iZombie #28

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

The days of Vertigo being able to sustain long-running series (that aren't Fables or starring vampires) seem to be long-gone.  iZombie had all of the right elements to be a successful and long-running Vertigo series, but it was not to be.  I think people just don't like good comics the way they used to.

I am pleased that Roberson was given enough time to finish off this story in a satisfying way.  I'm sure, given more time, the story would have been a little more fleshed out - for example, we never learned much of the connection between Dixie the diner owner and Dixie Mason, the Barbie-like doll that we often saw in the comic.

Still, Roberson did what he could, having Gwen face down the elder god Xitulu, and figure out a way to stop it that didn't involve having to sacrifice everyone she loves, likes, and has met a few times.  There are some big cosmic moments in this comic, but it remains grounded in the strong character work that made this series flow so well.

iZombie is not the most memorable series that Vertigo has ever published, but it did have a lot going for it - a cool, hipsterish approach to the undead, complete with an explanation that made sense (in a comic book way, of course), likeable characters, and a lot of wonderful art by Michael Allred.  I know this is the last time we will see a Chris Roberson comic published by DC, which is really their loss.  He's someone whose career I'm going to be following for quite some time, I imagine.

iZombie #27

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

It's the penultimate issue of iZombie, and Chris Roberson manages to have every single character that has had any kind of importance to the series all converge at the same spot in downtown Eugene.  This is kind of nice for Gwen - she gets to reunite with the family she hasn't seen since she died, and she gets the news that her brother is dating her friend Spot, the wereterrier.

The only problem is that Xitulu, an ancient Lovecraftian tentacle god thing has also come through to our reality, and the only way it can be stopped would be if Gwen absorbs the souls of every person in Eugene (including her family and friends), and feeds them to the elder god.  As you can imagine, she has some decisions to make.

iZombie has been an interesting read throughout its short lifespan.  Chris Roberson built a clear and believable explanation for monsters and other revenants, and then populated the series with a pile of young hipster-ish characters that are all connected to this larger Apocalyptic story.  Getting Michael Allred to draw was a stroke of genius.  Now we are in the position of watching all of the different pieces of this story come together, and hopefully, will be given a nice satisfactory ending next month.

iZombie #26

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

After this there are only two issues of iZombie left, and it shows, as Roberson moves all of his chess pieces closer to a big final confrontation. 

This comic has always had a particularly large cast, so it makes sense that checking in with every one of them would take up pretty much an entire issue.  Gwen is getting ready to kill every person in Eugene as part of some sort of ritual that will stop the elder god Xitulu from coming and ushering the Apocalypse.  She has some time to kill before the big event, so she goes looking for her friends, to say good-bye and perhaps get them out of town.  she can't find them though, although we see what they are up to, and what every other member of the cast is doing.

Roberson's plotting on this title has been excellent.  Things that I had forgotten, such as the relationship between Ellie's friend Francisco (the Frankenteen) and the newest of the Paintball Vampires, come back up here as plotlines converge.  Basically, a new reader would be totally lost, but there are lots of rewards for people who have been with the book since the beginning, including the last page meeting between Gwen and Gavin.

Allred's art is always fantastic, and this issue is no exception.

iZombie #25

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

After this, there are only three issues of iZombie left to be published before the series comes to its end.  That 28th issue will also be Chris Roberson's last for DC, after he disparaged the company's ethics on the Internet the other week, and was then removed from an arc he was slated to write for Fairest because of it.  Many people agree with Roberson's viewpoints, some don't, and to many, it doesn't matter, because not all that many people read this comic, compared to the rest of DC's output.

And therein lies the real shame of all this, because iZombie is pretty good.  Roberson has been building this story for two years now, and we are moving into pay-off mode, as the final story arc begins here.  There is going to be an apocalypse in Eugene, of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer variety, and Gwen and her friends seem to be the best bet for stopping it.

Much of this issue is used to set up the last few issues.  Gwen receives 'training' from Amon in tapping into her full potential, and they take a little astral tour of the town, which is suffering from multiple incursions of weird monsters, as a precursor to Xitulu's appearance, which will destroy the world.  Along the way, we check in with every member of the cast of this book, and see just where they are placed on the grand chessboard.

This issue is notable because it reveals some of diner owner Dixie's history, although not her connection to the line of dolls that share her name.  I suspect that the axe dropped a little soon on this title, or we would have seen a flashback issue or arc starring Dixie at some point.

As always, Michael Allred's art in this book is wonderful.  I  think a monthly dose of Allred is what I'm going to miss the most when this title is gone.

iZombie #24

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Jim Rugg

The news out of last week's Emerald City Comics Convention was that iZombie is not long for this world, with four issues remaining after this one.  I always treat news like this with two minds - I've been enjoying iZombie since it began, and am going to miss many of the characters, but at the same time, I buy way too many comics every month, and my wallet is usually okay with one or two of them disappearing.

I've been wondering for a while if the book was getting closer to finishing, as the long-promised Apocalypse has been getting started, and the end of the world always feels like the right place to finish a series (it's safe to presume that the Apocalypse will be stopped by Gwen and her friends).

Knowing all of this going into this week's newest issue of the series, I was a little surprised to find that regular artist Michael Allred didn't draw this comic, and even more surprised to find that it is another flashback issue, this time focusing on Kennedy, the zombie Dead President, and introducing a new character/concept to the series.

When the book opens, Kennedy is putting down an incursion of other-dimensional beings that have taken over the bodies of employees at a burger joint.  She is aided by Horatio, Gwen's monster-hunting boyfriend, who has either been possessed by, or is cosplaying as Strider, the fictional hero of a series of novels by writer Adam Morlock.

This all brings Kennedy back to the seventies, when she investigated a fantasy-rock band called Ghost Dance, who had connections to Morlock.  Clearly, Morlock is meant to evoke British writer Michael Moorcok, whose Elric novels hold some similarities to what we are shown here, and who was somewhat wrapped up in the psychedelia movements of his day.  It seems that this band was able to call forth Xitulu, the same entity currently threatening Eugene with Apocalypse.

This issue is drawn by Jim Rugg, of Street Angel and Afrodisiac fame, which was a nice treat. I don't see nearly enough of Rugg's artwork.

I'm very curious to see how Roberson is going to wrap up the numerous plotlines of this series in just four issues.  This book has a very large cast, many of whom have been working through their own character arcs, so giving each a complete story, while still dealing with all this Apocalypse stuff, is going to be difficult.  Personally, I'm most interested in learning what the story is with Dixie, the diner owner.

iZombie #23

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

It's all about convergences this month.  Xitulu, an elder god previously worshiped by a South American tribe before the Spanish contacted them, is about to return to Earth, and Galatea, the Bride of Frankenstein-looking woman who has been lurking around this book for months is hoping to hasten him along.

This brings just about every character in the book (except for the grandfather chimp and Dixie the diner owner) up onto a mountain to either help Galatea or stop her.  The Fossor Corporation has joined up with the Dead Presidents, but they are held up by Koschei, the Frankenstein-like monster who works for a Russian brain in a coffee maker.  Amon has brought Scott along to help him, although that would involve a rather involuntary sacrifice on Scott's part.  The Phantasm, the ghostly crimefighter currently inhabiting the body of Scott's would-be boyfriend shows up, and much chaos ensues.

Gwen, meanwhile, finally begins to make some decisions for herself.  This book feels like it's moving towards a climax, and I'm wondering how much is going to be left in this run.  Roberson has slowly moved away from the book's original aesthetic (hipster monsters), but the series continues to be pretty interesting, and beautifully illustrated by Michael Allred.

iZombie #22

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

Lately each issue of this comic has really just been more of the same.  That's not necessarily a bad thing - iZombie is a pretty cool comic, and it's been remarkably consistent throughout its run, especially for the last year or so.

Gwen is freed from the custody of the Dead Presidents by Horatio, who loves her.  Scott's boyfriend is looking for him, and ends up interrupting his grandfather (who is in a chimpanzee's body) at dinner with diner matron Dixie (about whose past we are given another clue).  Scott, meanwhile, is still a prisoner of Amon, who is also hosting a summit between the Fossor monster-hunters and the Dead Presidents, a group of government agents who are also monsters.

The book moves very quickly, and since there are so many characters, and each needs their moment or two in the spotlight, it often feels like not a whole lot has happened in each individual comic.

Michael Allred is back after last month's hiatus (covered by J. Bone).  Allred was originally the draw that got me to read the book, and it's always nice to see his wonderful art.

iZombie #21

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by J. Bone

I was pretty surprised to find that Michael Allred hadn't drawn this issue of iZombie, and that the art was instead provided by a talented artist from my hometown - J. Bone.  I've been familiar with Bone's work for years, but haven't read much of his output (I've stayed away from the DC 'all-ages' work that he is best known for).  I love the work that Allred does on this title, but also found the change of pace to be welcome.  This is the second issue of this series handled by a guest artist; I hope that everything is going okay for Mr. Allred, and that he's just taking a well-earned month or two off.

Anyway, this series definitely feels like it's moving towards a conclusion, as various long-running plotlines begin to converge even more than they have lately.  Gwen, our zombie protagonist, is in the custody of the Dead Presidents, and she surprises them by informing them that Galatea is active in the area.  This leads the Presidents to track her down, but not before coming face to face with Horatio and his group of monster killers from the Fossor Corporation, who also appear to be working with Amon.  As I said, plots are colliding all over the place.

There's more in this book too - Gwen tries to enjoy a brain smoothie, Ellie gets to dance, and Scott has a chat with a leopard.  Bone's art gives the story a lighter, more cartoon-ish atmosphere than Allred's work, and it doesn't always fit with the subject matter, but this is a fine looking comic.

iZombie #20

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

Sometimes this comic can be accused of being a little slow moving, or having not much happen in any given issue, but neither accusation can be tossed at the title this month.

In this issue, after spending a lot of time hiding out from the Dead Presidents (a government team of supernatural agents), Gwen is discovered.  Scott gets abducted by Amon, for reasons we don't know, and Ellie continues to fall for the mysterious Frankenstein-like creature she found recently.  She also meets the vampire that was looking after him in the university lab.

Roberson has spent a lot of time introducing and developing a number of colourful characters in this book, and has kept his major plot more or less secret.  We know that there is some kind of large conflict between Amon and Galatea (the woman who created the Frankenstein guy), but we don't yet know what it's all about, or what Gwen's role in this is supposed to be.

I've found this book to be pretty intriguing, as monster movie cliches are mashed into a hipster, slacker-ish setting.  Michael Allred is the perfect artist for this book.

iZombie #19

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

iZombie has never been your typical zombie comic, but now that there has been an outbreak of the typical, shambolic zombie in the city of Eugene, Chris Roberson is getting the chance to play with some of the scenes we never see in the movies, aside from Shaun of the Dead.  We are in that special time where the outbreak hasn't spread much, and so people are still going about their usual lives, although danger could lurk around every corner.  The National Guard is in town, under the command of the Dead Presidents.

This makes it hard for the cast of this book.  Gwen is going to ground (literally), staying in her tomb in order to avoid detection.  Spot is also a little nervous about being out and around, especially since he has his first date with Gavin (which doesn't go all that well, but has lots of interesting implications for their future).

Every issue of this comic takes the time to check in on most of its cast, which gives each character only a small amount of screen time.  This works well, but also limits how much can happen in each issue.  This month's chapter is no different, but continues to be a strong mix of intelligent writing and fantastic Allred art.

iZombie #18

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Jay Stephens, with Michael Allred

This month we're given a flashback chapter, which focuses on Diogenes, the scarred and kind of surly veteran of the Fossor Corporation, the vampire and monster hunters who have begun to investigate the goings on in Eugene.  Currently, Diogenes is partnered with Horatio, who has become iZombie's main character, Gwen's, boyfriend.  Horatio found out last issue that Gwen is really a zombie, and I expected this issue to show us how that revelation affects their relationship.

Instead, we get a story about Diogenes on his first field mission, to Rio De Janeiro, to hunt a vampire infestation.  Diogenes was originally partnered with Britia, a legendary Fossor, who prefers a sword to any other type of modern weaponry.  Their trip takes them deep into the Amazon, and after handling were-jaguars, zombies, a poltergeist, and a village of dream-walkers, they finally reach the temple, and the vampires, they were searching for.

This is a useful story, in that it helps flesh out Diogenes rather nicely, and provides an interesting connection between his past and Horatio.  The art is by Jay Stephens instead of Michael Allred.  Stephens is good, but I do prefer Allred's take on these characters.

iZombie #17

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

Even as this current arc concludes, a lot stands revealed to the characters of iZombie.  Horatio learns that Gwen is a zombie, Gwen learns that she knew Amon before she died (and that he has some responsibility for her death), while the people of Eugene learn of the existence of zombies, and we, the readers, learn what we always suspected - that Dixie, the owner of the diner that Gwen and her friends like to eat at, can kick ass.

There are more characters than ever in this book (Ellie even makes a new friend), and the storyline seems to be getting more complicated with each issue (the Russian brain in a coffee maker makes his return), but it's still very clear that Roberson and Allred are having a lot of fun with this book, and that makes it a pleasure to read.

iZombie #16

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

Lately I've felt like this comic has been a little hampered by the way that it has to fit so many characters into each 20-page issue; often it feels like Roberson and Allred simply have time to check in on each individual, especially since the introduction of the Dead Presidents in their own back up feature.

This issue, however, is very nicely balanced, as we check in on everyone we need to, and still advance the plot of the series.  What makes this work is that so many of the groups of characters that have been kept separate lately are meeting up.  Gwen and Horatio finally find and (sort of) rescue Spot.  On their way out of the tunnels below Eugene, they run in to the Dead Presidents.  Scott's friends, looking for him on their own, run into his grandfather, who we should remember is a chimp now.  Amon and Ellie are still spending time together, and we learn a little more about Eugene's history, and how it's a little like Sunnydale in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

This comic feels like it's moving towards the types of stories it was always meant to tell, and that the first year or so were designed to develop and introduce characters.  It looks like almost everyone's secrets are being exposed, and that thinks in Oregon are not going to be boring anytime soon.

iZombie #15

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

As much as I like iZombie, and the characters that populate it, it really doesn't feel like much has been happening in this comic since the page count dropped to twenty, and the Dead Presidents back-up began.  Spot is still stuck down the hole (which is like a reverse-Lassie kind of thing), although that hole turns out to be a series of ancient catacombs, which are both spilling zombies into the city, and portending doom - enough so that Amon even stopped playing skeeball to deal with it.

Gwen and Horatio have climbed down the hole to look for Spot, while the Dead Presidents have arrived in Eugene, and have also run into the zombies.

Roberson manages to check in with every single important character in this issue, which may be why it feels so short - with such a large cast, each getting a page or two of their own, there's little space left over for much plot advancement.  I'm sure this stuff is going to read better in trade though, and at the same time, I'd be disappointed if Roberson and Allred didn't show some of the cast members for a month or two.

iZombie #14

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

Who would expect that a comic about zombies, vampires, wereterriers, ghosts, human spirits that live in the bodies of chimpanzees, and secret societies of monster hunters would devote so much space to the love of skee-ball?  And that, right there, is why iZombie is such a great series.  The bizarre creatures that populate Roberson's book are exceptionally normal in how they go about their daily lives, with the exception of their monstrous circumstances.

The book opens with Gwen trying to preserve her memories by eating brains more often, although this leads to the compulsion to win a Skee-ball championship.  I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that the immortal mummy, Amon, is also a fan of the game.  Later, Galatea makes contact with Gwen, and it looks like she has some interesting information about Gwen's provenance as a zombie.

While this is going on, Spot has been fighting zombies in catacombs under the city, and Horatio has been fighting them in the streets.  We also check in on Spot's grandfather, and the vampire paintball girls.  Again, there is a back-up featuring the Dead Presidents, and we learn the identity of the person who plays Charlie to their Angels.  Great writing, and superb Michael Allred art makes this book a winner.

iZombie #13

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

A new arc starts in this issue, 'Six Feet Under & Rising', as does a new back-up feature, 'The Dead Presidents', by the same creative team.

The main story has Gwen attending a surprise party thrown by her friends before going on a date with Horatio.  Also, Amon tries to recruit her help in putting a stop to Galatea's plans, and the vampire coven turns Gwen's old friend.  Roberson is slowly but surely advancing his plot for this series, but is also taking the time to have some fun with these characters, which is what makes this comic so enjoyable.

The Dead Presidents story introduces four new characters, all named after a former US president, who apparently form a squad or team of government agents, belonging to a group called VEIL.  Seeing as one of them is a werewolf, another a zombie, and a third a ghost, it's pretty clear that the parallels to Gwen and her friends are intentional.  They are in an abandoned Arctic radar station, where they fight a zombie and a brain in a jar (these characters reminded me of the classic Doom Patrol villains Mr. Mallah and whatever the brain guy was called - The Brain?), who appear to be tracking down Galatea.

As always, Roberson delivers an intelligent script, and Allred draws the hell out of it.

iZombie #12

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Gilbert Hernandez

With this issue of iZombie (I've noticed that the indicia has changed the title to this spelling, instead of the I, Zombie that it started with - yes, I notice things like this), Roberson gives us something a little different.

This issue is focused on Ellie, Gwen's ghostly friend.  We see what seems to be more or less a typical day in her after-life, as she hangs out in the cemetery swapping stories with her neighbours.  An old Aboriginal woman tells a legend that her people believed in, while an old cowboy tells a tale involving Chinese tunnels under Portland, zombies, and the white-suited monster fighters of that time.  We also learn Ellie's history leading up to her death, and it becomes more clear why she is as naive and unworldly as she is.

At the end of the issue, Ellie meets Gwen, and we see how their friendship got its start.  It's a nice issue, with great art by guest Gilbert Hernandez.  I like how he has switched up his style for the different tales told (kind of like an issue of House of Mystery, except I like it).  I love Allred's work on this book, but if he needs a break again, I hope they give Hernandez a call.

iZombie #11

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

This series has really developed a sitcom feel to it - one of those non-studio sitcoms like Dead Like Me I think.  In this issue, Gwen goes home and checks in on her little brother, who she is having trouble remembering.  They don't talk or anything - she just follows him around for a little while, while continuing to consider Amon's offer to help her keep her memories.

Amon, meanwhile, meets with Galatea, who outlines her intent to bring an ancient god into our world.  While this is going on, Spot introduces Ellie to his grandfather chimp, with the hope that she can help him to possess a more suitable body.  Also, Horatio negotiates a possible truce with the vampire paintball girls.

See?  Just like a sitcom.  I'm amazed at how many characters Roberson's managed to stuff this book with in such a short amount of time, especially considering how well-developed and fleshed out most of them are.  This is a great book, with fantastic Michael Allred art.  If you aren't reading it, you should check out the first trade, which comes out next week...

iZombie #10

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

My fear, when hearing that DC was going to trim two pages out of each of their monthly books as a method of maintaining the $2.99 price point, was that the two pages would be pretty noticeable.  For the most part, since the shift started last month, I haven't often found that a DC comic takes much less time to read than one from any other company, at least until I read this issue of I, Zombie.

The problem, as I see it, is that this issue uses way too many splash pages and is too decompressed for a shortened comic.  It feels like a quick check-in on the various sub-plots Roberson has been establishing, instead of being a coherent chapter in an on-going story.  We see Gwen talk to her old friend, on behalf of the friend's dead mother, despite the fact that Gwen is herself supposed to be dead.  Diogenes has been kidnapped by the vampire paintball girls, and Horatio learns of this fact.  Ellie scares Spot, and then he takes her home to meet his Grandfather Chimp.  Plus, we see some more of Galatea, and Amon goes to meet her.  In short, too much is happening in such a short space for there to be two splash pages and a couple more pages with only one or two panels each.

Having said all that, I still find this to be a very enjoyable series.  I just wish it could be a bit denser, even if it means crowding Michael Allred's wonderful art with a lot of words.

iZombie #9

Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Michael Allred

This issue of I, Zombie felt a lot shorter than the other ones, and it can't simply be because DC is now publishing 20, instead of 22 page books.  How much can two pages affect a story?  I didn't expect to notice a difference.

I think the problem is more that nothing really gets resolved in this issue.  Spot plays a role playing game with his friends, who are somewhat suspicious of him lately, but nothing comes of it.  Diogenes has a flashback, and is followed by two vampires, but nothing comes of it.  Gwen and Horatio play mini-golf until Gwen is overcome by a vision, but it doesn't lead to much (although it might later...).  Ellie wants a body, but (I'm sure you get the idea).  The same thing holds for the scene with Professor Galatea, Amon, and a hooded guy who buys something off Galatea's new 'assistant'.

I'm sure, as part of a trade, this chapter will read just fine, but on it's own, it seemed a little light weight.  Also, as much as I like Allred's art, I didn't like the way he drew Spot in this issue - he looked different from usual.  It's all good though - this is a very good comic, and with the number of characters and sub-plots that Roberson's juggling, we're bound to run across the odd comic that gets stretched too thin.