From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Posted on October 12, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are entering The Conjuring Universe for this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. Shockingly enough it took until 2021for New Line Cinema and Warner Brothers to allow DC Comics to make a comic series based around the films, and I say shocking as they are all owned by the same parent company Discovery! And to be honest, I am very shocked on how little DC Comics and New Line Cinema have come together as they could truly use comic books to help promote their upcoming horror films. But sadly I feel that the big two in the world of comics lack imagination, and horror comics, as well as comics based on horror films their parent companies own, just are not a priority nor even cross their minds. So with that, let’s sit back and be ready to be scared as we enter the world of The Conjuring 3!

Before we talk about the film, let’s talk about Isla The Occultist and her ways of dealing death and conjuring the demons of Hell. Isla is the daughter of Father Kastner and had become obsessed with the occult and her studies has made her very powerful in black magic, placing curses and conjuring demons all to do her dirty work and cause chaos on the living that have crossed her path. Isla is a Satanist and Occultist who grew up obsessed with things on the dark side and as she has gotten older, she has made a deal with demons and uses cursed totems to place a target on random people in order to please them. Her black magic is very strong and allows her to allow demons to enter the bodies of her victims and cause them to do bad things from murder to suicide. She has a almost second sight and can see what others who have her gifts can see and this makes her dangerous as if you are a threat to her, she can find your location and send a sinister curse your way. She can also make her victims thank they are seeing things and have them attack their own loved ones and friends, as Isla is a master of mind games. But while she is a scary magical person she is still mortal and can be killed like any normal person via being stabbed, shot, drowned, burnt or beaten! She also has to use her altar to control her powers and if it’s destroyed her spells and deals with demons are broken and with the demons this could lead them turning on her and bringing her death. While she is mortal, her dark power makes her very dangerous and a person you would not want to be the target of unless you want a demon to take over your soul.

So as you can see, Isla The Occultist is very deadly due to her dark magic and can cause people extreme pain as well as death. Now I think we should take a look at the film she is from and that’s of course The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It, the third film in the series. Like always, the film’s plot will be taken from our friends at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on it. So if you are ready, let’s hope that Isla has not cursed this update and take a look at this film.

The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

“A chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.”

The Conjuring films that follow the cases of real life paranormal investigators The Warrens are one of New Line Cinema’s top Horror Franchises that has even had film spin-offs that have as well did good at the box office. And in 2016, a third film in the main series was being talked about by the film series creator James Wan, who at first mentioned that the film could be about the Warren’s famed Werewolf case, and in May 2017 it was said that the third film would not be another haunted house fright flick and would be one of the bigger cases of The Warrens careers and would take place in the 80s. And by June of 2017 New Line Cinema gave the third film the green light and it started production with David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick being hired to write the script, and in 2019 James Wan came on to help co-write the script as he was not directing. They brought in Michael Chaves in to do so, and that the film would be based on the court case where a young man claimed a demon made him commit murder, and the Warrens backed up his claims. When casting the film Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson returned as The Warrens and names like Ruairi O’Connor, Debbie Glatzel, John Noble and Eugenie Bondurant was brought on board in big roles. The film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia and had a few setbacks due to the pandemic and even one of the film’s demon characters was removed from the film fully. Once done the film was scored by Joseph Bishara and was released in theaters as well as HBO Max on June 4, 2021 and did really well world wide for New Line Cinema bringing in $201,965,074.00 on a budget of $39 million. The film was released that year with other Horror Films like “Halloween Kills”, “Candyman”, “Forever Purge”, “Army Of The Dead”, “Godzilla vs. Kong”, “Quiet Place II” and “Don’t Breath 2” to name a few. And the film ranked # 22 out of 33 for my Matt Goes To The Movies 2021 Horror Movie rankings and was # 19 that year at the US Box Office.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was a film that both Juliet and I was very much looking forward to seeing in theaters as we have been fans of the series from the start and we even enjoy all the spin off movies. We saw the film by renting out a Cinemark Theater and we invited some of our closest friends to watch it with us on the big screen. And when the film was over, we all enjoyed it but we all also agreed that this was missing the touch of James Wan and while it did a good job of showing another case of The Warrens, it also just seemed a bit off and not as spooky as the first two films in the main series as the stakes did not seem as high and the main spirit and villain just was not as powerful or iconic as others they have faced before. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson I do have to say are fantastic once more as Ed and Lorraine Warren and without them in these Conjuring films I feel that the series just would not work. So while this one was not the best in the series, watching them work adds to the enjoyment of the film. And even after all this time and watching the film again once on home media I still found the film good but lacking and I truly do think that it all falls onto Isla The Occultist as she just seems to lack motivation, any kind of backstory and is just not as scary nor threatening as any of the other villains from this cinematic universe. I should also say that some moments of the film do pack a scare and the film does play at your heartstrings as Ed Warren suffers a massive heart attack and there is a fear of him passing. And with this film not getting a very mixed response from critics and fans I am hoping that New Line Cinema will pull out all the stops when they do part four and make it a truly scary viewing experience, as I would love to see the next film be about Bill Ramsey, a man who was possessed by a wolf-spirit that made him act like a werewolf! And while it was my least favorite of the films, I am not saying that you should not watch it as the film is a enjoyable watch and you should check it out if you like the other films in the series or just like films about possessions and demons.

So as you can see, the third film in The Conjuring film series was a hit at the box office even after being released during the pandemic as well as also streaming at the same time on HBO Max and would be the one that finally got the films to get a comic mini series. And with that I would like to say a big thanks for Game Swap Kettering for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So with that, let’s dive in and take a look at The Conjuring: The Lover series that is about Isla The Occultist.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 1 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 1 of 5

It’s 1981 and Jessica wants to drop out of college as she is back from break to start her classes again but her mother is not happy about it as she wants her daughter to be something big in life, and when her mother meets Kyle one of Jessica’s classmates she tries to tell her to also look for a boyfriend! Once back at school Jessica feels lonely and annoyed by everything around her as her grades are low, her roommate brings her boyfriend home and Kyle has a crush on her…and worse of all it is that unknown to her Isla has places a curse on her. And it’s clear that something is watching her and following her as Jessica is missing home and her friend Katie. As Katie drifts off to sleep above her bed something evil is watching over her.

This is an interesting story this far and is about a young college girl who hates being away from home as well as her best friend Katie who she clearly likes more than just a friend. And while Jessica is battling her own depression something wicked is following her around looking for the right moment to attach it’s self to her and cause her harm. Jessica is a young woman who’s depression is causing her to have bad grades as well as not make friend easy as she seems to always be in a slump and want to stay away from her fellow classmates. Her mother is a little rough on her but you can tell it’s all out of love, as she just wants so much more for her daughter. Kyle seems like a good guy who just wants to get to know Jessica as it’s clear he has a crush on her and would like to be her boyfriend as her roommate Tammy as well seems like a nice person just a little carless. Isla The Occultist is around and has placed a curse on Jessica and to do so she has even killed a goat in order to please the dark spirit that is now hunting the young collage girl. So far this main story is a little spooky and is building up the suspense of what is going to happen to Jessica and the people around her. The issue also has a backup story that is based around an item from the Warrens Artifact Room with one being about The Ferryman and his coin, a short and pretty creepy little tale that has a man looking for the coin he stole off a dead body when he was a kid and now The Ferryman has followed him around and killed everyone he loves until he gets it back. So far so good as I have found myself enjoying this first issue and wanting to see what is next for Jessica! The cover for this issue is pretty cool and showcases Isla and the interior art for the main story is done by Garry Brown and is pretty cool and has a classic feel to it but also has that modern creepy look that much of the newer indie horror comics have. And with that I am jumping into issue two and to see how this story is going to unfold.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 2 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 2 of 5

Jessica is in the shower and is hearing voices and even seeing things as she thinks that she gets burnt by the hot water that of course is not that hot, and this causes fellow female classmates to think she is weird. Jessica ends up calling Katie who is back home working two jobs and who makes Jessica promise to go to the next party she is invited to, and it just so happens that Kyle asks her to one and she goes and she tries to have fun but the demon voice in her head keeps saying very mean and nasty things to her. Kyle kisses Jessica at the party and this makes her panic and she walks home alone in the snow to find her roommate home as well, and as the two head off to bed the demon voice will not leave her alone and taunts her to try and kill him as now she is seeing it’s shadow and red glowing eyes and this drives her to grab a pair of scissors off the nightstand to protect her self and unknown to Jessica the person she is about to stab is not the demon but Tammy her sleeping roommate!

This is another very interesting issue as we follow Jessica who is now being plagued by a demon that is allowing her to see it in shadows and is as well talking to her in her thoughts and is even driving her to see things that are not there! The Demon is super mean spirited and is playing on all of Jessica’s fears and inner demons and wants to break her down and feel as if she is alone and no one loves her…this of course is un-true but to a depressed young woman dealing with her sexuality this is really beating her down. Jessica is a likable character as she is odd but is a good person who is quit and it’s clear that she really just wants to be home with Katie and not being hounded by the pressures of school and making new friends. And you have to feel for poor Tammy at this point as she might just get stabbed with scissors while she sleeps in Jessica don’t break the illusion that the demon is making her see. And imagine if Tammy wakes up before Jessica can break the hold or even stab her, as this will make everyone at the college think Jessica is psycho! Isla is truly evil as she is making this young woman’s life even more complicated and is leading her to a patch of murder, death and damnation. This issue as well has a cool backup story form the Warren’s Artifacts this time about The Bloody Bride and her cursed wedding dress. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and haunting and the main interior artwork is once more done by Garry Brown and is great stuff as he is capturing the slow brooding mood that has made the film series special over the years. Over all another solid issue and it has done its job as I am hooked on seeing were this story goes.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 3 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 3 of 5

Jessica is in the dean’s office with Tammy who woke up to find her roommate over her with a pair of scissors, and this causes Tammy to move out and for Jessica to be all alone in the room…and while trying to eat lunch at the school cafeteria the demon once more makes her see things and act out making even more of her classmates think she is crazy or on drugs. Jessica tries to call Katie who is not home and she finds herself at the library were she meets Isla who is working their and takes her to the basement to find books on the occult as Jessica thinks she is possessed and under faking caring Isla wants to help, but soon she shows her true attentions and this causes Jessica to freak out and rush to her dorm to call her mother to come pick her up…but her mother refuses thinking her daughter is just stressed and hangs up on her. Jessica sits alone in her room for days even thinking bugs are crawling on her and her only glimmer of hope is when Kyle stops by her room and takes her out to eat. On the way back to her dorm Kyle tells Jessica how much he likes her and Jessica starts to come out to him, but she has a vision and Kyle becomes Isla with a knife and Jessica shoves her into the street but in reality she has just shoved Kyle in front of a bus.

This third issue the demon and Isla have turned up the torture factor on Jessica and are more and more playing with her mind making her not only hear more and more negative things but are really starting to make her see things that are not there as well as see those around her as demonic enemies. Jessica is loosing her mind as well as grip on reality as she is not eating, not attending classes and is acting out in harmful ways to her friends causing her roommate to leave and at the end of this issue leaving us on a cliffhanger of pushing Kyle in front of a bus. It also appears that Katie is not around for her as much as Jessica would like as her friend is holding down two jobs and having a life of her own back in their home town, and it also shows that Jessica’s mom is not their for her daughter as well as she hangs up on her when she is begging to come home. Kyle is a good guy who clearly cares for Jessica as he is the one who checks on her and makes sure she has food in her belly and know that some one cares about her. It will be interesting to see if he is killed or hurt by the bus and how he will react if he survives this attempted murder that was by accident. The demon as well is allowing Jessica to see more of it and Isla is now being apart of this torture as she has allowed herself to be seen and is enjoying playing with this young girls mind. The backup story this time around is about the Accordion Monkey that is found in the Warrens artifacts. The cover is nice and spooky as it shows that cursed Accordion Monkey and the main interior art is still great and done by Garry Brown again who I must say draws a cool looking demon. Yet another solid issue and a nice cliffhanger ending, so with that let’s head to issue four and see what Isla and the demon have planned for Jessica.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 4 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 4 of 5

Kyle is able to get out of the way of the bus and is very upset and goes off on Jessica calling her a psycho and to stay away from him, and this incident leads to the dean to kick Jessica out of collage and forces her to move back home with her parents. While Jessica’s dad is caring her mother is ashamed of her and thinks she got kicked out on purpose. But even while home the demon speaks to her and shows up when she is alone in her room causing her to yell out and her father to come to her side. Jessica has a talk with her father who tells her that he knows what she is going through and that she needs to call Katie as she is the one that will truly understand. Jessica calls Katie to tell her she has returned home and the two make plans to meet up that night in the woods, and once together they share a kiss…but Katie soon turns into Isla and Jessica fights back and stabs her attacker that sadly turns out to be her lover Katie as the illusions have tricked her again and caused her to kill the one person she cared the most about.

Poor Jessica just can not catch a break as she has been accused by two students of trying to kill them, gets kicked out of school, has a mother who thinks she is just looking for attention and worse has a demon and an Occultist trying to ruin her life and drive her into madness. And Jessica has not true support besides her father and Katie and the demon makes sure that Katie is taken out of her life for good. Jessica clearly has no hope and no one to help her break this curse and the only route she has right now is damnation and that’s sad as all she wanted was happiness with someone she loved. Katie is a good friend as well as had the same feelings for Jessica, but is just used in this sick game of Isla as a pawn to be murdered very violently with a big knife. The demon and Isla have now pushed Jessica to the point of no return and it’s clear that they have won her soul as well as have had he take a life for their own entertainment. Her father is a good man who loves his daughter and will do what he can to protect her as well as be there for her, and understands that she is having a hard to of coming to grips about her love for another woman. Her mother who I at first thought was acting mean as a way of tough love is just truly a bad person who cares more about her self than her daughter’s mental and physical health. This issue is the bloodiest so far as Jessica stabs Katie to death in the woods and the attack is pretty brutal for a main stream DC Comic release. The backup story for this issue is The Sleeping Song and the music box that is found in the Warrens Artifacts.The cover for this issue is great and captures that Conjuring mood and feel, and you know what I am going to say about the art done by Gary Brown being good so I will skip the broken record for you. Another great issue and this one leads us to the final issue in the series and one that we all know how it will end if you seen the third Conjuring film, so with that let’s take a look at issue five.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 5 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 5 of 5

Jessica is in shock as she stands over the dead body of her lover Katie, but to her horror the body starts to move as the demon has taken control of it and it chases Jessica through the woods to a cliff that is above raging water below. The demon Katie tries to push for Jessica to admit to herself that she hated being in love with Katie and that she all along wanted Katie to die so that she could close that chapter of her life and be alone…Jessica stands up to the demon and tells of the first time she and Katie meet and how the each had feelings for each other but were both to scared to make the first move. The demon keeps pushing Jessica to admit she hates herself and that she hated that she loved Katie and finally the demons words break her down and Jessica jumps to her death to the water below. In the cliff the demon Katie morphs into Isla who thanks Jessica for committing suicide and heads back to her alter and places another curse this time on a young child as our comic tale ends.

I have to say this first I really enjoyed this Conjuring comic book mini series and to be honest I think I even like it better than the third film it’s a prelude to! As for those of you who don’t know the tragic case of Jessica and Katie is mentioned in the film and this murder suicide plays a big part in the film, and while we only hear and briefly see the events in the film this comic book flushes it out and gives a backstory to the characters. You really do have to feel for Jessica as she is tormented and driven into a deeper depression throughout this series, as by the end of this comic you find that she hates herself and had no one to truly come to about it. While she loved Katie she also hated Katie as being homosexual in the early 80’s was more taboo and people would judge and hate you for it. And Jessica who already was an odd person who had a terrible mother already had that pressure of being not a letdown in life. While you read Jessica’s story here you are cheering for her to break the curse but in the back of your mind you know its not going to end well. Isla The Occultist picked Jessica because she was a lover, a lover who had deep feelings but was very easy to corrupt and trick into killing the one she cared for as well as talked into ending her own life. Isla truly used some very mean spirited mind games and with the help of the demon they were able to ruin that young woman’s life in no time and also was able to complete a part of a packed that had made. It’s also kind of telling just how much joy it seemed Isla was getting from doing this and it makes you even more sick when she thanks the young woman at the end for jumping…she is truly evil and selfish. The back up story for this issue is The Chalice, another artifact found in the Warrens collection of haunted things, and these bonus stories were also a very nice touch as they added scares to your reading experience. The cover for this issue is very dark and brooding and has Jessica running through the woods toward her fate. The main interior artwork by Garry Brown really is good stuff and fitting as I find that his style was a good choice for showing demonic spirits as well as a person’s mental breakdown from being cursed. I feel that this five issue mini series really did do The Conjuring film series justice and I hope that DC Comics decides to make more mini series in this universe as they did a great job here. Checkout the artwork below to see they style that Garry Brown used in this series.

The Conjuring Universe really does lend itself to being made into comic books as I would love to see DC Comics not only continue this series but also do comics based on the spin-offs like The Nun, Annabelle and even the Crooked Man as all of them could truly make for some spooky reads, as I am not going to lie I would really love to see a very dark and spooky comic mini series based around The Nun. And again I think DC Comics for their horror comics should dig deep into what they own as many of their films would make for great comics in these modern times. I also would like to share that in The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It film actress Ingrid Bisu plays Jessica and Andrea Andrade played Katie. But as you can see, our update has come to an end and before we part ways here I would like to let you know that the next update will take us to the Rotten Ink Arena as we take a look at that Iconic Horror Themed Wrestler Vampiro! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we take a look at one of my favorite Luchadors who is a perfect fit to cover this Halloween season.

DC Horror Showcase: Man-Bat

Posted on May 12, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For years now we have taken a look at several Marvel horror characters and series like The Golem, Living Mummy, Dead Of Night and The Zombie up to this point, and I think that it’s time that we also showcase some of the characters that make up DC horror! Now DC horror is not as deep as Marvel’s, and while they have such titles as House Of Mystery and Swamp Thing, they have always mostly focused on their superhero comic lines like Batman and Superman with even many of the horror titles have that hero touch. One of those horror superheroes is the first topic for this DC Horror update, and of course it will be Man-Bat, that pain in the side of Batman who has been bad as well as good and has entertained comic readers for decades. So sit back, be ready to be scared and yet also pumped as this bat creature man is ready to deliver a heroic spooky good time.

Dr. Kirk Langstorm is a Chiropterologist who was working on a serum that would enhance humans senses like a bat’s sonar, and when using it on himself as a test, he turns into a bat creature that goes on rampages throughout Gotham City and has to clash with Batman as well as fellow superheroes over the years like Superman, Robin and Hawkman. From time to time Man-Bat would also find himself on the side of good and not be the monster the world sees him as but as a monster with the brain of the brilliant doctor. Man-Bat even has found himself discovering the Batcave and clashing with Batman in his own base and giving him a tough fight several times. By mistake, Man-Bat has infected his wife with the serum curse and turned her into She-Bat and once when losing control he believed that he killed his family, only for them to have survived. Man-Bat is dangerous and can fly and use his claws to rip flesh and can use his super sonar hearing to track his prey. He is also stronger than a normal man and is also super fast in speed making him a truly monstrous foe.

Man-Bat was created in 1970 and first appeared in Detective Comics # 400 with Julius Schwartz being his concept creator and Neal Adams being the artist to bring him to life on the comic pages. He was originally a villain for Batman and over the years would also have runs as a good guy helping Batman as well as other heroes and would even make appearances in DC Comics Presents teaming with Superman. At one time, he was a member of the Secret Society Of Super Villains and over the years has gotten his own comic mini series. He has also made the leap from comics to cartoons appearing in episodes of “Batman The Animated Series”, “Batman Beyond” and “Justice League Unlimited” but only in mention on the latter. He would also be in a few video games, mostly in the DC Lego series, and had many toys made of him from companies like Kenner and Mattel. And while Man-Bat never gained the following that other Batman villains did, namely The Joker, Catwoman, The Riddler, Two-Face and Penguin, he does have a cult following along the likes of Killer Croc, Killer Moth and Black Mask. He was always one of my favorites growing up as he looked cool and always seemed to be a threat to Batman, in fact he reminded me of the Lizard from the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man as many of the times both Batman and Spidey had to defeat their foes back to normal using science and both baddies are the way they are due to science. Say what you will, but if your read DC Comics and like your characters with a dash of horror then you know just how cool Man-Bat is!

Over the years Man-Bat has had his fair share of very cool figures come out and allow fans to have him go on adventures as well as fight the likes of Batman, Superman and even Killer Croc if they want to. And while not a ton of figures have been made of Man-Bat, the ones that have been are pretty cool stuff! Man-Bat has also graced other merchandise like posters, trading cards, shirts, stickers, toys and video games. While Man-Bat is a very cool looking character, he oddly does not get much merchandise and barely makes appearances in the games, movies and cartoons…I mean it would be awesome to see him in a future live action Batman film.

The Kenner Super Powers Collection was super popular with my brother and I growing up as we would collect all the ones we could get our hands on. Four figures I can remember getting the most as a kid were Superman, The Joke, Hawkman and Robin as they were some of my favorites but I also had The Flash, Aquaman, Penguin and Samurai. My brothers had Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Cyclorton and Steppenwolf. So as you can see, we had almost all of them. But sadly Kenner would pull the plug on the Super Powers Collection line before a series four could be released and over the years fans have uncovered the names that would have made up that series including Swamp Thing, Batgirl, Creeper, Catwoman, Blue Devil, Supergirl, Vigilante and many more, but most importantly on that list of planned figures was Man-Bat! That’s right, we almost got a Man-Bat figure by Kenner and that would have been awesome and would have been one that my brother and I would have harassed our parents to get for us as we both liked the character, and he would have been a great villain for our Batman and Robin Super Powers to have fought with. And with retro toy lines coming back I wish that Hasbro, who now owns Kenner, would get the DC Comics toy license once more and bring this series back and make them look just like they did back in the 80’s and that they would do the figures that were planned in the series that never got past the prototype and sketch phase and that would include Man-Bat…but sadly I think this will never happen.

Well now that we have taken a look at Man-Bat’s character and his history in comics and merchandise, I think that its time for us to get to the review part of this update. The Man-Bat series I chose to cover is the 1^st series that was released in 1975 and only lasted for two issues. I chose this series as I am a fan of the older comics from DC and plus these are the ones I remember owning and reading as a kid and would like to see if they hold up. I want to thank Bell, Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible and I want to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, the entertainment value and the art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see what Man-Bat has in store for us, will it be scary or will it be superhero like?

Man-Bat # 1 **1/2
Released in 1975 Cover Price .25 DC Comics #1 of 2

Baron Tyme uses magic in order to turn Francine Langstorm into She-Bat with a mission to kill someone in Gotham City, and to his horror, Kirk watches as his wife flies away with a mission of murder on her mind. Kirk takes the serum and turns into Man-Bat as he needs to stop his wife from murdering a man, and while he looks for her, illusions created by Baron Tyme slow him down, but he is able to stop her just in time as she had found her prey. Man-Bat knocks out She-Bat and starts talking to the man who is Professor Raymond Arthur who works for a college and one of his co-workers is indeed Baron Tyme, but before he can get any more information to Man-Bat he is killed by She-Bat! The news breaks and now Batman is aware of the murder of Professor Arthur and hits the streets to find Man-Bat as it was clear that it was committed by a bat and he wants to stop him. Meanwhile Man-Bat uses the last of his powerful serum to turn She-Bat back into Francine, and as she changes back, someone cuts the lights and uses a sonar noise to confuse Man-Bat. It was Batman who set the trap and after a struggle, the two end up talking and Man-Bat alerts Batman that someone is using mind control on She-Bat and caused her to murder. Batman stays with Francine as Man-Bat heads to the college and comes face to face with Baron Tyme who uses illusions to keep our hero captive. Tyme then tells him that the murders are being done in order to please a demon and that he is going to also offer Man-Bat as well, but Man-Bat uses his low sonar sound to hurt the ears of Baron Tyme who ends up backing into an open flame and is caught on fire. As Man-Bat flies away, he wonders if his foes words of demons are true or if he was just a master of trickery who could use his hypnotizing ways to trick minds and mastermind murders.

This first issue of Man-Bat has more elements of superhero than horror but is still a very good read that features our creature hero on a quest to break a mind hold that a magical villain has on his wife, and with this mind hold he has her committing murder that gets the attention of Batman who gets involved. Man-Bat is in control and retains his smarts and is very angry that someone is using his ladylove as well as put doubt in the mind of Batman who knew that one of them had to be the ones committing the crimes. Man-Bat does his best to try and stop the super villains as well as at least one of the murders. She-Bat is out of control for most of the issue as she has a bloodlust and the want to kill and has to be knocked out in order to break those evil urges, and try to free her mind of these commands. Batman is around but besides having a brief fight with Man-Bat and staying with a subdued She-Bat he is not really a major player to our story. Baron Tyme is a man who is into black magic and can use it to control minds as well as create very realistic illusions, and he is doing all of this in order to send murdered souls to a demon that he has made a deal with. And while Baron Tyme is an interesting 70’s style comic book super villain, his motives are a little unclear and the way he is beaten in the end is a little rushed. But being set on fire and left for dead by the book’s hero does leave it open that his death could be one of his illusions so who knows maybe he will return in the next issue. The cover is pretty cool and eye catching as it shows not only Man-Bat but they also of course showcased Batman. The interior art is awesome as it is done by comic artist icon Steve Ditko! Over all this is a good read that did its best to try and make Man-Bat a hero when we all know he makes a better bad guy. With that, let’s see what the second and last issue in this series has in store for us.

Man-Bat # 2 **1/2
Released in 1976 Cover Price .25 DC Comics #2 of 2

Man-Bat is flying around Chicago on a windy day when he is attacked by unknown person who has a jet pack and clearly has been hired to take down Man-Bat, but for what reason is unknown. The two fight in the sky for a few moments and Man-Bat decides to dive into a river and take the serum to turn back into his human self Kirk and swims ashore and takes a taxi home confused on why he was attacked. Once Kirk gets home he gets the surprise of his life as his apartment is filled with his friends as well as his sister who are welcoming him back home to Chicago as he and Francine have moved back to his home city. But Kirk’s nerves go crazy when he finds Francine in her room fighting off not turning into She-Bat and outside on the balcony is his unknown attacker. So Kirk slips away and takes the serum and turns back into Man-Bat, but the attacker has a weird power that he can see using his fingers and once more he and Man-Bat start fighting in the sky and the attacker sprays weird sticky latex in the face of Man-Bat who ends up knocking out the attacker by causing pain to his fingers. While Man-Bat gets the sticky goo off his face he figures out that his attacker is really The 10 Eyed Man a villain from Gotham who was taken out of jail by the CLA group and hired to kill him! But as The 10 Eyed Man wakes back up he sets a bomb that he hopes will allow him to capture Man-Bat instead the bomb blows up and blinds the The 10 Eyed Man who falls off the building to his death. In the end Man-Bat wonders why the CLA wants him dead and then remembers he has to return to his apartment for the party.

This second and final issue of Man-Bat is an okay superhero comic mixed with a dash of horror and continues Man-Bat trying to cure She-Bat of her vampiric ways but finds himself being hunted down by The 10 Eyed Man who was hired by a group called the CLA and this causes Man-Bat drama and action. Man-Bat uses his brilliant mind to try and outsmart and outstep his attacker and in the end does so and it leads to the death of the attacker and no real questions answered, and while Man-Bat is strong and skilled his weaknesses do make him on the defense more then the offense. And that’s a shame as I would have liked to have seen Man-Bat going crazy and allow the animal side of him to go off, like the lost control version of Man-Bat who wanted to shred The 10 Eyed Man! Speaking of The 10 Eyed Man he is a very cheesy villain who uses his fingers to see and has to have his hands out in order to see and fight, and as you would guess this makes him super easy to beat up as take away his finger eyes and he is a mess and will loose. I am not sure if I like that Man-Bat is no longer in Gotham City and is now located in Chicago as to me the character just don’t fit in the Windy City. The big story arch that is showcased in this issue is the CLA getting super villains out of trouble and sending them to attack and capture Man-Bat and it’s a shame as the series had to have been such a poor seller that this story just kind of ends here with only two issues being released. I think that DC should not have made the comic series a superhero book and really should have played off the Horror aspects of Man-Bat as by making him just another hero it just was lost in the shuffle of late 70’s main company Superhero comics that flooded the market. The cover is very cool and eye catching and looks like a Horror Comic and the interior art by Pablo Marcos is really great and I like the way he draws Man-Bat as he does capture the monster aspect of the character. It’s a shame that this series did not last that long cause I do think it had potential to become a very entertaining series, but fate did not have it in the cards to have Man-Bat become a long running series. Check out the art below to see they style of art used in this two issue run.

While Man-Bat’s first solo series was more superhero than fright it was still a fun read and really did live up to my memories of reading them as a youngster. And yes before we move on I will say I do wish that DC would have played more on the horror aspect, but I would guess they got cold feet and knew that superheroes were what sold for them more. But with that our first look at DC Horror has came to an end. For our next update, we will be heading back to the world of Pro Wrestling and back to the Rotten Ink Arena as we will be talking Mr. Wrestling II! So until next time, read a DC Comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! And this next update is truly about a Wrestling Legend.

American Hero: G.I. Zombie

Posted on July 4, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink, and Happy 4^th of July! And I am sure you are like me and waiting for the fireworks to fill the sky while eating some grilled food and chatting with friends, and as well thinking about American Heroes. Today’s topic is a strange one as he is a zombie, a solider and a hero! I am talking about the DC Horror character Jared Kabe also known as G.I. Zombie who is a member of the U.S. Army in the DC Universe and does what he can to keep our nation safe! So while the burgers are on the grill and the fireworks are still a little while away, let’s take a look at the American Hero: G.I. Zombie. And also keep in mind this is 10 Years of Rotten Ink, and I would like for you readers to take a moment and think about your favorite hero in your life from the past or present and to sit back a relax and as always thank you for spending a small part of your Holiday with Rotten Ink.

Jared Kabe is an American Army Soldier who has been working for the government for many decades and has been involved in many wars for his country, and he as lasted as the nation’s ultimate soldier for so many years because he is in fact dead and is a zombie that is sent into what would be suicide missions for any living soldier! So if there are bio weapons in play, chemical attacks or even good old-fashioned zombie plagues, the man for the job is Jared Kabe who is code-named G.I. Zombie. The powers that Jared has are that he is skilled in military combat, he is stronger than a normal living human, he has great use of his senses, can regenerate after being wounded and more important he is immortal! The character of G.I. Zombie was the created by the creative team of Jimmy Palmiotti, Scott Hampton and Justin Gray in 2014 for DC Comics who was making an attempt to update their universe. And weird enough G.I. Zombie is not really used by DC Comics anymore and for the most part he only lasted the one-year of his release. While not a major player in the world of DC Horror or even DC War Heroes, he is still an interesting character who had his readers that enjoyed his issues.

G.I. Zombie is a character that I just learned about in late 2021, or should I say paid attention too as he was never on my radar as in modern times I have paid very little attention to DC Comics and he just never was a Horror Comic that I picked up at the local comic shops as most of the time I have found most of DC’s Horror Comic work to be a little weak with Swamp Thing, Man-Bat and House Of Mystery being the ones that I find to be really good. And I think really that in 2014 the Zombie comic trained started by Walking Dead from Image Comics has started to be over done and that is also why I paid no attention to G.I. Zombie. Over the years I have found myself being a little less picky about Horror Comics I read when it comes to the big two companies Marvel & DC as sometimes they are the better offerings they have as their main Superhero titles have been very poorly written for many years now in my opinion, and the Horror titles I feel lets the creators have a little more freedom in the stories they are telling. What makes me intrigued about G.I. Zombie is that I know nothing about the character and I am looking forward to seeing if they play more on the spooky aspect of the character or the army hero…or will it be a great blend of the two? Regardless of what angle DC Comics goes with the character I will say that Jared Kabe aka G.I. Zombie is an American Hero in the world of Comic Books and that is why he is getting this American Hero update.

So as you can see, the burgers are almost done on the grill and it’s inching so much closer to firework time so I think we should get into the comic review part of this American Hero update that I have to say is also a DC Horror update for this 10 Year Celebration for Rotten Ink! I want to thank Game Swap Kettering and Lone Star Comics for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So grab a sparkler and your favorite cold beverage, and let’s make a toast to G.I. Zombie and see what his comic series was all about. Oh and on a side note, this series is called “Star Spangled War Stories G.I. Zombie” but for the sake of this update we will just shorten the title to G.I. Zombie.

G.I. Zombie # 1 ***
Released in 2014 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 1 of 8

At a small bar in the backwoods of Mississippi recent released female prisoner Carmen King meets Duke and his men who have just captured a F.B.I Agent and have him tied up in the back of the bar and worse the Agent have been beaten up and will not spill the beans on how many are with him and were they are based out of. Carmen in order to impress Duke and get a job with his outlaw gang tortures and shoots the Agent in the head killing him when her interrogation does not work. Carmen takes the body of the agent away and Duke sets up a night meeting time for the two. We soon find out that the agent is G.I. Zombie who repairs his body and that Carmen is working with him. The two while having to work together do not know each other and Carmen is a little nervous about having to stay in a motel with a zombie. As Carmen takes a shower and then goes to bed, G.I. Zombie sneaks out of the room and ends up attacking and killing a man who was abusing his wife in front of a gas station, he kills the man to eat him…but sadly he does so in front of the mans wife and child. Later that night Carmen and Zombie head to the farm that is were Duke told Carmen to meet him, and they have a car wreck when Carmen hits a deer and they have to travel by foot. Once they arrive at the farm the notice that Duke and his gang of outlaws have missiles!

The first issue of G.I. Zombie is really good and they drop us right into the story that has our undead solider teaming up with a female agent in order to bring down an outlaw group that is dealing in stolen guns and more. We learn that G.I. Zombie has been around for a very long time and has always survived his country and really loves America, we also see that while he is a good guy he still craves human flesh and feeds on it when he can get it. His uncanny powers of not being able to die and being able to reattach cut off limbs and heal up his wounds is really cool and very useful in his line of work. Carmen King from what we gather is a good solider/agent who is doing her job, but clearly only kind of trust her undead partner, as she knows very little about him and his character. Duke and his gang are a bunch of outlaws who look like they deal in all types of crime from murder to stolen guns and I am sure while he looks like the big fish now, someone else is truly calling the shots. The comic has some blood and gore in it and that was nice to see and some moments are gruesome like when G.I. Zombie is shot in the head by Carmen so she could impress Duke and his gang. The issue also does a great job of ending on a cliffhanger as our heroes see missiles are part of the groups weapons they have stockpiled and this is proof that Duke is working for a bigger threat. The cover for issue one is really good and eye catching and captures both the War and Horror aspects of the series, and the interior art by Scott Hampton is not the style I like in comics but it is really good work. Over all a great start for this series, and I am looking forward to see what happens in issue two.

G.I. Zombie # 2 ***
Released in 2014 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 2 of 8

Carmen arrives alone at the gate and is let in to see Duke after she alerts the guard that she has had a car wreck and that is why she is late. Meanwhile G.I. Zombie is out in the woods and takes out one of Duke’s men and then takes another hostage with the threat of eating him alive he is able to get some info as well as the man’s cellphone in order to hear the communication between the rest of the outlaws. While inside a deadly virus has been delivered to Duke and as the two that dropped it off leave G.I. Zombie is able to snap a picture of them and send it to his bosses via the stolen phone. Carmen is shown by Duke a massive pot field on the farm compound and he then starts talking to her about his distaste for the government and if she has the same dislike he wants to offer her a job with his group. But G.I. Zombie is spotted and the alarm goes off and Duke has Carmen leave with some of his people to go to another secret farm compound while G.I. Zombie has a shootout with the outlaws, and Zombie gets back up when Commander Gravedigger and fellow soldiers show up to help in the fight. Duke has his men fire off one of the missiles that has the virus inside it and its headed toward Washington D.C., but G.I. Zombie jumps on the missile and pulls out wires and causes it to crash into a small town in Tennessee.

This second issue is as good as the first as this story progresses and has me drawn in on what is going to happen next! In this issue Carmen and G.I. Zombie make it to the farm hideout of Duke and his militia outlaw group and while Carmen gets deeper in their ranks, G.I. Zombie finds himself trying to stop a virus carrying missile that will have collateral damage of human life. G.I. Zombie in this issue shows that he is also very skilled in combat as he uses guns as well as his zombie ways to take out many of the outlaws and its clear that he is very hard to stop and those who face him seen see the horror that this solider can inflict on them. Carmen meanwhile has to play it cool and build up trust with Duke who is clearly a very dangerous man who is now also getting bio-weapons from some government agency or maybe its ones made up of former workers, we will have to read more issues to find out. And Duke and his outlaw militia clearly are dangerous and do not care about how many people die in their quest to stick it to the government, and they have all tools and weapons to really be a threat. I like how the officer in charge of this mission is called Gravedigger, a nice touch sense he is in charge of a zombie soldier. The issue has some good blood and gore moments of G.I. Zombie eating some flesh and the story is really good and does a good job of keeping you interested as a reader. The cover for this issue I have is cool and eye catching even though it’s also misleading as G.I. Zombie does not parachute into battle at all. The interior art is done by Scott Hampton and is again really good if you like the more modern style art in comic books. With that the series is staying strong and I want to see what chaos this missile is going to cause and what will Carmen witness next from this outlaw group.

G.I. Zombie # 3 ***
Released in 2014 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 3 of 8

The missile goes down in Tennessee and G.I. Zombie knows that the virus inside it will cause a zombie outbreak and it seems that the animals around are now attacking him in aggression is it cause of the virus or are they just scared. Meanwhile Gravedigger has captured Duke who is not giving up any information on what his group is truly up to and who is the people behind getting them the weapons. Meanwhile Carmen is with some of the outlaws on their way to the farm and she is trying to get as much information out of them as possible. Back in the small town the animals are infected by the virus and when they are biting people its making them infected as well with a sort of rabies that is turning everyone in contract with a bite into a zombie in seconds. G.I. Zombie ties up an infected person and finds the towns doctor when they find that the people who are infected are pretty much brain dead and a cure is unlikely, and then the G.I. Zombie safely gets the doctor and her assistant home safe and then gets the towns exits from the mayor to give to Gravedigger who is on his way with soldiers to try and contain the outbreak. As G.I. Zombie waits on one of the bridges out of town he is attack by a horde of zombies and is fighting them off, as he cannot let one single human or animal that is infected to leave the town.

This poor small town gets infected by a virus that was unleashed by a nut job who is anti government, but all he did was hurt the innocent people in a town by infecting them and the animals with a zombie rabies! We know that the animals are the first to be infected by the virus and that when they bite people the virus passes and they become raging zombies who kill and infect others. G.I. Zombie is not scared of being infected but does hate watching and having to kill the animals and feels bad for the people who are being hunted down by those infected, but when it comes to protecting the innocent people as well as the fellow towns he goes into solider mode and will do what must be done. Meanwhile Carmen is still on her road trip to the other farm and is not getting too much information for her female road buddy. Gravedigger and his soldiers have captured Duke and are now on their way to the infected town to back up G.I. Zombie to contain the virus the best they can. The end also is a nice cliffhanger as G.I. Zombie armed with a knife is being over taken by a massive zombie horde that are on the path of getting out of the town and spreading this infection to a wider population. The issue has some blood and really is doing a great job of keeping me interested in the storyline as well as wondering what is next for the characters. The cover for this issue is really cool and has G.I. Zombie fighting a zombie horde and like before the interior artwork by Scott Hampton is good stuff. DC Comics and the creators behind this series have delivered a good series this far and let’s see if they can keep it up in the fourth issue.

G.I. Zombie # 4 ***
Released in 2015 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 4 of 8

Carmen and her escort who’s named Cat find a motel room and while trying to rest she has a nightmare about a helicopter crash she was the only survivor in during a war, and even when up she can not get any info out of Cat about were they are going. Meanwhile G.I. Zombie breaks free from the zombie horde and finds a safe place on top of a building and watches as Gravedigger and the army show up and blow up the zombies, once G.I. Zombie joins them they find that the infected can drive some what and this adds to the possibility of them leaving the town so Gravedigger and G.I. Zombie must act fast to fully contain this. Meanwhile Cat and Carmen arrive at a massive spa in the middle of nowhere that is the hidden base and Carmen meets Forrest, the money man behind Duke and his movement, and she also notices that he himself has weapons of all types around him.

This issue is very fast paced and we get more information on many of the characters as well as some questions are answered. G.I. Zombie himself goes from being out numbered and fighting off zombies to escaping the attack and spending some time on a flat tar roof of a store and ends the issue alongside the army and Gravedigger as they try and figure out the best way to stop this virus from spreading. While on the other hand, we learn that Carmen was the sole survivor of a helicopter crash and this is what haunts her dreams and drives her to protect her country. We also see that she might be in over her head when she finally arrives at the next hidden base location as it is packed with weapons. Forrest is a rich man who is clearly the moneyman behind this home grown terrorist group and is investing in even more weapons to fight the fight and this includes more of the zombie virus as well as suits that can take bullets and is indestructible! I really think that Forrest and his indestructible suits will be a huge pain for G.I. Zombie in the coming issues, I also hope that Carmen’s cover is not blown as the odds would be against her as her army friends have no clue to were she is even at. The issue has some blood and the story is good as the zombies can drive adds even more drama, horror and stress for the army to deal with! The cover is great and has G.I. Zombie and Carmen backed into a massive tree on a hill and are surrounded by zombies and this is very eye catching. And like a broken record the interior art by Scott Hampton is good stuff, so with that said again I have to say that DC Comics are on a good stretch as this was another great issue and G.I. Zombie is proven to be one of their best modern series for me. So let’s see what issue five has in store for us, and I am going to guess it will be a fun Horror War Comic surrounded by a simple yet entertaining story.

G.I. Zombie # 5 ***
Released in 2015 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 5 of 8

G.I. Zombie is back in the small town and is having issues as his craving for flesh is taking control as he needs to eat and soon before he loses control, so they send for a child killer on death row and is sent into a tent with Zombie who eats him and gets back on track to save America. Meanwhile Carmen is shown around the base by Forrest who alerts her to some of the over all plan that he and his groups have for the world, that includes over throwing the US Government and give the power to the people. Meanwhile a few miles away the this base G.I. Zombie meets up with longtime agent friend Elliot who fills him in on the last sighting of Carmen and tells him of the base that is also acting as a spa for the rich, he also tells him to head to this small motel down the road and he will find his “new” identity as a video game maker who has a treatment set at the spa for the next day. Later as G.I. Zombie sits alone in his room a young woman named Libby enters and is running for her life as she hides in his bathroom as two men are following her, after exchanging some words with them Zombie takes them down only to be shot in the head by Libby who is the true baddie as she works for Forrest and after cleaning the room she is taking the bodies to the spa hideout for disposal.

The plot thickens in the fifth issue as we now know that Forrest and all of those who follow or are apart of his group’s true goal is to take over America as they claim they want the power back to the people, but somehow I feel that Forrest has other true plans and is using these militia groups and ex-criminals to further along his true underline plan that I can not figure out yet. Poor Carmen is truly stuck in a very dangerous situation as she is truly in the hornet’s nest and has seen and heard too much to be figured out as a spy as they would and could easily kill her. Libby and Cat are also two females who work for Forrest and it’s clear that they will also kill for him on his orders and will leave no loose ends. Gravedigger and Elliot are two of the good guys who clearly want to try and stop this group from doing another attack as they have unleashed a virus once that has taken way to many innocent human and animal lives, and they both know that G.I. Zombie is America’s only hope. Speaking of G.I. Zombie we have all seen up to this point how much of a good undead guy he is who is always helpful, respectful and follows orders…but I do love that he does have the urge and craving for human flesh and that the army gives him inmates of the worst kind from near by prisons in order to fill the hunger! A very cool aspect of the character as he could snap and kill if he is not fed after a while. The story is really keeping me intrigued and I like the small turns we get as well as the character development and new characters being added into our story. This issue has some blood and murder and the cover is a strange one as its G.I. Zombie kissing a woman and blood is linking their lips, and you know the interior art is done by Hampton and is good. So with another good issue in the books let’s see what issue six has in store for us.

G.I. Zombie # 6 ***
Released in 2015 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 6 of 8

Forrest is on the phone and is calling Leo, the man who is making the zombie virus in Ecuador and explains that the sample has been used in Tennessee and was a success and that he needs his full shipment sent, Leo is annoyed that Duke used it already and agrees to send more, but it comes with a threat if the virus is linked back to him. Forrest then leaves and creeps around Carmen’s room and half hearted flirts with her before leaving. Meanwhile Carmen tries to sneak around to find a phone to call Gravedigger, but instead runs into Cat and they both go and get a midnight snack from the kitchen. G.I. Zombie who was set to be burned up in a furnace snaps into action and takes down several guards and top officials for Forrest and even finds his gun stockpile room before he himself is caught on a security camera and a red alert goes out to the guards. Forrest recognizes G.I. Zombie and knows that he works for the Government and tells Libby to get the jet ready that they along with a few other including Cat and Carmen are leaving the hideout, and the rest of the people will sadly die as he is dropping a nuke bomb on it as he can not have any information leak out!

The gig is up at the spa hideout of Forrest and his crew of over throwers and his big plan to deal with being caught is for him and few to escape and them bomb and kill all the others who have been loyal to him and the cause, so it shows you that Forrest is a rich a-hole who does not care about anything but himself as I am sure if push comes to shove the likes of Libby and Cat would be sacrificed if it meant saving his own hide. And Carmen is really trapped as she keeps getting deeper into the trust of these people and this makes it so if she is exposed for being an undercover agent, she will be killed and the worst part is her own people are always a few steps behind her in order to save or get the information she has out of her. Also it looks like Leo and his people are surly the ones behind the creation of the virus and this also shows that this network is even bigger and spread out then what it appears in the first few issues. G.I. Zombie snaps into action and goes after the baddies in their own base and uses a knife and a gun to deal death and gets a few before being caught on a security camera, he so wants to get to Carmen and also complete this mission before anymore innocent Americans are hurt. Some blood and death in this one with a gruesome one being a man set on fire and then gets a knife to his skill as he ran around, pretty brutal kill from G.I. Zombie. The cover is our hero being nuked and you all know by now who did the art and that it’s good stuff. Over all a great issue that leaves us on a good cliffhanger of the hideout being blown up and only a few of Forrest closest crew escaping along side him, can G.I. Zombie stop the bomb and save lives or will be apart of the explosion…I guess we have to read issue seven to find out.

G.I. Zombie # 7 ***
Released in 2015 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 7 of 8

Forrest has set the timer for the nuke bomb to go off and he along with a select few have escaped the hideout via a private jet set for California to another secret lab hideout. Meanwhile G.I. Zombie tries to figure out a way to stop the bomb from going off and soon finds that that task is impossible and that everyone inside this hideout is going to die. Gravedigger meanwhile along with a hammer is able to get a little bit of information out of Duke and he learns just how dangerous this group is as they plan to truly unleash a massive attack on America. While stealing a car and trying to get as far away from the explosion as possible G.I. Zombie is able to get a cellphone and call Gravedigger to tell him about what is going to happen and sure enough the bomb goes off and also unleashes more of the zombie virus, the explosion causes G.I. Zombie to wreck and he is even injured cause of this, and he is saved just in time by some Army guys as two civilians who was hit by the virus tried to kill him. Meanwhile at the new hideout Carmen makes a run for it as she thinks Forrest and the others have caught on that she is an agent, and after calling Gravedigger she is surrounded by heavily armed guards. In the end Gravedigger alerts G.I. Zombie that they have to leave now and try and stop this Armageddon style attack that Forrest is about to commit.

That Forrest is one evil man as not only has he killed innocent people and animals with his zombie virus but this time around he used a bomb to blow up his discovered hideout killing hundreds of his own workers in order to cover his own butt. Plus it’s clear that he is more like a rich doomsday cult leader than a give the people the power one. Duke the big bad biker leader of the Mississippi sure does squeal when a hammer is taken to his fingers in order to get questions answered as this also proves Gravedigger will do what he must in order to save America from this threat, and that includes bashing a mans fingers with a hammer. Carmen is was over her head and its clear that by the end of this issue she is spooked by Forrest and his people as she thinks they have made out that she is an agent spy, and when escaping the hideout she also shows that she is a skilled fighter as she takes a gun with only four bullets and makes it work. G.I. Zombie does what he can to try and figure out how to stop the bomb and how to save the workers inside, but sadly time was just not on his side. While he is undead it shows that he still cares about living people even if most fear him. We also see that the end game is near as Forrest is about to set off tons of his zombie virus in order to shake up America, and we have to see in the next issue if G.I. Zombie and this secret branch of the Army can stop it. This issue also is more about building to the final issue and is less about the horror aspects, don’t get me wrong we still get blood and death, it’s just a little more toned down. The stakes feel high coming up as the threat is world changing and the fact that only a small few know and can stop this also adds to the drama. The cover for this issue is eye catching and has G.I. Zombie fighting zombies and you know what I am going to say for the interior art. Over all a great issue that was perfect for setting up the final issue in the mini series.

G.I. Zombie # 8 **1/2
Released in 2015 Cover Price $2.99 DC Comics # 8 of 8

Carmen escapes the ambush and is able to kill all the armed guards that was sent after her, she has a mission to stop this threat and that is just what she is going to do. Meanwhile G.I. Zombie and Gravedigger board a jet and head to the next hidden base of the outlaw terrorist in hope to stop them as well as save Carmen from danger. Back at the hideout Forrest decides that Cat is the one who brought the agent to their doorstep and puts a bullet in her brain for doing so. Once at the location G.I. Zombie, Gravedigger and the team find Carmen and go into the base with orders to stop the bomb and kill anyone inside as they are terrorist and need to be taken down. Carmen and G.I. Zombie enter the base and take out anyone they come across and finally they find Forrest who has set another bomb to go off to let the virus out all over and spread this zombie infection. Forrest has a past with G.I. Zombie as once they see each other they both realize they have a past, and when Carmen decides she has had enough she beats up Forrest as G.I. Zombie alerts Gravedigger to the location of the launch room and as well gets Forrest’s cellphone and calls Leo the creator of the virus and says that they are coming for him as well! Gravedigger lets off a sonic device that not only takes out the terrorist who are not wearing earplugs but also gives them time to find the main power and to stop the bomb from going off. In the end Gravedigger tells G.I. Zombie and Carmen that they make a great team and that they will be placed together from now on.

I am not going to lie I am a little disappointed in the ending of this series as I found the wrap up to be a little weak and not pack a punch like it should. While the good guys do stop the bomb from going off, characters like Forrest just don’t seem to really get what is coming to him, sure he gets shot in the ear and beat up…but his “death” by sonic vibes is a little bland. I also feel that the fact that they call and alert Leo that they know who he is and that they are coming after him also was a strange move as now all he has to do is relocate…why warn him. I do like the team up of Carmen and G.I. Zombie and I would have liked to seen more of them, maybe even at some point teaming alongside the Creature Commandos or even Unknown Soldier. I also feel that the end “battle” was way to easy and quick and all of a sudden Forrest and his men seem less threatening as they fall like a house of cards on a windy day, and it really is disappointing as the creators of this series did such a great job building to this last issue and for this comic reader it fell a little flat. Now I am not saying I didn’t enjoy this issue, it’s just a weak ending to a very solid series. G.I. Zombie is a very interesting character that we have learned lots about in this series as he is an American Army member who even in death tries to protect the land that he loves and is a true warrior and skilled in fighting and strategies, and that a lost body part of his is what helped create the zombie virus being used by the terrorist. We also see that he is a caring man as he looks out for not only his agent friends but also innocent people and animals. Carmen is also a pretty cool character an army vet who survived a terrible crash during war and is using her skills still to help keep America safe and to honor her fallen friends. Gravedigger is pretty cool as well as he clearly is a veteran of situations like this and does not crack under pressure. This mini series really did do a great job of mixing Horror and War Comics with elements of both getting time to shine and the amount of blood used throughout was a nice touch for those readers who loved zombie comics, plus bonus points to them for some of the more gruesome deaths. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and lacks the punch of the covers before it and throughout the series Scott Hampton has really rocked it with his art and won me over as at first I was not a fan of the style, but by the end I really liked and respected it. Over all DC Comics had a good series here and a cool character that they should still be using today! Check out the artwork below to see the style of Scott Hampton used in this series.

But wait there is more! Given that this is July 4^th and Rotten Ink’s 10 Year Anniversary, let’s take a look at G.I. Zombie special that was released in 2014 and was part of the “Future Ends” stories that DC Comics had going at the time. So with that, let’s dive into this one and spend just a little more time with G.I. Zombie.

G.I. Zombie: Special # 1 **
Released in 2014 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 1 of 1

G.I. Zombie is on a ship and his partner Carmen has been infected with the virus and is now a flesh eating zombie and doctors are going to try a treatment that they hope will help her. But things get worse when zombies are parachuting out of the sky and are now attacking the agents and G.I. Zombie is given the orders to attack and get these undead nightmares off the ship. And he does so when he charges into them and turns into a massive deformed zombie that rips many of them to shreds, but he is attacked by the helicopter that dropped the zombies off and is taken down for a few moments before he can comeback together. The scientists deliver the antidote to Carmen and at first it looks as if it didn’t, work but just in time she is cured as G.I. Zombie pulls himself together and they come up with a plan to drop the antidote from a crop duster on the city of Gotham that has been infected by the virus. But the enemy helicopter approaches and shoots down the crop duster, but G.I. Zombie is able to leap into the copter and gets it to crash…and the man behind this attack is Gravedigger who himself is now a zombie that is just like G.I. Zombie and the two fight for a moment when G.I. Zombie removes his head and takes it away causing Gravediggers body to wonder around, after this fight G.I. Zombie gives the order for the antidote to be dropped so that lives can be saved. Later G.I. Zombie and Carmen are having dinner and she has decided to retire as an agent and go live in the mountains, while G.I. Zombie is sad, he understands and the two enjoy one last meal together.

What a strange One-Shot comic as everything we know from the mini series is thrown out of the water and in this one G.I. Zombie is calling the shots, the army has found a cure for the virus, Carmen goes from being a zombie to cure and the most weird change is that now Gravedigger is pro the virus infecting people and is now a bad guy that is as well a super zombie solider who is taken down very easily by G.I. Zombie. And so many questions are not answered in the comic and that’s why this is a very odd read like why is Gravedigger bad now, who is spreading the virus and why, why is Gotham City under attack and why does G.I. Zombie turn into a massive zombie Hulk for a few panels and then its never spoke of again…just so many weird moments in this one that made it slightly less enjoyable of a read as I really do feel that this story kind of disrespects the characters and story that the mini series introduced us to and I dislike the fighting and large changes to personalities of the main three and those of course as G.I. Zombie, Carmen King and Gravedigger. The story also seems very bland and rushed and I hate to say this was a major letdown for me, as I feel that DC had something very cool with G.I. Zombie and this comic makes him and the lore seem like an after thought to just delivering a comic with a cheesy gimmick cover that while cool does not save this issue from being lazy. The interior artwork by Scott Hampton is good and helps bring some of the charm from the mini series into this. Not much to say besides this is just an ok issue and if you like the mini series and have not read this one I say skip it as it does nothing but ruins aspects of the series. Checkout the artwork below, and again art is good sadly this comic story is not.

Well it’s time to go eat some grilled food and enjoy time with family and friends before the fireworks fill the sky, so once more thanks for spending some of your holiday with me here at Rotten Ink and also I need to say that while DC Comics had a few miss fires with G.I. Zombie, I do feel that in 2014 they created a good American Hero character that truly did walk the line between War and Horror. Well for the next update we will be leaving the DC Universe Zombies behind but will be once more visiting the Romero Zombies when we cover Dead Dog Comics series “Night Of The Living Dead: The Barbara Chronicles” as well as take a look at Monster Bash Convention 2022 and Juliet and I’s adventures in Cranberry Township, PA. So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a zombie film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you soon as we are coming to read you Barbara…