Fear in Four Colors: Victorian Undead #2: “The Skull Beneath the Skin”

Writer: Ian Edginton
Art: Davide Fabbri
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Saida Temofonte
Cover: Simon Coleby & Jonny Rench
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: Jan. 1, 2010

Even the threat of imprisonment cannot deter the inquisitive minds of one Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion, Dr. Watson, when faced with the walking dead. In the second issue of writer Ian Edginton’s Victorian Undead, a six-issue miniseries from WildStorm that pits Britain’s infamous detective against hordes of mindless reanimated corpses, Watson and Holmes make their way back to the scene of the first undead attack, deep underground the streets of London. What they discover there is beyond anything the pair could’ve imagined, and as things below the surface escalate, our heroes must hope for a miracle in the face of a painful and bloody death.

Once again ,Ian Edginton and artist Davide Fabbri deliver an excellent mash-up of traditional Sherlock Holmes story and the gory antics of the living dead. Edginton’s version of the British detective is characteristically intelligent, but thankfully lacks the patronizing nature that some portrayals of Holmes employ. Although he usually is a step or two behind his quick-witted companion, Watson is given an opportunity to demonstrate his own deductive reasoning in Victorian Undead #2, and I must admit that I was surprised by the degree of competence that he displays.

Unlike the first issue of Victorian Undead, which only featured one or two shambling corpses that were dispatched very quickly, the second issue of this series is far bloodier, much more action-packed, and filled with zombies! The interactions that Watson and Holmes have with the living dead in Victorian Undead #2 give the two an opportunity to demonstrate their physical prowess and sharp-shooting skills in addition to the intellectual and reasoning capabilities generally on display in Sherlock Holmes stories.

Each issue of Victorian Undead runs about 28 pages, so only so much story development can happen with each new installment. Fortunately, Edginton does an excellent job of moving the story along at a quick pace while still providing the reader with enough details to keep him or her from getting lost. Davide Fabbri’s art is the perfect compliment to Edginton’s story—both detailed and somewhat stylized, an excellent balance for the series.

If you enjoy the zombie genre and have an extra $2.99 lying around, I’d recommend that you pick up this issue of Victorian Undead. It’s debatable whether or not you need to read the first issue to understand the second, but I’d recommend at least flipping through the original if you intend to read issue #2. -- Paige MacGregor

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Fear in Four Colors: Victorian Undead #1

By Paige MacGregor

Sherlock Holmes has always been considered the world's greatest detective; a man with all the answers. But maybe that was just because he never had to face a zombie uprising. Until DC/Wildstorm's Victorian Undead, that is.

Following some abnormal celestial activity in the skies of London in 1854, rumors begin to circulate about the desecration of the newly deceased as corpses inexplicably begin returning to life. When two workmen succumb to the dreaded curse and Inspector Lestrade is left with a reanimated corpse on his hands, he immediately calls in Holmes to investigate the curious phenomenon. Although Holmes is in the middle of another case involving deadly automata, the detective and his partner, Watson, are coerced into taking Lestrade’s case and temporarily abandoning the investigation of the seemingly unconnected robotic assassin.

While the first issue of writer Ian Edginton’s Victorian Undead, published in November, doesn’t contain copious amounts of action, it does set the scene for a highly entertaining Sherlock Holmes adaptation, rife with both mystery and zombies. Adopting a more traditional approach to the combination of Sherlock Holmes and the undead—one not unlike that used by author Seth Grahame-Smith in his Jane Austen mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies—Victorian Undead #1 shies away from the level of shtick and camp that readers might expect based on Tony Moore’s cover art and the bold “Sherlock Holmes vs. Zombies!” statement featured just below the issue’s title.

One of the best aspects of Victorian Undead #1 is that the issue isn’t preoccupied with scenes of zombie mayhem, something that undoubtedly would be detrimental to the overall storyline. Instead, Davide Fabbri’s artwork is as basic as comic book illustration can be, avoiding the high contrast, somewhat schizophrenic artistic style often adopted by modern horror comics. Given the prim and proper character of 19th century England, Fabbri's crisp, clean lines are highly appropriate, mirroring the organized nature of the society now faced by a hoard of zombies. Likewise, Fabbri’s depictions of the undead of 19th century London mesh perfectly with their surroundings—rather than appearing as monsters ripped from the diegesis of contemporary horror films, Fabbri’s zombies look like characters from Victorian Undead who have died and come back to life.

As with virtually every Sherlock Holmes adaptation, Victorian Undead is essentially a mystery, pitting the great detective against a seemingly supernatural event and setting the stage for a great reveal somewhere down the line. The first five issues of this Wildstorm six-issue mini-series are currently available from Wildstorm Comics online and wherever comic books are sold. Victorian Undead #6 is scheduled for release on April 28.

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