26 February 2012

Review: iZombie, vol 3: Six Feet Under and Rising


iZombie: Six Feet Under and Rising – Chris Roberson (w) Mike Allred (a)
Vertigo, $16.99, 978-1-4012-3370-9

Chris Roberson seems to be living a charmed life in comics at the moment.  From seemingly nowhere, he appeared, working on a Fables spin-off, and a few months later, brought out this creator-owned series with Mike Allred.  With such a high-profile illustrator behind him, it comes as no surprise that Roberson is a talented writer and that iZombie is quickly becoming a tent-pole of the Vertigo imprint.  In Gwen — the beautiful, amnesiac, undead protagonist — he has crafted a unique, sympathetic and entertaining spin on the zombie archetype.

One of the problems with reverence of Universal horror in recent years has been the attempts to make these old, hackneyed concepts dark, modern and “relevant.”  Roberson and Allred get this and instead turn their love of monster movies into something fun.  Gwen’s world is rife with B-movie goofiness that seems to grow with each story arc, introducing us to were-terriers, skeeball-playing mummies, vampire paintballers and one character’s grandpa reincarnated as a cigar-chomping chimpanzee.  It’s a timeless blend of the modern and the retro, with Allred’s flair for costume on display in the endless fashion parade of the characters’ outfits, and the clichéd horrors deployed with a knowing wink.

This latest volume sees Gwen uncover more secrets of her past, and find that she’s been a pawn in some aeons-spanning occult plot.  Add some mindless, marauding zombies and a team of government secret agents run by a reanimated Abe Lincoln, and you have an idea of the level at which the creators are playing.  Yet, Gwen’s enigmatic background allows Roberson to temper his funny-bone and give us a central character that we want to see regain her humanity and not succumb to her brain-munching tendencies — for once the zombie threat becomes an emotional, rather than physical one.


Allred’s art, naturally, captures the world to a tee and the fact that it’s set in his native Eugene, Oregon gives it a unique authenticity (he’s even taken to mountain climbing to reference the landscape properly.)  Of course, he’s well renowned for his pop-art stylings (aided in no small part by the colours of his wife and long-time collaborator, Laura Allred) and they are vital here to giving the book its kooky aesthetic.  What’s often ignored about Allred, though, is his influence from Charles Burns in his inking — the intense, overly-rendered brushwork that brings such a bold and iconic look to his work.  This pitch-black edge means that, when needed, he can still bring the horror and the grotesque.  When Gwen lapses into her zombie instincts, her face becomes a twisted parody of its former self, emphasizing that emotional punch of her existential angst.

This is not a work of high aspiration by any means, but as an encapsulation of the imagination-driven verve and excitement that comics can still deliver, it’s perfect.

-- Gavin Lees

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