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Tag #1
Book Released: 07 June 2006
Review posted: 12 June 2006
Writer: Keith Giffen
Artist: Kody Chamberlain
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
4.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Matt Rawson
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Leave it to Keith Giffen to take a genre as overused as
zombies and do something relatively new with it. I am a zombie fan from way
back, yet even I have become sick to the back of my teeth with them. I
blame the popularity of video games like Resident Evil for
breaking open the flood gates and allowing the salivating, rotting dead to
reek havoc across the nation and knock the vampire off his throne as
most overused horror cliche. It was a good game, but damned if it
didn’t ruin my favorite horror monster. As far as zombie fiction goes,
nothing will ever top George A. Romero’s original Night of the
Living Dead, but Tag does manage to break out of certain
cages that have trapped this sub-genre since that landmark film.
The main theme in Tag is certainly how a man deals with life-altering change and the effects it has on those around him. It takes on
the zombie element from an angle that is rarely
The only real differences between the veritable flood of zombie offerings
are the human characters explored therein.
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(if ever) used as more
than a passing subplot. Generally in zombie flicks you get a group of
people trapped somewhere, or trying to make their way to somewhere else,
and in the midst of this are hordes and hordes of the walking dead. The
only real differences between the veritable flood of zombie offerings
are the human characters explored therein — Are they serious, or
meant to be funny? Do you care if they survive? Is it more fun to
see them torn asunder than it is to see them triumph over their
situation? This all depends on the skill of the storyteller, and Keith Giffen
has proven time and again that he is one hell of a yarn-spinner.
The art is certainly appropriate for the story; Kody Chamberlain
adds the darkness needed for the overall feel of the book. There is
also a certain humor — which is always expected in a
Chamberlain’s line work is not
precise or mechanical; it has a feel of movement that compliments the
atmosphere in Tag.
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Giffen tale — that
Chamberlain tackles quite well. Chamberlain’s line work is not
precise or mechanical; it has a feel of movement that compliments the
atmosphere. Chamberlain’s art also sports a heavily stylized realism that I often
find appealing. Some of the perspective and panel compositions are a bit
awkward, though, and a few times the characters shift heights in regards
to other characters in the scene. Other than those easily overlooked
issues, I quite enjoyed Kody Chamberlain’s artwork.
Overall, Tag is worth picking up. I still believe that
zombies need to be put to rest for awhile, but Tag is just different
enough to pique my interest. If you are a fan of traditional zombies, I
doubt you’ll be put off by the way Giffen uses them, and if you are not
a fan, then the changes might just be enough to reel you in.
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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