Empire of the Dead Cover - P 2013
Alex Maleev/Marvel EntertainmentGeorge A. Romero is returning to the zombie genre, but he’s switching things up with a new project, Empire of the Dead. For one thing, it’s a comic book instead of a movie — and then there’s the matter of that whole “sensitive zombie” thing.
“These zombies are starting to show sparks of real care and concern for each other,” Romero told USA Today about the undead populating his new Marvel Comics series, which launches next year. “I’m having a lot of fun with it. We’ve got some new rules and new characters, and we’re taking it in a completely different direction.”
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Part of that different direction is down to the freedom offered by the switch in medium, explained the veteran filmmaker. “You can let your imagination run wild and do pretty much anything you want, assuming it’s within the bounds of decency,” he said of working in comic form, admitting that he “could never afford” to shoot in the real New York City.
This isn’t actually Romero’s first time writing for comics. In 2004, he wrote a six-issue series for Marvel’s main competitor, DC Comics, titled Toe Tags Featuring George Romero that, yes, also dealt with zombies. Marvel’s Empire, written in screenplay format, will be adapted to comics by former Daredevil and Halo artist Alex Maleev. The fifteen-issue series launches in January.
