It was the most important space flight in the history of the Marvel Universe – four intrepid heroes took off into the unknown and returned changed, gifted with great abilities…and hungering for human flesh! Travel back to the birth of a Marvel Universe parallel to our own but chock-full of horror since its very inception! Which heroes will rise to become the champions we know and love? Which will be torn limb from limb? And which will devour the scraps? Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 reboots the property with a “Red Band” label but overall feels like much of what we’ve seen already.

Marvel Zombies are back in time for the upcoming animated series, and this time they have the “Red Band” label with Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1. Written by Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan, the comic feels like a retread of the concept that launched nearly 20 years ago. With the “Red Band” label, one would expect a comic that was a bit more mature, a bit more R-rated but the end result feels like what we’ve seen before, and not even with that much more gore.

Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 is a perfectly fine reboot of the series with the Fantastic Four, now dubbed the Frightful Four returning from their space mission that gave them their powers with powers but also zombies. None of that is explained here, nor why they still have their intelligence when others don’t, but the comic does have a solid initial chaos as they return and immediately go on the attack. With a setting in the early days of the Marvel Universe, Iron Man is in his original armor, Hulk is untrusted, Spider-Man is untested, and Thor still has his mortal alter-ego. It’s a nice take on it all and it’s an entertaining start in a B-movie, turn your brain off sort of way.

But, there’s that “Red Band” aspect, and for the comics labeled as such so far, none really come off as all that mature. Yes, there’s a bit more violence and gore, but the classic Max line felt much more extreme in that way. Where those comics were often hard-R, these feel PG-13 or barely R at best. The art by Jan Bazaldua does a good job of capturing the chaos and the rotted look of the Fantastic Four is nice. The dispatching of Thor is visually more of what might be expected and is what really feels like this could be a “Red Band” comic. With color by Erick Arciniega, the comic has a look much like the Marvel Zombie volumes of years past. Travis Lanham‘s lettering really adds a lot giving the zombified versions of our heroes a very distinct “voice.”

Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 is an ok start. It doesn’t deliver much new that really jumps out but ends on an intriguing tease. It’s a reboot of the property with a new label that teases an edgier take but overall doesn’t feel that much different. It feels a little more hyped up than what’s delivered. But still, going into the spooky season, it could be fun entertainment.

Story: Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan Art: Jan Bazaldua
Color: Erick Arciniega Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 7.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics