Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: the Graphic Novel, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

To misquote Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that an unexpectedly successful book will force its creators to keep milking it like a cash cow until it falls over dead. That's why Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith's best-selling parody of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, has spawned a prequel, an upcoming movie version, countless imitators, and now a graphic novel adaptation.

For those of you who've managed to avoid this pop culture phenomenon, here's a quick rundown: In Grahame-Smith's take on Austen's classic romance, early 19th century England is overrun with brain-eating undead, and the upper classes have devoted themselves to exterminating the zombie scourge. While the five Bennet sisters are all expert warriors, quick-witted and sharp-tongued Elizabeth is the best fighter in the family... but even her dedication to the deadly arts is shaken when two wealthy, single, and extremely well-trained young men arrive in the area.

There were, admittedly, a few clever moments in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and even though most of the artwork looked strangely unfinished, it was still miles better than Marvel's recent Pride and Prejudice miniseries. Unfortunately, every flicker of wit was offset by a heavy-handed joke about zombies, ninjas, or Elizabeth holding Mr. Darcy's (musket) balls. While the end result would have been much improved by a ruthless editing job, I have to give this adaptation props for being slightly more fun than I expected. Admittedly, that's not saying much, but if you're a really devoted fan of both Pride and Prejudice and campy horror, you could probably do something worse with your hard-earned $14.99.

(No promises, though.)

Review based on publisher-provided copy.