I, Zombie

Coming out this May, the 5th, for only a buck. Loving these Vertigo #1/$1 deals.

Written by Chris Roberson and art by Mike Allred. Here's an interview: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22244

Synopsis: "Gwen Dylan is a gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery…and a zombie detective. Once a month, she has to eat a human brain – both to keep from going all "Night of the Living Dead," and to keep her own memories intact. As a result, Gwen's mind is crowded with the dead person's thoughts. And lately, she feels compelled to fulfill their final requests. Torn between a mysterious mummy and a dashing young monster-hunter, Gwen is set for adventures beyond imagination! A were-terrier, a swinging '60s ghost and a pack of paintball blasting vampires complete the cast of I, ZOMBIE."


Issue #2's cover

Any interest? Chris Roberson worked on Fables/Jack of Fables, and Cinderella, amongst many pulp magazine writings.

And everyone knows Mike Allred. X-Force/X-Statix, Red Rocket 7, Madman & The Atomics...

Seems like a cool idea. For only a dollar I'll check out the first issue.

When I heard about the concept of this book I thought it sounded pretty cool. I typically enjoy Chris Roberson’s stuff and like most nerds I’m a big fan of Allred, I I figured what the heck.

I’m glad I did give it a shot.

It’s a typical introductory issue so you get what you’d expext: you get a quick glance at all of the players that will be turning up, it gives you a taste of what to expect out of the story, and you get a little picture of the world that the characters live in. In the case of this issue all of the pieces add up quite well, but it’s the promise of what’s to come that’s the real draw here.

First off, the issue is only a buck, so even in hard economic times pretty much anyone can afford to give it a shot.

The cast of the book all come across as very likeable even if the majority of them are a little more or less than human depending on how you view the super natural. You’ve got ghosts, Were-Terriers, vampires, and zombies.

Gwen, the main character, is fun to read. Roberson instills just enough understandable angst paired with pretty dark sense of humor to make her dialogue highly enjoyable. Her interactions with the rest of the characters are usually twistedly funny as you find out more and more about each of them.

Roberson does a great job of diversifying the rest of the cast, providing them with individual voices, and when you find out the reasons they act like they do you get some very chuckle worthy moments.

The promises this issue makes and what they set up are what I really enjoyed though. It seems like this will turn into a mix of Chew and Cold Case with a Zombie for a detective. If that doesn’t sound fun I don’t know what does.
Allred delivers as he always does. His art is beautiful in it’s simplicity. Everything is clear and sharp, the colors compliment everything without overpowering the panel as everything flows together in the fun old shcool style he’s known for. If you like Allred’s stuff you’ll love what he’s doing here.

As I said earlier, izombie #1 is a fun introductory issue if a tad typical, but what Roberson and Allred have promised me will get me back for issue #2.

izombie #1 gets 3.5/5, cool intro + dirt cheap + a ton of fun possibilites = Must Read.

I Zombie

This was a great book. It is worth your $1. Vertigo was smart to release something new and strange like that. I wish all first issues were a dollar, but even more I wish that all first issues did as good of a job selling the book to me.

I wasn’t a hard sell though. I love Mike Allred. I love the simplicity of his art, and actually like that the main character kind of reminds me of Dead Girl from X-Statix. The writing is average, but Roberson gives the reader just enough to capture their attention and make them want to investigate the series more.

I live in the Pacific Northwest. The story being set in Eugene, Oregon was also a bonus for me. There are a lot of wierdos up here, but this is a depiction of Eugene that I thought I would only see from a local publisher. It has every element you should expect from a Pacific Northwest story, including the muckyness and the rain.

This Eugene however seems to be the equivalent to a hellmouth in the Buffy series. We see many different fantasy monsters including ghosts, vampires, and of coarse a Zombie.

The twist at the end with the zombie’s eating habits is going to leave a lot of room in this story for development and constant changes of pace. Couple that with the fact that there are still more characters that we haven’t dealt with and this could be the next Walking Dead.

If you like Buffy, zombie books, vampires, or just something different pick up this book, it’s only a dollar.

3.5 out of 5 Ware-Terriers

Haven't read it yet, but I'm eager to check it out.

I picked this up (only $1) and I liked it. The premise is interesting and the characters seem pretty cool. I don't know if I'll follow it but definitely intrigued.

Damn! I knew I forgot to buy something today.

^ I honestly almost forgot to pick it up. My brain kept whispering Vertigo, then fam! "Oh yea!" Heh. I'll read it tonight. Haven't heard any complaints from the few who snagged it at my LCS.

Okay, just read it. Now this is a premise. Love how Allred always sets that 60's hip vibe with just his art.

I just read it. I really like it well, so far at least.

I thought this was pretty creative. And in tune with what Vertigo is common for putting out. I wouldn't be surprised if this is optioned for a movie sometime in the near future.

I may have to check this out. I dig Allred's art and I've heard a lot of positive things about it.

you SHOULD check this out

I think I shall. $1 for the first issue is a hell of a deal!

That's what I'm talking about.