MANGA REVIEW | "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" - Vol. 13
It was quite the nail biter in the previous volume of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. We all thought Shizuka was a goner, after she experienced a nasty zombie bite. But in Volume Thirteen, a fluttering of hope is given to the readers not just regarding Shizuka’s sake, but the sake of the entire world. However, it does have to take a page out of Resident Evil before Akira and the gang are allowed a larger breather.
First off, there’s the situation regarding Shizuka. Tsurumi creates a blood serum from Izuma, the young girl he meets during his escape from the zombies. Izuma’s blood winds up curing Shizuka, but it’s sadly not the be-all-to-end-all cure for the zombie outbreak. A vaccine must be made, and Tsurumi now must take the time to find out how to make it using Izuma’s blood. Until then, the gang has themselves a fun time in the lab.
Well, they were about to, but — of course — some foreign sources have to come in and crash their party. I don’t know what it is about non-American writers, but they almost always blame some major muck-up on the good ole USA. I mean, they’re right to assume the country is filled with one too many Leeroy Jenkins-wannabes, because of course Americans have mastered the art of fucking around and finding out! And for these soldiers entering the lab, well, they done fucked up royally!
Zom 100 pulls a Capcom with the new threat, as frog-like behemoths begin filling the lab. Akira and the gang take the initiative and weapon up like nobody’s business. It results in some Michael Bay wanton violence, with all of the bullet casings and none of the focus. They do well against the amphibious monsters, but they get close to death one too many times. Fortunately, that’s where Izuma comes in.
The mysterious girl gets her backstory told, as she spent most of her life aiding her widowed mother. She has no time for friends, as she jumps between school and work to lift some of her mom’s burdens. Because of this mentality, Izuma has shielded herself from friends and classmates, a defense mechanism that winds up making her even more alone when the outbreak commenced. But now, she’s not alone, as Shizuka gives the girl the pep talk she’s desperately needed!
That’s when Izuma shows her real side, as her urge to play video games again allows her to go full Counter-Strike on the frog creatures. She also gives Akira and the rest the focus they need to survive this massive battle, with Izuma’s multiplayer experience acting as a solid blueprint to dealing with these ugly-ass aliens! It’s violent, it’s fun, and — above all — it gives Izuma something to both check off the bucket list and add onto it. That is, until what we gamers would like to called “the final boss” arrives.
Readers get a big sigh of relief from the thirteenth volume of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. There’s no need to put a beloved character in a body bag just yet, as the gang get one step closer to the cure they’ve been seeking. We also get some kick-ass gun action from our heroes, who look more excited than terrified to be placed in this situation. Because hey, at least surviving against an army of frog zombies is still better than being stuck in a toxic work environment!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
