Stranger Things: Zombie Boys (Graphic Novel)

by Greg Pak

Valeria Favoccia (Illustrator)

Following the events of season one of Netflix's pop-culture sensation Stranger Things, our main characters struggle with returning to normal life after overcoming supernatural horror.

School is back in session in the normally quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana. Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will are still grappling with the traumatic encounters with the Demogorgon and the Upside Down in season one of the hit Netflix series. As tensions rise and fractures begin to form in the group, a new kid shows up to AV club with a Betamax Camcorder and an idea. The new Spielberg-wannabe friend, Joey Kim, wants to make a horror movie about a local legend, but when he sees Will's drawings, he discovers that his new friends are local legends.

Written by best-selling author Greg Pak (Mech Cadet Yu, The Incredible Hulk, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion) and drawn by Valeria Favoccia (Assassin Creed: Reflections, Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor).

• ISBN10: 1506713092
• ISBN13: 9781506713090
• Publish Date: 21 January 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Dark Horse Comics,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 72
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781506713090

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Stranger Things: Zombie Boys is one of several graphic novels currently available from the world of Stranger Things. So if you liked the Netflix show, and want to see more of these brave and stubborn kids, this might be a good place to start.

Zombie Boys is set after the events of the first season. Meaning, after Will went missing, and was later found. If you watched the show, then you're probably already getting an idea of where this is going to lead. The title helps give that idea.

The boys have all gone back to school. Only everyone is having trouble coping. Not just the primary four, but all of the students. After all, one of their own was declared, missing, and then dead, only to come back once again.

Stranger Things: Zombie Boys is an extremely quick read from this world. It's about seventy pages, and focuses entirely on Will and the reactions to his return. Naturally, it gets a little bit dark at times – though it should still be approachable for a younger audience (if they were able to handle the show, they can handle this).

What I really enjoyed about this graphic novel is that it showed the consequences of everything that happened. You can't exactly come back from the dead and have nobody react – even if you were only dead on paperwork. So that was a bit refreshing, if you ask me.

More than that, it showed the talent these kids have when it comes to turning a bad situation into something positive. Sure, it was borderline childish, but we have to remember that these are kids. Kids who went through hell, and came out on top.

The artwork itself is bright – very bright, despite the zombie themes running throughout. That was another refreshing change. If you take a peek at the cover, you can get a good idea of what sort of art style will be waiting for you within.

All things considered, I enjoyed Stranger Things: Zombie Boys. Though maybe that is simply because I believe that Will deserves more screen time, especially after everything that he has gone through.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks