Released by: Moonstone
Rotten is the S'mores of zombie comics. The Rocky Road of westerns. Meaning; it combines 3 of my favorite things into one delicious package. Namely; zombies, westerns, and a tough as railroad-spikes hero. It's horror with history. The Walking Dead in the old west. Romero-Eastwood. A top notch zombie comic. Not as good as WD, but so far it's a cut above the rest. Grade A undead meat ripe for mass-consumption while you wait for the main course.
Over a decade after the Civil War Agent Wade is forced back into the uniform he hates, and sent to investigate a hushed crisis at Fort Valhalla with his former comrade in arms J.J. Flynn; who was sent to keep an eye on Wade and report any of the mission's progress (even after they are separated). On his way Wade gets detoured in the middle of the night when a lookout shoots his horse in the head, blowing it's brains out, and leaving him stranded in the god fearing town of Shimmer. Shimmer's a small town with silver in it's veins. It's life blood flowing from the silver mine the town was built on. But there's an infection in Shimmer. The miners have been getting eviscerated by the living dead, a plague that's suspending business, and sending Shimmer into financial cardiac arrest. In an attempt to save Shimmer Wade not only has to contend with leagues of the living dead, but also it's god-fearing denizens. After a daring escape, a mortal wound, and a failed attempt at saving a whore he grew fond of, Wade winds up in the next town. Worse for the wear, and half-dead he bangs on the door of the first house he comes to. Wade's second big mistake. This family is keeping a deadly secret! Their daughter was bitten by one of the things shambling through the streets but they think her reanimation is a gift from god. That it's god's will. Like all good parents they have been keeping her "alive" by feeding her travelers, travelers like Wade. It's out of the frying pan and into the fires of hell as it's one nightmare crashing into the next .
What's awesome is I didn't even spoil anything. These are both brief subplots taking place before Wade, and his partner John Flynn even get to Fort Valhalla. That's when the real story starts. You see bits & pieces of Flynn throughout Wade's adventures, as he writes his report, but this arc chiefly follows Wade. The first TPB is spilt into 3 story-arcs, 2 mini-arcs, and one umbrella-arc. I'll call the 2 mini-arcs the peas & carrots, if you will, and the third the fucking meat & potatoes of course!! The peas & carrots tackle the sub-genre in different ways, each highlighting a unique aspect of the period. Giving you a little insight into the mindset of the times, while shaping not only a fantastic story, but also an excellent period piece. Time-pieces are tricky, having so much to account for, but this one was seamless. A time machine made of ink & paper. I loved how the authors always kept the time frame in mind, and the lack of science in the forefront. Since science was limited at the time most people believed this was the end of days. Some felt it was a gift from god. While others thought it a plague. Either way you cut it, fucked is fucked.
For the gorehound there's lots of flesh getting torn from the bone, and lots of brains getting blasted from their skulls. That's not even mentioning the plethora of memorable scenes. To say the least it showcased lots of blood in it's beauty all complimented by it's great dialogue. I just love the western drawl. It lends the story the extra wheels it needs to transport you back. The pacing, & story-structure were also remarkable. The deeper it went the more interesting, and involved, it became, never once losing it's focus. The more time I spent with them the more I loved the characters. Most notable was Wade; who this first story-arc takes the time to flesh out a bit more than all the others. He (and to a lesser degree Flynn) is one of those characters that embodies the wild west. To expand on one of my previous points; Think Dirty Harry in a world on the brink of a zombie apocalypse. He has his convictions, which you'll see, and is being forced to assist the military in exchange for his freedom. Not real freedom, mind you, as he's kept under watch. But he figures, prison is better in the open air than it is behind bars. Flynn on the other hand was sent to keep an eye on Wade as he investigates the "terror crisis" at Fort Valhalla. He loves his country, loves serving his country, and as per his instructions is keeping a detailed journal (which you can read online at the official Rotten site) of Wade and his own accounts as they travel to the Fort, before & after they are separated. He is quick to the gun, & even quicker to the one liner. A great supporting character who I'm sure will be explored a bit more in upcoming issues.
Dougherty's art initially felt a little too detailed for some of the smaller panels, which at first left me with a cluttered impression, but I grew to love it more and more with each passing page as it perfectly captured the action at hand something some other artists have a difficult time with. Every line was intentional, it was never "scratchy", always perfectly manicured. His earth-tone coloring flawlessly demonstrated the rustic feel of the time. Some pages I felt had too many panels, but the overall flow was consistent, and I loved that splash pages were only used for truly epic scenes. The gray-skinned, blood flecked zombies weren't as decayed as I would have liked, in some instances they were barely distinguishable from the living, but this is a minute detail I can easily forgive as this is just the beginning of the infection. Rotten, with all else being said, is a prime example of a comic to read in the wake of "The Walking Dead" while you wait for Volume 14 (or whatever volume it's up to by the time you read this) to release. 
Whereas most zombie comics take place when the infection is in full swing, or after it's already devastated the planet, this tale takes place just after the initial outbreak. An unknown life-threatening plague in an already harsh time. Just brilliant!! It's a fresh-take, a bright-light, in a sub-genre bogged down with mediocrity. My only other minor complaint is I felt none of the side characters were really developed enough. Most felt extremely interchangeable. I never felt for anyone outside of Wade, and Flynn. Not enough time is spent lingering in any one location to fully develop non-central characters so again I can understand. Make no mistake though, that didnt stop me from reading it twice.
I can honestly say that I can not WAIT to continue reading this series. I'm curious to see what Rahner,(critic at Seatte Times) Horton, & Dougherty (Cyclone Bill, Beardo) have in store. I anticipate finding out where this whole thing is leading. Can't wait to see how people without the technological advancements we have deal with the undead hordes at their door. For the one or two small aspects it lacked it made up for them in like 12 other areas in spades!! Wade is the Indiana Jones of the west. He is rough & tough, yet surprisingly kind. A real man's man. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys serious zombie tales, westerns with bite, or to fans of good storytelling.
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