Everything Dead & Dying #1

by Tate Brombal, Jacob Phillips (Cover Art)

MINISERIES PREMIEREJack Chandler is the sole survivor of the zombie apocalypse in his rural farming community, but rather than eliminate them, he has chosen to continue living alongside the undead—including the husband and adopted daughter he fought so hard to have. But when his town is discovered by outsiders, Jack suddenly becomes the one thing standing in the way of those who hope to kill his family for good.Eisner Award-nominated creators TATE BROMBAL (Barbalien, Batgirl) and JACOB PHILLIPS (THAT TEXAS BLOOD, NEWBURN) team up for a haunting rural character piece set during a zombie outbreak, best described as THE WALKING DEAD meets Essex County.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comix, Adult, Queer

Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2025

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love about post apocalyptic books is the introspection and thoughtfulness they can have. This definitely did that. The art is great and the vibes are immaculate. It’s weird seeing the zombies be a little more than brain dead. Interesting start.

[Colin Post · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting setup for a post-apocalyptic story, a man living through the trauma of losing everyone around him by keeping the zombies going on the circuits of what they did on their last day alive. Brombal and Phillips use some nonlinear storytelling to effectively layer in the past and the present. I almost wish this was a one-shot, though, because I’m actually not interested in what happens when he encounters other living people. This works for me better as a short story, the last man alive living among the zombified ruins.

[Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Absolutely loved the majority of the issue but I’m not sure if I love the direction it’ll go given the ending. We shall see!

[Abel Allwein · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an opener for an indie series! Immediately I’m hooked, I NEED to know what happens next!

Highly recommend for any queer horror fans out there!

[Ezra Downie · Rating 4 out of 5]

like that episode of the last of us but more painful

[Kylesnooze · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded down. I really wanted a different ending, I feel like I knew it was coming, but I wanted something a bit fresher. nonetheless, it was engaging, beautifully drawn, and well written. I'll pick up the next

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between a 3.5 and a 4. I like the narration, the main lead is very relatable as a father myself. But the back and forth can be jarring and the ending...interesting. I'll try another issue.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything Dead and Dying #1 is an Image Comics comic book written by Tate Brombal, art by Jacob Phillips, and colors by Pip Marten. It is cover dated September 2025.

Jack Chandler has built himself the life he has always dreamed of: carved out his own land, started his own farm, built his own house, married the man of his dreams, and adopted a beautiful baby girl. But that life suddenly turned into a nightmare when a flu quickly spread causing everyone in town to become mindless, flesh-craving zombies. Everyone except Jack that is. Jack has repurposed his life to taking care of the town and its people, imagining a perfect small farm town utopia in his head.

This was an extremely captivating first issue. It introduced you to a new world, immediately flipped it on its head, and then had you asking “What’s next!?” The art perfectly switched between a beautiful, idealistic small farm life to a dark and gorey hellscape at the snap of a finger as Chandler fantasizes between the past and present. I’m very curious to see how the book will continue to play out and whether it will take the usual zombie story approach.

[kesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

nothing pushes my will to live more than a comic that has the set up to find new grounds for the dystopian genre

this is everything and more that i could have hoped for in a first issue and whilst i don’t want to celebrate too early, the storytelling is well paced + the art feels familiar with one of the phillips on page

this may have to be one of those stories that i collect every issue for because i don’t know how to wait

5 stars.

[Jenn Kause · Rating 5 out of 5]

what starts as a colorful introspection of farmlife is tossed with sprinkles of truth: a zombie apocalypse where a man's colorful life is only a memory. His partner and daughter are zombies, as our main character is the only one immune in a town grown of hate. It's so far a very interesting flip-flopping dilemma of truth and false memory, of coping with life's hardships. The ending leaves great intrigue so I'm excited to read the rest of the series.

[Harry Palacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dreamland or not there’s an issue with zombies and the problem with getting too attached to them is you never know what could go wrong… now that your family has turned what can this small town do but wait till everything is gone

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good zombie issue, with an interesting premise and an enjoyable protagonist. I loved reading his voice

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting take on Zombies. I recommend it!

[Chloe Germaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

I never knew where this was going and the ending definitely has me hooked to read the next installment. I enjoyed the post-apostolic vibe.

The graphics were amazing.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

thus was great.
confusing start. what is real? what is happening?
apocalypse world with a survivor. a love story. a sad story.

[luz · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.25

[AJ Easterday · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

Not totally sure where this series is going, but I'm intrigued.

[Billiam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover art was so beautiful i couldn’t resist picking it up and I’m so glad i did

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid start, excited to see where it goes

[alejandro galvez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its ok

Not the best. Not the worst. Its an ok story so far. Still to early to fully judge, but its alright.

[Gabs☠♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! Although heart-breaking, the plot kept me interested! I'll definitely be reading the next issue!