"Zombie Tramp #42" Comic Review

The Zombie Tramp, Janey Belle, returns to her home turf after dispatching Xula and preventing the rise of the Kaiju Queen for the time being. Now she must face her greatest fears in a gauntlet of bad memories as she cleans up what Xula has left behind. This is one part This is Your Life and one part pure, unbridled terror as Janey descends into a well of darkness.

Janey, her caretaker Oscar, and the creepy little girl Morning make for an interesting trio. There is some tension as Morning once tried to kill Janey, but they've put that in the past, although Oscar hasn't entirely gotten over it. They can work together towards a common goal, albeit begrudgingly. Once Janey heads down into the well, Oscar and Morning have some awkward and snide conversations that make it clear they are so far from friends.

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Artist Celor shows this in the facial expressions of each character. You get a sense of their personality with how they look at one another. Morning has a permanent scowl, which is unsurprising given her history. Meanwhile, Oscar is head-over-hells in love with Janey and it shows every time he looks at her. Conversely, every time he glances at Morning, he has a look of anger and resentment. Janey is Janey, filled with attitude and confidence.

Janey's descent is pretty creepy, as she's surrounded by darkness. She begins to see people from her past, specifically those she's failed or killed, including her father and her best friend. They float in and out of sight to insult her and remind her of where she's messed up in life. It's a brutal emotional journey as Janey endures insult after insult. Colorist Valentina Pucci creates a suffocating feeling during these scenes, as there's nothing but shadow around Janey.

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I'm curious as to what answers Janey will find in the well and how it will shape the next steps on her journey. She's at a crossroads now having taken out the Big Bad that's been pulling strings in her life for some time. Now that she's free of that manipulation, where does she go? One thing is for sure, the Zombie Tramp is not going to let anyone push her around. This issue shows that Janey Belle can endure physical and emotional hardships and still come out unscathed. You almost feel sorry for the monsters that are sure to be in her future.