The 28 Days Later franchise is about to get even bigger with the summer release of 28 Years Later, a new entry in this zombie-inspired set of films, hailing from the original movie creators, director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland. But before 28 Years Later hits theaters later this June, fans of 28 Days Later can see how the first and second film, 28 Weeks Later, became even more connected thanks to the franchise’s foray into the world of comics.

Released in 2002, 28 Days Later took the idea of zombies and flipped it on its head, with the Rage Virus replacing the undead hordes as the reason for civilization’s downfall. Following Cillian Murphy’s Jim and Naomie Harris’ Selena as they try to survive the apocalypse, 28 Days Later eventually received a follow-up in 2007’s 28 Weeks Later. In a comic book-exclusive story set between movies, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later secretly crossed over after connecting the main characters from both stories, namely, Selena from 28 Days Later and Andy and Tammy Harris from 28 Weeks Later.

28 Days Later Comic Connects Selena to Andy and Tammy From 28 Weeks Later

28 Days Later #22 - 2009 (Michael Alan Nelson and Alejandro Aragon)

Continuing from 28 Days Later, this 24-issue comic series follows one of the film’s main characters, Selena, as she meets American journalist Clint Harris and agrees to guide him through London to get to the bottom of the original Rage Virus outbreak in England. Walking down a trashed street after a harrowing series of traumatic events leads her to visit her pre-apocalypse home, Selena hears a motorized vehicle coming her way, and as she hides behind an overturned car, sees a familiar pair of siblings, 28 Weeks Later’s Andy and Tammy, as they speed down the street on a moped.

Followed by an armored NATO vehicle, Selena thinks nothing of these riders as they zip by, continuing her trek to her abandoned house none the wiser and making this singular comic book page the link that ties the two 28 Days Later films and its comic series together. As fans of 28 Weeks Later already know, Andy and Tammy are on the moped because they have just snuck out of the safe zone to visit their old home, acting as the catalyst for the re-emergence of the Rage Virus and allowing the events of 28 Weeks Later to take place.

The 28 Days Later Sequel Comic Shows How the Medium Can Expand on the Film Universe

28 Weeks Later Hasn't Had a Comic Series Since This One

Noted before by this series’ writer that the intention for this scene was to deliberately line up the end of the comic with the beginning of 28 Weeks Later, this connection is effective in its subtleness but also allows them to operate separately, successfully tying their stories together within the larger tapestry that is the 28 Days Later franchise. Not feeling overly gratuitous or forced, fans seeing what Selena was doing during 28 Weeks Later shows exactly why exploring the medium of comics is a great way to expand on characters and moments that the live-action space can’t always show.

Though this series can’t be considered canon to the films as there are a few contradictions throughout — like how, in the comic, the Rage Virus is still running rampant throughout the UK as opposed to 28 Weeks Later, where it’s been contained — this story is still well worth reading in the lead-up to 28 Years Later. Luckily for fans, 28 Years Later will be the first in a planned trilogy, with the next sequel to this violent epic, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, already in the can, leaving open the possibility for a true in-continuity 28 Days Later comic!

28 Days Later is available from Boom! Studios.