Walking Dead

Zombies.
They're hard to do something fresh with.
Unlike vampires or werewolves they don't lend themselves readily to character development.

But Robert Kirkman has managed to reinvigorate the zombie story with his Walking Dead series from Image.
The focus is on survivor Rick and the band of survivors he gathers.

Sure some of the characters are portrayed in broad strokes but Kirikman still allows you to warm to them, frequently before zombie attacks.
And he doesn't shy away from showing the worst that humans can do. Often the most danger is posed by the living.
I'm halfway through volume 4 (there are 13 volumes with at least one more on the way) but it's already brutally clear that Rick is becoming increasingly psychologicaly damaged.
Seeing the everyman darken makes you wonder just what you would do to survive.

There's a surprisingly high body-count amongst the supporting cast (but there is time for good character pieces). And there is the female version of Wolverine, Michonne, a mysterious wanderer who uses swords because gun shots attract too many zombies. Michonne injects new life just as Captain Jack does in the first series of the revised Who.

There are flaws, mostly in the dialogue department.
But it's a masterclass in how to sustain tension.
And the images are stunning :

It's also inspired a fairly faithful TV adaptation, starring Andrew Lincoln (Egg from This Life)
Here in the UK, the TV series is sadly stuck on FX.

The originals are available for the iPhone on comiXology for just over £5 a volume and are worth a try-out.