Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Hooves of Death: Volume 1 by Sam Bragg is a middle grade horror fantasy post-apocalyptic graphic novel. The zombie outbreak has happened and humanity is hanging on by a thread when the unicorn military comes in to help. Glitter is determined to do her part and offers to scout the area for more food. When she goes out, she doesn't find food, but instead finds a young girl who could be the key to everything.

This is taking a lot of lore and fantasy creatures and doing something new with them. Unicorns in a post-apocalyptic setting is already very cool, but adding that some of them were the chosen steeds of the four horsemen of the apocalypse and that pestilence is still looking for theirs adds another twist. There's also ruthless pegasi who have managed to keep the zombie outbreak out and a group of sasquatches who are trying to undo the zombie plague.

The palette balances out the darker setting with the bright colors that we so often associated unicorns with, pleasing that young reader who is into the aesthetics of My Little Pony but also wants to dip their toes into horror. It's not overly busy and takes a more minimalist approach to let the fantastical really shine.

The friendship between Glitter and Kate evolves through them protecting each other even when the other says not to. They have a strong bond roughly halfway through this volume and they are saving each other out of genuine love and care rather out of a sense of obligation or returning the favor. We get a little bit into how the zombie outbreak might have started from Glitter's POV and if that is indeed what happened, it makes sense that she would be so protective of Kate from the start because she already failed to protect another young girl.

I would recommend this to fans of MG horror who also loved My Little Pony and readers of graphic novels looking for something combining the darker and lighter elements of speculative fiction

Another Webtoon favorite is going to be available in print! The overarching plot is fine, and I look forward to seeing what happens, though it isn’t what drew me in or what keeps me coming back. I was initially drawn in by the art: bright, stylized, cute without taking away from the drama of the story. I particularly love the way the grim is portrayed. Bragg does a great job developing characters from archetypes, and draws evocative expressions on all the characters, be they human, squire, or other. It’s a joy to read.

unicorns and zombies are a fabulous combination.

but the fun doesn’t stop there… sirens, vampires, big food, pegasi, this book truly has it all lol. really hoping the evil death dog does turn out to be good in the next story, he’s my favorite

thank you netgalley for the arc!

This book was awesome. I love the concept of the mystical beasts of myth all being a part of trying to survive the apocalypse. I loved the magic system and that the legend of the four horsemen was involved instead of it being a more mainstream zombie take. The story line was engaging and I was even pleasantly surprised to see an illustration with a road sign that I have seen in real life many times! My favorite part is the illustrations. For me they were a mix of Last Unicorn meets Scooby Doo and I absolutely loved it!! I cannot wait for Vol 2 and to see what happens with Kate and Glitter and to see if those sasquatch make a vengeful appearance!

A unicorn story set during a zombie apocalypse seemedlike a strange setting at first, but this ended up being a fun read.
I'm curious about what wiĺl happen next, because there is a cliffhanger.

vaguely remember reading a bit of this when it first came out on Webtoons thinking it had some decent enough legs on it. I'm glad it was enjoyed enough to warrant a printing.
The story and writing here is good. It reminds me a lot of Centaurworld on Netflix with its mix of cutesy whimsy (unicorns, gnomes, etc.) mixed with a darker setting (zombies, vampires, etc.). The blend of the two types of supernatural works really well here especially with the really interesting Horsemen of the Apocalypse (though the famine aspect felt really weak to me). The comedic moments read well and the action is engaging. It all does feel a bit with safety mitts but part of that is this seems to be written for a slightly younger YA demographic so I get having to avoid certain intensities.
It also reminds me of Centaurworld because it reads like a cartoon in its writing and pacing. The pacing is ok though a bit quick especially with the bigfoot and the pegasi plotpoints. But overall it’s a nice quickly faced adventure that by the end got me invested in the main crew. I do wish we got just more chapter as where it ended felt pretty abrupt even for its cliffhanger ending. But I imagine that is where season one of the webtoon ended so the next chapter might not be written to serve as a good ending chapter.
My same sentiment about the similarities to Centaurworld carries over to the art. It's cartoony and seems to partially use some sort of bank of bases, rigging, or something similar? It's not too bad and panels still breathe with life where too much rigging normally saps life from a panel. But there are other sections where it feels really awkward and stilted like a jpg of “character standing at X angle / perspective” was just plastered in there.
Of course as an adaptation of a Webtoon I would be remiss to not talk about how it was adapted into a traditional page layout. It works well enough. Some panel layouts are a bit sparse or repetitive but there isn't much they can do. I mean they have to do with the panels meant to be read continuously vertically. It does have a fair bit of blank space and sometimes it handles it well with thematic background instead of white space but I feel it doesn't do it enough. As it went on though that seemed to be less of a problem (maybe the page layout person got better at it as it went on?). I also don't think the artist didn’t exactly expect to get a novel printing as some “money panels” would definitely have served from being borderless and taking the full page. But instead it's all boxed in and few take up big page space. Maybe it was a pixel quality issue though? I'd definitely take smaller panels of blowing a panel beyond what its pixels were meant for and getting blurry messes.
On an revisionary note there were one or two pages where backgrounds or panels extended to the next page. This might be fine on a print edition but as a ebook version it meant two pages had awkward blank or purple lines on the next page. If I remember correctly it was one panel where the black border just barely edged onto the next page and one where the purple background of the white space edged into the next page.

If you’ve consumed any type of zombie apocalypse media, the storyline of Hooves of Death will feel familiar: a band of survivors on the run, unexpected encounters with other groups, secrets and betrayals, and the possibility of a chosen one who might hold the key to ending the apocalypse. The pacing is fast and energetic, matching the constant motion of the main characters. The twist? All of this unfolds in a world of unicorns, brought to life in a vivid, slightly exaggerated art style reminiscent of classic Cartoon Network animation.

This first volume is mostly about setting the stage. The origin of the zombie outbreak is hinted at only briefly, through a single, vague flashback. There’s early groundwork laid for a broader mythology involving the Four Horsemen and mystical pegasi. Several characters are presumed dead off-page, leaving room for potential surprise returns in future volumes. And beneath the fantasy and action lie moments of deeper reflection: what it means to live during catastrophe, the tension between survival and truly living, and themes of sacrifice, trust, and friendship.

Aside from the unicorn twist, it still feels a bit early to know what Bragg’s unique take on this well-worn formula will be, but I’m intrigued enough to pick up the next volume when it releases.

Best suited for a pre-teen to early teen audience, though readers on either side of that range may also find plenty to enjoy.

Thanks to HarperAlley and NetGalley for providing an advance reading copy.

The story follows a human girl and a herd of unicorns as they travel through an apocalyptic world, trying to find a safe place to live while also finding a way to save everyone. There is humor, horror, and found family, which I enjoy. Perfect for older teens and adults looking for a more magical take on the Walking Dead!

Unicorns, zombies, and the end of the world. Add in found family, a slow growing romance, excellent art and world building, and this is a comic I really want everyone to read. The art is lovely; while the unicorns bleed rainbow blood these are no cute and cuddly kids toys. They’re strong, fast, and just as angry and lost at what’s happening around them as the humans are.

Glitter is slowly coming into her own as a leader while Blaze, a unicorn more versed in healing than violence, loves her quietly from a distance. Then there’s Kate, the child Glitter rescues, who has lost everyone — parents, friends, humanity itself — who goes from wanting nothing to do with unicorns to seeing them as her new family, Silver, a unicorn who had given up on being forgiven, and Grimm, the dog shaped being who wants to kill Kate and the occasional visits from Famine, and it’s a road trip through a dying world. Sirens, bigfeet, vampires, pegasi, gryphons … it’s a bright, colorful world of chaos and carnage and it’s wonderful. I loved every minute.

Please read this comic! And thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

Great adventure! So many magical creatures and monsters. Loved the artwork and the story is so creative. I'm ready for Vol. 2 because this ends on a cliffhanger! Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC