Griffin Reads – Ex-Heroes

Title: Ex-Heroes

Author: Peter Clines

Genre: Zombie, Superhero, Horror

Summary:

Los Angeles is overrun by a zombie apocalypse, leaving the world’s former superheroes to protect the remaining human survivors. Operating out of a fortified Hollywood movie studio called the Mount, heroes like Stealth, Gorgon, Cerberus, Zzzap, and the Mighty Dragon manage daily defense, security, and scavenging operations against the undead hordes.

But the community faces a new threat when a rival faction emerges in the city. Led by a ruthless warlord with his own unique powers, this group targets the Mount, forcing the surviving heroes to defend the sanctuary against both zombies and an enemy that understands their specific powers and weaknesses.

Content Guide:

• Graphic violence and intense horror elements (zombie attacks, gore, etc.)
• Strong language
• Depictions of grief, psychological trauma, and severe peril
• References to drug abuse, gang violence, and non-graphic sexual content

My Thoughts:

I’ll stop off by admitting that I’m not much of a zombie fan. Aside from the fact that I’m kinda squeamish when it comes to gore, I usually prefer my undead in fantasy settings and stories rather than contemporary ones. However, mashing superheroes into the mix breathed new life into the familiar zombie apocalypse trope, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Considering when this book was written, you might think this is a gimmicky attempt to capitalize on the simultaneous cultural booms of Marvel movies and The Walking Dead… and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. There’s little here that breaks new ground other than the initial premise. However, I found the writing tight and functional, like a solid B-list comic book arc or a mid-tier superhero flick. It’s tightly paced and there’s some subversive pleasure when the superhero power fantasy meets the zombie apocalypse.

Clines structures the novel by alternating between the grim, survivalist present at the Mount and a series of past flashbacks that detail how each hero gained their powers and watched civilization crumble. It’s a creative device that’s held back somewhat by the rigidity of alternating chapters and forcing both timelines into a strict chronological order despite balancing more than half a dozen perspectives and tones. Still, it’s an effective way to ground the characters as deeply flawed, traumatized people who are carrying the weight of what remains of humanity.

I should also include a word of caution about the book’s sequels. There are five books in this series, but I’ve failed twice to move past the third book, and the second one is a slog. Clines used all his original ideas in the first book, and the subsequent books all-but discard the zombies to focus on lamp-shading other cliches. The good news is that this book works as a standalone story, and that’s how I would recommend enjoying it.

This book would be an excellent fit for anyone who enjoys fast-paced survival horror and off-brand superheroes. Just don’t expect any high literature here. This is pulp on top of pulp.