Mother Russia
Written and Illustrated by Jeff McComsey
Cover by Drew Moss
FUBAR Press | Alterna Comics
Release Date: November 18, 2015
Cover Price: $11.99

A little over two years ago, I wrote a little Kickstarter Spotlight for an up and coming graphic novel/comic series. Change out your calendar a couple of times and you get the present day incarnation: Mother Russia. I can definitely attest to the fact it is everything I expected and more. I had previously seen some of the pages, but I just read the final product and thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Keep reading and I’ll explain why!

Centered around a primary story, this graphic novel is actually comprised of three chapters that were previously published this year in the same number of comic book issues. But in addition to that, there are back stories for the main character and one of the supporting cast. That is even followed up with a standalone tale which is presented as a prequel of sorts (it’s a little creepier than the rest, too).

The gist of the story is that zombies have overrun Stalingrad during World War II. In a time where the Germans and the Russians are bitter enemies, a zombie plague has spread forth, infecting tens of thousands of soldiers. As survivors sequestered themselves in hopes of holding off the undead, renegade zombies found their way into the secure bunkers and wreaked havoc upon the living.

Our protagonist is a soldier from the Red Army, talented and deadly. Known as Svetlana Gorshkov (Mother Russia), our young dancer-turned-sniper was much feared by the Nazis. But as she is not so subtly reminded, those affiliations mean nothing when the survival of the human race is at stake. For you see, they have no information as to how widespread this contagion has become. For all they know, they could be the last ones left. These stories explore a very finite piece of time, leaving much opportunity for sequels or complimentary pieces. It’s not your typical zombie story; this one feels accurate in both an emotional and historical sense.

Author and illustrator Jeff McComsey has done a superb job with this mini-series. Almost embracing minimalism in both dialogue and art, he uses actions and situations to drive the story home. In times of action, words are seldom used and McComsey knows precisely how to bring the unspoken to life. He delivered on every promise that he made during the Kickstarter fundraising. You’ve got to see it to believe it.

Don’t just sit there like a bump on a log, secure a copy of this for yourself. And buy a copy for any history buffs or zombie fans you know. They’ll appreciate all 100-plus pages of the book; plus then they’ll owe you one! And who knows, you might need something from them when the real zombie apocalypse occurs!