The Marvel Zombies franchise has taken many forms over the years, but one thing has always remained constant. These stories show us various versions of the Marvel Universe where iconic heroes and villains fall victim to a zombie plague. Marvel is reviving the fan-favorite franchise this fall and introducing a brand new zombie-infested universe in Marvel Zombies: War Zone.
The difference this time is that War Zone will center around the Punisher and other street-level characters like Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Elektra, and Moon Knight. Can a gun-toting vigilante stand up to zombified versions of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and the like? We like his chances.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at Marvel Zombies: War Zone #1:
Marvel Zombies: War Zone is written by Tom Waltz (TMNT: The Last Ronin) and illustrated by Marvel newcomer Jaime Infante, with cover art by Tony Parker. Here’s Marvel’s official summary of the series:
ESCAPE THE HUNGER!
A zombie outbreak has hit Manhattan and the whole city is rapidly overrun! As Earth’s Mightiest Heroes succumb to the virus, a barrier is hastily erected to protect the world—but inside the barrier, a war zone has broken out as survivors fight for their lives against the ever-growing horde. However, one man isn’t looking for survival – he’s after answers as he carves a bloody swathe of his own through the ravaged city. And if any zombies get in his way? Well, the PUNISHER has plenty of lead that they can eat!
“Having cut my teeth as a writer in the comics industry with my creator-owned military-horror story Children of the Grave, then transitioning into a long stint writing mutated ninjas—as well as being an unabashed fan of super heroes—getting offered the chance to write a Marvel Zombies series was an exciting opportunity to combine all three facets of my career,” Waltz told Fangoria. “My first instinct was to take the popular Marvel zombie trope to the streets—and what better lens to witness it through than that of an old Marine like me: Frank Castle, the Punisher.”
Marvel Zombies: War Zone #1 will be released on September 2. You can preorder a copy at your lcoal comic shop.
Last year, Marvel released a Marvel Zombies animated series on Disney+. In IGN’s review of the series, we wrote, “Marvel Zombies may not have been every MCU fan’s first choice for a spinoff of What If…?, but the series certainly justifies its existence across these four episodes. At worst, the series is a bit formulaic as it drags its heroes from one locale to the next and pits them against hordes of undead superheroes. But even then, the fun character dynamics and the fact that the series is far better than the regular MCU at building bonds among the various Phase 4 and 5 characters are enough to make Marvel Zombies worth watching. The series finally casts aside that formula in the finale, which delivers an epic showdown to rival the likes of Avengers: Endgame. If the MCU’s Multiverse Saga is leaving you feeling cold of late, Marvel Zombies serves as an unlikely but welcome alternative.”
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.