Bleeding Hearts #1: Heartless?

Bleeding Hearts #1 is one of the first books being released as part of the relaunch of DC’s Vertigo imprint. One thing modern media, especially comic books, is no stranger to is the classic zombie story. In the vein of modern classics such as The Walking Dead, most of these stories feature a group of human survivors struggling to stay alive in a world filled with beings who want to kill them at every turn. As expected, these stories usually focus on the survivors’ lives, their internal drama, and the dynamics of their group as they navigate a civilization that no longer exists. Bleeding Hearts takes that familiar concept and flips it on its head, delivering a fantastic new twist on the modern zombie story.

This premiere issue begins in a poignant way, initially appearing as if it will be told from the perspective of the human survivors. We quickly realize that they are not the main focus, however, due to their lack of dialogue, as the story shifts to its true protagonist: Poke. Poke serves as our guide through this world and provides much of the key exposition. It has been about a decade since the zombie virus took hold, and zombies are now the dominant species on Earth. Their food source, humans, is rapidly running out.

With this premise quickly established, the issue highlights another crucial development: Poke has discovered that his heart has started beating. While the full implications of this are not deeply explored in this first issue, it is clear that some semblance of humanity may be returning to him. The idea of a zombie story focused on a group of zombies, one of whom may be becoming human again, is incredibly intriguing, and this debut does an excellent job setting that up while introducing its cast in a fun and engaging way.

Deniz Camp does an excellent job fleshing out this world by giving these zombies distinct personalities while also developing a believable society and culture for them. The result is consistently interesting and, at times, surprisingly humorous. It also feels very much in line with the classic Vertigo titles longtime readers are familiar with. The art perfectly complements the storytelling, featuring a slightly cartoonish style set against an otherwise bleak and broken landscape that reflects the fall of humanity.

Without getting into spoilers, it’s safe to say that this series is off to an excellent start, ending with a cliffhanger that promises deeper exploration of these characters and what a beating heart truly means. More than anything, Bleeding Hearts captures the spirit of classic Vertigo and what the imprint once stood for. After such a strong debut, there’s little doubt that readers will be eager for more.