Life was simple for the star of I, ZOMBIE but everything has been turned upside down. Can Gwen survive and will she be forced to work in Washington, D.C.?
The Good
Chris Roberson and Mike Allred have created a wonderful world full of zombies, ghosts, were-terriers and other 'monsters.' Being discovered by others has completely changed the status quo for Gwen and I applaud the bold decision to take things in a new direction. There are so many great and colorful characters that you can't help but get pulled into the world. We've been seeing more and more focus on the different characters and the series is continuing to blossom month after month.
Mike Allred took a break on this issue (but still does the cover) and the guest artist is J. Bone. If Allred can't do an issue for whatever reason, J. Bone would definitely be my first choice as a guest artist. His art has a unique style and fits in well with the feel that Allred's art has established. Laura Allred still provides the colors here and, as usual, they are so richly vibrant. Laura's colors are always add a great feel to the art.
With the new direction the story is taking, there is clearly an "anything goes" feel. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like the changes but they add to the suspense and there's a nice cliffhanger at the end.
The Bad
No Mike Allred. The art and quality has been consistent with Roberson and Allred. I understand everyone deserves a break once in a while. I just dig his art so much that I can't be a little bummed not to see it. J. Bone does a great job with his interpretation of the characters. There were a couple times characters like Clarice or Gwen appeared as if their heads were a little too round. But I do like his style but Allred has a special place in my heart.
The Verdict
I, ZOMBIE has gone through some changes. Often we'll see comic series stay comfortable in their safety zone but after the previous arc, Roberson and Allred have moved the characters out of that comfort zone and we're seeing the story and characters progress in ways you don't normally see. Allred is absent in this issue but J. Bone does a great job filling in. I, ZOMBIE is full of interesting characters and we're seeing more and more development with them. Reading about "monsters" has never been so much fun.