Description

Land of the Dead                             Variant Comics Lot
Featuring the Complete Variant Cover B Collection.  Awesome!!
Writer: Chris Ryall
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
Colorist: Jay Fotos
Letterer: Tom B. Long
Editor: Dan Taylor
Variant Covers #1B,2B,5B by: Movie Photo
Variant Covers #3B,4B by: Chris Bolton

Adapting of George A. Romero’s 2005 Zombie film.

Presenting a special adaptation of George A. Romero’s long-awaited zombie movie, set years in the future after the end of his Dead trilogy. In Land of the Dead, the walking dead roam an uninhabited wasteland and the living try to lead “normal” lives behind the walls of a fortified city. A new society has been built by a handful of enterprising, ruthless opportunists, who live in the towers of a skyscraper, high above the hard-scrabble existence on the streets below. But outside the city walls, an army of the dead is evolving. Inside, anarchy is on the rise. With the very survival of the city at stake, a group of hardened mercenaries is called into action to protect the living from an army of the dead.

This five-issue mini-series remains faithful to George A. Romero’s highly acclaimed zombie movie of the same name from 2005. Set in a future where a steadily increasing zombie population has forced the living to retreat to safety behind fortified walls, Land of the Dead offers lessons on the corrosive powers of greed and complacency.

Story/Spoilers (featuring the full Land of the Dead 2005 Movie Synopsis for nostalgic remembrance)
The living dead continue to hold dominion over the earth, but the scattered remnants of human civilization have reorganized enough to establish protected outposts across the United States. One such outpost in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contains a feudal-like government. Bordered on two sides by rivers and on the third by an electrified fence guarded by a militia, the city has become a sanctuary in which its citizens live in relative security. Outside the city’s barriers is a no-man’s-land of barren countryside and dilapidated suburban towns long deserted by living humans but overrun with legions of walkers. The rich and powerful live in a luxury high-rise called Fiddler’s Green, while the rest of the population subsists in squalor. All forms of commerce within the protected zone are controlled by Paul Kaufman, the city’s ruthless plutocratic ruler. He has sponsored Dead Reckoning, an armored personnel vehicle that can travel through the zombie-infested areas with ease.

Riley Denbo is the designer and commander of Dead Reckoning. Unlike Kaufman, Riley is respected for his work in protecting the citizens, as well as providing them with food and medical supplies that the citizens can no longer safely acquire themselves. Using Dead Reckoning, Riley and his crew venture into areas overrun with zombies to scavenge for necessary supplies. They also retrieve luxury items such as designer clothing and top shelf brands of liquor as these things offer a powerful means of barter within Kaufman’s oppressive oligarchic regime. On one mission, they notice many zombies exhibiting intelligent behavior. This was especially seen in one such zombie, “Big Daddy”, formerly a gas station attendant. During the mission, rookie Mike is bitten by a zombie and commits suicide before he turns.

After the mission, Riley retires from commanding Dead Reckoning. Grown weary of a hard-scrabble life in a post-apocalyptic city, he plans to leave the urban sanctuary for the open road to Canada once repairs on his car are finished. Back in the city, he visits Chihuahua’s bar. There, he sees a prostitute named Slack being forced into a cage with some zombies to entertain guests. Riley and Charlie save Slack; Charlie kills Chihuahua in the ensuing chaos. Riley, Charlie and Slack are arrested. Slack reveals that Kaufman ordered her execution, for helping Mulligan to instigate rebellion among the poor.

Meanwhile, Cholo DeMora, Dead Reckoning’s second in command, is denied an apartment in Fiddler’s Green despite his service to Kaufman. In retaliation, Cholo takes over Dead Reckoning and threatens to destroy Fiddler’s Green with it if Kaufman does not comply. Kaufman approaches Riley and tasks him, as well as Charlie and Slack, to retrieve Dead Reckoning. They are supervised by Manolete, Motown, and Pillsbury.

On the way, Manolete is bitten and then killed by Slack. After catching up with Dead Reckoning, Riley approaches the vehicle alone. Charlie, Slack, and Pillsbury follow him after subduing Motown and leaving her behind. Realizing Riley is working for Kaufman, Cholo holds both Riley and Charlie at gunpoint. As he prepares to fire Dead Reckoning’s missiles at Fiddler’s Green, Riley uses a small device and deactivates Dead Reckoning’s weapons systems; he then destroys the device. Motown, who had regained consciousness, opens fire and nearly kills both Riley and Cholo (who is maimed by one of the gunshots). She is bitten by a zombie and killed by Slack. Riley convinces Cholo to allow him to escape North and to join him, but the latter decides to return to Fiddler’s Green to deal with Kaufman; his partner Foxy accompanies him. While en route, Cholo is bitten by a zombie and leaves to kill Kaufman by himself. Riley takes over Dead Reckoning once again and returns to Fiddler’s Green.

Elsewhere, Big Daddy (who has gathered a large group of zombies) learns that they can walk safely underwater, and leads the zombies across the river to the human city where they breach a section of the perimeter fence. Hopelessly outnumbered, the border guards abandon their posts. As a result of the zombies swarming into the once secure areas of the city, the electrified fences that once kept the zombies out have now become a wall to trap them and the humans inside. Seeing the city overrun, Kaufman runs with his money, and encounters a zombie Cholo in the parking garage. As the two struggle, Big Daddy kills both with an exploding propane tank.

Riley’s group arrives at the city only to come upon a raised drawbridge. Riley leaves to bring the bridge down, but a small group of zombies begin to attack Dead Reckoning. Riley and the others manage to dispose of and evade the zombies. After crossing the bridge, they helplessly witness people being killed by the zombies. Realizing it is too late to save them, they mercy kill them with missiles. It is then revealed that most of the poor people were led to safety by Mulligan, thus surviving the assault. Riley and Mulligan share a well-meaning goodbye as they split up with their groups. As they see Big Daddy and the zombies leaving the city, sparing the surviving humans, Riley decides to leave them alone as well as the zombies do the same, citing that they are just looking for a place to go, too. While lighting up the rest of the fireworks (which were earlier used to distract the zombies, but are now useless since they do not distract the horde anymore), Riley’s group set off for Canada on Dead Reckoning.

Variant Comics lot contains: Land of the Dead {Complete Variant Cover B Collection} (2005) Issues #1-5.  IDW Publishing

Variant Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: 2005
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.75″
UPC: 827714121148

Collectible Entertainment note: Variant Comics 1B,2B,3B,4B,5B are in Fine + to Very Fine condition.  Very Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious George A. Romero and/or Zombie collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

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