Advance Review: ‘Corpse Knight’ Is A Zombie Story That Loses Its Way

Daddy’s back! And this time, he’s mad!

That’s the promise of Corpse Knight, Image Comics’ six-issue limited series now collected in a trade paperback. Set in 15th-century France during the Hundred Years’ War, the series follows young Foy and her father as they try to avoid the horrors of the battlefield. When a pair of highwaymen kill her dad, Foy’s prayers appear to be answered when he returns from the dead as her undead protector.

It’s a promising setup, blending medieval history, supernatural horror, and the enduring bonds of family. And for a while, Corpse Knight delivers on that potential.

Writer Michael Chaves establishes an intriguing central mystery: Is Foy’s father’s resurrection a miracle or a nightmare? The girl’s faith, innocence, and determination provide an emotional anchor as the pair search for Joan of Arc, hoping the future saint can restore Dad to his former self. Meanwhile, Matthew Roberts’ illustrations effectively capture Foy’s youthful innocence and the increasingly battered appearance of her armored, zombified father. Renzi’s vibrant colors add welcome energy to the proceedings.

Unfortunately, the story becomes increasingly distracted by its own ambitions. Haunted forests, supernatural wolves, additional child characters, and other side quests threaten to overwhelm the central narrative. Just when the series seems ready to focus, another complication arrives.

The middle chapters also suffer from some frustrating storytelling choices. One issue ends so abruptly that readers may wonder whether a page or two went missing. And while the eventual revelation of the real villain, Gilles de Rais, offers an interesting historical twist, the character arrives too late to make much of an impression. His motivations remain underdeveloped, leaving the final confrontation feeling less satisfying than it should.

Roberts’ artwork is similarly uneven. His armored corpse knight is a memorable creation, and he effectively conveys Foy’s darker side as her supernatural abilities emerge. However, the frequently simplistic character designs and sparse backgrounds leave much of the medieval setting unexplored.

Collected together, the six issues make for a brisk read, but the complete journey ultimately feels less rewarding than its premise suggests. Corpse Knight begins with an intriguing question about faith, family, and the supernatural, only to become tangled in unnecessary complications.

There’s a good zombie story buried in here somewhere. Unfortunately, it never quite comes back to life.

Corpse Knight Vol. 1 — written by Michael Chaves, illustrated by Matthew Roberts, colored by Rico Renzi, and lettered by Pat Brosseau — will be available on Wednesday in comic book stores and on digital platforms from Image Comics.