iZombie Versus Veronica Mars: Has Rob Thomas Struck Cult Fandom Again?

By now, most of you have probably heard of Veronica Mars in some way or another. If you weren’t a fan of the short lived UPN turned CW teen drama with a cult following when it was on the air (arguably lost in the shuffle of the UPN/WB merger), then you probably caught wind of the record breaking Kickstarter campaign helmed by creator and showrunner, Rob Thomas, and the show’s leading lady, Kristen Bell.

The campaign made headlines in 2013 when it raised over two million dollars within its first 12 hours. The instant success convinced WB execs to give the fans what they’d been asking for since the network announced that the show would not be returning for a fourth season. After years of crusading by a passionate fanbase (myself included), a Veronica Mars movie finally came to fruition, and in the process gave us just a bit of closure.

Fast forward to 2015 and Thomas’s latest series, iZombie, starring Rose McIver as Olivia ‘Liv’ Moore, is about to premiere on The CW. Unlike Veronica Mars, iZombie isn’t a completely original idea. This lesser known Vertigo comic series penned by writer Chris Roberson and Michael Allred is following in the footsteps of  Arrow and The Flash by making the leap from print to the small screen. Except, the one thing that these other shows don’t have going for them (even though I adore them both, mini-superhero obsession and all), is that they haven’t been lucky enough to receive the Rob Thomas treatment. And, as fans of Thomas already know, he leaves his undeniable signature on all his projects – which isn’t simply a good thing, it’s an amazing thing.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at The CW, I’ve had a chance to preview the first four episodes of this phenomenal mid-season entry to the networks’ line-up. iZombie has a very Veronica Mars-esque thing going on and besides the obvious zombie theme that announces loud and clear that you’re watching a different show, fans are going to notice a number of parallels between the two.

So, before you sit down this Tuesday, March 17 and watch what I’m already pegging as a mid-season winner, let’s take a moment to appreciate the similarities and differences between Rob Thomas’s first hit series and his latest creation!