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Tag #1
Tag Deluxe Edition
Spine-snapping horror in the tradition of the movie The Ring! An average joe strolls down the street after a fight with his girlfriend when a random stranger TAGS him, handing off an ancient curse! He literally begins to die – and rot – seeing his body begin to decompose every day before his very eyes. Cursed, he must either surrender, or find the next victim to TAG… Collecting the three issue mini-series from white-hot Wizard Magazine favorite Keith Giffen and 30 Days of Night Bloodsucker Tales artist Kody Chamberlain!
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2014
About the author
Keith Giffen
1,977 books224 followersKeith Ian Giffen was an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters in ways not seen before. His dialogue is usually characterized by a biting wit that is seen as much less zany than dialogue provided by longtime collaborators DeMatteis and Robert Loren Fleming. That approach has brought him both criticism and admiration, as perhaps best illustrated by the mixed (although commercially successful) response to his work in DC Comics' Justice League International (1987-1992). He also plotted and was breakdown artist for an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with writer Robert Loren Fleming and artist Curt Swan for DC Comics.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 16, 2019
It's a fine read for the fall season, the art perfectly fit the tone of the story and adds a very spooky atmosphere to it.
August 25, 2015
The artwork was decent but the characters were despicable (I don't mind characters that are a tad annoying or you love to hate or evil but engaging, these were just terrible people to have to be around), and the story itself felt a little disjointed and jumpy. Points for originality but not for execution
December 17, 2017
Meh. Bummed out I didn't like this gift, but Mitch was just an irredeemable character and the ending was SO lackluster. I liked the idea, it had potential, and it fell flat still. I like the short, Dead Meat, at the end.
January 5, 2018
It took me awhile to get through this book, and not because it was horrible. I've read worse.
It simply felt like a movie of a movie that I had sat through, while thinking of the same kind of movie while reading this book.
One of those predictable horror movies?
However, there were new concepts and flavors to this book that are lacking in those often repeated horror movies.
I just couldn't get passed the idea of the concept of watching the movie while reading.
Sound a little confusing?
Try reading the book.
It simply felt like a movie of a movie that I had sat through, while thinking of the same kind of movie while reading this book.
One of those predictable horror movies?
However, there were new concepts and flavors to this book that are lacking in those often repeated horror movies.
I just couldn't get passed the idea of the concept of watching the movie while reading.
Sound a little confusing?
Try reading the book.
August 9, 2020
It's a pretty good idea, and there was some sharp writing, especially in the first issue. The art was also on part to tell such a dark story, but I think the downside, as with so many shorter limited series, is that this one didn't have enough room to 'breathe'. Pun intended! Read the book.
October 18, 2017
A very low 2star. The idea of the story intrigued me but the story itself was very poorly written.
August 9, 2023
Intriguing concept, but the ending was kind of abrupt, didn't feel earned and made the whole story feel pointless.
September 9, 2024
It’s fine for the most part- with a dark premise and a horrible protagonist, it felt set up to work well. Though, the moral conundrum is lessened by the next target not being the innocent little girl. The ending happened, and I turned the page fully expecting more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2017
This is a graphic novel that will appeal strongly to the fan of the zombie story, there is one main story and then a short trilogy, all involving the undead. In that context, most of the content is standard fare for the zombie story.
What is different is the mode of transmission of the “disease,” if you are “infected” all that you need to do is to touch your flesh to that of another in order to infect them. Hence the title “Tag,” for it is a lethal game of tag.
The story opens with Mitch and Izumi leaving a restaurant in what is the latter part of a break-up date. As they are walking to a cab, a sickly looking person walks up to Mitch, touches him and then says, “Tag! You’re it!” After a period of grogginess, Mitch passes out and wakes up in a hospital where he is now a member of the undead. He does not breath and has a body temperature roughly that of the temperature of the room. The doctors are baffled as he has been declared dead.
Once he is aware of his condition, Mitch searches online for any clues as to who infected him and for any person that he may want to get even with for past slights. One of the consequences of being undead is that the person decomposes, but very slowly. His personal relationship with Izumi changes into a different form as Mitch faces a very slow death.
The trilogy features a special forces soldier that has been turned into a zombie. He is a member of a unit that officially does not exist, so they are given the special search and destroy missions. As one would expect, the worldwide zombie apocalypse is due to a secret government biological program that went horribly wrong.
As a story, it is very engaging, for the zombies are not mindless, unemotional robots engaged in a simple-minded quest for human food. They retain high-level thinking processes, are capable of emotion and even remorse for what they do. That makes for a more complicated and entertaining story, one that I, someone that is generally not a fan of the zombie stories, can enjoy.
What is different is the mode of transmission of the “disease,” if you are “infected” all that you need to do is to touch your flesh to that of another in order to infect them. Hence the title “Tag,” for it is a lethal game of tag.
The story opens with Mitch and Izumi leaving a restaurant in what is the latter part of a break-up date. As they are walking to a cab, a sickly looking person walks up to Mitch, touches him and then says, “Tag! You’re it!” After a period of grogginess, Mitch passes out and wakes up in a hospital where he is now a member of the undead. He does not breath and has a body temperature roughly that of the temperature of the room. The doctors are baffled as he has been declared dead.
Once he is aware of his condition, Mitch searches online for any clues as to who infected him and for any person that he may want to get even with for past slights. One of the consequences of being undead is that the person decomposes, but very slowly. His personal relationship with Izumi changes into a different form as Mitch faces a very slow death.
The trilogy features a special forces soldier that has been turned into a zombie. He is a member of a unit that officially does not exist, so they are given the special search and destroy missions. As one would expect, the worldwide zombie apocalypse is due to a secret government biological program that went horribly wrong.
As a story, it is very engaging, for the zombies are not mindless, unemotional robots engaged in a simple-minded quest for human food. They retain high-level thinking processes, are capable of emotion and even remorse for what they do. That makes for a more complicated and entertaining story, one that I, someone that is generally not a fan of the zombie stories, can enjoy.
July 3, 2022
Segundo Comic del día, y del año.
Tag cuenta la historia de un hombre común, Mitch, quien después de una pelea con su novia, recibe una maldición de parte de un hombre que lo toca como en el juego de ''La Pinta o las Pilladas''. Esta maldición hace que Mitch se convierta en un muerto viviente, poco a poco se va pudriendo y solo tiene dos opciones, rendirse a la maldición o pasarla a otra persona.
Como puntos positivos destaco que la premisa es demasiado interesante, da un nuevo enfoque hacía el mundo zombie y esta muy bien desarrollada. El trabajo visual también esta muy bien logrado, con ilustraciones en blanco y negro que combinan muy bien con la historia.
El desarrollo de personajes también es un aspecto positivo, en especial de sus dos protagonistas, Mitch e Izumi, nos muestra como en ciertas situaciones, nuestras acciones del pasado pueden volver a atormentarnos. Y por supuesto, como en una buena historia zombie, la humanidad se pone en juego.
No soy muy fan del final, siento que le falto un poco de desarrollo pero que fue coherente con la historia.
En resumen, una historia bien llevada e ilustrada que me dejo con un excelente sabor de boca. Ya quiero leer la secuela, Tag: Cursed.
Tag cuenta la historia de un hombre común, Mitch, quien después de una pelea con su novia, recibe una maldición de parte de un hombre que lo toca como en el juego de ''La Pinta o las Pilladas''. Esta maldición hace que Mitch se convierta en un muerto viviente, poco a poco se va pudriendo y solo tiene dos opciones, rendirse a la maldición o pasarla a otra persona.
Como puntos positivos destaco que la premisa es demasiado interesante, da un nuevo enfoque hacía el mundo zombie y esta muy bien desarrollada. El trabajo visual también esta muy bien logrado, con ilustraciones en blanco y negro que combinan muy bien con la historia.
El desarrollo de personajes también es un aspecto positivo, en especial de sus dos protagonistas, Mitch e Izumi, nos muestra como en ciertas situaciones, nuestras acciones del pasado pueden volver a atormentarnos. Y por supuesto, como en una buena historia zombie, la humanidad se pone en juego.
No soy muy fan del final, siento que le falto un poco de desarrollo pero que fue coherente con la historia.
En resumen, una historia bien llevada e ilustrada que me dejo con un excelente sabor de boca. Ya quiero leer la secuela, Tag: Cursed.
September 30, 2015
Great premise. Unsatisfying ending.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews