Don't look now, but yes, it's another new horror comic from Steve Niles. One might get the impression that Niles is just churning out a load of work to capitalize on his current popularity, but it's difficult to view the arrival of another Niles book when it is once again solidly entertaining. Though the recently released Walking Dead trade paperback from Image Comics is a much more challenging and well-rounded zombie story, Remains is morbidly entertaining. This is the sort of story that would arise if Garth (Preacher) Ennis delved into the zombie genre. The greatest asset of the this comic book, though, isn't Niles's twisted plot, but the deliciously demented and inventive artwork from Kieron Dwyer and colorist Harper Jaten.
In the not-too distant future, a proactive American leader steps forward and champions a dream: nuclear disarmament. It's a global dream, and one that comes true with the help of some new technology that will forever eliminate the threat of nuclear warheads. Timing is everything, though, as they say, and the presence of a mischievous child in a restricted area turns that dream into a nightmare, turning the bulk of the world's population into zombies. Only the few who happened to be in protective areas at the moment of the transformation survive, but they may well wish they hadn't.
Anyone who read The Last of the Independents will immediately realize why Kieron Dwyer was such an excellent choice as artist for this assignment. His twisted, gritty style suits the zombies perfectly, but it's the machismo of the main character introduced later on in the book that Dwyer brings to life. Remains is shaping up to be a tough-guy tale, and the penciller captures the characters' rougher edges quite well. The colorist makes the intensity and unexpected nature of the transformation seem incredibly real and convincing with some bright colors and hazy computer effects. Jaten's name is a new one to me, but I'll keep an eye out for it on future projects.
The opening narration makes for an interesting contrast with the farcical circumstances that lead to the zombification of the world in this story. On the one hand, Niles plays it straight with a stoic script that paints a picture of the human race finally achieving enlightenment. Then he introduces a troglodyte of a character who ruins it for everyone.
One of the problems with this issue is that it's a bit slow to start with the main story. The first two-thirds of this issue is the backstory, and the main character's introduction seems almost like an after-thought. Don't get me wrong -- I'm enjoying this book, but the pacing seems a bit off, at least for the episodic format. Perhaps it'll read better in a collected edition as a graphic novel.
