It’s time once again for some more military zombie action. The last issue was good but needed some more polish in areas and focus on the characters.
Hopefully, this issue get right back into that and shows why this is one of better unknown comics DC has out. Is it good?
Star Spangled War Stories Featuring GI Zombie #4 (DC Comics)
G.I. Zombie is having a difficult time fighting off the hordes and hordes of zombie/infected people attacking him. Just as he’s about to be overwhelmed, the military steps in to give him a hand with cleanup via fighter jets. However, it’ll be a while before they come with ground support and Evac, so he’s going to have to find a place to lay low. Meanwhile, Cameron is still heading undercover to the enemy base. Hopefully, she’ll be able to figure out what exactly is going on when she gets there.
Also, flashback time.
The story this time feels like a mini-conclusion to this zombie outbreak story. It’s wrapping up that side story (for now it seems) with the military getting involved and helping G.I. Zombie (and best of all, they aren’t acting like evil jerks trying to cover things up like you would expect in any other story), but also hinting at and leaving the door open for the eventual outbreak we’ll see in Futures End. Meanwhile, the story is also giving more time and focus on Cameron and the big villains so far and also developing their characters and their motivations. Simply put, things felt like they were moving forward in a good direction in GI Zombie #4.
The most noticeable improvements in this issue were with the pacing and character development. The pacing was nowhere near as fast/hectic and wasn’t jumping all over the place; it focused on the scenes and spent time developing them this time around. We also finally get more insight into Cameron and her past, which painted her as a rather sympathetic individual. The villains get some focus as well and although they may not be the most interesting villains from what we see so far, the focus is appreciated nonetheless.
So shoot the hell out of them and him! Go nuts soldier!
The mood and tone are well-established and consistent, remaining serious with a subtle touch of humor here and there to break the tension. The dialogue and interactions between the cast are solid, with plenty of good lines and moments between them (only one line sounded off in the whole issue). I will say that the ending felt rather abrupt, like a page was missing, and one scene with a zombie truck driver felt rather out of place and unneeded.
The artwork by Scott Hampton is fine like you would expect, with some minor flaws here and there. The layouts are decent, the action is nice and brutal looking, the characters are well depicted, and the colors really do a good job with a setting the right mood for each scene. The minor issues: a lot of blank white backgrounds that stand out a sore thumb, a few facial expressions look off, and some of the action is rather static looking. It’s mixed in areas, but the positives do outweigh the negatives art-wise.
Is It Good?
Star Spangled War Stories Featuring GI Zombie #4 is a solid step up for the book after a misstep last time around. The writing felt much improved this time around and the artwork is solid overall. GI Zombie remains an impressive, yet unknown comic from DC that is worth your time. Make sure to consider it next time you see it in stores.
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