2026’s Best Horror Comic (So Far) Is Changing The Genre Forever

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Comic book readers have a lot to be excited about this year, with new titles appearing in nearly every genre. While so many books are being released, one series – a thrilling new zombie story – is really capturing everyone’s attention.

Deniz Camp, Stipan Morian, Matt Hollingsworth, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s Bleeding Hearts has become a standout comic this year, and many are already calling it one of the most compelling zombie stories in years. After just one issue, it’s clear this comic delivers exactly what horror fans have been waiting for, and it’s continuing to improve with each release.

What Is Bleeding Hearts All About?

Bleeding Hearts is one of many stories, but it stands out because it’s told from the perspective of Poke, a zombie. Poke is just one of the many zombies who were responsible for the near extinction of humanity. But focusing on a zombie is only the first surprising thing about Bleeding Hearts.

Poke seemed like a typical zombie, but he was shocked to find his heart starting to beat again. To make things even stranger, he began experiencing feelings he thought he’d lost forever when he became undead.

This story has a lot of potential, and Deniz Camp is a skilled writer who can explore all its fascinating details. The idea of Poke regaining his humanity is immediately engaging, as very few stories in any form of media have truly explored what it would mean for the undead to become truly alive again.

How Bleeding Hearts Turns the Zombie Apocalypse Upside-Down

While Poke’s story is compelling, it’s not the only thing that makes Bleeding Hearts a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse. The book portrays zombies not as mindless monsters, but as complex people stripped down to their most fundamental instincts.

In Bleeding Hearts, the zombies are exactly as terrifying as you’d expect – relentlessly attacking the living. But the story also shows a surprisingly developed zombie society has formed since humanity’s collapse, complete with individual personalities and a system where being an individual matters for survival.

The name “Mouse-Pokes-Golf-Ball-Through-Hole-In-Head” isn’t just a label – it’s like a descriptive title, and every zombie in the story has one. These zombies, from Bleeding Hearts, all have long, detailed names that describe how they look or something they’re known for within their community. In the case of Poke, his name refers to the funny performances he puts on for other zombies, which is a surprisingly complex detail – most zombie stories don’t give this much personality to their undead characters.

Even before he was fully revived, Poke was already creating characters and jokes, which says a lot about his personality and the zombies in Bleeding Hearts. After a scary experience they both survived, Poke’s best friend, Mush, jokingly suggested they switch right arms to show how close they were. They actually went through with it, leaving them both with uneven appearances.

What Fans Can Expect from Bleeding Hearts Going Forward

Ultimately, the zombies in this world are more compelling than the people trying to survive. While Bleeding Hearts initially presents a focused, suspenseful story about what it means to be human, it hints at a much larger, more intricate world filled with complex societies and political maneuvering.

It’s still unclear if the comic Bleeding Hearts will fully explore the origins and motivations of its zombies, but it seems likely that it will. The first issue and future story outlines reveal the plot will center around Poke finding Cara and Rabbit, a struggling mother and daughter. However, this likely isn’t the whole story, and the series will probably delve into a much larger narrative.

Poke is starting to worry about his friend Mush, who’s noticing Poke seems different and stronger. If Mush figures out what’s going on, the secret might get out. While Mush probably wouldn’t be upset, it’s hard to predict how the others will react.

But the real question is whether Poke’s change is just the first sign of a larger transformation happening within the entire zombie horde. If so, having a heartbeat could become a matter of survival not just for one zombie, but for the whole world. However, the zombies in Bleeding Hearts don’t just crave humans – they hunger for anything with a pulse. This could mean an even grimmer destiny for Poke, and potentially trigger a crisis that leads to a completely new type of zombie outbreak.

Bleeding Hearts #1 from DC Vertigo is on sale now.

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2026-02-25 20:09