"Zombie Tramp Easter Special" Comic Review

I've seen a lot of crazy things reviewing comics for Horror DNA. I can safely say that this is the first time I've seen a zombie queen fight a town full of people dressed as bunnies. That's all you really need to know going into the Zombie Tramp Easter Special.

After a disappointing viewing of The Wicker Man starring Nicholas Cage, Janey Belle sees a flyer for Bunnyland, an Easter celebration where naughty bunnies are welcome. She decides to have some fun only to find out the whole event is a ploy for a Pagan sacrifice.

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Zombie Tramp is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously, poking fun at silly tropes of the genre. In this case, the target is The Wicker Man, but with a spin that only this character can provide. Janey takes no shit from anyone, so when the local leader whammies her, she sets out for revenge. No one messes with her mind and gets away with it.

This is dark humor at its best. Writers Shawn Gabborin, Dan Mendoza and Jason Martin don't shy away from anything. They take the gags just over the line, but nothing too offensive. It's more playful. Everything has a kinky angle to it too, given Zombie Tramp's former career as a prostitute. There's one scene in particular that comes to mind, where Janey finds a fat woman in a bikini with eggs hidden in her folds. A group of guys are digging through the flabs of skin looking for the Easter eggs. That is enough to make you wince, but then there's a follow-up line of, “I don't think that was a fold!” that pushes it right over the edge. Yes, it's a little juvenile, but it works well in this context.

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The comedy works hand-in-hand with Celor's artwork. Zombie Tramp is full of cheesecake. Janey has a slight frame with a massive bust to the point where she's practically falling over. Granted, this is how a chunk of super heroines are drawn as well. While she's definitely portrayed as eye candy, she owns it, using her good looks to get what she wants which happens to be human flesh.

While Janey is well defined, the other characters appear more sketch-like and less detailed. While they're certainly less important, it's clear that much more time was spent on the title character. Granted, her name is in the book and not “Bunny Guy #4,” but it makes everyone else fade into the background whenever Janey is on the page.

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Marcelo Costa's colors make the Zombie Tramp Easter Special stand out with bright hues. It really brings in the Spring season. This is not a dark, shadowy horror tale. Despite the fact that it stars a zombie and features a little human sacrifice, it's full of life with vibrant color. It works well with the humor and tone of the book.

You might see the holiday a little differently after reading the Zombie Tramp Easter Special. This is a fun comic that seamlessly merges horror and comedy in such an effective way. It's perfect for anyone with a twisted sense of humor.