2004 brought us some mixed bags in zombie lit — from questionable spin-offs to the birth of one of the genre’s modern titans. Here’s how this year’s undead tales stack up.
3. Night of the Living Dead: Barbara’s Zombie Chronicles
This one lands at the bottom for good reason. While the idea of revisiting Barbara — one of horror’s most iconic survivors — had potential, the execution was messy and uninspired. Rather than offering fresh insight or depth, it leaned on shallow retreads and clunky writing that added little to Romero’s legacy. A wasted opportunity, unfortunately.
2. Resident Evil: Zero Hour
S.D. Perry delivers another adaptation, this time retelling the events of Resident Evil Zero. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s a decent entry in her novel series. Perry nails the atmosphere and survival-horror tension of Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen’s story, giving fans a serviceable companion piece to the game. It’s not a must-read outside the fandom, but it scratches the itch for RE loyalists.
1. The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
The clear standout of 2004. Robert Kirkman’s debut volume reshaped the zombie genre for an entire generation of readers. Focusing less on gore and more on the human cost of survival, Days Gone Bye gave us a grounded, character-driven apocalypse. With its stark black-and-white art and brutal cliffhangers, it’s no wonder this comic sparked a multimedia empire.
Final Word: 2004 gave us the dawn of something monumental with The Walking Dead. The others may shuffle along, but Kirkman’s survivors sprinted ahead, defining zombie storytelling for years to come.
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