The zombie genre has gotten extremely stale in recent years. It seems like if you’ve read/seen/played one zombie book/movie/video game you’ve seen them all. Of course, there are those one in a million works that try to do something completely different and wow everyone. “Toe Tag Riot†by Matt Miner with art by Sean Von Gorman is one of them- even if that wow factor doesn’t come out until late.
A small time punk band called “Toe Tag Riot†has been infected by a zombie virus. The only downside is that it only lasts for a short time. That time is usually during their shows, so they decide to use their new zombie forms as part of their act. However, at their new gig this infection seems to be getting worse.
This is one of the most original ideas this genre has ever seen. Instead of seeing the usual survivors running away and hiding from zombies, we see normal people who exploit the fact that they are zombies. It’s a brilliant idea if only the first issue executed it much better.
You see, the first issue spends its entire time giving backstory to how the band came together. What telling the backstory has to do with the characters’ present situation is not known, but it may become come to life next issue. Also, the main story does not pick up until well into the last four pages.
Von Gorman’s art is excellent for he most part. There are times where the art takes a dive in quality. These times are when a character is supposed to look surprised but the facial expression looks way too goofy. There are also parts where the characters’ stance looks way too rigid and unnatural.
“Toe tag Riot #1†is a decent beginning to an original premise. It takes a bit too long to get to the main story, the characters are likable for the most part and the art is top notch most of the time. This is one series that is worth continuing just to see where Miner and Von Gorman go with it.
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