Ex-Heroes

Superheroes and zombies seem like a terrible combination, but Peter Clines makes a fascinating story of zombies destroying the Earth but for a collection of superhero guarded survivors.

It's a bit like The Walking Dead combined with the Justice League, though the power level of the people involved is closer to Marvel's street level. The first book has some crass jokes that get dropped from the sequels but not enough that I didn't enjoy it. I have to say my favorite characters are Saint George (a Superman analog) and Stealth (a female Batman).

I love zombie stories, but in the wrong hands, the basic premise can sometimes feel repetitive. Ex-Heroes asks, what if there were a zombie apocalypse in a world of superheroes? And the end result is wildly entertaining. The few heroes cannot simply “fix” an entire apocalypse, so the story explores just how normal people could survive with their handful of super-protectors: Where would they be reasonably safe, so they could sleep at night? What could they do about power, about food? How can they form any plans for rebuilding society, and is that even feasible? And when it comes to… show more.

Zombies plus superheroes. ‘Nuff said, right? It’s like figuring out that peanut butter and chocolate are really, really good together. The humor comes from the author’s snark and wit, and the whole book series is just a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it looks like the continued adventures are on an indefinite hold, but I’m still keeping hope alive that this will one day be a big-budget TV show.