In even the deepest parts of space, a beacon of hope can shine through. As Akira and the gang find themselves on a rocket ship filled with the undead, it would seem like the time for that shining hope to arrive should come at any moment. Thankfully, as the eighteenth volume of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead shows, hope arrives in many different ways. But the one that matters most appears to be right around the corner: a cure!

The main concern in this volume is how Akira and the others will be getting home. There’s no electricity on the International Space Station, thanks to a zombie trapped in the turbine that powers it. But when Takemina and the billionaire Ukaji take a space walk to get it unhinged, the worst situation occurs: one of them is pushed into the darkness of space.

Meanwhile, Akira and Shizuka find a journal that contains the origin story of the zombie outbreak. What was initially used in the hopes of curing deadly ailments evolved into the zombie virus that our heroes see today. It was no alien that came to conquer Earth; it was a biochemical weapon bent on making everyone into a mindless flesh-eater. At the very least, we now know where it all began!

If that wasn’t enough, Kenichiro, Beatrix, and Izuna find themselves surrounded by space zombies. It takes some of Kenichiro’s trademark nudity and a little spinning action to get away from them, as the undead twirl in zero gravity in a very hilarious fashion. Still, to be trapped in a room in outer space is nevertheless scary. So the question is, where’s the hope going to come from?

A little chain reaction of solid ideas brings about rescue for every person, including the one doomed to spin in outer space forever. An air lock, zombie stepping stones, and a bit of quick thinking bring about the plan to keep every person safe. And if that weren’t enough, with the return of the electricity, a little something can be put into great use: a recording station.

It’s this moment where Zom 100’s biggest lessons play a key role in the survival of the human race. Akira transmits a message to everyone, imploring the importance of working together in order to better all of humanity. He also adds one thing: take it easy here and there. Even if the world’s collapsed, it doesn’t mean you have to work yourself tired every single day!

There’s also the bucket list that’s in the title of the manga. A look at the two-page spread shows that these guys have crossed off a whole lot up to this point in the series. In fact, there are only 23 things remaining that need to be done before the list is completed! So once the list is finished, will that be the end of the story? And will the final thing be spreading the cure for the zombie outbreak?

The last few pages of Volume Eighteen certainly hint at that, as Tsuru is close to finalizing the cure. But he needs one thing: giant eggs. As luck would have it, there’s a certain thing that’s on the bucket list that ties into giant eggs. If I were a betting man, I’d say that Zom 100 is about to do some ostrich racing in the next few chapters!

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media. Click here to read past reviews of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead!