Everything Dead & Dying
A farmer attempts to save his loved ones during a zombie epidemic in Tate Brombal’s haunting graphic novel Everything Dead & Dying.
Jack is a farmer whose husband, Luke, and daughter, Daisy, are zombies. They and their neighbors contracted a strange sickness to which Jack seems to be immune. Jack feeds the zombies daily to keep them pacified. He also preserves the last remnants of their humanity by keeping to familiar routines, like asking his daughter, “What does a duck say?” When other human survivors show up, Jack fights to protect his farm and family.
Through frequent flashbacks, Jack’s attachment to his family is established as both his driving motivation and his fatal flaw. Indeed, the past and present blur together for him, resulting in narrative tension. For example, a memory of Luke saying “That’s what it means to be alive” cuts to zombie Luke being shot in the present, while flashbacks of Jack and Luke teaching Daisy about the cycle of life stand in opposition to Luke and Daisy’s neither-dead-nor-living reality.
The scenes are made indelible through the illustrations. In the latter example, successive panels are used to create a jarring contrast between a sweet, healthy Daisy and her later, zombified self. Indeed, the book’s images are dynamic—variously gory and tender, as when it comes to Jack’s goodbye to his dog.
Working toward a powerful, emotional conclusion, Everything Dead & Dying is a thrilling yet touching graphic novel in which a man struggles to accept the loss of his family.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
