by Chris Roberson , Mike Allred (Illustrator)·  

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 fulfi ll the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong.

Our zombie girl detective is joined by a radical supporting cast: her best friend Eleanor, who happens to be a swinging ’60s ghost, a posse of paintball blasting vampires, a smitten were-dog and a hot but demented mummy.

Paperback, 144 pages

Published March 22nd 2011 by Vertigo

Gwen works for a graveyard digging graves. This is a good job for a Zombie because she must eat a brain at least once a month so she doesn’t become a brain dead monster. From these, she obtains the deceased’s memories.

When out trick or treating, Gwen, Ellie (Ghost) and Spot (Were-Terrier) come across a house with a creepy man who makes them feel uncomfortable. There turns out to be a connection between him and the last deceased brain she’s eaten.

Across town, we learn of a Blood Sports paintball business that conducts itself at night. It also happens to be run by a group of Female Vampires trying to get easy meals without getting caught. But soon an organization comes into town trying to locate the vampires and Gwen catches the eye of one of the detectives, Horatio, who finds her attractive and alluring.

My favorite parts of this comic were the mix of different paranormal creatures, the humor in the dialogue, and inclusion of a Were-terrier who is so cute you just want to pet him. The Blood Sports paintball was a fun and new idea, giving the vampires a way to feed on the boys and men that came out to play (without having to kill them), leaving the men merely dazed and confused not dead.

This series has so many different options for story lines and so far I am hooked. I zipped right through it and it’s something I would read over again. Recommended.

BOOKSIGNING ALERT:

I’ll be signing SERIOUS SAS AND MESSY MAGDA at DYMOCKS CARINDALE this Saturday, 22nd Feb, from 10-1pm.

I have to admit to being a bit enamoured with Lily Allen at the moment. I’ve already blogged about her video for Hard Out Here, and today I’m sharing her new song, Air Balloon.

The clip was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa and features zebras and a cheetah, and I love it to bits. Honestly, its not my kind of music but everything that Lily does at the moment is SO much fun.

I love the lighting of this video, her clothes, the fact that she’s surrounded by four average looking blokes not a bunch of male models, and because…butterflies!

Then of course there’s Jesus nailed to the cross floating past at the very end. Well that’s enough to get everyone talking! Most people seem to believe that the song is about getting high (bright red toadstools growing behind her and a psychedelic feel sure point to that), but I believe Lily’s been quoted as saying it’s just a song about going to her happy place.

Music Feeds has this opinion: While the track is ostensibly a nursery-rhyme singalong pop tune about rising above the daily grind, it’s hard to definitively surmise whether Ms Allen is advocating day dreaming, or describing a Hunter Thompson-style vaporising high. Perhaps both. With lyrics like “we’re so high it can’t rain”, “”somebody remind me where I am, Miami or Timbuktu?” and the “trippin’, tri-tri-trippin’ now” refrain, we’ll let you make up your own mind …

Either way, it’s poppy and cheeky and so very Lily!

Director — That Go (Noel Paul and Stefan Moore) Producer — Sonya Sier