Yes, this book is precisely what the title implies. While I often complain to my cat about how over saturated the zombie genre is - let alone in comic books - I was rather surprised to find such entertainment in this book. After all, if you really think about it, pairing up the greatest fictional detective of all time with the undead is fairly obvious. Who better to solve the mystery inherent to the zombie myth than Sherlock Holmes?
Writer Ian Edginton, who is also adapting the four Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes novels to comics for the British publisher Self Made Hero, effortlessly places a zombie hoard smack dab in the middle of a 19th century London, and makes it feel like less of a shtick than it actually is. You can't deny that the front page advertisement that reads "Sherlock Holmes vs. Zombies!" isn't being played for camp, but you'd be surprised at how little the first issue holds. I'm all for some camp every now and again, but opening Victorian Undead fully expecting the usual "clever" genre send-ups and coy wink-wink moments, I was instead strangely satiated when the laughs are played straight instead of beaten over your head overtly.
The fun absurdity lies in the idea alone, and in issue #1 Edgninton seems to realize it, where lesser writers may have gone overboard with what they thought might pass for "satire". There are the typical zombie cliches of course: a dying person reanimating in front of an unsuspecting griever, a zombie chained up for study, etc. However, never does it feel boring or bland, because by the time these things occur, Edginton has already sucked us into his little vacuum of a Victorian world and led us to recognize the legitimacy of the story he wants to tell. Holmes is presented as he is most commonly remembered; a master of disguise and solving a riddle along with his trusted associate Dr. Watson. Their dialog with one another is perfectly in tune with their classic relationship: in this case, a Mulder and Scully of the 1800's.
Joining Edginton on this unique adventure is artist Davide Fabbri, whose work readers might recognize from a wide variety of Star Wars titles, most recently the Star Wars Halloween Special, from Dark Horse. His work is quite crisp, his lines are well defined and his layouts are as basic as comic books get. Like a lot of things about Victorian Undead, the artwork is strangely appropriate. Often when you think about a horror book, the image of the art that forms in your mind's eye is wild stroke marks, overlapping panels and washed out, grim colors. Instead Fabbri delivers an elementary issue with proper continuity and perspective. His figure and facial work shouldn't go unmentioned, as he has the innate ability to make the bevy of characters that appear in this issue look different and recognizable, a feat that few artists can truly accomplish in scenes with large crowds, but Fabbri does it right off the bat in the first few pages.
The workmanship of the art and tone of the writing is what elevates this book above your standard zombie comic. While the selling point of Sherlock Holmes is obviously the primary ingredient here, Edginton and Fabbri have put together a very fun, and very solid comic book. Victorian Undead is on shelves today.
