By Dustin Cabeal
It’s been a long while since I’ve reviewed Zombie Tramp and admittedly, even longer since I’ve read it. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about the series is the fact that you can jump back in and still figure things out. It’s how good comics have always been. There was a time you could jump into any comic no matter the numbering, and with a few issues you’d get the story or be there for the next chapter. Everything I learned about comics was done in this way; no shiny #1’s needed.
This issue is special for many reasons. It’s an anniversary issue, which is partially why I’m back reviewing it, but it’s also the end of an arc. All of the Mendoza-verse/Dangerverse characters are crossing over to stop Janey Belle from taking her final form. There were definitely characters I didn’t understand like Oscar, and I was clueless as to why Morning was acting the way she was, but neither of those elements changed the landscape significantly enough to lose me. The story for the issue is still “stop Janey” no matter how you look at it.
The entire issue, unfortunately, feels rushed. The “good” side of the story is forced to lay out exposition so that the reader knows what’s going on, but strangely, it felt un-needed. The action is all poorly executed. There’s no flow to it at all, and it’s hard to pin down which side is at fault. Is it the writer’s plotting? Did the story not give the artist enough room to have the action flow? Or was it just a weakness of the artist? Almost all of the action sequences are in two to three steps. Wind up the punch, show the person flying back from the impact and nothing in-between. Occasionally you’ll see the hit land and then the reaction to the hit, but for the most part, it’s punches and blasts sending people flying.
The story also suffers from too many characters and not enough time to use them all convincingly. Black Betty is horribly out of place at times because it feels as if she’s just stumbled into the comic and decided to hunt some monsters. The rest of the good side seems to have abandoned Janey without even trying to save her, but they all end up feeling a bit out of character. Speaking of which, none of Janey’s personality came through. Not her old personality and certainly not her new one. Which was unfortunate since this was my first time seeing her in this new form.
The art is the biggest let down of the issue though. Not only are the characters inconsistently drawn throughout the issue, but there’s no detail in the backgrounds. There’s not a lot of detail in general which is something that would make this series and issue pop. Unfortunately, Zombie Tramp is still looking for talent to replace creator Mendoza’s art style and make it their own. I hope they find someone and soon because the ever-shifting and poor-quality artwork was the reason I stopped paying attention to this series. Which is a shame considering how much I’ve enjoyed this series under Mendoza’s pen.
Without saying what happens at the end of the issue, it is safe to say it comes across as rushed too. It’s also a very convenient ending that wraps up the story arc in a tight little bow but leaves the reader feeling un-rewarded.
I was hoping to come back to this series and find it chugging along strong as ever. Instead, there was perhaps too much focus on reaching issue 50 by the anniversary and not enough attention paid to the details, particularly in the artwork. If you’re a long time reader, you probably won’t be phased by this issue in the least bit. If you’re a new reader that’s finally looking to take the plunge on Zombie Tramp, maybe wait until the next issue. It’s my sincere hope that they’ll find another talented artist in the vain of Mendoza’s style to take over this series because it still seems to stop-gap with its art team and it’s killing interest in the series.
Score: 2/5
Zombie Tramp #50
Danger Zone/Action Lab Entertainment