It seems I wasn't the only person to go absolutely ga-ga over the Marvel Zombies mini-series, because the Marvel zombies have started popping up all over the place. This one-shot is a prequel to the mini-series which attempts to explain where the zombie infection came from, and also shows how it took hold in the first place...

The main thing I've taken away from the Marvel zombies story is that Hank Pym (Ant-Man) and Reed Richards (Mr Fantastic) are both complete and utter bastards. I've actually spent time and energy trying to figure out which one I hate the most - it's a really, really close call. Let me put it this way, though: I wouldn't ever want to have to rely on either of them to save the world. Selfish gitfaces.

The art in Dead Days, as you might expect, is just as awesome as in Marvel Zombies proper; the cover, in particular, is great, featuring fold-out flaps at the front and back that create a massive zombie painting. The humour is as spot-on as before, and though I'm still a little bit confused about the exact origins of this zombie virus, and where in space and time this story takes place ( the Ultimate universe is a right mess, isn't it?), I still loved it. In one respect, at least, Dead Days actually improves upon the original Marvel Zombies run - it's really, really, really scary.

It's one thing to have tormented or 'dark' superheroes, and quite another to have superheroes doing the kinds of things they do in this comic. Plus since you get to witness the transformation, you get to see how scary the virus is for those who are infected, and ... not to harp on this too much or anything, but certain *coughHankPymandReedRichardscough* people are quite evil enough all by themselves, thank you.

While I could never recommend this story to children or indeed to my Spider-Man phobic younger sister, for anyone who loves gore and superheroes, there may never have been anything better.