‘iZOMBIE: Dead to the World’ review
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
4/5
I’ve never really been attracted to zombie narratives, outside of using them as a villain or an obstacle a hero must surpass, such as Left 4 Dead. But the beauty of iZOMBIE is that Gwen isn’t just a rotting corpse—she’s a walking, talking, coherent human being who just happens to feel the urge to munch on a brain once a month to remain sane. It’s a fresh new take on a horror monster classic.
Gwen is a gravedigger in Eugene, Indiana. One day she dies, but strangely she comes back to life. And so a zombie is born! She deals with her new status as an undead by consuming a brain from one of the corpses she encounters once a month. But there are side effects! Until she consumes a new brain, Gwen has to contend with reliving the last memories and/or thoughts of the person she just ate. For her own peace of mind, she decides to attempt to fulfill the final wishes of the dead.
Written by Chris Roberson, this graphic novel is a strange mix of romantic comedy, drama, and horror cult classic. It’s a little campy, but funny as ever.
The art by Mike Allred is good, but almost a little too clean. There are parts of it that remind me of Archie comics, which isn’t really a good thing. This is a story about zombies, ghosts, and were-dogs—it’s time to get your grit on! I expect blood, and a little more of a horror influence, not something that looks like it’d be right at home being read by the Scooby Gang.
All in all, I liked this graphic novel and will probably continue reading the rest of the series—probably before I attempt to take on the CW television adaptation. I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves campy horror.
