The Colonized #2
Aliens and Humans Versus Zombies
Written by Chris Ryall
Illustrated by Drew Moss
Colored by Jay Fotos and Nelson Daniel
Lettered by Tom B. Long
Covers by Dave Sim and Zach Howard
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 1, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Zombies and aliens and separatists, oh my! Chris Ryall and Drew Moss are back and they’ve surely picked up the pace since issue number one. If you enjoyed the first installment of this rollicking adventure, you’re sure to delight in the mayhem that ensues in The Colonized #2.

The self-governing town of Carbon Falls has recently been overrun by a horde of zombies and a crashed alien spaceship. Carbon Falls’ appointed leader, Hux, continues to butt heads with self-proclaimed leader, Randy Roy; their ideals, southern drawl, and an armory of weapons force the men into a standstill as they discover that the alien’s malfunctioned tractor-beam was the cause of the zombie outbreak. Eventually deciding to hide the aliens until the group can help them leave Earth, they make their way back to the home of Hux’s recently deceased father. Randy Roy “” still heated that the aliens “caused” one of his friends to die “” triggers a ruckus when he makes a violent decision. Startling discoveries are made and if all of these peculiar characters weren’t enough, someone else is secretly roaming around their territory as well!

Ryall may be known for writing a plethora of zombie and alien books, but he really excels when it comes to crafting stereotypical hillbilly speech patterns. When my wife wasn’t in the room, I found myself reading out loud with the exaggerated accent found on the page. I tried to stop myself, but it was impossible. That’s the neat thing about The Colonized: everything from the people to the aliens to the zombies is highly embellished. Ryall also provides new and inventive ways to make his creature-feature story unlike any that might have come before.

Moss shines in this issue. His character designs are all unique. Though the humans all relay a country guise, whether it be from the clothing they wear to the facial hair they sport, not one person looks alike. The classic green-headed aliens wear space-suits in the vein of what an astronaut might wear, giving them more of a human feel, which adds to the idea that they came in peace. And the zombies, well, the zombies just look grotesque with their torn flesh, dripping blood, and dangling limbs.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a comic I would seek out in the shop, but I’m pleased that I read it. I’m curious to see what sort of twists Ryall has in store for the next issue of The Colonized. Thus far, the comic has served as a dang good ole time.