The Weekly Pull : Rot & Ruin #1
Departing from the norm this week, I came across a title that caught my eye called Rot & Ruin, written by multiple Bram Stoker award winner Jonathan Maberry. Knowing that Maberry is a New York Times best-selling author, and recently named one of today's Top Ten Horror Writers, I decided to give the book a shot to see what a writer like Maberry could bring to the comic medium.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, the Rot & Ruin story was first originally published as a science fiction novel back in September 2010 as the first installment of a young adult series (currently ongoing) with rave reviews. Given the series popularity, IDW publishing picked up the series as part of its rapidly growing horror line incorporating all-new stories to the Rot & Ruin franchise, which take place between novels, with Maberry remaining at the helm.
Set between the second and third novel of the series, the Rot & Ruin comic series chronicles the last remnants of humanity (30,000 humans) attempting to survive the zombie apocalypse that has reached the critical mass of nearly 7 billion. Now, as a new reader you may think, ‘“Wouldn’t it be difficult to jump into a story that doesn’t take place at the very beginning?” and I would tend to agree. However, diving in blind myself and not knowing that a precursor even existed, this stand-alone actually serves as an excellent entry point for someone who has no knowledge of the books.
Fourteen years post apocalypse, the bulk of the story follows a small band of four teenagers who have all grown up in the world within its apocalyptic state. They don’t share the same depression or longing for the past that the older survivors do, which really sets the tone and story apart from the mainstream. Small backstory tidbits are littered throughout this first issue that focus on the narrating character, Benny Imura, cataloging the events that have led up to the current state. When asked about his approach to the series, Maberry told CBR that :
“I'm not a huge fan of straight adaptations. If I've read a novel or comic, I want something I haven't seen. That's why I like AMC's "The Walking Dead." It takes some of the comic, and then goes down a crooked side road into new territory. Ditto for "Dexter," "Game of Thrones" and "True Blood."
And, I've already done the stories that are in the novels, and those will be adapted for the upcoming "Rot & Ruin" movie. No, I wanted to take the path less traveled and tell new, fresh stories. Dangerous stories.”
If zombie slaying is your thing, Rot & Ruin should definitely be on your radar. As a publisher, IDW doesn’t skimp on the goods when it comes to horror related material and has done it’s job not only roping me in for Issue #2, but also peaked my interest for the novels as well. Head down to your local shop, grab a copy for yourself and stay tuned for more horror related Weekly Pull reviews as we head into October!
Until next time True Believers,
-ArchangelEZE
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