Book Review - Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies: The Art of Treyarch
- 2 minutes ago
- 6 min read
September 1st 2026
There are few series in entertainment that are as big and successful as Call of Duty. Its history is long and the fanbase shows up every year to shoot their way through the campaign, multiplayer, and in many of the entries, Zombies mode. It is this undead-filled mode that holds the focus in the first standalone artbook for the franchise, Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies: The Art of Treyarch.
The dive into Zombies was released on August 11th, 2026 by Insight Editions, with Titan Books publishing the book here in the UK. A copy has now joined the collection, so I’ve been able relive some gaming memories through the book, and can now share my thoughts on what quickly became a highlight of 2026.
Build Quality
This is a huge release, coming in at 28.5cm x 26cm, with 336 pages to make it a thick hardcover volume. The production quality is excellent all round, including the paper and print finish that are top tier, putting amongst the best I’ve come across. The binding is also a strong point, because despite how thick the book is, it flexes enough at the spine so that all the pages can lay fully flat, which is very impressive.
I also really like the cover design that shows a zombie hand split up to hold different illustrations from the games found inside. The hand is embossed and varnished too, making it pop in the light. It’s executed wonderfully and the extra effort is appreciated.
Content
Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies: The Art of Treyarch is a monster of a book. From start to finish, it fits in well over a thousand pieces of art, as well as a lot of reading about the history of Zombies. The celebration of 15 years of the game mode has been carefully curated, while being comprehensive and reading like a love letter to its history and the players.
The chapters cover the games that Zombies was included with, starting World at War in 2008, then running through the Black Ops entries, Cold War, Vanguard, Modern Warfare Zombies and ending with Black Ops 6. You get a look at the maps, enemies, weapons, technology, characters, traps, perks, and more for each entry, and I’m not sure they could have fit more in if they tried.
The art itself is a fantastic mix of early sketches, colour concepts, storyboards, illustrations, and maps, covering all aspects of the artistry involved. The artists’ work is incredible as expected, benefiting from the print quality that allows all of it to shine. The environments, enemies, and weapons are mixed together throughout and are fun to look over as the the game mode expands. Call of Duty is a military shooter franchise, but Zombies is where the artists get to flex their creative muscles and it definitely shows. Wonder Weapons, the undead, mythical creatures, strange maps, and more, share the fun ideas Treyarch had, sharing with readers the artwork that highlights why Zombies was the perfect focus of an artbook.
Because the book runs through the history from 2008 until 2024, you can see through the concepts and designs how Zombies grew and changed. From the grounded original map of ‘Nacht Der Untoten’ and its regular Nazi zombies, to the hugely expanded stories of the Aether and Dark Aether's and their eclectic mix of mythologies and stages, it’s an engaging visual history of Call of Duty Zombies that brings back old memories, while sharing unused designs along the way.
There are so many highlights in the book, but the variety of zombie types will likely stand out to many, as well as personal favourite maps too. Shangri-La was one part I really enjoyed, because the environment artwork is superb with its sketches and map breakdowns, as well as the creepy Zombie Monkeys and Napalm Zombies getting some page space as well.
Alongside the artwork are insights and interviews with some of the people behind the series, including Studio Head Mark Gordon, as well as other senior staff members. There is a lot of reading here and it shares the inception of Zombies, the innovations, the team and studios feelings on the mode, easter eggs, the stories, and so much more. It runs alongside the art to give an in-depth understanding of where Treyarch was with each release, and their dedication to making Zombies special.
Details are shared about all aspects of the game development, including challenges and ideas for the maps, the approach for the Wonder Weapon designs, and the positive or negative reactions to what they released. It’s an engaging read, one that you learn a lot from, while gaining an appreciation for their approach to Zombies as its own entity, as opposed to just a small piece of a Call of Duty release. This is one of those books where you move from one interesting story to the next, leaving you wanting to pick up the controller for another round. It’s a testament to the great interviews conducted for the book, as well as the work Treyarch have put in to make Zombies the huge hit it continues to be today.
Credits
Unfortunately, there are no artists credits for the images in the book. Here and there some of the leads that were interviewed, such as Senior Lead Concept Artist Peter Lam, who mention in the text that they worked on something seen on the page, but it’s not the same as knowing exactly who did what. There was likely a huge number of artists over the 15 years that contributed to the games though, so it may not be easy knowing who did what, but a list of artists would have been nice to see.
Use of Space
Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies: The Art of Treyarch was designed by the studio Amazing15, who have done a superb job with this release. They have effectively filled the hefty 336-page book with a huge amount of content, without wasting space or making it feel overcrowded. A lot of the art is made to look like it was taped in, like a scrapbook or folder, with some overlap used to fit more inside that is all done without ruining artwork. They could have kept it very simple, but the approach here maximises the amount of art and details featured, which is elevated by the print quality that makes even the details in smaller images clear to see.
The binding also comes into play, because there is art that crosses the centre fold throughout, but it all avoids image loss due to the pages being able to fully open up. In a book this thick it is easy to have image loss, but the physical book itself has really helped the designers showcase the art as intended.
Value
The hardcover book comes with an RRP of $50 in the US and £39.99 in the UK. This is in the normal range for an artbook, but taking into account the size and quality, this makes it much more appealing. Some smaller books have been charging more in 2026, so this price point is great news for players interesting in getting lost in the art of the undead.
Unfortunately at this time, the book is sold out in the UK, though some sites share that stock is coming in the next 4 months. However, using sites like Amazon, it is possible to import the book to Europe at a low price.
Verdict
Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies: The Art of Treyarch is a brilliantly presented history and art showcase for the beloved Zombies mode. The variety and sheer amount of concept art will have you enjoying the book for a long time, and that’s before even taking into account the detailed history told through interviews. The first standalone artbook for Call of Duty could have been a simple collection of images, but diving into the most creatively distinct part of the series with this level of care has made it a standout artbook in the collection here.
Whether you’re a newer player wanting to catch up on the history, or someone that remembers the days of getting the Ray Gun from the original Mystery Box, there is a lot to appreciate and learn here, making it a worthy artbook for an iconic game series.
If you enjoyed the review and previews and would like to order Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies: The Art of Treyarch, you can do so here;
Comments