The world today is, in a world, exhausting.
Not that it hasn’t always been that way. I’m American and Americans speak from privilege quite often. But it’s clear that things are… different. Tribalism is becoming the rule rather than the exception. Humans have tended to bend toward an “us vs. them” dynamic, but the polarization is palpable. The air tastes of metal.
The consolation of times like these is that some of the best art is produced and forged in adversity, to let us know we’re seen and not alone. To inspire. To witness.
Case in point: Only the Savage Are Left, a new upcoming horror series debuting June 3, 2026, from Dark Horse Comics. From the creative team of writer Zack Kaplan, artist Stefan Raffaele, colorist Thiago Rocha, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Only the Savage Are Left follows a world plague by a virus that has spread across the globe and transformed the infected into monsters. The world pre- and post-outbreak looks very different for folks like Ryder and Oaklynn, whose love story is cut short before it has time to fully bloom. Reunited years later and weathered by very different life experiences, is any relationship that might rekindle another casualty of the virus? What does a world of monsters do to those left? Physically? Spiritually? Are only the savage left?
I have been a fan of Zack Kaplan’s writing for years; it’s always that right mix of action-packed and thoughtful that is my sweet spot. However, I say with no hyperbole that Only the Savage Are Left #1 might be the best writing he’s done in his career, and that’s no small feat for a creator of his caliber. Joined with the creative talents of Raffaele, Rocha and Otsmane-Elhaou, this is a book that is so tense (in a good way) and speaks so acutely to our time in 2026, and I can see this series being infinitely re-readable.
Only the Savage Are Left #1 Marco Mastrazzo variant cover
FreakSugar: Before we get into the comic itself, what is the genesis of Only the Savage Are Left?
Zack Kaplan: It actually began several years ago. I noticed a lot of zombie apocalypse stories focus on older men facing paternal roles with sons or daughters, but I was curious about a different kind of story: a love story. But I wasn’t sure what else it could be, until I stumbled upon another question: what if you could save yourself from turning? Would that only further cause us to turn on each other? And that felt very timely, since it feels like we accept a lot more savagery towards one another than we used to. Suddenly, I had this burgeoning story about two lovers in a world of monsters, and question to them both: how do you live in a world of monsters? I had been talking to Stefano Raffaele for years about working together, and when he said he loved post-apocalyptic stories – I shared the idea. He loved it and Only the Savage Are Left was born. We populated the world with terrifying creatures, we created a touching and complex love story and we threw them into the Monster-Apocalypse!
FS: For folks considering picking up the book, what is the conceit of the series?
ZK: A strange virus has spread across the world, transforming its victims into monsters. And the only cure is to kill another infected soul. When a nonviolent young man sets out from the safety of his settlement to find his missing true love, he must face the corrupted world of monsters and monster-killers. A dramatic survival adventure that dares to ask what we should stand for in the monster apocalypse.
Or more simply – Walking Dead with Monsters and a coming-of-age story like Invincible.
Only the Savage Are Left #1 David Mack variant cover
FS: The characters we meet early on are already very fleshed out. What can you tell us about the cast?
ZK: The protagonist is a very earnest and kind young man named Ryder, an optimist who believes in the best in people and always tries to help others. Man, is he in for a rude awakening! But he falls in love with a tough young woman named Oaklynn, whose life is constantly facing chaos, which has trained her to get by however she can. They’re sweet together, they sort of see each other when nobody else will. But then the outbreak hits. And as the story unfolds, we see quite clearly, they have very different world views and different journeys to talk. And that makes their love story more than just star-crossed. There are some other characters like the villain and Oaklynn’s father who play very pivotal roles, but we can’t spoil all the fun – so you’ll just have to read more to get to know them!
FS: The infected have a very unique look, especially after their full turn. What has collaborating with Stefano Raffaele and the creative team been like?
ZK: Oh, Stefano and I have been deep in the world-building of this story. For the nature of the post-apocalyptic world, what does a five years later set up look like? For the marauders and villains, what sort of lifestyle have they adopted? And the monsters – it was very important they look like humans who have transformed into monsters. These are not creatures from hell or demons. These are organic mutated living things, a beastly nature intent on killing. They aren’t slow-moving zombies and they aren’t hive minded creatures. They are primal, animalistic, dangerous, vicious things. And they are not falling apart like zombies. They can be killed like any living thing. So, we put a lot of thought into every nuance, we worked with Thiago on the skin tones and the blood and bone protrusions. We developed the transformations process from human to monster, because we see characters transforming little by little. And then, we explored just how far these monsters can go, and how big they can get. It’s been a lot of fun!
And Stefano and Thiago are an exquisite team. The book has such a powerful look, a mix of a harsh Western and a dramatic action-adventure. I think it will definitely stand out on the shelf and wow readers!
Only the Savage Are Left #1 Jonathan Wayshak variant cover
FS: After reading the first issue, I went back and read the synopsis of the book you wrote: “The only cure is to kill another infected soul.” I’ve been teaching about the Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials in my high school U.S. History class and this line has stuck with me. Did you have any commentary on the world or society that you had in mind when writing this?
ZK: Oh yeah. If readers know my work by now, I definitely like to explore timely topics. And we definitely feel like the shared fabric of society moving together towards a shared future has completely unraveled. We all have segmented into us and them mentalities, and this has given way to a level of violence and savagery towards one another that has become common place. Every week, you can turn on the TV and see it unfolding. It’s almost like the last ten years has allowed our true nature to come out in terrible ways. Not your nature or my nature. But our nature. This is our society, and it reflects us. So, our question is – what do we do about it? How do we survive in a world like this?
And I don’t have any answers exactly, it’s more of an exploration of our choices and our paths ahead, and asking the reader what they think. How would they choose to live in a world of monsters?
FS: Following up on that, without spoiling anything, the very last line of the first issue is “Boy, you want to survive these monsters… you are gonna have to become one.” That’s a very weighty line that’s been applicable to all of human history, but… Perhaps I’m speaking just for myself, but keeping up with the news and social media is exhausting. We see “monsters” fighting one another daily. Is that last line a comment on that?
ZK: Absolutely. This is a young man’s ideals being tested. And I’m not going to say whether that transformation will be positive or negative. That’s for the reader to decide. But this is what made the project so exciting to me, because Rick in Walking Dead or Joel in The Last of Us; these guys are older and their disillusionment sets in quickly. It’s easy to see them take to violence. But what about the young man who still has hope in his eyes and love in his heart. What about the young man who’s never picked up a gun and never had to see horror in his fellow man? How does he reconcile this world?
Only the Savage Are Left #1 Stefana Raffaele cover
FS: As you say in the synopsis, the book in part is about watching savagery becoming normalized. That’s a beautiful way to put it because, to follow up on my last point, we’re seeing it now.
ZK: Yes, I think we definitely give readers some heavy topics to think about. But I will also say, it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s a high-octane adventure! It’s a survival story in a crazy world of monsters and marauders. It goes a bit Mad Max at times. It explores one beautiful landscape after another. And it’s taut with suspense, ripe with scares and filled with action. We’ve packed it to the brink!
FS: Is there anything you can tease about what we can expect to see later in the book?
ZK: The monsters get big, and while Ryder is hesitant to get bloody, there are some real badass characters coming at you very fast, including his love interest Oaklynn. She’s cool as hell.
FS: If you had a final pitch for the comic, what would it be?
ZK: Your favorite post-apocalyptic adventure of the summer, and a monster book you do not want to miss!
If you’re excited to check out more, there’s a great trailer online and you can follow me on social media at @zackkaps or on my substack Zack Kaplan’s Technobabble to get more updates on Only the Savage Are Left, as well as other new Dark Horse books this summer The Smart Division and Kill All Immortals III.
Only the Savage Are Left #1 goes on sale Wednesday, June 3, 2026, from Dark Horse Comics.
From the official issue description:
A strange virus has spread across the world, transforming its victims into monsters. The only cure is to kill another infected soul. When a nonviolent young man sets out from the safety of his settlement to find his missing true love, he must face the corrupted world of monsters and monster-killers. A dramatic survival adventure that dares to ask what we should stand for in the monster apocalypse.