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iZombie (Volumes) #1-4
The iZombie Omnibus
Told from a female zombie's perspective, IZOMBIE is a smart, witty detective series with a mix of urban fantasy and romantic dramedy. Gwendolyn "Gwen" Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person until she eats the next brain. She sets out to fulfill the dead person's last request, solve a crime, or right a wrong.
The inspiration behind the hit CW series created by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) is now collected in its entirety for the first time ever in his oversized omnibus edition! This critically acclaimed series from Chris Roberson and Michael Allred is a can't miss for fans of the show and graphic novel lovers alike! Collects issues #1-28.
The inspiration behind the hit CW series created by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) is now collected in its entirety for the first time ever in his oversized omnibus edition! This critically acclaimed series from Chris Roberson and Michael Allred is a can't miss for fans of the show and graphic novel lovers alike! Collects issues #1-28.
646 pages, Hardcover
First published December 8, 2015
31 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Chris Roberson
552 books264 followersChris Roberson is the co-creator with artist Michael Allred of iZombie, the basis of the hit CW television series, and the writer of several New York Times best-selling Cinderella miniseries set in the world of Bill Willingham’s Fables. He is also the co-creator of Edison Rex with artist Dennis Culver, and the co-writer of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D, Witchfinder, Rise of the Black Flame, and other titles set in the world of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. In addition to his numerous comics projects, Roberson has written more than a dozen novels and three dozen short stories. He lives with a teenager, two cats, and far too many books in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
December 9, 2021
After dying mysteriously, Gwen Dylan is a dead girl who must eat a brain once a month to avoid madness. But an evil lurks beneath her city that could destroy the world...
The iZombie Omnibus collects iZombie 1-28 plus short stories from House of Mystery Annual 1 and 2.
I got this as part of Amazon's 3 for 2 deal a couple weeks ago. It's been on my radar for years but I never picked it up. I went into this as cold as possibly, only knowing Gwen was a zombie. I was banking on Allred and Roberson's past works and my gamble paid off because this was great.
While Gwen is a brain eater, she's not typical. She retains the memories from the brains she eats and tries to finish things the deceased left undone. Not only that, she's a gravedigger so she doesn't have to kill anyone to eat their brains. Her best friends are a ghost and a were-terrier.
The world Allred and Roberson have crafted here is packed with all sorts of things I like: undead government agents, agent monster hunting orders, soul devouring menaces from beyond the walls of the world, Russian brains in coffee pots, talking chimps, etc. Without giving anything else away, this is way closer to Doom Patrol than The Walking Dead.
Roberson's dialogue is punchy as hell and Allred's art is as slick as ever. The characters were engaging and there were some funny moments, although Roberson knew when to use the humor and when not to. None of the dramatic moments have their legs cut out from under them by stupid quips. The twists kept on coming and it was really hard to set this tome aside for long.
28 issues isn't that long of a run but I'm glad iZombie had a definitive beginning and ending. Too many series go on for way too long. I didn't really see the ending coming until a few pages before it hit and it was a satisfying conclusion. I was afraid I would be underwhelmed like some recent series enders I've read.
The iZombie Omnibus was a great read. 4.5 out of 5 brains.
The iZombie Omnibus collects iZombie 1-28 plus short stories from House of Mystery Annual 1 and 2.
I got this as part of Amazon's 3 for 2 deal a couple weeks ago. It's been on my radar for years but I never picked it up. I went into this as cold as possibly, only knowing Gwen was a zombie. I was banking on Allred and Roberson's past works and my gamble paid off because this was great.
While Gwen is a brain eater, she's not typical. She retains the memories from the brains she eats and tries to finish things the deceased left undone. Not only that, she's a gravedigger so she doesn't have to kill anyone to eat their brains. Her best friends are a ghost and a were-terrier.
The world Allred and Roberson have crafted here is packed with all sorts of things I like: undead government agents, agent monster hunting orders, soul devouring menaces from beyond the walls of the world, Russian brains in coffee pots, talking chimps, etc. Without giving anything else away, this is way closer to Doom Patrol than The Walking Dead.
Roberson's dialogue is punchy as hell and Allred's art is as slick as ever. The characters were engaging and there were some funny moments, although Roberson knew when to use the humor and when not to. None of the dramatic moments have their legs cut out from under them by stupid quips. The twists kept on coming and it was really hard to set this tome aside for long.
28 issues isn't that long of a run but I'm glad iZombie had a definitive beginning and ending. Too many series go on for way too long. I didn't really see the ending coming until a few pages before it hit and it was a satisfying conclusion. I was afraid I would be underwhelmed like some recent series enders I've read.
The iZombie Omnibus was a great read. 4.5 out of 5 brains.
July 15, 2016
After devouring the entirety of the iZombie tv show, I thought it would be a good idea to check out the series which the show was based on. If that's your reasoning for reading this too, you'll probably be as surprised as I was to find out that there's really very little similarity between the two. That's not to say this isn't worth reading, however.
Collecting the entire 28 issue run, plus two short stories, an artist's gallery and an afterword from writer Chris Roberson (who also mentions the TV show and the differences between the two), this omnibus contains the entire story of Gwen Dylan, a girl who finds herself resurrected as a zombie. With her two friends, a ghost, and a were-terrier, she tries to solve murders after inheriting memories from the brains she eats, but finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy that features two monster hunting societies, a ghost author that possesses her brother, a team of vampires, a mummy, two Frankenstein's monsters, and a Cthulhu-like monster from beyond reality.
The story starts off fairly slowly but soon builds speed; each issue is easy to read, and I'd get to the end of an issue quite quickly and not even notice. There's a certain sense sometimes that Roberson's story is lopsided, likely because he had to finish everything before he had a chance to flesh out everybody, but for the most part everything is concluded nicely. A little more focus on the Phantasm might have been nice, although quite a lot of the story Roberson doesn't actively tell us can be inferred from what we do see, and the ending is both bittersweet and smile-inducing.
Of course, Mike Allred's wonderful pop-art style is a huge reason why iZombie is successful. He draws 24 of the 28 issues, and Roberson wisely uses the fill-in issues to flesh out backstories for characters so that the fill-ins (who aren't to be sniffed at, with the likes of Gilbert Hernandez and J. Bone doing two of them) don't detract from the ongoing story.
iZombie feels a little incomplete in places, but manages to tell a fulfilling story about a girl and her second chance at life. It's absolutely nothing like the TV show, but it stands on its own merit, and can be enjoyed either as a side dish to the show, or as a main course all on its own. Ok, enough food puns, this isn't a Chew review.
Collecting the entire 28 issue run, plus two short stories, an artist's gallery and an afterword from writer Chris Roberson (who also mentions the TV show and the differences between the two), this omnibus contains the entire story of Gwen Dylan, a girl who finds herself resurrected as a zombie. With her two friends, a ghost, and a were-terrier, she tries to solve murders after inheriting memories from the brains she eats, but finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy that features two monster hunting societies, a ghost author that possesses her brother, a team of vampires, a mummy, two Frankenstein's monsters, and a Cthulhu-like monster from beyond reality.
The story starts off fairly slowly but soon builds speed; each issue is easy to read, and I'd get to the end of an issue quite quickly and not even notice. There's a certain sense sometimes that Roberson's story is lopsided, likely because he had to finish everything before he had a chance to flesh out everybody, but for the most part everything is concluded nicely. A little more focus on the Phantasm might have been nice, although quite a lot of the story Roberson doesn't actively tell us can be inferred from what we do see, and the ending is both bittersweet and smile-inducing.
Of course, Mike Allred's wonderful pop-art style is a huge reason why iZombie is successful. He draws 24 of the 28 issues, and Roberson wisely uses the fill-in issues to flesh out backstories for characters so that the fill-ins (who aren't to be sniffed at, with the likes of Gilbert Hernandez and J. Bone doing two of them) don't detract from the ongoing story.
iZombie feels a little incomplete in places, but manages to tell a fulfilling story about a girl and her second chance at life. It's absolutely nothing like the TV show, but it stands on its own merit, and can be enjoyed either as a side dish to the show, or as a main course all on its own. Ok, enough food puns, this isn't a Chew review.
auf-pause
January 2, 20191=fach klasse 😎
January 10, 2018
I loved this! I grabbed this after watching about three episodes of the tv series. The comic and show don’t have a lot in common, and they both stand out on their own.
Gwen is really cool, down to earth for a zombie. I liked her and her friends, would have enjoyed a spin-off or another volume.
Gwen is really cool, down to earth for a zombie. I liked her and her friends, would have enjoyed a spin-off or another volume.
December 26, 2015
Very enjoyable read. Many more characters than the TV series. Interesting storylines and art. Recommended.
January 5, 2016
Very fun read. Even better than the TV series.
February 15, 2024
I never finished IZombie back in the day when I was reading it in trades. But this was such a good choice. I love the art, I love the wacky hijinks and the characters. All round made for kids who loved Scoobydoo!
November 13, 2024
One of the few instances where the tv series is better than the book. I enjoyed this series, even if the all consuming Xitalu was just not that interesting to me.
September 24, 2018
For those of you who watch the show, this is not like the show. She does not work in a morgue and there is no Ravi (sad face). I am sure my experience with the show and how much I love that has played a part in my decision for a 3.5 star (but I marked it 4).
This is still a really good story and I loved reading it and admiring all of the art work. Granted, the story is weird as F**K, but still really good. I am just starting to dip my toe into the graphic novel world and it seems that so far, they are so weird and their own thing from their TV counterpart.
*UPDATE* Now that I began the show over from season 1, there was already a small reference made from the book. The Were-Terrior was Ravi's avatar in the game that they play trying to locate a killer. So happy that I read the book and now watching the show to see what they hid in there!!!
This is still a really good story and I loved reading it and admiring all of the art work. Granted, the story is weird as F**K, but still really good. I am just starting to dip my toe into the graphic novel world and it seems that so far, they are so weird and their own thing from their TV counterpart.
*UPDATE* Now that I began the show over from season 1, there was already a small reference made from the book. The Were-Terrior was Ravi's avatar in the game that they play trying to locate a killer. So happy that I read the book and now watching the show to see what they hid in there!!!
July 17, 2016
Overall, the series of I Zombie comics that comprise this tome seems rather disjointed. It feels very much, in reading each of the issues, that there is a distinct lack of continuity. While this could (and probably does) stem from the episodic nature of individual comics, it does affect the reader's interpretation of the larger narrative. As someone who had not read any of the comics prior to their collection in this omnibus, the feel of the narrative did get in the way of enjoying the issues as a collective entity. With that said, the writing in the individual stories is quick-witted and filled sarcasm - and who doesn't like that!
March 14, 2016
Lots of fun, way different from the TV show, but that is what made it so readable.
May 9, 2016
3.8
Loved this but I wasn't too crazy about the end, still a very good story with lots of little comic book, 70's cartoons and other geek pop culture references.
Loved this but I wasn't too crazy about the end, still a very good story with lots of little comic book, 70's cartoons and other geek pop culture references.
September 3, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) 1.5/5
What a sad state of affairs this book is. I went into this relatively blind. Seeing how this was adapted into a CW show, I was rightly sceptical. The idea sounded promising, so I checked out the first few pages online to see if it gelled before purchasing. The Michael Allred art impressed out of the gate (more on that later) and the prose and narrative seemed acceptable, so given that it was cheap at the time, I picked it up. An issue or two in, and whilst not being anything exceptional, it was readable. A few more issues in, and I started to get worried. Aa few more, and I wanted to throw the thing into the nearest lake. And likely my earlier acceptance of its bland characters, ridiculous dialogue and wholly inconsistent and unbelievable premise was due to an inflated sense of optimism or a rather vicious blow to the head. Not sure which. There is no consistency in this world. There is no weight to these characters. The plots continually start and end without anything approaching resolution. The dialogue is as grating as a loudly dripping tap at 2 am. I could go on...
This comes across like twilight the graphic novel (I would assume because I sure as shit haven't read those books). But it just screams the kind of shameful, pre teen pandering that made so many talentless hacks rich of late. If you have even a passing interest in well told stories, intriguing plotting and insightful and engaging dialogue, then make the sign of a cross if you see this in a book store and quickly move in the opposite direction. Either that or burn it, so you spare some other poor, misguided unfortunate like myself the chance to throw good money after bad on this thing. This is a modestly talented teenage writer penning a poorly thought out supernatural bukkake onto the page, to which they would read several years later after honing their craft a little more, and feeling a profound sense of embarrassment at. Its just sad really.
Allred's art is very hit and miss. His covers and certain panels can be beautiful. His very stylised efforts either work very well, or miss the mark entirely. His heavily inked lines work well for static images, although the man seems incapable of drawing any form of kinetic movement. Seriously, look at his characters when they are moving, there's nothing doing.
Even if you are shopping for a birthday present for a pre teen relative of yours, show them some self respect and buy something that will actually help to expand their imagination and intelligence, and not some pandering, awful piece of garbage. Avoid at all costs. 1.5/5
What a sad state of affairs this book is. I went into this relatively blind. Seeing how this was adapted into a CW show, I was rightly sceptical. The idea sounded promising, so I checked out the first few pages online to see if it gelled before purchasing. The Michael Allred art impressed out of the gate (more on that later) and the prose and narrative seemed acceptable, so given that it was cheap at the time, I picked it up. An issue or two in, and whilst not being anything exceptional, it was readable. A few more issues in, and I started to get worried. Aa few more, and I wanted to throw the thing into the nearest lake. And likely my earlier acceptance of its bland characters, ridiculous dialogue and wholly inconsistent and unbelievable premise was due to an inflated sense of optimism or a rather vicious blow to the head. Not sure which. There is no consistency in this world. There is no weight to these characters. The plots continually start and end without anything approaching resolution. The dialogue is as grating as a loudly dripping tap at 2 am. I could go on...
This comes across like twilight the graphic novel (I would assume because I sure as shit haven't read those books). But it just screams the kind of shameful, pre teen pandering that made so many talentless hacks rich of late. If you have even a passing interest in well told stories, intriguing plotting and insightful and engaging dialogue, then make the sign of a cross if you see this in a book store and quickly move in the opposite direction. Either that or burn it, so you spare some other poor, misguided unfortunate like myself the chance to throw good money after bad on this thing. This is a modestly talented teenage writer penning a poorly thought out supernatural bukkake onto the page, to which they would read several years later after honing their craft a little more, and feeling a profound sense of embarrassment at. Its just sad really.
Allred's art is very hit and miss. His covers and certain panels can be beautiful. His very stylised efforts either work very well, or miss the mark entirely. His heavily inked lines work well for static images, although the man seems incapable of drawing any form of kinetic movement. Seriously, look at his characters when they are moving, there's nothing doing.
Even if you are shopping for a birthday present for a pre teen relative of yours, show them some self respect and buy something that will actually help to expand their imagination and intelligence, and not some pandering, awful piece of garbage. Avoid at all costs. 1.5/5
September 3, 2022
I admit I'd never heard of the iZombie comic book series before binging on the Netflix show back in 2015. My marriage had ended and it was the perfect mindful escape. The premise, as well as the sheer fun of watching Rose McIver absorb the personality of the murder victims' brains she had consumed was absolutely absorbing. Several years later, I re-watched with my daughter who also loved the show since Liv Moore is a truly outstanding iconic figure. Yeah she's undead, but she's a strong, courageous female lead character with loads of moral integrity. Might I say it? She's a rockin' feminist icon!
SO, when I saw that the whole comic series was available as an "Omnibus" I didn't think twice about buying it, and i'm mostly glad I did. As is often the case when reading something after watching a tv or movie adaptation (or vice versa) it requires some time for me to grow into the changes. Like, that Liv Moore works for the medical examiners office is much better than Gwen Dylan's job as a gravedigger -- but that was explained in the Afterward from author and co-creator of the comic series, Chris Roberson so it sits easier with me. What took more time -- and which I never really came to fully accept is the -- to my mind -- overabundance of monsters. The iZombie tv show is purely about a zombie apocalypse whereas the comic has zombies, vampires, ghosts, and a fucking were-terrier among its cast of horrors, including some Lovecraftian alien from another dimension. Whereas the tv series had a gritty realism that didn't require much suspension of disbelief, the comic's universe was too over-the-top for my taste. But still, I read on and enjoyed it overall.
If you're a hardcore fan of what might be called "weird" fiction, graphic novels or comic books you'll likely enjoy this. If not, skip the book and watch the show... it's really loads of fun with a great ensemble ranking up there alongside Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
SO, when I saw that the whole comic series was available as an "Omnibus" I didn't think twice about buying it, and i'm mostly glad I did. As is often the case when reading something after watching a tv or movie adaptation (or vice versa) it requires some time for me to grow into the changes. Like, that Liv Moore works for the medical examiners office is much better than Gwen Dylan's job as a gravedigger -- but that was explained in the Afterward from author and co-creator of the comic series, Chris Roberson so it sits easier with me. What took more time -- and which I never really came to fully accept is the -- to my mind -- overabundance of monsters. The iZombie tv show is purely about a zombie apocalypse whereas the comic has zombies, vampires, ghosts, and a fucking were-terrier among its cast of horrors, including some Lovecraftian alien from another dimension. Whereas the tv series had a gritty realism that didn't require much suspension of disbelief, the comic's universe was too over-the-top for my taste. But still, I read on and enjoyed it overall.
If you're a hardcore fan of what might be called "weird" fiction, graphic novels or comic books you'll likely enjoy this. If not, skip the book and watch the show... it's really loads of fun with a great ensemble ranking up there alongside Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
June 28, 2017
This is -nothing- like the iZombie show on the CW, and I'm oddly ok with it. While there are some similarities between Gwen and Liv, the comics are more fantastical. Besides zombies, the series introduces mummies, ghosts, wereterriers, Frankenstein-type monsters (and a zombie hybrid), dead Presidents, vampires, monster hunters, and an all-powerful space god being. They all create this world of mystical beings that coexist (not always happily) in "our" world.
The wit and tone of the TV series is here, but the comics are so much better (if you appreciate that comics are meant to exist on a plane of nonsensical reality) for the creative fantasy world Gwen and her friends live in. I was expecting the comics to follow the tv show, just as Seasons 8 and counting of Buffy picked up after the show went off the air. But I really enjoyed the world that Allred(s) and Roberson created. I wish they were able to continue beyond #28, but I'm happy some iteration was able to continue into a tv show that has adapted it to fit into more tv friendly material. Not to mention that some of the content does have parallels to the TV world of BTVS and Angel - which existed on the CW and ended because of ratings issues (Angel, at least.) So the change in format to not follow comic canon is understandable.
I digress. Thoroughly enjoyable read. There are continuity issues between books and some character development/secondary storylines that never get fully fleshed out. However, in the afterward, Roberson explains that he had expected to be able to do so had the story not ended and because of editorial constraints. The continuity didn't distract from the overall experience for me, however, I have read other reviews where it has bothered other readers. Great "escape" done in a creative way. Also, Mike Allred's art is absolutely phenomenal and imaginative. I'd read anything he has a part in.
The wit and tone of the TV series is here, but the comics are so much better (if you appreciate that comics are meant to exist on a plane of nonsensical reality) for the creative fantasy world Gwen and her friends live in. I was expecting the comics to follow the tv show, just as Seasons 8 and counting of Buffy picked up after the show went off the air. But I really enjoyed the world that Allred(s) and Roberson created. I wish they were able to continue beyond #28, but I'm happy some iteration was able to continue into a tv show that has adapted it to fit into more tv friendly material. Not to mention that some of the content does have parallels to the TV world of BTVS and Angel - which existed on the CW and ended because of ratings issues (Angel, at least.) So the change in format to not follow comic canon is understandable.
I digress. Thoroughly enjoyable read. There are continuity issues between books and some character development/secondary storylines that never get fully fleshed out. However, in the afterward, Roberson explains that he had expected to be able to do so had the story not ended and because of editorial constraints. The continuity didn't distract from the overall experience for me, however, I have read other reviews where it has bothered other readers. Great "escape" done in a creative way. Also, Mike Allred's art is absolutely phenomenal and imaginative. I'd read anything he has a part in.
December 25, 2020
Es ist jetzt nicht so, dass die Geschichte wirklich anspruchsvoll wäre. Gwendolyn Price erwacht nach ihrer Beerdigung als Zombie und arbeitet als Totengräber auf einem Bio Friedhof, damit sie Zugang zu mehr oder minder frischem Hirn hat. Mit dem Hirn nimmt sie auch die Erinnerung dieser Menschen auf und erfüllt deren letzte Wünsche oder rächt diese Personen. Nach etwa 5-6 Monaten beginnt sie sich langsam zu erinnern, warum sie gestorben ist. Sie erinnert sich an ihre Vergangenheit, ihre Familie und ihre Aufgabe, für die sie gestorben ist. Dazu noch ein paar Liebesgeschichten auch gleichgeschlechtlicher Art als Zuckerguss.
Der Erzählstil jedoch ist gelungen. In Rückblenden, Einschüben und Episoden, die andere Erzählstränge behandeln, setzt sich nach und nach ein Bild dieser Welt zusammen und welche Aufgaben die Figuren haben. So wird es nie langweilig.
Der Zeichenstil variiert in einigen Ausgaben und gibt diesen Episoden durch den Stilwechsel das Flair anderer Jahrzehnte.
Ich bin jetzt kein Comic Enthusiast. Da sind sicherlich Genreanspielungen dabei, die mir entgehen, weil ich die Quellen, auf die verwiesen wird, nicht kenne. Ein wenig Shakespeare ist jedenfalls dabei, sowohl beim Namen Horatio (aus Hamlet) und es sind sogar Zitate eingebaut.
Durchaus Anspruchsvoll für eine Graphic Novel mit durchaus interessanter, innovativer Story, die ja mittlerweile in Ansätzen als Fernsehserie adaptiert ist.
Das Buch ist wirklich sehr hochwertig verarbeitet. Fadenheftung, dickes Papier wie bei einem Bildband und hochwertiger Farbdruck.
Der Erzählstil jedoch ist gelungen. In Rückblenden, Einschüben und Episoden, die andere Erzählstränge behandeln, setzt sich nach und nach ein Bild dieser Welt zusammen und welche Aufgaben die Figuren haben. So wird es nie langweilig.
Der Zeichenstil variiert in einigen Ausgaben und gibt diesen Episoden durch den Stilwechsel das Flair anderer Jahrzehnte.
Ich bin jetzt kein Comic Enthusiast. Da sind sicherlich Genreanspielungen dabei, die mir entgehen, weil ich die Quellen, auf die verwiesen wird, nicht kenne. Ein wenig Shakespeare ist jedenfalls dabei, sowohl beim Namen Horatio (aus Hamlet) und es sind sogar Zitate eingebaut.
Durchaus Anspruchsvoll für eine Graphic Novel mit durchaus interessanter, innovativer Story, die ja mittlerweile in Ansätzen als Fernsehserie adaptiert ist.
Das Buch ist wirklich sehr hochwertig verarbeitet. Fadenheftung, dickes Papier wie bei einem Bildband und hochwertiger Farbdruck.
August 18, 2021
The story is three stars, the artwork is four stars for me.
I wasn't in love with the story, and so I found myself putting it down many times over the course of reading it. (It's all 28 issues in one volume, so it's a fair commitment to read the whole thing even though it is a comic series.) I felt like the characters weren't really fully developed, and there were entire storylines that I felt were pretty pointless (anything to do with the vampires, Galatea and her shenanigans). I also didn't love the ending. That said, it was enjoyable enough to finish.
I love the artwork, and I think the biggest reason why is because the series is set in Eugene, Oregon, which is where I am from and where I live now. Almost every exterior scene was in an extremely recognizable space - down to certain alleyways! The artwork itself was really well done, and I like the actual character figures as well.
I feel similarly to this book that I do to the TV series (which has a completely different plot) - if you like supernatural comics, it's a good time. I'm not going to thrust it into anyone's hands and demand they start reading it in front of me, but it's enjoyable. Would recommend (especially if you are from Eugene).
I wasn't in love with the story, and so I found myself putting it down many times over the course of reading it. (It's all 28 issues in one volume, so it's a fair commitment to read the whole thing even though it is a comic series.) I felt like the characters weren't really fully developed, and there were entire storylines that I felt were pretty pointless (anything to do with the vampires, Galatea and her shenanigans). I also didn't love the ending. That said, it was enjoyable enough to finish.
I love the artwork, and I think the biggest reason why is because the series is set in Eugene, Oregon, which is where I am from and where I live now. Almost every exterior scene was in an extremely recognizable space - down to certain alleyways! The artwork itself was really well done, and I like the actual character figures as well.
I feel similarly to this book that I do to the TV series (which has a completely different plot) - if you like supernatural comics, it's a good time. I'm not going to thrust it into anyone's hands and demand they start reading it in front of me, but it's enjoyable. Would recommend (especially if you are from Eugene).
June 18, 2018
I reviewed the volume collecting the first few issues of this series a few years ago, and I remember leaning heavily on the Buffy comparisons. Then they went and made it into an ensemble TV show, which I like quite a lot, but now that I've read the whole thing, I rather regret the Buffy comparison. It's nothing like Buffy at all. It doesn't even engage that much with its own premise of zombie-girl-detective, it's way more about Gwen trying to come to terms with her condition and make friends and live her new life surrounded by ghosts and monsters and monster-hunters. The book is packed with classic horror tropes and characters out of cartoon television and old-time comics, and Mike Allred's glorious pop-horror art immerses you in this crazy, colourful world of mummies and were-terriers and vampire paint-ballers. I loved it, though I think it's a pity some of the ideas weren't given a chance to expand a little. In the end though, it feels gloriously packed and thronging with ideas and stories and plots. Never mind either Buffy or its own TV adaptation, this is very much its own thing.
October 19, 2023
Lo he acabado por cabezonería después de medio año. Está claro que esto no es para mí.
Dejando a un lado las comparaciones (sorry, me quedo con la serie, aunque sea mucho más convencional), tengo un problema con el tipo de obras que te exigen tantos saltos de fe. Vale, sí, compramos que existan los zombies, y los fantasmas, y los hombres terrier, y las momias, y una sociedad secreta de vampiras...
Pero llega un punto en el que creo que se limitan a meter tramas raras y rebuscadas sin ton ni son, sin buscar la manera orgánica de introducirte un montón de conceptos y criaturas. Eso hace que me sea difícil empatizar y que me importe lo más mínimo lo que está sucediendo.
Sobre todo porque, al final, hay muchísimos personajes y tramas que no aportan gran cosa (¿el abuelo convertido en chimpancé?) y deja con la sensación de que meten cosas por meter y no porque de verdad tenga un sentido dentro de la historia.
Del final mejor ni hablamos... en fin, estoy segura de que este tipo de historia tiene su público, pero no soy yo.
Dejando a un lado las comparaciones (sorry, me quedo con la serie, aunque sea mucho más convencional), tengo un problema con el tipo de obras que te exigen tantos saltos de fe. Vale, sí, compramos que existan los zombies, y los fantasmas, y los hombres terrier, y las momias, y una sociedad secreta de vampiras...
Pero llega un punto en el que creo que se limitan a meter tramas raras y rebuscadas sin ton ni son, sin buscar la manera orgánica de introducirte un montón de conceptos y criaturas. Eso hace que me sea difícil empatizar y que me importe lo más mínimo lo que está sucediendo.
Sobre todo porque, al final, hay muchísimos personajes y tramas que no aportan gran cosa (¿el abuelo convertido en chimpancé?) y deja con la sensación de que meten cosas por meter y no porque de verdad tenga un sentido dentro de la historia.
Del final mejor ni hablamos... en fin, estoy segura de que este tipo de historia tiene su público, pero no soy yo.
January 14, 2025
Un cómic divertido y original que superó mis expectativas, que no eran pocas.
Con un humor que recuerda a Christopher Moore y con ecos absurdos de Richard Brautigan, Chris Robertson entreteje una trama única con historias paralelas y personajes surrealistas antropomorficos.
En el apartado gráfico, Mike y Laura Allred nos regalan algunas páginas con viñetas únicas, donde juegan con el acomodo de cada escena y sorprenden al lector. Debe ser el sello Allred que (dicen) se explota aún más en su obra cumbre "Madman", que sin duda quiero leer.
"I Zombie", que después se convirtió en serie televisiva, es una joya de cómic con grandes artificios literarios y gráficos. Quizá con un final abrupto, pero al final una obra de zombies que parodia el género (y otros más, como la comedia romántica) para lograr un cómic de lo más interesante.
Con un humor que recuerda a Christopher Moore y con ecos absurdos de Richard Brautigan, Chris Robertson entreteje una trama única con historias paralelas y personajes surrealistas antropomorficos.
En el apartado gráfico, Mike y Laura Allred nos regalan algunas páginas con viñetas únicas, donde juegan con el acomodo de cada escena y sorprenden al lector. Debe ser el sello Allred que (dicen) se explota aún más en su obra cumbre "Madman", que sin duda quiero leer.
"I Zombie", que después se convirtió en serie televisiva, es una joya de cómic con grandes artificios literarios y gráficos. Quizá con un final abrupto, pero al final una obra de zombies que parodia el género (y otros más, como la comedia romántica) para lograr un cómic de lo más interesante.
August 29, 2019
The only thing the show kept from the source material was the idea of a zombie coming back to "life" and keeping the memories of the people she ate. Everything else is different, but not bad. This story is faster paced and involves many more characters and subplots. Gwen may be solving mysteries and resolving the dead's unfinished business in this comic but you seldom ever get to see the mystery solving. Most of the time she is just trying to figure out her past and living day to day with her ghost and were-dog friends. It was a little boring at first but with the added characters and evolving plot it got better gradually and has a satisfying ending. All in All it was a good series.
April 13, 2023
I feel like these are the law of diminishing returns- as you go through the installments they get less and less interesting. The first few were entertaining but then as you get to the big overarching storyline of an apocalyptic big bad it gets less interesting rather than more interesting. I found myself stopping and being like “why do I care about any of these people or what’s happening”. The art is really impressive and the basic premise about supernatural creatures and what Gwen is able to do is worth checking out, but as a whole I think I was a bit disappointed.
July 28, 2017
I watch the show but this is so different from the show but I still love it! It is very quirky, cool, and sarcastic. It is is also very meta in regards to talking about zombies, ghosts and werewolves.
The artwork is amazing and throughout reading it reminded me of Buffy the Vampire slayer show in respect to its humor and the main character Gwen.
The ending did seem a bit rushed and was probably the only downside of the series.
The artwork is amazing and throughout reading it reminded me of Buffy the Vampire slayer show in respect to its humor and the main character Gwen.
The ending did seem a bit rushed and was probably the only downside of the series.
December 30, 2017
It’s good. It’s definitely not the show you might have seen - which is also really good. If you are expecting the show in comic book form, stop now. Just stop. This is 100% completely different.
My complaint is that while I understand the need to throw in a ghost or were-terrier for fun or as a sidekick, I feel like everything supernatural was thrown in to advance the story line, and that did frustrate me. Even a big Lovecraftian creature coming through the sky.
But still a good read.
My complaint is that while I understand the need to throw in a ghost or were-terrier for fun or as a sidekick, I feel like everything supernatural was thrown in to advance the story line, and that did frustrate me. Even a big Lovecraftian creature coming through the sky.
But still a good read.
November 5, 2020
Good book. I liked the start of the run when it’s a bit more slice of life. Towards the middle of the story it starts getting a bit more out there with some world-ending-Lovecraftian-deity strangeness and it lost my interest a bit. The characters are enjoyable and Allred’s art is fantastic as usual (if you’re a fan of his). If the TV show brought you here, be warned it’s nothing like the series - though enjoyable in its own radical flavor. Curious how it holds up for me on a re-read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2019
A wonderful read! Very different from the TV show and, in my opinion, much better. Though at some points a bit disjointed, it needs to be read like there are several miniseries that all wind together at the end. Overall great series! A must read for zombie lovers and lovers of everything supernatural alike.
July 4, 2021
Devoré la serie iZombie y aunque el cómic en el que se inspira es totalmente diferente, es igualmente increíble. No solo existen zombies sino todo tipo de monstruos, trata sobre la muerte y las distintas formas de alma, el fin del mundo y como resolverlo. Es alucinante y los dibujos son absolutamente maravillosos.
December 10, 2022
A fun series and one I can see myself coming back and re-reading during the Halloween season. It's always a treat getting Mike Allred's art on on ongoing series and the covers are excellent as well. The story gets a bit out there towards the end of the series but ends up having a satisfying conclusion.
November 20, 2023
I really loved the tv series, so I thought why not read the comic as well. Little did I know how great this collection actually is. I love a good detective series and the zombie twist is just the perfect cherry on top for me. Gwen is likable and carries the storyline very nicely. Wish I could read this for the first time again.
March 25, 2025
I learned about the show back when it premiered on the CW, but then, a few years later, I found the omnibus at my local library. A few years after that, I bought the omnibus at my local comic store. Needless to say, this quickly became one of my favorite comics. If you want a fun, heart-warming, batshit insane comic, this is for you! This is the comic that made me an Allred Fan!
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