Comics
Take Your First Peek At George Romero’s ‘Empire of the Dead’ #1
It’s been a few years since our last dosage of undead from the Godfather of Zombies. While his past few films have been hit or miss with fans, Romero now turns to comics with the help of Marvel and artist Alex Maleev to tell the latest instalment in his zombie universe. “Empire of the Dead” will be a five-issue limited that sees New York City infested, not only with zombies, but vampires as well.
Take your first look at “Empire of the Dead” #1 below. The issue is slated for a January release.
When the dead fight the dead – where does that leave the living? Marvel is pleased to present your very first look at Empire of the Dead #1 – from zombie godfather and horror visionary George Romero and Eisner Award winning artist Alex Maleev!
Welcome to New York City years after a horrifying plague has swept the nation. The Big Apple is a quarantine zone – but that doesn’t guarantee safety inside! Flesh-eating zombies roam within the remains of Manhattan – and they are not alone. Vampires lurk in the shadows as well, feasting on the living and the undead alike – and no one is safe!
“Like a surgeon, George Romero is once again using the horror genre as a scalpel, cutting through the surface of everyday life to expose society’s undercurrents,” said editor Bill Rosemann. “One could say that the vampires are the Haves and the zombies are the Have-Nots. And us poor humans? We’re the ones getting caught in the crossfire of their escalating war. It’s a violent clash indeed, and Alex Maleev is bringing this undead battle to horrifying – but beautiful – life!”
What happens when the undead invade the city that never sleeps? Find out when Empire of the Dead #1 shambles into a comic shop near you this January!
GEORGE A. ROMERO EMPIRE OF THE DEAD #1 (NOV130635)
Written by GEORGE A. ROMERO
Art by ALEX MALEEV
Cover by ALEX MALEEV
Variant Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
FOC – 12/09/13 On-Sale – 01/08/14
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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