Zombee

The idea of combining zombies and martial arts comics may sound as stupid as, for example, turning poisonous snakes loose on a plane; in both cases, though, the resulting mixture turns out to be fun, as bouncy and entertaining as it is mindless and forgettable. On a silly nocturnal mission from his lord, loyal samurai Fume learns that an epidemic of zombieism has struck the neighborhood. These dead aren't just shambling around, doing the decoratively rotten, live-brain-eating thing that readers expect of modern zombies; they're a very nimble and chatty bunch. Fume must team up with an outlaw ninja and a silent monk to survive and to fight the hoards of animated corpses. The usual authorities are no help, so it's up to the three zombie-busters to save humanity and have a good time doing it. Along the way, the story introduces some interesting concepts, such as zombie birds and domestic animals, then forgets about them. The introduction of a Lovecraftian space alien behind the whole mess is clever, too. Mainly, though, this is a book for people who want to see pictures of rotting bodies and exuberant swordplay, which Santos's vigorously brushed black and white artwork delivers very capably. (Oct.)