In this review of Bleeding Hearts #2, we get a bit of the human perspective of the zombie apocalypse.
BLEEDING HEARTS #2
Written by DENIZ CAMP
Art and Main Cover: STIPAN MORIAN
Variant Covers: ALEX ECKMAN-LAWN, DILLON SNOOK
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 3/11/26
This review contains spoilers
Bleeding Hearts #2 starts off where the previous one left off: Poke face to face with a gun-wielding human survivor. But as the angle makes clear, we’re seeing things from her POV this time. That said, Poke takes a quick moment to knock her out so he can get her elsewhere
Along the way, the woman is convinced that, yep, this is how death comes for her and her child. There’s a flashback to when she was giving birth to the kid (who she named Rabbit), delivered by said kid’s father Solomon. She even briefly wonders if it’s Solomon carrying them…but figures the ride’s too rough to be him.
There’s another flashback, about her shielding Rabbit from witnessing Solomon’s Death By Zombie, before the pair find that they’ve been dropped off at a school gym. Rabbit, seeing that her mother’s been crying (and pointing out the broken ankle she should probably stay off of) offers her her favorite plushie Flip…only to find that Flip’s not there.
A bit of flashback about how Solomon had created Flip for Rabbit himself, how she’d had this plushie through all sorts of normal-for-the-zombie-apocalypse childhood milestones… Rabbit says it’s okay that they can’t find it.
Her mom is a bit impressed at how strong her kid is. And goes into how they didn’t really know the group they were with all that well, but Rabbit still grew attached to them.
But then, Poke appears, carrying a few things in his arms. Mama’s ready to kill him, even as he drops the bundle of food and water for them. And when he produces Flip, as well, Rabbit’s more than willing to approach him, very sure that he’s friendly.
Really enjoying the art for this title overall, and Bleeding Hearts #2 makes things look a bit more intimidating. Which fits for the more human-based perspective this issue brings forward. Last time, the colors were a little brighter, and we got a sense of humanity from the zombies (given that it was from their perspective that time around). But here? The colors are a bit dimmer, Poke’s expressions less human, since he’s being seen through the eyes of someone that’s had to fight tooth and nail to survive against those like himself.
At the same time, the visuals are dynamic and quite clearly two sides of the same coin. So, love how it’s consistent, while at the same time, keeping the two POVs distinct.
Story-wise, it would probably be more surprising if Rabbit had both of her parents rather than the one. But the human side of a zombie apocalypse is notoriously marked by tragedy, so the survivor we follow here and her kid had to have lost someone. And since it’s outright stated that they weren’t all that close to the group seen back in part one, it’s pretty clear that said loss wasn’t among them.
Something I’m wondering with the story, here: how long have the remnants of humanity been dealing with the undead? This lady was in the back of an abandoned vehicle, giving birth to her kid. It’s never mentioned if Solomon happened to be a medical professional, but he’s there for them either way,.
It’s not a long scene, but Bleeding Hearts #2 also shows how rough an apocalyptic childhood would have to be. Rabbit doesn’t look like she’s all that far past maybe six or seven yet, at most, and she already knows how to shoot an arrow. She’s seen horrors that would make most adults run muttering to a therapist (favorite example: zombie human centipede, because…did that just happen on its own, or was some freak out there experimenting on the undead like in that particular movie series, because both of those options get more twisted the more I think of them).
So far, it’s clear that Rabbit’s mother doesn’t trust Poke, and the fact that he’d saved two humans (and didn’t deliver them to the horde with ketchup or some such) would make him a pariah amongst his own people… Things are probably going to get quite heart-wrenching quite soon, and I’m here for it.
Final Thoughts
Last time, we saw the zombie side of the apocalypse. Bleeding Hearts #2 brings the human perspective into things. And that setup is what makes Bleeding Hearts such a great read so far. Elements of this one do feel a bit familiar when looking at zombie apocalypse tales overall, but it’s all presented extremely well, and the artwork is still great.
