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While werewolves have their packs and vampires have their clans, zombies have their hordes. Just like zombie hordes clog up the streets of the post apocalypse, zombie comics do a pretty good job of overwhelming our comic shelves at Star Clipper. For every “Walking Dead” or “The Living and the Dead,” there is a host sub par zombie comics that would just as much to munch on your wallet than feast on your brain. Luckily, there are graphic novel series like “Daybreak” to keep zombie enthusiasts satisfied.

The third volume of cartoonist Brain Ralph’s “Daybreak” hit stores recently and it kept up the quality of storytelling seen in previous volumes. Originally a web comic that ran on the New Bodega Blog, “Daybreak” is a post apocalypse survival tale that literally puts you in the narrative. The story follows an unidentified first person narrator and the their one-armed protector. The panels are all composed from the narrator’s perspective, so the reader literally sees events unfold from their eyes. This storytelling method surely cultivates an immersive experience, but Ralph ability to capture the loneliness and desolation of life after such a catastrophe is what really makes the book so enthralling.

The bleakness of the story does not become overwhelming, however, due to Ralph’s cartooning style. Just like how Osamu Tezuka’s endearing character designs and humor keep the medical manga “Black Jack” from being too grotesque to read, Ralph’s own charm and playful touch always find a way to squeeze a hopeful note into his pages. As a result, I can truly describe “Daybreak” as a fun read even through its pages contain such a dark tale. This combination of optimism and despair makes it stand out from the other zombie comics in the horde.

-Nick

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