Review: iZombie - Dead to the World

In the sleepy little town of Eugene, Oregon, not everything is quite what it seems. Its paintball course is run by vampires, monster hunters are running amok and a mummy is killing townsfolk to maintain his youth. For zombie gravedigger Gwen Dylan, this is just a drop in the bucket of all the weirdness she deals with on a daily basis.

iZombie: Dead to the World collects iZombie #1-5, written by Chris Roberson and illustrated by Michael Allred.

iZombie is quirky, fun and full of macabre humour. It’s like an interesting mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Daniel Clowes’ seminal Ghost World, the book combines its cast of offbeat characters with the moody setting of a small town to create a really distinctive storytelling experience. While the concept of a town populated with monsters and ghosts is far from being new and original, what Roberson and Allred do with it is really fresh. By taking elements of the supernatural and infusing them into this incredibly mundane world, iZombie becomes this relatable reading experience full of characters who seem like people you know from your everyday life.

The plot is simple enough. Our heroine Gwen is a zombie who must consume a human brain once a month to retain her sanity. There’s just one little problem with this arrangement – she temporarily retains the memories of the deceased after consuming the brain. This means that she is most often a victim to their hopes and desires, and feels compelled to address any unfinished business they may have had. Despite her rather disgusting extracurricular activities, Gwen is refreshingly normal and has just the right amount of wit to get readers laughing with her clever quips. More importantly, at her core she is a good person with the instincts to do the right thing in any given situation. As such, this concept of a zombie who is disgusted by her actions and who is quite heroic makes for a rather compelling read.

The other characters in iZombie are equally as exciting. From the socially awkward were-terrier Scott to the Regina Georgian vampire Nemia, the rest of the cast is colourful and brimming with personality. My personal favourite is perhaps the ghost Ellie, who artist Allred draws so brilliantly as a mod-inspired ‘60s gal. She’s Gwen’s best friend and through this role offers support, as well as a potential comedic foil given her fish-out-of-water narrative.

The real star of iZombie is perhaps its artist Michael Allred. His punchy, retro art is absolutely stunning, making each page a treat to look at. The characters are all so visually appealing and are uniquely designed in such a way that they pop off the page. From Gwen’s pale blue hair with its signature white streak to Ellie’s stylish ‘60s wardrobe, the cast is really distinctive. While Allred’s art owes quite a bit to pop art, he should also be commended for taking inspiration from the ordinary. Scott, for example, isn’t visually portrayed as being a dashing Twilight-style werewolf. Instead, he’s this rather unassuming geek with a mildly amusing unibrow. These visual cues add a lot of character to iZombie in such a way that it highlights the excellent teamwork between artist and writer.

iZombie: Dead to the World is a must-read. It’s wickedly funny, it’s accessible and it’s got a cast of truly unique characters. It’s hard to find fault in this collection and, with Halloween approaching, now may be the perfect opportunity to binge-read this quirky little series.

RATING: A