Zombies Calling

by Faith Erin Hicks

I really enjoyed this book. It's pretty much exactly what it claims to be - a fun zombie comic featuring university students who have seen enough movies to know that they have to follow the rules that have been firmly established in the movies they love. Don't leave the mall. "Characters in zombie movies... will be transformed from ordinary folk to shotgun wielding, zombie-ass-kicking ninjas." And so on.

At the centre of the book is Joss, a student-loan fearing girl with a bit of OCD. She dreams of going to England, and is the professed expert on zombies in her group. With her is Robyn, a kind of dumb guy, and Sonnet, her wise and smart-mouthed friend.

What adds to this book is that there is a touch of social commentary at the core of it, as Hicks uses this story to make some comments on the state of higher education and the type of students who seek it out these days.

Hicks art works well here. She has a Bryan Lee O'Malley-esque style, and a good sense of pacing. I also like the fact that the book is unapologetically Canadian, going so far as to be set at Western University (even though it's called London University here).

This is a quick, fun read.