Art of the Day: Liv Moore (iZombie)

Artwork: iZombie by gritchu

Book Review: iZombie vol #3

Book: iZombie vol #3: Six Feet Under and Rising (issues #13-18) by Chris Roberson with illustrations by Michael Allred, color by Laura Allred and letters by todd klein

Guest Artist: Jay Stephens for "Vampire Queen of the Amazon"

Edition: Trade Paperback

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Gwen is a zombie living in Eugene, Oregon and everything seems to be going great for her. She's celebrating her birthday with her two best friends, Ellie (a ghost) and Scott a.k.a. "Spot" (a were-terrier) and the mysterious and immortal Amon. Things are going great between her and her boyfriend, Horatio (a monster hunter). However, despite all the good things, she is still having problems with losing her memories.

According to Amon, the only way she can fix that is by starting to eat the brains of the living. And that's something she's not even going to consider.

But her fading memories are the least of her concerns when she found out from Ellie that Spot fell down a sinkhole leaving him trapped in a tunnel with a horde of zombies. To try to rescue her friend, Gwen went to Horatio for help but it's a tricky thing going to a monster hunter for help even if he is her boyfriend. He doesn't know that Gwen is a zombie or that Spot is a were-terrier.

Gwen and Horatio immediately realized that they were dealing with a huge zombie situation and they were going to need to figure out a way to save Spot. That wasn't their only problem once they realized that zombies had started to crawl out of the lower depths and were terrorizing the city.

Spot had been missing for a few days which had his grandfather start to worry and decided to go look for him. This wouldn't be a problem except for his grandfather's spirit is in the body of a chimp and that makes things a tad difficult and even more so with zombies plaguing the city.

Monster hunters like Horatio were not the only ones in town, a secret supernatural government group called the Dead Presidents were working on a case that lead them to Eugene. And with so many strange things happening in the small town, it's a good thing the Dead Presidents were there especially since they saved Gwen from being put down by Horatio's monster hunting partner Diogenes. It's safe to say that Horatio now knows she's a zombie but will he be able to look passed that to see that she's more than just a monster.

There is something strange going on with Gwen's brother Gavin. He went to a comic book convention where he met a writer but from there something strange happened and now I'm left wondering what's going on.

I really love reading this series, the writing is fantastic, the story is funny yet has a good amount of drama, suspense and mystery. I continue to be a fan of the artwork, it's colorful and full of expression and movement.

I can't wait to see how this series ends in the next and final volume because there's a lot of supernatural things happening in this small town and I get the sense that there is this big bad approaching and that Gwen might be the one to stop it.

Currently Reading: Doctor Sleep and iZombie vol #3

After reading a middle grade, a mystery and a literature book I wanted something different. I haven't read anything from the horror genre in a while and I figured I couldn't go wrong with a Stephen King book. I can't believe I had this book for nearly five years and I'm only now reading it.

As for the second book, I loved reading the first two volume of iZombie, it's a fun take on the supernatural with a dash of mystery thrown in. I wish there was more than only four volumes in this series because it's so hilarious to read.

Book: Doctor Sleep (The Shining book #2) by Stephen King

Edition: Digital

Description:

On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon in the Stephen King canon.

Book: iZombie vol #3: Six Feet Under and Rising (issues #13-18) by Chris Roberson with illustrations by Michael Allred, color by Laura Allred and letters by todd klein

Guest Artist: Jay Stephens for "Vampire Queen of the Amazon"

Edition: Trade Paperback

Description:

Gwen's a zombie (the good kind). When she eats the brains of the bodies at the cemetery where she works, she absorbs their memories too. Solving their mysteries, righting their wrongs, and fulfilling their dying wishes are just her way of saying "thanks for dinner." But her immortal friend Amon says that unless she starts eating the living, her life (or y'know, whatever) is in grave danger...

Gwen's not the only zombie in town -- or under it. Deep beneath the dive bars and diners of Eugene, Oregon, sprawls an endless maze of catacombs, crawling with mindless undead hungry for human flesh. When Gwen's ghost friend Ellie and were-terrier buddy Spot stumble into the zombie tunnels, only her monster-hunter boyfriend Horatio can help. But that risks blowing Gwen's cover -- and it puts them all in the crosshairs of a secret government monster squad, the Dead Presidents.

Superhero Movie Fatigue, I think I have It

I can't believe that I'm saying this but I'm starting to get bored with Superhero movies (and to some extent TV shows). I love watching the movies and shows and I've always had but lately I'm starting to feel burned out with them. And with even more expected to be out in theaters (and more TV shows) in the approaching years it's hard to think that I may have lost my interest in seeing them. As a huge comic book/superhero fan it seems a little disheartening.

I'm not sure when this started to happen but I believe I have developed some form of Superhero Fatigue. Perhaps my fatigue is from there being too many movies and TV shows. In the past, there were just a few to get excited about but now they seem to be almost massed produced. This is leaving me feeling a little disappointed with the industry.

I didn't even go see Ant-Man or Fantastic Four which is surprising since I actually like those characters. But for some reason I could not muster up any enthusiasm to go see them. My desire to see Deadpool, Batman vs. Superman, and Suicide Squad is close to zero. However, I do have interest in seeing Captain America: Civil War (out next year) and Thor: Ragnarok (out in 2017).

But for TV series, I have no interest in seeing the Jessica Jones series that will be on Netflix. I was bored trying to watch the Daredevil Netflix TV series (and I really like Daredevil, maybe I'll give it a second chance with a rewatch). Gotham was a completely boring mess and I stopped watching that early on and Constantine wasn't any better. Agents of S.H.E.L.D. was another show I stopped watching.

Although, I'm going to be watching Supergirl in the Fall, I'm not super excited about the show especially after seeing that less than stellar trailer that was released earlier this summer. But as I wrote in another post, I am going to give it a chance and watch it with an open mind. However, I'm a little indifferent about Legends of Tomorrow. I don't know if I'll tune in or not but a show I am interested in seeing is the Vixen animated series.

Now my Superhero Fatigue has not extended to my comics, I still enjoy reading them. Maybe I have selective fatigue because I enjoy watching Teen Titans Go!, Agent Carter, Agents of S.M.A.S.H. animated series, Avengers Assemble animated series, and against my early hesitance to watch both iZombie and The Flash they both turned out to be rather enjoyable and even more so after having to endure Arrow's absolutely awful third season. At least the best parts to me of Arrow's third season have been Laurel Lance finally becoming the Black Canary.

Are there too many Superhero Movies and TV shows or am I just burned out? Who knows, maybe by the time some of these movies and TV shows are out my interest and excitement for them will have returned.

TV Round Up: iZombie episode #1

iZombie   Tuesdays  9:00 PM EST   The CW

I had thus far resisted watching iZombie that is until I recently watched the first episode, since the series is being repeated.

What inspired me to watch a show I had previously stated that I would pass on watching, well plain and simple I wanted to give the show a chance. Life is too short to pass on things just because they may seem as if they won't be good. I don't want to turn into one of those fans who refuses to watch something because it's nothing like the comic book. Which is weird since Smallville was not the traditional Superman story and yet I watched all ten seasons. I even watched the short lived and not so stellar Birds of Prey TV series which wasn't even remotely anything like the comic book. But yet I still watched it. Not to mention I love watching Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman series which like Smallville wasn't exactly the traditional Superman story.

So, what's the point of the above statement, well my point being, who would want to be one of those fans that won't give new shows a chance. Certainly not me. It doesn't mean they will turn into my all time favorite shows, heck they might even be awful. For instance, I'm not really enjoying watching the Daredevil series on Netflix it's just not working for me but I am giving it a chance.

By being so quick to dismiss something means that I'm taking away the opportunity to watch something new.

So, what did I think about the first episode of iZombie, well the TV series is a far cry from the comic book series (which by the way is great) but like The Carrie Diaries TV series (which I love), I see this show for what it is. Although, it still feels like I'm watching Veronica Mars sprinkled with a little bit of supernatural stuff it was at least interesting. I do wish the show creators hadn't decided to nix all the other supernatural beings that were in the comic book series such as ghosts, vampires, etc. Perhaps more will be included in the second season. 

The first episode introduced the viewer to Olivia "Liv" Moore who she prior to turning into a zombie was a medical student who was planning on getting married to her boyfriend Major. Now as a zombie, she works at the morgue and is doing her best to make sure no one knows what she is which also includes pushing her family away and breaking things off with Major. She also found herself helping a new police detective Clive Babineaux solve a murder while working her boss Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti at the morgue to possible find a cure to her situation.

This wasn't bad and the characters were likeable so I definitely will be watching the second episode.

Book Review for A-Z Title Challenge: iZombie vol #2

Book: iZombie volume #2: uVampire (issues #6-12) by Chris Roberson and illustrations by Michael Allred

Edition: Trade

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The more I read of this series the more I love it. The first volume introduced the reader to all of these interesting weird and slightly kooky characters while this second one give you a little more insight into who they are.

Similar to the first volume, it opens with a flashback story of when Gwen was a camp counselor. Following that short story, Scott a.k.a. "Spot" the were-terrier got the spotlight in the beginning of this as it depicted his life first starting with how as a child his life changed after the death of his parents. He ended up living with his grandfather and everything was fine with their relationship that is until Scott started to get older and they became more distant. Things between them were even worse after Scott graduated from college, he was tired of his grandfather constantly criticizing him and their relationship pretty much deteriorated after that. Scott moved to Eugene, Oregon and some how became friends with Gwen (who he has a huge crush on) and Ellie. It also showed how he became a were-terrier.

Which brings the story to the present, because one day out of the blue, Scott received a phone call from his grandfather. He was not interested in talking with him and hung up but some time later he received a phone call telling him his grandfather was in the hospital.

Scott headed back to his hometown of Portland to see his grandfather who was dying but you would think after he died that would be the end of the story. But this is iZombie and something strange and weird is bound to happen, case in point, Scott's grandfather's spirit/soul wound up in a chimp. Yes, you read that right, a chimp who is now living with Scott.

Aside from Scott's situation, Gwen was starting to suffer due to a lack of brains to eat since bodies have been going missing from the morgue and that leaves fewer bodies to be buried at the cemetery. She was finally able to get a brain but the memories and consciousness of the person she fed on had her trying to connect with an old friend who believed Gwen to be dead. Catching up with her friend also had Gwen remembering her brother Gavin who thanks to her memories from her living life starting to fade she had nearly forgotten about him. Although Gwen didn't know it, Gavin had already met Scott (even though he didn't know that was Gwen's brother) when they recently met at a comic book store.

Gwen also continued to get to know Horatio (from the first volume) by going out on date however unbeknownst to her, he is a monster slayer.

Horatio and his monster slaying partner Diogenes continued their vampire hunting but were lead into a trap.

Meanwhile, as Ellie the ghost was receiving advice from Amon the mummy man about how to use possession, she told him about the missing bodies. The information lead him to an old acquaintance who may be attempting a very dangerous experiment that may destroy the world.

This volume ends with a backstory for Ellie showing her life before she died and surprisingly how she first met Gwen.

I love this series because it's funny yet smart and has an interesting mystery woven throughout. I like how everything is starting to connect and these characters feel like people you already know although they just so happen to be zombies, ghosts, etc.

I really can't wait to read the third volume which is sitting on my shelf but I'm going to wait since I have quite a few other books that need to be read.

Currently Reading for A-Z Title Challenge: iZombie vol #2

The first volume was truly great, it was funny and suspenseful. I hope this will be just as good.


Book: iZombie volume #2: uVampire (issues #6-12) by Chris Roberson and illustrations by Michael Allred

Edition: Trade

Description:

Told from a female zombie’s perspective, this smart, witty detective series mixes 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 her next brain. She sets out to fulfill the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong.

In uVAMPIRE, Gwen dines on the grey matter of a person who knew her as a child – and things quickly get complicated. Meanwhile, ghost-girl Ellie learns a few tricks from Amon the mummy; Spot the were-terrier goes to the comics shop and meets someone from Gwen’s past, the mad scientist Galatea engages in a bit of grave-robbing; and the monster-hunters tackle the town’s vampire problem once and for all.

Why I Might Pass On Watching iZombie? (with Trailer for iZombie)

When I heard iZombie was going to be turned into a TV series I was so excited but after watching this trailer I think I'm going to pass. What I like about the iZombie comic book series is how it took a unique take on the whole zombie genre and turned it into something fun. I also like that the main character Gwen Dylan wasn't alone dealing with her strange life, she just so happen to be friends with a ghost (Ellie) and a were-terrier (Scott). She worked at a cemetery digging graves and doing her best to stay under the radar. On occasion Gwen might stumble unto a mystery but it was nothing like this.

This trailer looks like they turned iZombie into Veronica Mars, no surprise there since the creators of Veronica Mars are behind this.

Now don't get me wrong, I totally adore Veronica Mars and iZombie but what made both of those two things great was that they were original and unique. Instead now iZombie is some sort of weird mashup of the two.

It's been proved time and again that the TV shows or movies don't have to follow the original source but what makes the ones that succeed is that they do keep some of the elements in tack. The title and the fact that she's a zombie who eats brains appears to be the only thing in common with the comic book. The character in this show is Olivia "Liv" Moore who is a medical student working at the coroner's office and will be working with the police to solve crimes.

iZombie is now another generic TV show, I think I will stick with the comic book series.

Book Review: iZombie vol #1

Book: iZombie volume #1 (issues #1-5 and The House of Mystery Halloween Annual #1) by Chris Roberson and illustrations by Michael Allred with color by Laura Allred

Source: Library

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

This was a refreshing take on the Zombie genre. The story is about Gwen Dylan who just happens to be a zombie but she only needs to feed on one brain a month to keep her from turning into the stereotypical zombie. But when she feeds, she ends up with the memories and feelings of the person and this times the memories she's getting seems to be telling her that the person may have been murdered.

Gwen's two best friends are Ellie and Scott or as she like to call him 'Spot'. But they're just as different as Gwen is. Ellie is a ghost and Scott turns into a were-terrier during a full moon. See different.

However, Gwen and her friends are not the only beings lurking in town, a group of female vampires is preying on guys but not in the normal way. They have a paint ball business which allows them to feed but not kill that is until one of the vampires diverges from the plan. And her actions have caught the eye of a pair of monster hunters.

Despite the theme of the book, this was such a lighthearted funny story. This was really good and totally love the artwork.

I'm not sure how the new iZombie TV series will be in the fall but I hope it will be worth watching.