The concept almost seems obvious, now that someone else has had it: Zombie Pirates!

Sure, there are a handful of vampire/pirate yarns out there already, but zombies? Sure. And the title, Dead Men Tell No Tales, is just too perfect.

But the story by Dwight L. MacPherson about the bloody efforts by Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and Black Bart Roberts to possess the Holy Grail just sort of flounders around aimlessly beneath the trappings of violence and madness at sea. And, while the subtext of ancient Knights Templar who sail across the Atlantic to hide the Grail makes some sort of sense, I am less certain why the so-called Cup of Christ would call to these bloodthirsty pirates to come, find and possess it.

As for the zombies, they don't really seem to do anything except moan and shamble around well outside of the center of action -- and they have no true purpose in this story that I can discern. I suppose they're simply there because the concept is a cool one.