Fox Atomic Comics – say that 10 times fast – debuts with 28 DAYS LATER: THE AFTERMATH, a graphic novel that serves as a bridge of sorts between Danny Boyle’s 2002 zombie film 28 DAYS LATER and its new, superior sequel, 28 WEEKS LATER. It begins prior to the events of the first film and ends right before the events of the second one, all in four separate but definitely intertwined stories.
Steve Niles scripts all of them, and as the current reigning master of horror comics, the field is like home to him. “Stage 1: Development” is going to be of most interest to fans, since it shows how the “rage virus” came to be – inevitably, purely by accident, as scientists attempt to isolate the chemical that causes aggression in humans.
The experiment involves a monkey, which is never a good sign, leading directly to “Stage 2: Outbreak,” the best and bloodiest of the bunch. In this section, the mightily pissed-off chimp – freshly loose from the lab – assaults a family during an otherwise nice day at the park. Attacking kids, vomiting blood – one can’t accuse Niles of holding back.
“Stage 3: Decimation” explores what happens once London’s streets are teeming with zombies, and “Stage 4: Quarantine” concerns keeping the survivors safe. According to the book’s back cover, it’s this last bit that promises “a shocking revelation,” but that’s nowhere to be found.
Not surprisingly, Niles is up to the task of playing in this world, but the group of artists backing him up is not. Their art looks rushed and a notch below the expected quality of people with whom he usually works. Only Tim Bradstreet can come out of it unscathed, and that’s because all he did was the cover.
AFTERMATH is by no means essential, half-heartedly recommended only to Niles completists and fans of the film franchise. –Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS:
• BIG BOOK OF HORROR by Steve Niles, Scott Morse, Ted McKeever and Richard Sala
• BIGFOOT by Steve Niles, Rob Zombie and Richard Corben
• THE CRYPTICS by Steve Niles and Benjamin Roman
• DAWN OF THE DEAD by Steve Niles and Chee
• FUSED by Steve Niles
• THE NAIL by Steve Niles and Rob Zombie
• REMAINS by Steve Niles and Kieron Dwyer
• SECRET SKULL by Steve Niles and Chuck BB
• STEVE NILES’ CELLAR OF NASTINESS by Steve Niles
• 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: RUMORS OF THE UNDEAD by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte
• WAKE THE DEAD by Steve Niles and Chee
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Too bad they didn’t go all out on this one and make it really great. I saw WEEKS on Friday and liked it a lot… but I don’t think it’s superior to the original.