Zombie Tramp’ so you can expect for the main character to be in some sort of undress, I suppose? But Zombie Tramp is so effortlessly disgusting and exploitative that I can’t imagine anybody actually being able to get through it. When Zombie Tramp finally throws some clothes on, it’s this bizarre, gross, goth attempt at Zatanna cosplay that is so distasteful that I actually sort of gagged.
The whole thing’s so tactlessly crazy and over the top for the sake of being tactless, crazy and over the top that there’s nothing for me to grab on to. There isn’t any real sense of likable characters, drama or tension and by the time the issue is over, I just kind of sighed and closed the book hoping never to read it again.
Kevin: BUY
When I first laid eyes on Dan Mendoza’s Zombie Trap didn’t know what to think. What was this comic going to do, where was it going to go? Thankfully it only took a few panels for me to fall in love with the look and feel of this book. If Laney Belle doesn’t win you over there is no hope for you. She’s sexy, adorable with a touch of gore and an extra helping of charm. I was instantly on her side and pulling for her even though she just disembowels two men. Now that’s a main character you can get behind. Simplistic and stylish all at the same time Zombie Trap is about as fun as it gets!
Score: 4 Buys, 2 Passes and a Borrow!
Writer/Artist/Creator: Dan Mendoza
Publisher: Danger Zone
Price: $2.99
Release Date: 10/16/13