Zombie Haiku

Ryan Mecum (after Robert Kirkman’s superpowered zombie runs at Marvel Comics) shows that no art form is safe with this collection of poetry. Closer to senryu than haiku, the poems form a narrative that follows the degeneration of a poet who continues to write after he dies. The narrative forces exposition into the haiku and turns some mundane, but Mecum’s grasp of what makes zombies appealing takes over to save the collection. Babies viewed as Happy Meals and the dead poet remembering to chew with his mouth shut while eating his mother highlight the grisly humor that permeate the book. Fans of the undead will appreciate the respectful nods to past zombie canon, but casual readers may wish that some of the fat had been trimmed to make way for the juicy, blood-filled center.