In a post-COVID world, zombie stories feel so different. Watching those stores on film or television or reading them in comics, you can’t help but think about this real-world experience we’ve had for over a year at this point. We know how people would react, both good and bad, and what failures actually exist. You can at it not with a “what if” but now with a “how does it compare”. Rabid World #1 delivers a new spin on that sort of story with an American take on 28 Days Later.

Written by Todd Cinani, the story focuses on two couples as all hell breaks loose. One couple features a virologist and another in the world of animal behavior research. The other is their friends. We get a story of divergent paths as a disease outbreak happens leading to chaos. A rabies-like disease has spread impact humans all around the world. Rabid World #1 gives us a slice of that story narrowed in on the area around Baltimore and Washington, DC as both couples need to deal. One set is called to duty to help stop the spread while the other just wants to survive.

Rabid World #1 is a fantastic start to the series. It delivers a frightening build until chaos has consumed the areas. It both does and does not go over the top with that as we get a better idea as to what’s happening in the world. For someone that lives in the area, the comic’s focus is fun as roads and town are rattled off. The most unrealistic thing about the comic isn’t the rabid individuals, it might be the lack of traffic in an area that’s known for it.

The art by Oleg Okunev is really interesting. There’s some use of color and it’s a style that’s hard to describe. There’s generally grey coloring throughout with a splash of color to emphasize moments. The style of the characters is perfect for the type of comic and the locations, knowing the area, feel familiar. Lucas Gattoni‘s lettering does a good job with some pages packed with dialogue and others not so much. There’s also very smart use of color to indicate where the dialogue is coming from.

The comic nails its zombie roots with a fantastic build to those final moments. We learn about the characters in an organic way that flows though there’s one bit that’s a bit too much of a foreshadowing of what’s likely coming. The comic nails the tense build as individuals barely escape and the mobs’ swarm. It’s exactly what fans of the genre will want and that’s a good thing. It teases a lot of what has happened using gore to emphasize instead of shock delivering a debut that’s one to watch.

Story: Todd Cinani Art: Oleg Okunev Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Scout Comics