It’s been a while since I last read Marc Guggenheim’s post-alien invasion tale Resurrection, and with the fifth issue hitting stands this Wednesday, I thought I’d take a look back at the first four issues, and see how we’re doing. Oh, and a little bit of an advanced look at the fifth ish, courtesy of the fine folks at Oni.

For those new to the series, the high concept idea is, “what happens after an alien invasion?” So instead of following how we beat back the aliens with only a plucky fighter pilot and an awkward mathematician, you get to see the events immediately following the end of Independence Day. How does society cope? Can society cope?

It’s a smart idea, and straight forwardly written, as usual, by Giggenheim. The closest analogue to the book is The Walking Dead, focusing more on the “Governor” and “Fear The Hunter” arcs, where humans are the real enemies. And if anything, at least for the first five issues of this extremely accessible reboot, the major theme Guggenheim is dealing with is, “how badly do human beings suck?” The answer? A whole lot.

The first issue effectively set up and brought us up to speed on the concept and characters, so if you’re looking to get into this, that’s your best bet. As of now, though, we’re knee deep in the end of the first arc. The town of Red Lion, one of the last safe havens for mankind, is under attack, and our band of anti-heroes has just discovered that President Clinton (you read that right) is alive and well.

The fifth issue deals with the fall-out from that particular bombshell, without giving away the whole kaboodle. And is par for the course for this series, things get worse before they get better.

Here’s what doesn’t work about this series: so far, plot-wise, the President Clinton reveal included, nothing has been breaking any new ground, or blowing me away. As mentioned, if you’ve read or seen any post-apocalyptic fiction, the plot beats are going to feel pretty familiar to you. However, this is a bit of a quibble, because there’s a lot that works.

In particular, the time dashes and flashbacks of the story effectively illuminate character choices in the “present,” without ever feeling shoved in. And the back-up stories, “Tales of the Resurrection,” are great for fleshing out the greater world of the book, and giving us important teases for the future. Where Y The Last Man, for example, was focused almost entirely on Yorick’s journey, this is showing us what’s happening in the world at large.

And the back up in issue #5 is worth the cover price alone. The art is reminiscent of the late Seth Fisher, and gives us a surprisingly different view of the invasion and its aftermath.

End verdict? Fans of The Walking Dead of Y The Last Man will certainly want to go back and pick up issues of Guggenheim’s series. And for everyone else, if you’re looking for a solid tale, well done, look no further.