With this week debut of the rebooted Star Spangled War Stories and introducing G.I. Zombie as it's strange protagonist, it seems like the perfect time to talk about the undead folks of the DC Universe. Since the beginning of the 2000's it seems like zombies are everywhere and I've had countless arguments with Jim about if the zombie craze has ended or if it's still cruising along. Well I guess Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray agree with Jim on the subject as we now have another character that sports the lifeless characteristic. Hopefully this series takes off and sticks around for awhile because who doesn't like a good patriotic zombie story? That's right nobody even knows what that is and that's why we'll pick this book up to experience it for the first time. With that let's take a look at the roster that G.I. Zombie will join, in this week's Top 5 Zombies In DC Comics. It's not a huge roster, but it's probably bigger than you think and I'll be running down our Top 5. Let's check it out.
#5. The Black Lanterns
The Blackest Night came along and grabbed us all by the jugulars with it's zombie heroes killing non zombie heroes and turning them into zombie heroes story. If somebody on the street out of nowhere asks you what the Blackest Night is, all you'd have to say is the Green Lanterns Vs. The Justice League....... but they're ZOMBIES! Yeah I have a knack for making things sound stupid, but this story was anything but. Hell I remember when Green Lantern #43 and Tales From The Corps came out starting this story line. I was on my way up to a funeral in upstate New York and I needed to find a comic book shop to stop at and get these issues before I could go and properly grieve. Yeah I'm an awful person, but this story was badass and introduced us to the Black Lantern Corps and made Black Hand more than just a joke. It was an epic time to be a comic book fan. Funny enough it would also be the last comic story that I'd read until Earth 2 came out in the New 52 and subsequently started all of this Weird Science nonsense. So yeah, it's a big bad zombie Corps but it will have to make the bottom of the list because they're are so damn many of them and I don't want to pick and choose. We still have four slots left so let's see who makes the cut and who I can piss off by my choices.
#4. Driq
DRIQ!!! So for those of you out there that aren't familiar with the Green Lantern Driq, you might find it odd that he's the first zombie Lantern. Back before all the different Corps came out of the woodwork and all we had to worry about was Sinestro and his Qwardian power ring, we had Driq protecting his sector and eventually falling in battle to Sinestro. But here's the intense part that hasn't happened again. Driq's ring wouldn't allow his life energy to escape his body, leaving him in a zombified state. Actually I lied that isn't the intense part, the intense part is that he kept dying and being blown up and his ring kept bringing his parts back together and continued keeping him alive. Driq would finally meet his end though when his ring lost it's energy, but it wouldn't be the last we'd see of the undead Lantern. During Blackest Night he would become one of the Black Lantern Corps, but was still able to maintain his mind when he was transformed. Suck it Black Lantern Corps, Driq is where it's at. So first zombie Lantern and then overcame the Black Lantern ring, you can see why Driq is in a better spot.
#3. Gwen Dylan
Why does Gwen Dylan from iZombie rate higher than the last two? Because this girl is getting her own TV show and we all know that TV is god. No I'm not kidding the reason she's higher than the rest is purely to get a little hype and awareness out on the iZombie show, but sadly the pilot premier at San Diego Comic Con this week was cancelled, so I guess I'll have to work a bit here. Gwen is a quirky grave digging girl who happens to be a zombie that needs to feed on human brains to retain her memories and gain new ones via the brain she eats. She surrounds herself with a ghost from the 60's and a Were-Terrier and the trio go about their day to day lives, having to deal with different monsters in the Oregon area. Yeah it's not too shabby, but sadly that TV show that I'm hyping will be nothing like that. I just like the idea of comic books taking over all media and I like to be on a bandwagon. So watch the show, but don't expect to see anything you know.
#2. Frankenstein
Melmoth's Beard! We've got the King of the undead right here in the #2 spot and yeah I said King of the undead, the hell with Dracula. While Frankenstein's been kicking around the DCU for awhile now, he's really stepped up his game for the New 52. From having his own title, to kicking around with the Justice League Dark, to helping Batman find Damian's body, to his far off adventures in the land of Five Years From Now; Futures End, it seems that nothing will keep this monster down, or from shining in the lime light with the rest of the DC heavy hitters. The once leader of the Creature Commandos takes this spot for his sheer badassery. Every time good old Frank makes an appearance in a comic, you know some shit's about to go down and you're happy as hell to have Frankenstein there to take down the monster or to backup a hero that needs to take down a monster. I love monsters in general and Frankenstein was always my favorite of the Universal monsters, even if he wasn't a zombie like creature, I think I'd fudge this list a bit to get my childhood obsession/terror on here.
#1. Solomon Grundy
Holy shit has Solomon Grundy paid his dues to become the fan favorite he is today. I was first introduced to Solomon Grundy during Challenge of The Super Friends where I actually was first introduced to DC in general. I loved all the incarnations of the show and loved my Super Powers figures, but sadly never got my Solomon Grundy Super Powers figure. But this ever resurrecting powerhouse has marched his way out of Slaughter Swamp and right into our hearts....... and into our cartoons and video games. Hell I'm waiting for Solomon Grundy to be announced for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice because it seems like everyone else has a spot in that movie. I'm getting off point as usual, what I'm trying to say is that Solomon Grundy has escalated himself out of comic book fanboy and fangirl isolation into being well known by the "normal" community. Whether it be from his appearances in Justice League Unlimited, or his appearances in Arkham City and Injustice, I don't know. I just know that I can ask people like my teenage sister who could care less about superheroes and villains and she knows who Solomon Grundy is. I love this man born on a Monday and the most important thing is all of you do too.
 |
| OH GOD I HOPE YOU GET THIS REFERENCE, IF NOT CHECK IT OUT ON YOUTUBE |
No comments:
Post a Comment