Bleeding Hearts #7: Even the Dead Can Grieve

Bleeding Hearts #7 begins with a song that more or less recaps the dramatic conclusion of the previous story arc. This is quickly followed by Cara reflecting on how much the world has changed since the outbreak that created the zombie apocalypse. Meanwhile, Rabbit and Poke continue to bond following the outbreak festival, where Poke saved her and her mother, revealing more of the humanity that is growing within him. Poke later returns to his zombie horde and continues to showcase just how disconnected he is becoming, leading to a series of events that set up this issue’s dramatic conclusion.

Following the end of the previous arc, this story could have gone anywhere, and it is wonderful to see that it continues to maintain its character-focused drama while ensuring that the world itself continues to grow. The crux of this narrative is the grief and guilt building within Poke, as he constantly sees Mush in his mind throughout the various situations he encounters. Although he is going through this transformation and is presumably becoming more human, he has only ever remembered existing as part of his zombie horde. He still has the visage of a zombie, along with the inability to understand or speak any human language. This makes him a man without a home, a tribe, or any real sense of belonging among either group. In many ways, he is the only bridge between the worlds of the zombies and humans, who continue to view one another solely as enemies. This exploration of his character, and the ways grief, loss, and guilt shape his worldview, is a fantastic continuation of the story and makes this issue a must-read.

During the previous story arc, it was implied that Cara had been killed, only for her to triumphantly return toward the end and save Rabbit from certain death. Catching back up with her, she still possesses the unapologetic and deeply pessimistic worldview that has become synonymous with her character. When she first appears in this issue, she is reminiscing about the past and provides some genuine insight into what life looked like during the days immediately following the zombie outbreak. The story even draws some seemingly realistic parallels to what might happen in the real world, particularly when considering the actions of leaders that many readers will recognize. This is followed by Cara burning other people’s belongings for warmth, highlighting just how drastically different her life has become since the outbreak. While the reader may simply want to see Poke and Rabbit’s relationship continue to grow, it is difficult not to sympathize with Cara, especially when she has such legitimate reasons for being as negative and downtrodden as she is.

As the issue concludes, there are promises of an exploration into Poke and Cara’s relationship. While revealing the exact circumstances surrounding this would be a major spoiler, let’s just say that the situation is going to force these two to work together. This is a fun and interesting way to finally create some alignment within this group, forcing characters with vastly different worldviews to come together and find some form of harmony in pursuit of a common goal. It feels like the perfect way for this character-driven story to continue down the path it has established, making Bleeding Hearts one of the most enchanting reads every month.