Rotting Reads: Ranking the Zombie Books, Comics, and Manga of 2003

If 2003 proved anything, it’s that the undead shuffle through every corner of pop culture — from licensed video game tie-ins to manga oddities and survival handbooks. This year’s picks gave me a mix of yawns, intrigue, and a certified classic. Here’s how they stacked up.

2. Zombie-Loan, Vol. 1

A manga debut with a quirky hook — two boys saved from death now working as grim reapers of sorts, partnered with a girl who can see the “ring of death” around people. The art style is energetic, the characters charming, and while the execution sometimes wavers, there’s potential for an engaging long-term story. It’s stylish, oddball, and surprisingly fun for a first volume.

1. The Zombie Survival Guide

Max Brooks’ cult classic takes the top spot easily. Blending tongue-in-cheek humor with meticulous worldbuilding, it’s part parody, part manual, and entirely entertaining. Brooks elevates the zombie mythos from schlocky horror to something readers could almost believe. Its mix of dry wit and terrifying plausibility makes it the standout zombie read of 2003.

Final Word: 2003 was uneven for undead fiction, but The Zombie Survival Guide alone justified the year. The apocalypse may never come, but if it does, at least we know where to turn.