The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks

If you are expecting an expansion on or a similar title to World War Z (which i loved), do not purchase this book. This is a graphic novel with extremely little dialouge /plot / story. Most of the stories start and end the same way:
Step 1: Zombies?
Step 2: Zombies!
Step 3: What zombies? / They were never heard from again (Dun Dun Dunnnnnn!)

The pictures were interesting to look at (and from what i can tell, good for a graphic novel), but i honestly read this book in it's entirety on my lunch break at work (MAYBE 20-30 minutes TOTAL). I would say i was simply not paying attention to "Caveat Emptor" when I pre-ordered this a long while back (probably after being enthralled by World War Z), but I cannot shake the feeling like i was taken by this one.

If you ARE a big graphic novel fan, enjoy the zombie Zeitgeist, and are looking for a quick, interesting read, by all means acquire this. But my recommendation would only go to the most hardcore of fans of either Brooks, Z's, or both.

Unlike a lot of the negative reviews, I knew what I was getting in the post when I ordered this (so if you can't read a product description, why are you giving a bad review?)...The graphic novel is a really fun read, especially for hardcore zombie fans.
It's exactly what the title states, a collection of short stories of recorded zombie attacks during several different times and places. Most are only about 9 or 10 pages, so you get through the book quite quickly. The art is fantastic, depicting gory details of the different attacks. The dialogue is a bit light however. I just wish that Max Brooks dove a bit deeper into each event, adding a bit more depth to them.
If you're already familiar with Max Brooks' other zombie books, you'll find this a nice accompaniment to the other tales. And if you're not, well this is a nice introduction to the world to zombie attacks! Also, if you like what you've read and what to read something a bit more detailed and character driven, try The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman.

Zombies are making a major comeback and will soon be as popular as vampires and werewolves are now. I've always had a semi-interest in zombies and find the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to be one of the most frightening movies ever made. I have heard of Max Brooks two zombie books, THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE and WORLD WAR Z, but I haven't read either of them. When I saw THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS for a sale at a local bookstore, I thought it might be a good introduction to Brooks' work.

The book is written in a graphic novel format and chronicles 12 "historical" zombie attacks from the "written record". The first takes place in approximately 60,000 B.C. in Africa and the last in 1992 just outside of Los Angeles. In between there are battles between zombies and the Romans, Japanese, and Russians. Some instances of these attacks are started by military and scientific experiments. The book seems to suggest that the virus that reanimates the dead arose in Africa. Except for one or two instances, how the virus spread from one continent to the next is never explained. The book is illustrated in detailed and graphic black and white.

From what I gather, the book is a good introduction to Brooks' two previous zombie books. The events in THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS are actually taken from the end of THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE and some of the events are referred to in WORLD WAR Z. However, as a graphic novel, the book doesn't really offer much. The illustrations are detailed and graphic, but other than the changes in clothing and facial characteristics, one zombie attack looks the same as any other. The virus infects reanimates someone who is recently deceased, they go off looking for living flesh to eat, more people are infected, an outbreak occurs, the living survivors find themselves trapped and have to either fight their way free, survive a siege until help comes, or outwit the undead hordes.

There isn't very much writing to the book. What little writing there is is fairly simple to understand so the book can be finished in a short time. I read the entire graphic novel in about 30 minutes.

I enjoyed the concept and the book has piqued my interest in exploring Brooks' other works. However, though the details of the illustrations are impressive, there's really nothing outstanding in terms of a graphic novel.

Recommended for zombie fans, people who are interested in Max Brooks' work, and fans of horror (particularly historical horror) comics.

As usual, Max Brooks killed it with the zombie lore! The 'accounts' were brutal and some were down right gruesome. There was that slight comedic air to them, but man this was dark. The art work is fantastic. I found myself just staring at it for long periods, soaking it in. The art told more of the story that the text.

I really enjoyed it.

So now Max Brooks writes comic books? His other books were great, well written, descriptive and engaging story lines. Now a "Graphic Novel" this book has maybe as much text as 4-5 pages of Z-War. If graphic novels are your thing maybe you will like this. I wish it was stated right on the cover, or the the store title. I missed the whole GN portion, otherwise I would have never ordered.

This is the graphic novel the fans demanded: major zombie attacks from the dawn of humanity. On the African savannas, against the legions of ancient Rome, on the high seas with Francis Drake . . . every civilization has faced them. Here are the grisly and heroic stories–complete with eye-popping artwork that pulsates with the hideous faces of the undead. a great book as we see humanity struggling to survive the undead masses

Recorded Attacks: The Zombie Survival Guide
By Max Brooks

Nobody but nobody knows more about actual Zombies and how to keep them from eating you all up than Max Brooks. Max Brooks has also given us the invaluable “World War Z”, an account of a catastrophe yet to come. He has taken the time to write for us the useful “The Zombie Survival Guide” which is very much a hands on how to book the followers can bet their lives on while the unprepared end up as Zombie chow.
This volume many will consider the least of his works but do not let the format throw you off. Mr. Brooks wrote it to informative and yet entertaining at the same time. He has enlisted illustrator Ibraim Roberson to bring visual clarity to Mr. Brooks' words. Roberson has that ability and presents chilling renditions of historical Zombie attacks. His style of detailed fangs and the destruction of flesh brings to mind the work of R. Crumb of another era.
Even in this slim volume Brooks covers a lot of ground. He begins with evidence of Zombie infestations in palaeolithic times unearthed by archeologists. Age by age he demonstrates that there is more to the Zombie tale than mere legend. Do you find it strange that Sir Frances Drake would keep his encounter with the undead under wraps and hidden away in his private papers only to come to light in later centuries? I do not. In his less enlightened age he would be taken for a mad man, at best. These examples and more in as astonishing range in time and geography he proves that Zombies are real. His most recent example comes in California in 1992, too close for my comfort.
This graphic novel style might well reach an audience that more scholarly work would not. As for me, I am getting a copy of his companion (and more conventional) volume “The Zombie Survival Guide” and memorizing it.

Max Brooks, author of the popular Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead, provides the text for this imaginary take on how zombies influenced the course of history. (Did you know Hadrian's Wall was built to keep out zombies, not Scots? That Egyptians removed the brains of their dead to prevent them from rising again as zombies? That even Sir Francis Drake had an undocumented run-in with some zombies on the high seas?) Unfortunately, while Recorded Attacks gains points for creativity, it loses them for lack of substance. This graphic "novel" (if one could call it that) doesn't really tell a story, or even provide characters for us to follow. Instead, it presents a collection of anecdotes, using realistic pencil illustrations and text boxes to provide the reader with suggestions of how and why history happened as it did if there zombies really existed. A good try, but unfortunately doesn't play out to its full potential. Recommended for Ages 16-Up for zombie violence and some nudity.

Once again, Max Brooks brings us those zombies. This time in a black and white graphic novel with illustrations by Ibraim Roberson. What is presented her are twelve different events from different locations and time periods. Beginning with an excavation leading to a story of zombie outbreak from 60,000BC running through a 1992 outbreak in the U.S. This is fantastic. My personal favorite is either the 1583AD Siberia or 1893AD French North Africa foreign legion story (mentioned in ZSG) but they are all fabulous. The artwork of Roberson alone is worth the full price tag, it is visually stunning even more-so in black & white. For those reviews claiming they read it in 30 minutes or less just don't appreciate the venue of a graphic novel, thinking it nothing but a glorified comic book. There's more to this than just reading the dialogue boxes and glancing at the pictures. It's a great journey through time showing that zombies have been around forever and will be our downfall yet.

Don't listen to the negative reviews of those feeling 'ripped off' because they didn't realize it was a graphic novel or dismiss it as a comic book. It is absolutely, 100% worth the $17 price tag. Straight forward stories by Brooks and seriously top notch artwork by Roberson. The only way you can pass on this is if you seriously can't appreciate the medium this is presented in.

Max Brooks, Zombie-Prophet-in-Chief, does it again. No other author/harbinger of impending doom details the dangers of the zombie plague so movingly and plausibly- these zombie attacks may be lost to the annals of history but they read as real as CNN. Brooks painstakingly documents evidence of zombie attacks on the ancient Neanderthals, the Roman armies in Britannia, Caribbean plantations, Imperial French outposts in North Africa, Czarist Russia and other locales across our planet's history and geography. Each encounter is chilling, compelling and highly educational. Brooks blends perfectly the reckless threat of the zombie plague and- as in the case of a zombie outbreak onboard a slave ship- the deliberate cruelty and blindness of the living.

"The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks" is a collection of 12 comic book style quick stories relating to zombie attacks throughout time. The decent black and white artwork adequately depicts the undead stumbling its way throughout history. The graphic novel contains 144 pages, and while many pages are solely pictorial, each story contains a clever solution subduing the zombie threat.

I am utterly shocked by the earliest recorded events at 60000 B.C., who would have thought the prehistoric human would survive such an encounter! The guide is proof zombie's have not evolved over the ages, they still can not perform simplest tasks. Today's mortician should consider the Egyptian burial method to reduce our current zombie epidemic.

Thank you.

Max Brook's newest installment of his zombie journalism series is a book of short stories in comic book form. This report is very enlightening, detailing the presence and outbreaks of the zombie virus throughout time. The narratives are arranged in chronological order, from 60,000 BC to AD 1992. The places of each incident are as diverse as the time periods, starting from Central Africa and ending in California. The important part of this text is how other cultures in different time periods reacted to and survived the zombie outbreak so we can learn from others' experiences when zombies attack our own cities.

I read this book in about a half an hour. This graphic novel is very fast read, but it packs a punch. It is indeed very graphic and not for the faint of heart. I don't think I've ever seen zombies drawn with such care and attention. Every sinew, bite, and bone is very detailed. The art is simply amazing. In my opinion, it might have been more powerful if it had been in color, but it's still enjoyable in black and white.

There is very light dialog and narrative, but the art shows you a lot of the story. A lot of narration isn't really necessary. It's a great way to utilize the form of a graphic novel. Each story has the same basic plot in that zombies attack and they must learn how to defeat them swiftly or face the same fate as their attackers. However, each had different characters and ways of dealing with them. I was impressed that so much can be told in a very short story. Each of the scenes were unique and evoked a different emotion. A couple made me laugh, but a some gave me a sick, sinking feeling in my stomach. (I love when I get that feeling from something I'm reading.) Most of those moments were because of the derangement and cruelty of man in events in history more than the zombies. My favorite story is the one about Ancient Egypt and the possible reason behind their traditional treatment of the dead.

I would recommend reading The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z first, because this is a more of a supplementary text (and those two books are awesome), but I think it can still be enjoyed all by itself. I would recommend this to zombie fans with a high tolerance for gore.

Catching this Max Brooks offering at a local Borders Express, I was surprise to see he had made a graphic novel. In the same sense as the journal entries in the back of his first book 'The Zombi Survival Guide' they are short but very very harrowing. They are all told in third person narrative describing all the events that happen throughout history from cave paintings depicting the first signs of he living dead (which the image of that painting as not left my mind) to a journal entry stating that there was a trained squad of ninjas that were dispatched all over Japan whenever there was a sighting of the living dead.

It's a quick read, but a good one no less. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a swift horrific read. It'll make you look behind your back whenever you're all alone...

This is a graphic novel with some historical minor instances of zombie outbreaks prior to WWZ.

The graphics are well drawn and complex. The writing is clear with a trace of humor. There are no characters to follow as this is an episodic, historical overview type story.

Overall, a fun read.

First off, it's important to remember that none of these attacks are true.

Now with that out of the way, if you read the Zombie Survival Guide from the same author, this comic book is a waste of money. I luckily read this in my school's library and finished it in 15 minutes. It tells the same historical stories you learn from the Zombie Survival Guide, so this is nothing new.

Three stars? That might be a bit harsh, but after the breakthrough success of "The Zombie Survival Guide" (which nicely anticipated the current renaissance of the zombie genre) and the brilliance of "World War Z", I'm holding Max Brooks to a higher standard. There's nothing *wrong* with the current work, but it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. Several of the vignettes are original, a couple (most notably the one featuring the French Foreign Legion) come from the appendix to his first work. The artwork is superb, but ultimately we don't learn anything we haven't already been told previously, and characterization is virtually nil, since most of the episodes only last for a few pages.

That is a major flaw, since your competent slasher or war movies know that you have to build up some empathy with at least some of the characters so that the viewer can buy into their fates and feel a stake in the outcome. Here, we just get a bunch of mostly nameless people getting overrun by zombie hordes, and because there's no time to develop protagonists, there's not much interest in the outcome.

One exception to this is the opening vignette, which has no dialogue yet still manages to engage the reader in the life-or-(un)death struggle of the lead character. (The Roman episode also manages a degree of poignancy through one particular panel in the aftermath.) I would've liked more POV protagonists and a greater sense of dread and menace, but in the end what we get is too about placing zombies in interesting historical and geographical situations and letting them shamble about at the expense of characterization of their human enemies and any buildup of atmospheric tension.

It's still pretty good stuff, but more antiseptic and less involving than it had to be.

I enjoyed this book because I enjoyed the other two of Max Brook's works.

It is an enjoyable read, and the pictures are well drawn.

However if you were looking for one unified continuous plot, this isn't it.

The story follows mankind's timeline and depicts short stories leading all the way to the present.

The book was really short, but I expected that being a graphic novel and all.

Overall I really enjoyed it.

Continuing his role as chronicler of the Zombie threat, Max Brooks now shifts to the graphic novel format to inform us about the history of Zombie attacks throughout history.

From neolithic cavemen, through the Pharaonic era, Rome, the Age of Exploration, unto the present day, it turns out the undead have long been trying to feed on us.

Great fun, and an excellent addition to the canon of zombie works.

Max Brooks is clearly a gifted and talented writer and it is clear that his Zombie series has captivated a wide range of readers. I am not your average Zombie maniac and I must admit this genre generally does not appeal to me. But the graphic novel version of the Zombie Survival Guide is superb. For all those fans of everything Zombie, this book is definitely a must read. The illustrations in the text really help bring the story to life in a way that's far more interesting than when you read the book. Brooks made a smart decision by writing this graphic novel and i'm looking forward to reading more of his work.

"Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks" is a fantastic aide to his zombie series. It is a graphic novel, and brings a new and welcomed element to "The Zombie Survival Guide". The story represents "historical accounts" ranging from 60,000 years ago to 1992. Brooks' stories themselves transport the reader into a world where zombies have always been present and even offers mockingly-serious explanations of why certain things were done in the past. It is a graphic novel, and the keyword being graphic. Ibraim Roberson created a dark world, perfect for a land infested with the undead. There are some parts that may not be suitable for younger audiences, but I personally liked the added touch.

Whether you're a zombie fanatic, a graphic novel fan, or obsessed Max Brooks: chances are you'll enjoy "Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks". And I'd like to stress one more time, before Max hunts me down - "It isn't funny. There's nothing new. And there's no central character." If you can see past that, which I'm sure most can (and will!), this is a book for you. It is a fantastic escape and is well worth the cost.

I don't understand all these reviewers who say they were shocked that a graphic novel would have "many pages of just pictures" IT'S A GRAPHIC NOVEL!! That's what a graphic novel is! This is an amazing visual representation of the world Max Brooks has created. It's like a peek inside the head of the author and I, for one, find it endlessly fascinating. I keep pouring through it and think it's the perfect companion piece to his other works. I too am looking forward to another book by Brooks, but am so thankful to have this as an addition to my collection. Get this book and enjoy it for WHAT IT IS and don't listen to these silly reviews complaining about WHAT IT IS NOT! It's a graphic novel and one of the best I've ever read! *****

Well, first, I must say that the video trailer piqued my interest as I was already a fan of Brooks' first two books. The Zombie Survival Guide was excellent, and World War Z was and still remains a gripping read. Fans of the zombie genre shall not be disappointed in this graphic novelization. I picked it up this late past Friday night and couldn't put it down.
I Loved the chronology of the recorded attacks from Ancient Africa to the modern West Coast. And the chilling part of it is that Brooks' imagination causes one to ponder whether this is a fictional piece of work or perhaps some recounting of actual recorded attacks.
How DARE Brooks as he's caused me to question my own reality.

Well Done Mr. Brooks. Well Done.

~wArJinx

**kudos to IBRAIM ROBERSON for raising the stakes and bringing this world even closer to our consciousness**

Upon first glance, I fell in love with this version of Max Brooks' opus, The Zombie Survival Guide. Ibraim Roberson's art fits perfectly with the landscape of each of the included recorded attacks. While in Central Africa, the pages quiver with the dust and grit of the desert, the slime of the small pool of water. And Mr. Roberson accomplishes no small feat when he takes on the story solely through his art; aside from the first pages, there is no dialogue, no description. Later, in Egypt, the claustrophobia of the tombs, the terror of one's final days are all perfectly encapsulated within two panels of frantic claw marks and sparse exposition. The interplay between drawing and writing is especially entertaining throughout this graphic novel; I imagine both artist and writer enjoyed making layout decisions. It seems that Mr. Roberson took Mr. Brooks' subject matter to heart and then had a ton of fun creating his own version of each terrifying attack. This is a great companion piece to those who already own The Zombie Survival Guide, as well as a wonderful introduction to the marvelous, morbid world of Max Brooks.

I was very impressed with how Recorded Attacks uncovered myth and lore throughout the ages to visually tell the story of actual Zombie attacks from Pre-Historic times through the modern era. Brooks raises the dead by masterfully showing the multi-facets of zombie clashes with humans during some of the most important events in our history. The end lesson (my take-away) is that no civiliation may ultimately be saved from a mindless mass of decaying flesh. My only regret was that we did not glimpse the Republican zombie hoards and tea-baggers as case in point. You will enjoy this one!

Ever since I read the Zombie Survival Guide, I've been hooked!!! Only Brooks can pull off this combination of horror, comedy, and parody and keep you lusting for more! World War Z was also brilliant, unique, original....and a total page turner.....

So I guess I've been bracing myself because what writer doesn't strike out sooner or later....but holy smokes, the Zombie Survial Guide - Recorded Attacks, brings everything together in a completely 3 dimensional and beautifully zombish way! The work is highly detailed, and illustrations totally uncanny. After every book that Brooks has written, I have said: "the zombie world will never be the same", and indeed it is very true of his latest work as well. Check this out...you will not be dissapointed!

An illustrated account of zombie attacks throughout the history of mankind, Recorded Attacks shows you in chilling black and white the best chapters of The Zombie Survival Guide. As a fairly serious fan of quality Zombie films and stories (I've been to the Monroeville Mall), I highly recommend this to anyone that is interested in Zombie lore. The only reason I gave it 4 stars out of 5 is because it's fairly light on dialogue, even for a graphic novel, but that is the only (minor) drawback to an otherwise great addition to the zombie mythology.

Max Brooks' newest terror tome is pale version (both in structure and impact) of his first book, which is the source material for this one. It would have better served his readers if this book was titled THE SKELETON SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORD ATTACKS, because all of the literary meat of the original essays have been stripped away. What remains is a super-quick read that covers all too familiar territory. The artwork is nicely rendered but after a two year wait I expected much more.

Max Brooks' newest terror tome is pale version (both in structure and impact) of his first book, which is the source material for this one. It would have better served his readers if this book was titled THE SKELETON SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORD ATTACKS, because all of the literary meat of the original essays have been stripped away. What remains is a super-quick read that covers all too familiar territory. The artwork is nicely rendered but after a two year wait I expected much more.

The Zombie Survival Guide was a page turner and this graphic novel makes the pages come alive. For anyone who was captivated with ZSG, who had their own vision bouncing around in their head, now they get to see what the author intended. Max Brooks knows how to write a zombie story and with Roberson he has was able to make the graphics work beautifully to horrify. Brooks and Roberson know their subject, from continent bouncing to home warfare it is all illustrated to a tee. The pair must have spent a boat load of time on accuracy, a Brooks trademark, because every recorded attack has fanatical depth and scholarly detail. I have friends with birthdays on Halloween, and now I have the gift.

I was so excited to learn that Brooks was working on a graphic novel. I ran to my local bookstore on Tuesday to pick it up and let me tell you, it doesn't disappoint. The graphics are great and only enhance the stories. It was such an organic move from novel to graphic novel. I can't wait to see what he tackles next.

Max Brooks + Zombies = pure genius! Max Brooks, in collaboration with the incredibly talented Roberson, creates a masterpiece with this amazing graphic novel.
The writing, as with Max's other books, is terrific, and the artwork is completely enthralling - vivid, frightening, totally haunting. If there is such a thing as a perfect zombie-themed
graphic novel, it is this one!

Excellent addition to Brooks' pantheon of Zombie books. This is a great way to escape into a world of incredible imagination and awe. The author puts you right there and you are in the unenviable, but nevertheless fascinating and compelling position of wondering, "What would I do?" Highly recommended.

Max Brooks' long awaited Graphic Novel is gross and creepy. Just like it's supposed to be. As the foremost Zombie Expert, Max has pioneered the latest zombie craze and should be commended as a trail blazer and visionary for this wonderfully disgusting genre. This is hopefully the first of many graphic novels, films, animated projects and adaptations. Do I see Zombies on Ice??? Hmmm? 5 Stars!!

Regardless of how long you can stare at the illustrations, Recorded Attacks will not take you more than 5 minutes to read. It is too brief. There is no development in ANY of the historical accounts to really come away with any memory of what you had just read. The illustrations are nicely done, but the recorded accounts read like two sentence obituaries.

I love Max Brooks, World War Z, and the Survivival Guide, but Recorded Attacks is completely overpriced for a graphic novel.

I guess some were confused about what this book was supposed to be, but I felt it was exactly as advertised and I really enjoyed it. I really appreciated a chance to see how Max conceptualized the stories he touched on in Zombie Survival Guide. Great job!

Finally! I've been waiting for this forever! It does NOT disappoint. This is the comic adaptation that was promised a while back and it does indeed deliver. If you are a zombie fan or a fan of Brooks' other work (this comic is adapted from material from his crucial "Zombie Survival Guide") then you already know that this is a must-have. The stark, highly-detailed black and white artwork really brings these grizzly stories to terrifying un-life. Sooo awesome. I am now ordering 3 more for Halloween gifts for friends.

While I loved Max Brooks last two books, this was a big disapointment. When I pre-ordered this (a long time ago) I had no idea it would be a graphic novel. Not only that, but most of the accounts in this book where already written about in the survial guide.