The Shaolin Cowboy: Shemp Buffet

Cartoonist Darrow (Hard Boiled, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot) returns to his creator-owned Shaolin Cowboy series with this oversized hardcover. Readers unfamiliar with the unnamed cowboy will enjoy a helpful—and hysterical—guide to his exploits. This installment picks up right where Darrow’s previous seven issues left off: the cowboy has returned from a journey to the center of the Earth, but must now contend with a massive horde of zombies desperate to feast on the flesh of humanity. Only the cowboy, with his kung fu training and double-chainsaw staff, can stop them. What follows is a spectacular, gore-filled rampage, rarely equaled even in Darrow’s own work. The bulk of the book lacks any dialogue , focusing instead on Darrow’s legendary detailed pencils and composition. This is more of an art book than an engaging narrative, and many readers will derive far less enjoyment from it than they did with previous installments; for zombie comics fans, however, this collection is a thrill ride. (Mar.)