Cikomyr
2014-06-08, 10:33 AM
A somewhat long-running webcomic (http://www.thezombiehunters.com) that I discovered yesterday evening. It's actually pretty interesting; as it has very well laid out its rules regarding the whole "Zombicalypse".
The crux of the story is also one of these rules: you can be infected by the Virus through exposition to blood, saliva, etc... but you will not automatically turn unless you are BITTEN (or spat on by the "Spiters"). However, someone who is infected can spread the infection through saliva and blood too, and any infected who dies becomes a zombie thereafter.
So what happens? The "survivors" have created this society where the infected are segregated in their own safe zones, they have to be identified at all time with armbands and ID badges, and they are the ones sent on salvage operations.
You'd think this is some allegory for Nazi Germany, or the American Internment Camps, but so far in the story (only 1/3 through), the government (and the military) seems to be actually doing their darn best to prevent the infected to become oppressed second-class citizens. I mean.. Yhea, there are jerkasses everywhere (and you do get to witness these people's appaling behaviour), but so far I have had the impression that the government only do what it does because there is a genuine risk to the rest of the population. There's been military officers stepping in to protect an infected person from bullies, while protesting that he had to stalk them a week to actually catch them in the act (which underlines that they are PROACTIVE to try to stamp out that sort of behaviour). Also, so far, the govenrment authorities seems to be willing to sacrifice resources to try to find missing Infected personels lost in the Wastelands, actually acknowledging they are important members of society that should not be casually disposed of.
So.. it's nice to finally see a Zombie environment where the government hasn't turned full-on super Xenophobe or Hyper-violent. It's a good and interesting setting so far, and it makes me think about whether or not the harsh treatment the infected have to live in (being segregated, subject to blood test constantly and monitored) is.. necessary, or too harsh?
There's no easy answer, and I love it.
The crux of the story is also one of these rules: you can be infected by the Virus through exposition to blood, saliva, etc... but you will not automatically turn unless you are BITTEN (or spat on by the "Spiters"). However, someone who is infected can spread the infection through saliva and blood too, and any infected who dies becomes a zombie thereafter.
So what happens? The "survivors" have created this society where the infected are segregated in their own safe zones, they have to be identified at all time with armbands and ID badges, and they are the ones sent on salvage operations.
You'd think this is some allegory for Nazi Germany, or the American Internment Camps, but so far in the story (only 1/3 through), the government (and the military) seems to be actually doing their darn best to prevent the infected to become oppressed second-class citizens. I mean.. Yhea, there are jerkasses everywhere (and you do get to witness these people's appaling behaviour), but so far I have had the impression that the government only do what it does because there is a genuine risk to the rest of the population. There's been military officers stepping in to protect an infected person from bullies, while protesting that he had to stalk them a week to actually catch them in the act (which underlines that they are PROACTIVE to try to stamp out that sort of behaviour). Also, so far, the govenrment authorities seems to be willing to sacrifice resources to try to find missing Infected personels lost in the Wastelands, actually acknowledging they are important members of society that should not be casually disposed of.
So.. it's nice to finally see a Zombie environment where the government hasn't turned full-on super Xenophobe or Hyper-violent. It's a good and interesting setting so far, and it makes me think about whether or not the harsh treatment the infected have to live in (being segregated, subject to blood test constantly and monitored) is.. necessary, or too harsh?
There's no easy answer, and I love it.