cover image The Abandoned

The Abandoned

Ross Campbell, . . Tokyopop, $9.99 (230pp) ISBN 978-1-59816-434-3

Campbell (Wet Moon ) adds color—in this case red—to the OEL manga format, the better to highlight zombie gore. Actually, the red keeps the reader's eye on Rylie, a red-headed black lesbian in a swampy Southern town. She's trying to start a relationship with her crush, Naomi, while the world ends around them. Campbell beautifully captures the decaying grandeur of the South, with the palpable weight of its languid air. Wearing little clothing isn't sexual; it's survival in the heat. His characters are solidly fleshy, realistic and with presence. There's a thin line between sex and death, and the characters deal with both in nonsentimental, practical ways as they talk about life and what they want to become and finding someone to love. The questions any teen faces, like whether or not to leave town when you're older or whether your friends will still be your friends as you grow up, become more powerful through the zombie symbolism. When a loved one turns 23, he becomes one of the monsters, and here the adults literally eat their young. This unique blend of zombie horror, relationship drama and Southern gothic says much about love and survival. (Apr.)