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The Walking Dead
Days Gone Bye
The world we knew is gone.
How many hours are in a day when you don't spend half of them watching television? When is the last time any of us really worked to get something we wanted? How long has it been since any of us really needed something that we wanted?
The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living.
In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living.
Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son.
Edition MSRP: $9⁹⁹ US (ISBN 978-1-58240-672-5)
Printed in USA
How many hours are in a day when you don't spend half of them watching television? When is the last time any of us really worked to get something we wanted? How long has it been since any of us really needed something that we wanted?
The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living.
In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living.
Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son.
Edition MSRP: $9⁹⁹ US (ISBN 978-1-58240-672-5)
Printed in USA
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
About the author
Robert Kirkman
2,695 books6,640 followersRobert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,125 reviews
July 10, 2022
Death often comes with felt eternity, especially in long running series like this one, Resident evil, and similar stuff
Establishing backstories to prepare future conflicts
It´s not really that much about secret special recipes for preparing brains, but about how people from different socioeconomic backgrounds develop after the apocalypse. First, as small and later growing groups, until the big „let´s rebuild/build a better society/ establish a terrible dictatorship, etc.“ instinct kicks in and gives it a bit more meta complexity because now
Political, economic, and ideological content can be put in the armored zombie cracking truck engine
But, it can´t get as complex as in satires or sci-fi, because most of it is just at a steampunk level with some left high tech that makes the owners the big wigs. So it´s mostly just superficial because the complex systems criticized in other genres don´t exist here anymore and it´s more anarchy, tribalism, and barter than macroeconomicing the heck out of Friedman and Keynes. That´s why it´s often spiced with the philosophy of groups or individuals to fuel some extra character focused conflict.
Warning, I now want to drivel a bit about the problems I have with the long running of not just this series, but many famous trademarks/franchises in general.
193 comic books and 11 seasons (3 watched 10 years ago) of The Walking Dead show that general fiction, horror, and thriller have a big problem compared with big sci fi and fantasy series, which can play with close to all tropes and genres and mix whatever imaginable. A prime example of how restrictive genre conventions can be.
Seriously, I wonder how this would have evolved and how big it would have become without the TV series.
As so often, different fandoms clash and quarrel, even playing with the option of full fandom wars. It of course doesn´t have to end so disastrously as with Game of Thrones, although one can see the problem and conflict potential by the sheer loads of both graphic novels and seasons that just can´t permanently satisfy each individual post apocalyptic wet dream.
This happens later in the series: First growing a beard, then again losing it in redundancy and repetition
I love everything zombie, movies, novels, games, but there is, as said, a big problem with the limitation of this setting. There can´t be that much science fantasy in it, because many readers expect it to be more realistic survival, which leads to the suspension of disbelief backlash problem, looking at you, Resident evil with fantasy and magic attempts. Shivers. It´s just not possible to endlessly produce new, fresh, and especially credible plots with the always similar storylines, instead, it goes towards necromantic human flesh made soap opera some people might love, because I can luckily still detect my
Possible subjective taste problem
Just maybe (bloody lie!) I am too plot, action, meta, and complex world building prone to fully enjoy too much character focused art and writing. I am absolutely not sure about my ability to assess characterization, because I don´t really care about that as long as the story is awesome. So maybe The Walking Corpses are better than I can perceive, although I am still absolutely not sure about how far to read this series regarding the limited options, especially compared to many other series that have aliens and dwarfs in the mix.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
Establishing backstories to prepare future conflicts
It´s not really that much about secret special recipes for preparing brains, but about how people from different socioeconomic backgrounds develop after the apocalypse. First, as small and later growing groups, until the big „let´s rebuild/build a better society/ establish a terrible dictatorship, etc.“ instinct kicks in and gives it a bit more meta complexity because now
Political, economic, and ideological content can be put in the armored zombie cracking truck engine
But, it can´t get as complex as in satires or sci-fi, because most of it is just at a steampunk level with some left high tech that makes the owners the big wigs. So it´s mostly just superficial because the complex systems criticized in other genres don´t exist here anymore and it´s more anarchy, tribalism, and barter than macroeconomicing the heck out of Friedman and Keynes. That´s why it´s often spiced with the philosophy of groups or individuals to fuel some extra character focused conflict.
Warning, I now want to drivel a bit about the problems I have with the long running of not just this series, but many famous trademarks/franchises in general.
193 comic books and 11 seasons (3 watched 10 years ago) of The Walking Dead show that general fiction, horror, and thriller have a big problem compared with big sci fi and fantasy series, which can play with close to all tropes and genres and mix whatever imaginable. A prime example of how restrictive genre conventions can be.
Seriously, I wonder how this would have evolved and how big it would have become without the TV series.
As so often, different fandoms clash and quarrel, even playing with the option of full fandom wars. It of course doesn´t have to end so disastrously as with Game of Thrones, although one can see the problem and conflict potential by the sheer loads of both graphic novels and seasons that just can´t permanently satisfy each individual post apocalyptic wet dream.
This happens later in the series: First growing a beard, then again losing it in redundancy and repetition
I love everything zombie, movies, novels, games, but there is, as said, a big problem with the limitation of this setting. There can´t be that much science fantasy in it, because many readers expect it to be more realistic survival, which leads to the suspension of disbelief backlash problem, looking at you, Resident evil with fantasy and magic attempts. Shivers. It´s just not possible to endlessly produce new, fresh, and especially credible plots with the always similar storylines, instead, it goes towards necromantic human flesh made soap opera some people might love, because I can luckily still detect my
Possible subjective taste problem
Just maybe (bloody lie!) I am too plot, action, meta, and complex world building prone to fully enjoy too much character focused art and writing. I am absolutely not sure about my ability to assess characterization, because I don´t really care about that as long as the story is awesome. So maybe The Walking Corpses are better than I can perceive, although I am still absolutely not sure about how far to read this series regarding the limited options, especially compared to many other series that have aliens and dwarfs in the mix.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
January 3, 2023
Started reading volume 15, couldn't remember what happened before in details so sod it. Fourth time rereading of the original graphic novel series of the now cult TV show. An apocalyptic event leaves a few strangling survivors strive to cope in a world populated, for want of a better term… with zombies! The multi faceted character driven end of world drama that keeps on surprising ...gets better and better every reread!!!
Some key moments... early Glen, Andrea, Andrea and Carol. Meeting Marlon. Shane! The no-go area cities. The only slight negative is the artwork of Moore, as Adlard's art is integral to the franchise now. Smooth Four Star, 8 out of 12.
2019 read, 2017 read, 2013 read and 2011 read!
Some key moments... early Glen, Andrea, Andrea and Carol. Meeting Marlon. Shane! The no-go area cities. The only slight negative is the artwork of Moore, as Adlard's art is integral to the franchise now. Smooth Four Star, 8 out of 12.
2019 read, 2017 read, 2013 read and 2011 read!
June 5, 2020
This review contains *spoilers* for both the tv show (season 1 &2) and the graphic novel.
I absolutely loved the first two seasons of The Walking Dead, so I decided why not give the comic books a chance. And I was not disappointed.
This volume brought back so many memories of the show for me and reminded me of just how much I loved it— even with the jump scares.
But The Walking Dead doesn’t only focus on the gore of killing zombies, it also explores how people deal with extreme situations and how these events CHANGE them.
It was certainly interesting looking back at how Rick started on his journey and how much he has changed and matured since.
But a lot of beloved old characters reappeared:
(GLENN!! CAROL!! ANDREA!! )
Oh, and Shane also appeared which reminded me of how much I despised him (always a fun reminder).
But then Carl shot him, which astonished me, considering that in the tv show it doesn’t happen till much later.
And I don’t remember a Donna from the tv show, but I wholeheartedly agreed with what she brought up:
(I did not like Lori in this story. At all.)
And I almost forgot how gruesome some scenes can be in The Walking Dead, especially when they went on the hunt for guns in Atlanta:
(I had to take a breather after that part.)
But it was interesting seeing how different the pace is compared to the tv show—that’s mainly why I quit after season 5, the pace was too damn slow.
And yet this kind of made me want to continue watching the show?? But if I don’t, I’ll still continue on to volume 2 in this series (I hope sooner rather than later).
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Walking Dead, Vol. 1, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
August 20, 2015
Kudos to Image Comics for saving all that money on a colorist (better, Erica?)!
I get it, I get it!
I'm frugal, too. In fact,
I've never seen the show (Yes. Really.), so I don't know how this compares to it.
Seemed like a fine start for a story about the zombie apocalypse, though.
Personally, I liked that the undead hordes were all pokey and sluggish. It was a nice switch-up from the new Turbo-Zombies that seem to be zipping around here nowadays.
I mean, come on! I can't be the only person who wants to believe that I'd survive the inevitable End of the World, simply because I can shuffle faster than a corpse!
There's a lot of meaningful things that Days Gone Bye explores.
Life lessons, morality lessons, blah, blah, blah.
But what struck me as amazing, didn't have anything to do with the real-life metaphors that Kirkman played with in this thing.
What really impressed me, was that a seven year old kid made a NECK Shot!
Seriously?!
Do you have any idea how hard that would be? Especially from his lower vantage point!
So.
The real moral of the story is that you need to teach your kids how to handle guns. Preferably, as soon as they can toddle.
Someday, it might just save your life.
I get it, I get it!
I'm frugal, too. In fact,
I've never seen the show (Yes. Really.), so I don't know how this compares to it.
Seemed like a fine start for a story about the zombie apocalypse, though.
Personally, I liked that the undead hordes were all pokey and sluggish. It was a nice switch-up from the new Turbo-Zombies that seem to be zipping around here nowadays.
I mean, come on! I can't be the only person who wants to believe that I'd survive the inevitable End of the World, simply because I can shuffle faster than a corpse!
There's a lot of meaningful things that Days Gone Bye explores.
Life lessons, morality lessons, blah, blah, blah.
But what struck me as amazing, didn't have anything to do with the real-life metaphors that Kirkman played with in this thing.
What really impressed me, was that a seven year old kid made a NECK Shot!
Seriously?!
Do you have any idea how hard that would be? Especially from his lower vantage point!
So.
The real moral of the story is that you need to teach your kids how to handle guns. Preferably, as soon as they can toddle.
Someday, it might just save your life.
December 4, 2013
I wanted to really like volume one of The Walking Dead. Most people do like it. They like it a lot. I didn't, which doesn't make anyone better or smarter than anyone else, we just have different tastes.
I appreciate Robert Kirkman wanting to write a social commentary and not just a horror story, but I don't know that he needs to state this in the introduction - all good zombie (and horror) stories are dealing with more than just the surface material, so Kirkman emphasizing his social commentary sounds more like him trying to convince everyone his stuff is smart and deserving of our attention and praise; why not let his graphic novel prove its merit on its own?
I didn't feel that the character development was that deep. The greatest transgressor here was Lori, who is very one-dimensional. She's the most incompetent woman in the whole story. To me, she is just the whining wife character who tries to frustrate Rick's chivalric heroism by not wanting him to go to the city, or she's the over-protective mother figure who doesn't want their son, Carl, to be taught how to shoot a gun (silly women, not letting their boys become men). She's helpless, submissive, and mostly just obnoxious.
I didn't feel that Kirkman explored some of the issues of survival very thoroughly. For example, gender issues and the division of labor is raised when some of the women are going to wash the clothes. But the issue is opened by Donna's shallow complaints about women doing the washing and men doing the hunting. Her argument is bland and Lori's response is equally so, she claims it "isn't about women's rights . . . it's about being realistic and doing what needs to be done." This is a convenient response to shut down Donna, who is very obviously constructed as a whining, judgmental character (we're not supposed to agree with her, but are supposed to discard her opinion as rapidly as Lori does). The problem is that if you're wanting to survive in the apocalypse (or if you just wanna be able to live in our regular supposedly non-apocalyptic life), everyone should be learning as many skills as possible. Kirkman has the opportunity to examine gender roles here, but chooses to reduce the issue to a series of bumper sticker statements that don't really say anything.
This becomes even more of a problem for me when later the women are taught how to shoot. After the argument over who washes and who hunts, it seems silly that women are expected to learn so-called "manly" skills like shooting a gun but men are allowed to remain ignorant to washing clothes. It's a man's world, zombies or no zombies. Obviously, women should learn how to shoot to protect themselves and to catch food, but domestic chores are also important for survival and the men should learn those too. Is this a small detail I'm picking at? Perhaps. But it happens so often in our culture and our stories that it really annoys the hell out of me. And I don't think this is the characters being ignorantly sexist, I think it's Kirkman being ignorantly sexist.
Another instance of cheap dramatics used to show Lori's helplessness and Kirkman's lame gender use is following the laundry washing when the women are attacked by a zombie and Dale beheads it with his axe. The zombie's head is still "alive" which logically means they have to shoot the head to kill it, even though Dale is holding his axe and we see many zombies dispatched with axes and hatchets (including right before this moment when Rick kills the zombie feeding on the deer with his hatchet). Using the gun to kill the head is a lame move, creating bland dramatics to get Rick and Shane to come running back to camp, where Lori cries on Rick's shoulder, completely beside herself with fear - "Oh, God, Rick . . . it was awful." This isn't interesting or exciting, it's an attempt to make a story exciting because the more action, the more cool the story, the more readers.
Gender studies issues aside, The Walking Dead just moves too quickly a lot of the time. A story focusing on the day-to-day challenge of surviving in a blighted landscape should dwell on the monotony of survival, at least some of the time. Kirkman wants the story to drag along and take its time, but it just felt rushed to me. It's like he wanted to have dead time where not much was happening, but then got bored with it and just rushed us on to the next zombie scene where we can be thrilled by Tony Moore's grisly art - mundane chores don't sell stories, but violence does.
Moore's art is pretty good, especially the zombies. But this is an emphasis again on grotesque body horror and violence. There are lots of close-ups of heads getting hacked at and shot. The gore abounds and while that isn't always a bad thing because we are reading a fantasy and zombie stories are a violent, nasty subject, I wonder if Moore was a bit too enamored with killing things.
As I said, I wanted to like this graphic novel, but in the end it was just okay. It coulda, shoulda been brilliant and there are nice moments and signs of real quality. But the effort to make it stellar proved too difficult, so Kirkman and co. chose the much easier, safer route of superficiality.
I appreciate Robert Kirkman wanting to write a social commentary and not just a horror story, but I don't know that he needs to state this in the introduction - all good zombie (and horror) stories are dealing with more than just the surface material, so Kirkman emphasizing his social commentary sounds more like him trying to convince everyone his stuff is smart and deserving of our attention and praise; why not let his graphic novel prove its merit on its own?
I didn't feel that the character development was that deep. The greatest transgressor here was Lori, who is very one-dimensional. She's the most incompetent woman in the whole story. To me, she is just the whining wife character who tries to frustrate Rick's chivalric heroism by not wanting him to go to the city, or she's the over-protective mother figure who doesn't want their son, Carl, to be taught how to shoot a gun (silly women, not letting their boys become men). She's helpless, submissive, and mostly just obnoxious.
I didn't feel that Kirkman explored some of the issues of survival very thoroughly. For example, gender issues and the division of labor is raised when some of the women are going to wash the clothes. But the issue is opened by Donna's shallow complaints about women doing the washing and men doing the hunting. Her argument is bland and Lori's response is equally so, she claims it "isn't about women's rights . . . it's about being realistic and doing what needs to be done." This is a convenient response to shut down Donna, who is very obviously constructed as a whining, judgmental character (we're not supposed to agree with her, but are supposed to discard her opinion as rapidly as Lori does). The problem is that if you're wanting to survive in the apocalypse (or if you just wanna be able to live in our regular supposedly non-apocalyptic life), everyone should be learning as many skills as possible. Kirkman has the opportunity to examine gender roles here, but chooses to reduce the issue to a series of bumper sticker statements that don't really say anything.
This becomes even more of a problem for me when later the women are taught how to shoot. After the argument over who washes and who hunts, it seems silly that women are expected to learn so-called "manly" skills like shooting a gun but men are allowed to remain ignorant to washing clothes. It's a man's world, zombies or no zombies. Obviously, women should learn how to shoot to protect themselves and to catch food, but domestic chores are also important for survival and the men should learn those too. Is this a small detail I'm picking at? Perhaps. But it happens so often in our culture and our stories that it really annoys the hell out of me. And I don't think this is the characters being ignorantly sexist, I think it's Kirkman being ignorantly sexist.
Another instance of cheap dramatics used to show Lori's helplessness and Kirkman's lame gender use is following the laundry washing when the women are attacked by a zombie and Dale beheads it with his axe. The zombie's head is still "alive" which logically means they have to shoot the head to kill it, even though Dale is holding his axe and we see many zombies dispatched with axes and hatchets (including right before this moment when Rick kills the zombie feeding on the deer with his hatchet). Using the gun to kill the head is a lame move, creating bland dramatics to get Rick and Shane to come running back to camp, where Lori cries on Rick's shoulder, completely beside herself with fear - "Oh, God, Rick . . . it was awful." This isn't interesting or exciting, it's an attempt to make a story exciting because the more action, the more cool the story, the more readers.
Gender studies issues aside, The Walking Dead just moves too quickly a lot of the time. A story focusing on the day-to-day challenge of surviving in a blighted landscape should dwell on the monotony of survival, at least some of the time. Kirkman wants the story to drag along and take its time, but it just felt rushed to me. It's like he wanted to have dead time where not much was happening, but then got bored with it and just rushed us on to the next zombie scene where we can be thrilled by Tony Moore's grisly art - mundane chores don't sell stories, but violence does.
Moore's art is pretty good, especially the zombies. But this is an emphasis again on grotesque body horror and violence. There are lots of close-ups of heads getting hacked at and shot. The gore abounds and while that isn't always a bad thing because we are reading a fantasy and zombie stories are a violent, nasty subject, I wonder if Moore was a bit too enamored with killing things.
As I said, I wanted to like this graphic novel, but in the end it was just okay. It coulda, shoulda been brilliant and there are nice moments and signs of real quality. But the effort to make it stellar proved too difficult, so Kirkman and co. chose the much easier, safer route of superficiality.
December 4, 2013
4.0 stars. You can see by the ratings and the other reviews of this book that a lot of people think very highly of this series and it is certainly justified. This is the kind of excellence in both writing and art that make the graphic novel an incredibly power medium when it is done well. Here….it is done very well indeed. The writing and the art are superb and I don’t think you could ask for better.
Basically, the set up is very familiar. It is a zombie apocalypse, society has broken down and the walking dead control the cities with bands of humans living in the outskirts trying to survive. I think that is enough background for you to understand the basic premise of the series.
Therefore, rather then do a detailed plot synopsis which others have done very well, I thought I would mention 3 things (beyond the aforementioned writing and art) that I really thought set this series apart from your typical zombie/undead apocalypse story.
1. The Realism
The creators of this story have started with an impossible, unbelievable premise and yet from there have done their best to make the reader forget that we are dealing with science ficiton. They have imbued the story with a very realistic tone and the actions and inactions of the characters in the story felt authentic.
2. The Story’s Focus/Pacing
While the zombie’s in this story are very important and provide a great “danger” this story really focuses on the lives of the survivors and how the breakdown of society can affect people differently. The character development is excellent and the emotional resonance is stronger than you typically see in this kind of story.
3. The Zombies
One thing that really struck me while I was reading this is that I found myself feeling sorry for the zombies. I think this was something intentional on the part of the creators. For example, there is a scene early on when Rick is leaving the hospital and there is a female zombie that has here lower body crushed and basically can’t move (I haven’t seen the TV show…yet…but I think this is the woman from the show):
Her body is emaciated and yet she can’t die (presumably for quite a long time). She is just lying there moaning and unable to move. She looked...pitiable, at least in the story.Later on Rick sees this same zombie again and she is in the exact same spot and you can tell it makes him sad.
There are similar scenes throughout the book including this…
Here, Rick and a boy are sneaking into town to try and find more guns and they come across this scene…all of the zombies you see are “alive” (i.e. zombie alive) and yet many of them are trapped and can’t really move. I found this aspect to be very compelling and added an additional layer to the dread of becoming one of these creatures. I thought the writers did an excellent job in this respect.
Overall, I was very impressed with this first volume and plan to continue reading the series. Well written, well constructed plot with believable characters and an engaging storyline. As far as I was concerned, the story was only missing two things that would have made it perfect:
ZOMBIE STORMTROOPERS
AND, OF COURSE….
But that's just me...and I'm a GUY...and I refer you back to the first picture.
April 12, 2019
Honestly, I'm probably the one person on the planet that hasn't watched much of the TV show but I was surprised at how much more quickly things in the comic happen. I feel like season one was probably Vol. 1 and 2 combined. Rule number one for reading this: Do not get attached to any of the characters! At least one person dies in each one, at least they do in the first three volumes, and in most cases it's 2 or more deaths per volume. You can like or dislike characters but do not get attached. At least it's realistic that way. It's definitely gritty, brutal, and more down to earth than a lot of zombie stuff I've seen. Most of the characters are easy to like but the main character's wife is a real piece of work. I absolutely despise her. The art is really good. It is black and white though, which is fine, but I would be interested to see it in color, considering how gory it can be. I definitely like the story, and will continue with the series. I'm glad I found a good horror graphic novel that has a lot of volumes and is still ongoing. Now I'm onward to the next.
February 22, 2016
Whether you’re a comic book fan or a television buff, one thing remains certain: Rick Grimes is a badass.
He’s resourceful too, a real survivor. When other members of the fledgling group are panicking and running around like headless chickens, he acts. When they argue about the next move they should take or which option is safest, Rick, again, acts. He doesn’t mess about. You’ve got to give it to the small town sheriff, he quickly realises what he must do to keep his family alive. And it isn’t pretty. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is no glamorous business. In this first volume, he covers himself with zombie remains to avoid detection in the vast hoard of the undead. By doing so he demonstrates how far he is willing to go protect his family. Guns are everything in this new world, and walking incognito through the hoards is worth the risk if it means a few more firearms around camp.
A lot can be said about Rick from these early issues. From the way he handles the unhinged Shane; to the way he allows his seven year old sun to carry a handgun. He realised very early on how bad things were going to get, and he knew how to respond. Everyone else is still clutching to old world ideas; they are trying to live in the past and use the same set of customs. But, the world’s gone to hell. And, at this point, it seems Rick’s the only one fully aware of this fact. Without him, the group would collapse. The man knows what’s on the horizon. I think his encounter with Shane is pivotal because through it he learns what could happen to him, and what is likely to happen to everyone if they’re not careful.
It’s a perfect foreshadowing of a possible rise in character insanity. I think because of it Rick has to up his game. He takes charge and begins to make the necessary decisions. More importantly, though, for the rest of the group, he dons the face of optimism. He becomes their source of strength. I think I’m going to really enjoy reading through these; it will be interesting to see how it compares to the television show. Already I’m noticing how sanity, and an ability to cope, is being explored much more in these earlier parts of the story. The show picks the idea up much later. Dale is also a much more established character in these comics. This is going to be a fun reading experience.
More Walking Dead Reviews to come!
He’s resourceful too, a real survivor. When other members of the fledgling group are panicking and running around like headless chickens, he acts. When they argue about the next move they should take or which option is safest, Rick, again, acts. He doesn’t mess about. You’ve got to give it to the small town sheriff, he quickly realises what he must do to keep his family alive. And it isn’t pretty. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is no glamorous business. In this first volume, he covers himself with zombie remains to avoid detection in the vast hoard of the undead. By doing so he demonstrates how far he is willing to go protect his family. Guns are everything in this new world, and walking incognito through the hoards is worth the risk if it means a few more firearms around camp.
A lot can be said about Rick from these early issues. From the way he handles the unhinged Shane; to the way he allows his seven year old sun to carry a handgun. He realised very early on how bad things were going to get, and he knew how to respond. Everyone else is still clutching to old world ideas; they are trying to live in the past and use the same set of customs. But, the world’s gone to hell. And, at this point, it seems Rick’s the only one fully aware of this fact. Without him, the group would collapse. The man knows what’s on the horizon. I think his encounter with Shane is pivotal because through it he learns what could happen to him, and what is likely to happen to everyone if they’re not careful.
It’s a perfect foreshadowing of a possible rise in character insanity. I think because of it Rick has to up his game. He takes charge and begins to make the necessary decisions. More importantly, though, for the rest of the group, he dons the face of optimism. He becomes their source of strength. I think I’m going to really enjoy reading through these; it will be interesting to see how it compares to the television show. Already I’m noticing how sanity, and an ability to cope, is being explored much more in these earlier parts of the story. The show picks the idea up much later. Dale is also a much more established character in these comics. This is going to be a fun reading experience.
More Walking Dead Reviews to come!
February 13, 2017
The days won't be same anymore!
This is the first volume of the softcover editions of "The Walking Dead", collecting the comic book issues from #1 to #6.
Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Illustrators: Tony Moore
Additional gray tones to inking: Tony Moore
Chapter One
DAYS GONE BYE
Rick... Officer Rick Grimes at your service.
This chapter is the epic beginning of the mega popular franchise of The Walking Dead that first was comic books, then expanded to a TV series and now there are even prose novels.
This first chapter has the great artwork by Tony Moore that certainly made it iconic. The work of Charlie Adlard in the rest of chapters is really good too, specially on the details of things and backgrounds, but definitely if I’d be able to choose, my pick would be on Tony Moore, it was sad that he won’t keep doing the illustrations on the rest of the comic book series. As additional info, Tony Moore remained in the creative team for a while doing the covers of the first twenty-four issues and the covers of the first four regular TPBs.
A good thing about The Walking Dead, if you want to enjoy it in comic books along with TV series is that both storylines are different, sure there will be connecting points here and there, and you will meet the same names of characters (in some cases) but they aren’t the same persons, and trust me, while this is my first compendium in the comic book’s storyline, I have been watching the TV series since its own beginning, and both stories are different, both truly great, but different, so don’t afraid of spoilers in any of both formats, since the events are developed quite different. You may think of the “other storyline” of any format, comic books or TV series, as “the road not taken”.
But truly loyal to the spirit of the franchise.
Officer Rick Grimes, from the Sheriff Deparment in Cynthiana, Kentucky, suffers a shot injury on duty and he falls into a coma. When he wakes up in a hospital bed, after several weeks, he finds himself alone in the building, or at least he thinks that he is alone. Soon enough he meets several “things”, walking “things” that only a word, not matter how nonsensical it sounds, is able to describe those walking “things”...
...ZOMBIES.
And if things aren’t bad enough, Rick doesn’t know the whereabouts of his wife and son!
So, his first priority is to reunite with his family as soon as possible.
Rick’s first stop on his own home leads him to meet Morgan and his son, Duane. Morgan explains him how the world gone to hell while Rick was in coma.
The US Government was asking population to go to big cities to be defended there by the army, and since Lori, Rick’s wife, has family in Atlanta, Rick decides to go there to search for his wife and son, Carl.
On Atlanta, he finds Glenn, an Asian-American young man, who explains him how the world works now.
Rick Grimes’ world would never been the same anymore!
This is the first volume of the softcover editions of "The Walking Dead", collecting the comic book issues from #1 to #6.
Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Illustrators: Tony Moore
Additional gray tones to inking: Tony Moore
Chapter One
DAYS GONE BYE
Rick... Officer Rick Grimes at your service.
This chapter is the epic beginning of the mega popular franchise of The Walking Dead that first was comic books, then expanded to a TV series and now there are even prose novels.
This first chapter has the great artwork by Tony Moore that certainly made it iconic. The work of Charlie Adlard in the rest of chapters is really good too, specially on the details of things and backgrounds, but definitely if I’d be able to choose, my pick would be on Tony Moore, it was sad that he won’t keep doing the illustrations on the rest of the comic book series. As additional info, Tony Moore remained in the creative team for a while doing the covers of the first twenty-four issues and the covers of the first four regular TPBs.
A good thing about The Walking Dead, if you want to enjoy it in comic books along with TV series is that both storylines are different, sure there will be connecting points here and there, and you will meet the same names of characters (in some cases) but they aren’t the same persons, and trust me, while this is my first compendium in the comic book’s storyline, I have been watching the TV series since its own beginning, and both stories are different, both truly great, but different, so don’t afraid of spoilers in any of both formats, since the events are developed quite different. You may think of the “other storyline” of any format, comic books or TV series, as “the road not taken”.
But truly loyal to the spirit of the franchise.
Officer Rick Grimes, from the Sheriff Deparment in Cynthiana, Kentucky, suffers a shot injury on duty and he falls into a coma. When he wakes up in a hospital bed, after several weeks, he finds himself alone in the building, or at least he thinks that he is alone. Soon enough he meets several “things”, walking “things” that only a word, not matter how nonsensical it sounds, is able to describe those walking “things”...
...ZOMBIES.
And if things aren’t bad enough, Rick doesn’t know the whereabouts of his wife and son!
So, his first priority is to reunite with his family as soon as possible.
Rick’s first stop on his own home leads him to meet Morgan and his son, Duane. Morgan explains him how the world gone to hell while Rick was in coma.
The US Government was asking population to go to big cities to be defended there by the army, and since Lori, Rick’s wife, has family in Atlanta, Rick decides to go there to search for his wife and son, Carl.
On Atlanta, he finds Glenn, an Asian-American young man, who explains him how the world works now.
Rick Grimes’ world would never been the same anymore!
January 1, 2019
Oh yeah......I'm in. "The world we knew was gone."
As it begins, the gunslinging Officer Rick Grimes, hurt in the line of duty, wakes up alone....well almost alone in the hospital. No wife and no best friend-partner watching over him; no nurse or anyone answers his call, and then he finds some of them and realizes the world is not the same.
THE WALKING DEAD comic graphic novel was a quick way to introduce me to the story that family and friends have recommended to me for years....and now I'm hooked too!
Confession....I've spent the last nine days binge watching all eight seasons of the AMC series and have found a very addictive character-driven story of survival. Yes, there's a ton of blood and gore and evil types that do even worse deeds than the walkers, but great entertainment nonetheless as a catastrophic epidemic sweeps the country causing the dead to feed on the living.
Noted some differences comparing novel to series even in this first volume. Can't wait to read and watch more!
January 10, 2019
We all know about the show. I never enjoyed the show.
But this.
Now, this I liked a lot.
But this.
Now, this I liked a lot.
October 23, 2019
The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye (The Walking Dead (Collected Editions) #1), Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic comic book series created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore.
Volume 1: Days Gone Bye (Issues 1–6): Rick Grimes, a sheriff's deputy from Kentucky, is wounded in the line of duty and emerges from a coma to find the world overrun by the undead. He is then led in to a small camp of survivors; among them are Rick's wife Lori, his son Carl, and his police partner Shane. Following a fatal zombie attack, Shane tries to murder Rick, having had a one-night stand and become obsessed with Lori. Carl then shoots Shane to protect his father.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و سوم ماه اکتبر سال 2018 میلادی
عنوان: مردگان متحرک؛ نویسنده: رابرت کریکمن، تونی مور؛ مترجم: عباس خالقی؛ شهرستان بانه: انتشارات ناجی، 1396؛ در 19 جلد؛ مصور، بخشی رنگی؛ شابک دوره: 9786009961603؛ شابک جلد 1: 9786009961610؛ شابک جلد 2: 9786009961627؛ شابک جلد 3: 9786009961634؛ شابک جلد 4: 9786009961641؛ شابک جلد 5: 9786009961658؛ شابک جلد 6: 9786009961665؛ شابک جلد 7: 9786009961672؛ شابک جلد 8: 9786009961689؛ شابک جلد 9: 9786009961696؛ شابک جلد 10: 9786009962402؛ شابک جلد 11: 9786009962419؛ شابک جلد 12: 9786009962426؛ شابک جلد 13: 9786009962433؛ شابک جلد 14: 9786009962440؛ شابک جلد 15: 9786009962457؛ شابک جلد 16: 9786009962464؛ شابک جلد 17: 9786009962471؛ شابک جلد 18: 9786009962488؛ شابک جلد 19: 9786009962495؛ موضوع: زامبیها - داستانها، مجلهها، و فکاهیات تصویری از نویسندگان آمریکایی - سده 21 م
مردگان متحرک عنوان کتاب مصور سیاه و سفیدی؛ نوشته ی: «رابرت کرکمن»، و هنرمندی به نام: «تونی مور» است. داستان بر روی شخصیت «ریک گریمز»، افسر پلیسی متمرکز است، که در هنگام انجام وظیفه مجروح شده، و به کما فرو رفته است. او در هنگام فروپاشی زندگی، در حضور زامبیها، و در حالی به هوش میآید، که «جورجیا» در قرنطینه است. «ریک» موفق میشود همسر و فرزندش را، به همراه سایر نجات یافتگان پیدا کند، و به تدریج رهبری گروهی را که بعدها، به یک جامعه ی کوچک تبدیل میشود را، بر عهده بگیرد. هشدار: اگر این سری را میخواهید خود بخوانید، از خوانش ادامه ی این ریویو، لطفا خودداری فرمایید؛ فصل اول: روزهای رفته خداحافظ (قسمت یک تا قسمت هفت): ریک گریمز افسر پلیسی از کنتاکی که ساکن شهر کوچکی به نام سینتیانا است، در هنگام انجام وظیفه مجروح شده و زمانی به هوش میآید که شهر توسط زامبیها یا مرده های متحرک تسخیرشده، و انگار هیچکس به جز او زنده نیست...؛ او با کمک «مورگان» و پسر نوجوانش هنگامیکه به خانه میرسد، درمیابد که خانه اش غارت شده، و همسر و فرزندش آنجا را ترک کرده اند. «ریک» برای پیدا کردن خانواده اش به «آتلانتا» و محل حفاظت شده ارتش میرود، اما درمیابد که «آتلانتا» هم به تسخیر زامبیها درآمده است. او با کمک «گلن ری» از کشته شدن به دست زامبیها نجات پیدا میکند، و به گروه کوچکی که در فروشگاهی در شهر «آتلانتا» گرفتارشده اند میپیوندد. «ریک» به محض مسلط شدن به اوضاع ابتکار عمل را به دست میگیرد، و به همراه آنها موفق به ترک شهر میشود. در جریان فرار از شهر موفق میشود، همسرش «لوری» و پسرش «کارل» را که توسط «شین»، همکار و دوست «ریک» نجات پیدا کرده اند در کنار سایر نجات یافتگان در خارج از شهر پیدا کند. هجوم زامبیها به کمپ خارج شهر باعث کشته شدن تعدادی از اعضای گروه میشود. گروه تصمیم به ترک آتلانتا گرفته، و به سوی مرکز تحقیقات علمی آتلانتا به راه میافتد. اما در سی.دی.سی. تنها دکتر «جنر» زنده مانده است ... همچنان مشغول کار بر روی این میکروب ناشناخته است که عامل به وجود آمدن مرده های متحرک است. ریک به همراه دوستان و خانواده اش با از دست رفتن سی.دی.سی. دوباره راهی تعقیب و گریز میشوند. ا. شربیانی
The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic comic book series created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore.
Volume 1: Days Gone Bye (Issues 1–6): Rick Grimes, a sheriff's deputy from Kentucky, is wounded in the line of duty and emerges from a coma to find the world overrun by the undead. He is then led in to a small camp of survivors; among them are Rick's wife Lori, his son Carl, and his police partner Shane. Following a fatal zombie attack, Shane tries to murder Rick, having had a one-night stand and become obsessed with Lori. Carl then shoots Shane to protect his father.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و سوم ماه اکتبر سال 2018 میلادی
عنوان: مردگان متحرک؛ نویسنده: رابرت کریکمن، تونی مور؛ مترجم: عباس خالقی؛ شهرستان بانه: انتشارات ناجی، 1396؛ در 19 جلد؛ مصور، بخشی رنگی؛ شابک دوره: 9786009961603؛ شابک جلد 1: 9786009961610؛ شابک جلد 2: 9786009961627؛ شابک جلد 3: 9786009961634؛ شابک جلد 4: 9786009961641؛ شابک جلد 5: 9786009961658؛ شابک جلد 6: 9786009961665؛ شابک جلد 7: 9786009961672؛ شابک جلد 8: 9786009961689؛ شابک جلد 9: 9786009961696؛ شابک جلد 10: 9786009962402؛ شابک جلد 11: 9786009962419؛ شابک جلد 12: 9786009962426؛ شابک جلد 13: 9786009962433؛ شابک جلد 14: 9786009962440؛ شابک جلد 15: 9786009962457؛ شابک جلد 16: 9786009962464؛ شابک جلد 17: 9786009962471؛ شابک جلد 18: 9786009962488؛ شابک جلد 19: 9786009962495؛ موضوع: زامبیها - داستانها، مجلهها، و فکاهیات تصویری از نویسندگان آمریکایی - سده 21 م
مردگان متحرک عنوان کتاب مصور سیاه و سفیدی؛ نوشته ی: «رابرت کرکمن»، و هنرمندی به نام: «تونی مور» است. داستان بر روی شخصیت «ریک گریمز»، افسر پلیسی متمرکز است، که در هنگام انجام وظیفه مجروح شده، و به کما فرو رفته است. او در هنگام فروپاشی زندگی، در حضور زامبیها، و در حالی به هوش میآید، که «جورجیا» در قرنطینه است. «ریک» موفق میشود همسر و فرزندش را، به همراه سایر نجات یافتگان پیدا کند، و به تدریج رهبری گروهی را که بعدها، به یک جامعه ی کوچک تبدیل میشود را، بر عهده بگیرد. هشدار: اگر این سری را میخواهید خود بخوانید، از خوانش ادامه ی این ریویو، لطفا خودداری فرمایید؛ فصل اول: روزهای رفته خداحافظ (قسمت یک تا قسمت هفت): ریک گریمز افسر پلیسی از کنتاکی که ساکن شهر کوچکی به نام سینتیانا است، در هنگام انجام وظیفه مجروح شده و زمانی به هوش میآید که شهر توسط زامبیها یا مرده های متحرک تسخیرشده، و انگار هیچکس به جز او زنده نیست...؛ او با کمک «مورگان» و پسر نوجوانش هنگامیکه به خانه میرسد، درمیابد که خانه اش غارت شده، و همسر و فرزندش آنجا را ترک کرده اند. «ریک» برای پیدا کردن خانواده اش به «آتلانتا» و محل حفاظت شده ارتش میرود، اما درمیابد که «آتلانتا» هم به تسخیر زامبیها درآمده است. او با کمک «گلن ری» از کشته شدن به دست زامبیها نجات پیدا میکند، و به گروه کوچکی که در فروشگاهی در شهر «آتلانتا» گرفتارشده اند میپیوندد. «ریک» به محض مسلط شدن به اوضاع ابتکار عمل را به دست میگیرد، و به همراه آنها موفق به ترک شهر میشود. در جریان فرار از شهر موفق میشود، همسرش «لوری» و پسرش «کارل» را که توسط «شین»، همکار و دوست «ریک» نجات پیدا کرده اند در کنار سایر نجات یافتگان در خارج از شهر پیدا کند. هجوم زامبیها به کمپ خارج شهر باعث کشته شدن تعدادی از اعضای گروه میشود. گروه تصمیم به ترک آتلانتا گرفته، و به سوی مرکز تحقیقات علمی آتلانتا به راه میافتد. اما در سی.دی.سی. تنها دکتر «جنر» زنده مانده است ... همچنان مشغول کار بر روی این میکروب ناشناخته است که عامل به وجود آمدن مرده های متحرک است. ریک به همراه دوستان و خانواده اش با از دست رفتن سی.دی.سی. دوباره راهی تعقیب و گریز میشوند. ا. شربیانی
December 28, 2017
Ohhhhhhhhhh Yeah- I'm hooked!
May 18, 2024
So I am on record as having become sick of zombies (somehow appropriate, yes?) and read the first three volumes in, what, 2013 and gave this first volume two stars. The universe seems to have converged on me in two ways to give this another go: I have a son who urges me to recheck it all out; he's on volume (shudder) 21 at the moment, is watching the series and playing the video game, but out of respect and fatherly duty and wanting to make literary connections with him. . .
and then there's the fact of my having seen the 1968 The Night of the Living Dead, which became a cult classic (and maybe still is; I watched it once with a friend JB in Chicago at a film festival in the early seventies, laughing at parts of it (low budget, ad-libbed lines, poorly paid "actors," and so on), and lo and behold, who was behind us laughing with us, was George Romero himself, true story! But I do love the film, I really do! I might have been laughing in part due to several Scotches. . . So to H, me bouncing boy, and George, trying to give Robert Kirkman's story a fair shake.
So, Kirkman opens this long, never-ending saga with a warning that this will go on forever, and it sorat has, as he admits he will not kill off one main character, Rick Grimes, a cop. Kirkman makes it clear his story is character-driven, and it is, as we meet him, his family, his partner, and other survivors working together to survive, that allegorical through-line of dystopian fiction. I like Rick okay, he's earnest. . . and then there are the generic zombies.
I rated this two stars 10 years ago, and I'll say 3 this time. When I gave up ten years ago after 2-3 volumes, friends here encouraged me to read on, let the characters live a little, it gets better and better, but I gave up. This time I'll stay with it longer.
and then there's the fact of my having seen the 1968 The Night of the Living Dead, which became a cult classic (and maybe still is; I watched it once with a friend JB in Chicago at a film festival in the early seventies, laughing at parts of it (low budget, ad-libbed lines, poorly paid "actors," and so on), and lo and behold, who was behind us laughing with us, was George Romero himself, true story! But I do love the film, I really do! I might have been laughing in part due to several Scotches. . . So to H, me bouncing boy, and George, trying to give Robert Kirkman's story a fair shake.
So, Kirkman opens this long, never-ending saga with a warning that this will go on forever, and it sorat has, as he admits he will not kill off one main character, Rick Grimes, a cop. Kirkman makes it clear his story is character-driven, and it is, as we meet him, his family, his partner, and other survivors working together to survive, that allegorical through-line of dystopian fiction. I like Rick okay, he's earnest. . . and then there are the generic zombies.
I rated this two stars 10 years ago, and I'll say 3 this time. When I gave up ten years ago after 2-3 volumes, friends here encouraged me to read on, let the characters live a little, it gets better and better, but I gave up. This time I'll stay with it longer.
November 17, 2015
I have to believe that readers of dystopian fiction or apocalyptic fiction harbour the belief that the world bound by the printer’s ink is definitely looming; would one day come true. Or at the very least hope it does. I myself cannot stop from venturing into the implications of the dawn of the walking dead. (see what I did there? Too obvious? :/ ) What would I do first? Ah the possibilities! Of course the romance would strip away if such a dawn actually arrives...tut tut tut. I would possibly first have to numb the philosophical Annie and hand the gauntlet (or rather the axe) to the survivalist Annie and so, off to the nitty gritty.
The first thing that I noticed was that the artwork was black and white. For some reason this seemed natural, like before I had actually read this I had expected, even wanted this to be monochromatic. The lack of the distractions otherwise afforded by the convergence of colour provide a very clean slate for the characters to exist and the story to proceed. Indeed, the grittiness of the story would have come apart at the seams if we were to keep getting distracted by the rainbow consorts popping up.
When I started watching the Tv series, or rather let it fester in my lappie for days before I finally got down to it, sans the popcorn obviously, I was expecting it to be a zombie centric series, and it is. But the zombies, more than anything, provide the driving force and are then littered here and there. The nature of the media of course requires it to be more graphic, but in the graphic novels the zombies are relegated further into the background and the characters are pulled more into prominence. The struggle for survival is nigh!
Apparently, the world apocalypse does nothing for the division of labour, such that women still end up washing clothes and the men are out hunting. And only one woman among the group ends up mastering the gun. Pfft!
So, the apocalyptic world of Kirkman still harbours some prejudices, but it still makes for a great read. Having religiously followed the TV series since after the rocky start, and having only picked up the graphic novels to fill the void left between the EPISODES of the latest season, I was surprised to find the comics much better than the TV version. Which is saying something considering that the TV series us really, really good. And incredibly fast paced. At my snail pace too, I might end up years ahead of the series within a month! Yet to decide whether it is a good thing or a bad one. But for now Rouaugh! Ruh! Uh! Gak! will have to suffice!
December 25, 2021
So, I’ve been interested in reading these comics for years, but never gave it a serious thought. I kinda gave up on TV series after (caution TV spoiler)....
.... Rick makes his mysterious exit on the helicopter. I just lost the desire to watch it and didn’t bother with any of the last season. The skin-walker people look cool and all, but I’m not in a rush to watch it. Anyway....
My kids are really into comics lately and when we were at the library this week, I remembered that I wanted to read this comic. While I’m a big believer in the book being better than the movie (or TV series). I have to give it to TWD TV series. They did an amazing job adapting this comic into a fantastic first season.
Caution Comic Spoiler......
no Daryl, really? Does he make an appearance later? And Shane killed off already? I mean it was pretty short comic. But I thought he’d be around longer. This has my interest peaked. Will there be a Maggie? Or did the TV series just do it’s own thing entirely?
With these being comics, they’re pretty short; so, I’ll likely breeze through them quickly. But with +40 in the series- I’m not sure if I’ll read them all. It’s likely going to be similar to the TV series for me. They’ll kill off a character in the comic and I’ll be done reading the series. Guess we’ll see!
Note: this book is listed as one of the most popular books to be banned, over the past decade, from both schools and private libraries. Support freedom of expression by reading and buying banned books! ❤️📚
.... Rick makes his mysterious exit on the helicopter. I just lost the desire to watch it and didn’t bother with any of the last season. The skin-walker people look cool and all, but I’m not in a rush to watch it. Anyway....
My kids are really into comics lately and when we were at the library this week, I remembered that I wanted to read this comic. While I’m a big believer in the book being better than the movie (or TV series). I have to give it to TWD TV series. They did an amazing job adapting this comic into a fantastic first season.
Caution Comic Spoiler......
no Daryl, really? Does he make an appearance later? And Shane killed off already? I mean it was pretty short comic. But I thought he’d be around longer. This has my interest peaked. Will there be a Maggie? Or did the TV series just do it’s own thing entirely?
With these being comics, they’re pretty short; so, I’ll likely breeze through them quickly. But with +40 in the series- I’m not sure if I’ll read them all. It’s likely going to be similar to the TV series for me. They’ll kill off a character in the comic and I’ll be done reading the series. Guess we’ll see!
Note: this book is listed as one of the most popular books to be banned, over the past decade, from both schools and private libraries. Support freedom of expression by reading and buying banned books! ❤️📚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2012
Okay, is this where the random bolding phenomenon is coming from?? Have you all known this and not told me? Is it just so you can laugh behind my back? See? I can’t even randomly bold if I try. It always ends up being for emphasis.
This book is about don’t give kids guns. That’s pretty much it. But, sometimes, you know . . . zombie apocalypse . . . sounds like a good idea to give a kid a gun. And if you think that, you’re an idiot.
My dad used to keep a lot of guns in the house at one particularly precarious point in my childhood, and the parents would leave my brother and I alone for the day while they went to work. One day, my brother found a gun and shot the wall. My mom flipped out, and all the guns got sent out of the house, but I think ultimately it somehow got blamed on the X-Men. Anyway, don’t leave guns in the house.
This was definitely better than the show because not as much emphasis on the love triangle. Also, I like the sounds the zombies make. They say, “Gak” and “Iligh” and other non-zombie-sounding noises. That is pretty great.
I don't know if that's a spoiler or not, but the zombies do make funny zombie noises. Especially when everything else is pretty straight “BLAM” and “POW” and other old school Batman stuff.
Overall, I’m not so big on Westerns, and I think this series is a Western with zombies. British zombies are so much more compelling than American zombies. Watch Dead Set, people. WATCH DEAD SET.
This one is okay, though.
This book is about don’t give kids guns. That’s pretty much it. But, sometimes, you know . . . zombie apocalypse . . . sounds like a good idea to give a kid a gun. And if you think that, you’re an idiot.
My dad used to keep a lot of guns in the house at one particularly precarious point in my childhood, and the parents would leave my brother and I alone for the day while they went to work. One day, my brother found a gun and shot the wall. My mom flipped out, and all the guns got sent out of the house, but I think ultimately it somehow got blamed on the X-Men. Anyway, don’t leave guns in the house.
This was definitely better than the show because not as much emphasis on the love triangle. Also, I like the sounds the zombies make. They say, “Gak” and “Iligh” and other non-zombie-sounding noises. That is pretty great.
I don't know if that's a spoiler or not, but the zombies do make funny zombie noises. Especially when everything else is pretty straight “BLAM” and “POW” and other old school Batman stuff.
Overall, I’m not so big on Westerns, and I think this series is a Western with zombies. British zombies are so much more compelling than American zombies. Watch Dead Set, people. WATCH DEAD SET.
This one is okay, though.
December 4, 2013
We are amidst a Zombie phenomena, well they have been around since that movie Night of the Living Dead, But did not have as much coverage, there is so many novels and movies now with a zombie theme.
Some neat artwork here representing a zombie gore feast of a struggle for a band of humans against the odds for survival.
This is as most people know the genisis of the tv-series of the same name. I have watched one episode with some reservations due to the gore level and wanted to read the graphic novel first. I must say I am hooked now, as there is a real good story here, I love the band of survivors, especially the brave son and i just want to be there on the road with them.
Tv Series Trailer featured here and The making of it
October 7, 2020
"It's not the same as killing the dead ones, Daddy."
"It never should be, son.
It never should be."
I'm so glad I finally decided to read the comic! It was so powerful to have more depth and more layers to the story, and the comic form is as addictive as the series. It is basically the same story in both but it still gave me the feels.
I felt peace, hope and calm
I felt pain, sorrow and grief
I felt hatred, heartbreak and disappointment
It is so weird to see the character so unaware of what will happen next, not knowing yet that the living ones will be the worst down the road. It felt almost peaceful, putting the zombie apocalypse thing apart.
I would definitely recommend this book even though you have seen the series, and to my opinion there is no "right way" to start. Series first or comics first, I think that both are possible and they both add up to each other.
December 20, 2023
Gruesome, intense, and addictive, this first dive into the nightmare of Rick Grimes and the Zombie Apocalypse is a gory but beautiful achievement for a graphical novel. Inked in black and white, the black blood has an even more lugubrious impact as do the faces of the Walkers. The way that the story is unveiled from a narrative point of view was great and unforgettable. I read it after watching the first few seasons of the show and remain pleased with both. I think the TV version dragged a bit through the first 7-episode season cut short by the writer's strike of which Breaking Bad also had to deal, but it did capture the hopelessness and gravitas that these comic book pages describe. Now that the stories have diverged so much, I continue to follow both and try to appreciate them as parallel universes (like those of GoT on page and in the book, or the multiple Superman, Batman, Spiderman, etc. reboots and reinventions).
2023 post-COVID reread: I still appreciate the graphics, but what Kirkman does so well is character development. His creation of Rick waking into the Zombie apocalypse is handled perfectly. And the closing scene with the Shane-Carl-Rick showdown was a great microcosm of how the rest of the series will play out. Definitely was worth rereading!
2023 post-COVID reread: I still appreciate the graphics, but what Kirkman does so well is character development. His creation of Rick waking into the Zombie apocalypse is handled perfectly. And the closing scene with the Shane-Carl-Rick showdown was a great microcosm of how the rest of the series will play out. Definitely was worth rereading!
June 26, 2015
I really liked this! I've watched a few of the first episodes on TV, and honestly I liked this so much more. Maybe it's because I'm a baby and I don't think the zombies look as scary as in the show? Maybe that's part of the reason. But this was really good!
August 22, 2019
A little bit of horror, a little bit of drama, this is a great addition to the graphic novel genre, with the author clearly having a passion for zombies. It’s the social aspect of the apocalyptic world that’s explored in greater depth here, with convoluted and complicated characters with complex problems greater than that simply of a zombie attack. If this was just about zombies it wouldn’t work. It needs Rick, Carl, Lori, Shane and all the others to bring the story to ‘life’.
I admit I’m a little bit terrified of zombies. It’s the over hanging, constant threat of a swarm attack that really ramps up the ever present tension. Add to this a group of very realistic, flawed characters and a gungo-ho attitude to killing them off, and I can almost image this is real. Scary stuff.
I admit I’m a little bit terrified of zombies. It’s the over hanging, constant threat of a swarm attack that really ramps up the ever present tension. Add to this a group of very realistic, flawed characters and a gungo-ho attitude to killing them off, and I can almost image this is real. Scary stuff.
December 12, 2015
I'm a complete amateur when it comes to this stuff, but I'm really enjoying my time exploring comics and graphic novels. It's hard to rate them because I don't have anything else to really compare them against since I've only read two, so four stars is my baseline for now.
I watched the first few seasons of the show, but then I lost interest when they just wandered around a farm for episode after episode. I get bored easily so I moved on to something else, probably Breaking Bad or something, I don't know. But, then everyone is all like, "Justin, it gets better! You gotta check it out again!" to which I generally ignore this enthusiasm and watch something else, probably Narcos or something because obviously I like shows about manufacturing and selling illegal drugs.
So recently I find myself in this comic book superhero movie TV graphic novel Marvel DC Universe X-Men Apocalypse Star Wars phase and I ran across this bad boy while browsing the deep dark depths of the interwebs. Did you like that alliteration? This was exciting stuff. As someone who has been an avid fan of grayscale in any art form for the past 20 years (that's a rough estimate because I really have no idea) I really liked the drawings whether they depicted zombies biting someone's face off or a slow zoom out of a desolate wasteland. They were really well done and added an extra creepy element to the story like when The Mist released a black and white version of the movie and it made it feel a whole lot different than the boring regular old color version.
The story was also really cool and reminded me why I started watching the TV show in the first place. There are zombie attacks like crazy, but there is depth to the characters. There are emotions and desperation and hope and fear all rolled up into the story that makes it easier to feel for this motley crew of people.
I'm excited to continue reading these and yeah yeah yeah I started the show again recently. I'm going to give it another shot and see what happens when these guys get the hell off the stupid farm.
Looking forward to it.
I watched the first few seasons of the show, but then I lost interest when they just wandered around a farm for episode after episode. I get bored easily so I moved on to something else, probably Breaking Bad or something, I don't know. But, then everyone is all like, "Justin, it gets better! You gotta check it out again!" to which I generally ignore this enthusiasm and watch something else, probably Narcos or something because obviously I like shows about manufacturing and selling illegal drugs.
So recently I find myself in this comic book superhero movie TV graphic novel Marvel DC Universe X-Men Apocalypse Star Wars phase and I ran across this bad boy while browsing the deep dark depths of the interwebs. Did you like that alliteration? This was exciting stuff. As someone who has been an avid fan of grayscale in any art form for the past 20 years (that's a rough estimate because I really have no idea) I really liked the drawings whether they depicted zombies biting someone's face off or a slow zoom out of a desolate wasteland. They were really well done and added an extra creepy element to the story like when The Mist released a black and white version of the movie and it made it feel a whole lot different than the boring regular old color version.
The story was also really cool and reminded me why I started watching the TV show in the first place. There are zombie attacks like crazy, but there is depth to the characters. There are emotions and desperation and hope and fear all rolled up into the story that makes it easier to feel for this motley crew of people.
I'm excited to continue reading these and yeah yeah yeah I started the show again recently. I'm going to give it another shot and see what happens when these guys get the hell off the stupid farm.
Looking forward to it.
October 24, 2014
I’m also one of the stooges who came to the party late. That’s to say, I watched the series before reading the book, or graphic novel to be exact. Heck, when I purchased “the complete season one” I wasn’t even aware that it was based on a book. Now, when something like this happens, there is absolutely no way to undo it. There is no way to un-remember the visual medium and any first impressions, so it’s all spilt milk.
But it is every goodreader’s sworn duty, if you’ve enjoyed the show, to read the books... if only to consider the parallels, and the differences. There are some hilarious memes out there which you’ll appreciate a lot more once you’ve read this, at the very least. I particularly enjoyed the joke about the post-apocalyptic lawns always being mown and neat (in the book everything is overgrown and decrepit, as you would expect).
As for the book: it’s pretty good, although it’s pretty darn brusque. To be completely honest, I have mixed feelings about it. Normally I’d be quick to say the book is better than the movie (it is almost always the case), but there are actually one or two things that the show does better (in my opinion). However, it’s early days yet, since this is only book 1, so I’ll see how it progresses from here.
It’s interesting to note that the art is black & white. This didn’t immediately appeal to me, but it serves well to underline the dreary existence of a zombie-apocalypse. And the art is just as gruesome as what you’d expect after seeing the show.
It obviously isn’t a direct adaptation either. The TV show does take some artistic license, but for the most part it’s for the best, especially the Shane arc, which is just a bit awkwardly handled in the book.
All in all, it isn’t mind-blowing, and I probably wouldn’t have read it if it wasn’t for the show. But it’s interesting enough that I will continue to read the series, at least as long as I’m watching the show.
But it is every goodreader’s sworn duty, if you’ve enjoyed the show, to read the books... if only to consider the parallels, and the differences. There are some hilarious memes out there which you’ll appreciate a lot more once you’ve read this, at the very least. I particularly enjoyed the joke about the post-apocalyptic lawns always being mown and neat (in the book everything is overgrown and decrepit, as you would expect).
As for the book: it’s pretty good, although it’s pretty darn brusque. To be completely honest, I have mixed feelings about it. Normally I’d be quick to say the book is better than the movie (it is almost always the case), but there are actually one or two things that the show does better (in my opinion). However, it’s early days yet, since this is only book 1, so I’ll see how it progresses from here.
It’s interesting to note that the art is black & white. This didn’t immediately appeal to me, but it serves well to underline the dreary existence of a zombie-apocalypse. And the art is just as gruesome as what you’d expect after seeing the show.
It obviously isn’t a direct adaptation either. The TV show does take some artistic license, but for the most part it’s for the best, especially the Shane arc, which is just a bit awkwardly handled in the book.
All in all, it isn’t mind-blowing, and I probably wouldn’t have read it if it wasn’t for the show. But it’s interesting enough that I will continue to read the series, at least as long as I’m watching the show.
January 13, 2015
For everyone not in the know I have a soft spot for apocalyptic fiction. My first SF read as a burgeoning nerd was The Day of the Triffids. It certainly moulded me into the reader that I am today. But although these stories are fiction, the more scientifically removed from reality zombie type apocalypse is by far not my favourite. Nuclear fallout, deadly virus, environmental collapse; these all seem entirely plausible. But there is no precedence for zombies despite fans holding onto the parasites of insects stories.
Zombie apocalypses are not for me.
But I do like Shaun of the Dead. That has to do with laughs though.
So investing this much time in zombie apocalypse was a big leap for me and I did enjoy the comic series on the first read-through. But watching the series afterwards I was struck by the differences in character and the stories. I abandoned the series midway through series 3. I felt it was too talky. The main characters annoyed me and were more stupid than their comic counterparts. The Governor was just not scary.
So here I am a couple of years later and I'm going to reread the comic series.
It's interesting to note that like 28 Day Later the story starts with a complete ripoff of Triffids. The main character has been in hospital and wakes up to the apocalypse. This time it's Rick, a police officer who was injured by gunshot wound. Rick wakes up to a very different world. I think it hints that there was about 4 weeks or so that he was in a coma. How he survived I do not know. Power was off. Surely anything giving him nourishment via drip in that time needed power or the need to be replaced. Shhh Brendon, don't poke holes!We follow Rick as he tries to make sense of his immediate neighbourhood and then tries to meet his family. This quest leads him towards Atlanta, Georgia.
The people he meets are interesting and they do each have their own stories. That's one strength of the comics. There are no cookie-cutter characters and the writer does manage to give them all a voice.
We end this volume with a large confrontation between Rick's old world and the new. It definitely tells everyone that old world allegiences do not matter in the new world.
So we are left with everyone on the move south towards warmer weather and away from the zombie hordes in Atlanta.
Zombie apocalypses are not for me.
But I do like Shaun of the Dead. That has to do with laughs though.
So investing this much time in zombie apocalypse was a big leap for me and I did enjoy the comic series on the first read-through. But watching the series afterwards I was struck by the differences in character and the stories. I abandoned the series midway through series 3. I felt it was too talky. The main characters annoyed me and were more stupid than their comic counterparts. The Governor was just not scary.
So here I am a couple of years later and I'm going to reread the comic series.
It's interesting to note that like 28 Day Later the story starts with a complete ripoff of Triffids. The main character has been in hospital and wakes up to the apocalypse. This time it's Rick, a police officer who was injured by gunshot wound. Rick wakes up to a very different world. I think it hints that there was about 4 weeks or so that he was in a coma. How he survived I do not know. Power was off. Surely anything giving him nourishment via drip in that time needed power or the need to be replaced. Shhh Brendon, don't poke holes!We follow Rick as he tries to make sense of his immediate neighbourhood and then tries to meet his family. This quest leads him towards Atlanta, Georgia.
The people he meets are interesting and they do each have their own stories. That's one strength of the comics. There are no cookie-cutter characters and the writer does manage to give them all a voice.
We end this volume with a large confrontation between Rick's old world and the new. It definitely tells everyone that old world allegiences do not matter in the new world.
So we are left with everyone on the move south towards warmer weather and away from the zombie hordes in Atlanta.
March 18, 2021
Me ha gustado, me ha traído viejos recuerdos cuando empecé a ver la serie, y he recordado a viejos protagonistas. La formación del grupo inicial de supervivientes.
Gran final e impactante para el que no ha visto la serie, claro, para el que la vió pues le trae viejos recuerdos.
Gran final e impactante para el que no ha visto la serie, claro, para el que la vió pues le trae viejos recuerdos.
September 9, 2014
I think some of the pleasure of reading this graphic novel was taken away from watching the first two seasons of the TV series. There obviously weren't that many surprises and I would say 75% of the graphic novel was like several of the episodes. Without giving spoilers I'd say certain parts of the TV series were better. Probably because they built on the comic which came first. Then again, some instances of the graphic novel were better than the series so I don't feel I'm biased towards one or the other.
Anyway, this tale focuses upon a police officer (Rick Grimes) who gets shot, goes into a coma at the hospital and awakens to discover a zombie apocalypse. He then makes his way to survivors and the rest of the tale is about survival sprinkled with moral decisions.
From Wiki: “The Walking Dead received the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series at San Diego Comic-Con International. The series was adapted into the AMC television series The Walking Dead, which premiered in 2010. The television program has inspired a Kirkman-approved full length novel prologuing the comic book's timeline. The series has been translated into numerous languages such as Danish, Portuguese, Spanish, Serbian, Polish, French, Turkish and Japanese.”
Written by Robert Kirkman with black and white panels by Tony Moore.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus to B; HORROR THEMES/FOCUSES: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B; WHEN READ: early September 2012; OVERALL GRADE: B.
Anyway, this tale focuses upon a police officer (Rick Grimes) who gets shot, goes into a coma at the hospital and awakens to discover a zombie apocalypse. He then makes his way to survivors and the rest of the tale is about survival sprinkled with moral decisions.
From Wiki: “The Walking Dead received the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series at San Diego Comic-Con International. The series was adapted into the AMC television series The Walking Dead, which premiered in 2010. The television program has inspired a Kirkman-approved full length novel prologuing the comic book's timeline. The series has been translated into numerous languages such as Danish, Portuguese, Spanish, Serbian, Polish, French, Turkish and Japanese.”
Written by Robert Kirkman with black and white panels by Tony Moore.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus to B; HORROR THEMES/FOCUSES: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B; WHEN READ: early September 2012; OVERALL GRADE: B.
June 1, 2022
I've been watching The Walking Dead for years on AMC (though I'm not up to date on the latest season), but this was my first time picking up the graphic novel series that inspired it. I've been told by so many people that the graphic novels are incredible, so I finally decided to see what the hype was about. Those people were not wrong, let me tell you!
I LOVED this graphic novel. The art is fantastic (and I was amazed by how similar some of the characters look to the actors/actresses who were cast to play them), and the story line is, as expected, really enjoyable and action-packed. There are a few differences from the show, as I assumed there would be, but without spoiling anything, I'll just say that the ending of this graphic novel was so different and unexpected that it made my jaw drop.
I LOVED this graphic novel. The art is fantastic (and I was amazed by how similar some of the characters look to the actors/actresses who were cast to play them), and the story line is, as expected, really enjoyable and action-packed. There are a few differences from the show, as I assumed there would be, but without spoiling anything, I'll just say that the ending of this graphic novel was so different and unexpected that it made my jaw drop.
February 20, 2014
Officer Rick Grimes gets shot in the call of duty and goes into a coma. When he awakens in the hospital weeks later, he finds himself alone in a world where the zombie apocalypse has happened – and his family have disappeared. So begins Rick’s journey to find his family as, in a world where the end can come at any moment, he and the other survivors become the walking dead.
It’s taken me a while to get around to actually reading the world’s most popular comic (The Walking Dead #115 was 2013’s bestselling single issue comic and the trades dominated the top 10 bestsellers list!) and it’s mostly because it feels very unoriginal. Robert Kirkman’s other creator-owned series, Thief of Thieves, reads like a shameless re-telling of Ocean’s 11 with generous helpings of Elmore Leonard (Out of Sight in particular).
The Walking Dead feels like every zombie story ever plus some scenes are lifted wholesale from specific zombie movies. Rick waking up in the abandoned hospital is identical to the opening of 28 Days Later, while escaping the zombie hordes in the city is like that George Romero picture, oh what’s it called, oh right, ALL OF THEM!
That said, despite all of that, I was drawn into the book. Kirkman knows that zombies are always second to the characters in every zombie story, and he focuses instead on building them up. The relationship between Lori and Shane is a brilliant touch that works perfectly in this scenario, bringing their situation and the trio of characters vividly to life. The zombie action is handled really well too as Rick and Glenn’s forays into doomed Atlanta are very exciting.
Kirkman’s approach to the writing of this series is akin to classic horror from the 90s and beyond, incorporating schlocky horror movie jump scares, and artist Tony Moore’s preference for wide panels adds to the cinematic flavour of the comic. In this sense I find the comic somewhat annoying as it’s like it’s not using the medium to full effect, choosing instead to adopt a storyboard-type aspect that makes it feel like the comic was a natural stepping stone to the more lucrative medium of film (or, as it turned out, TV).
I’m conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I’m interested in the characters and what they’ll do next. Parts of the book were exciting and enjoyable to read and I’m going to pick up Volume 2. Moore’s art isn’t bad but he’s not producing amazing panels. And on the other hand, there were parts that felt recycled, the art and writing were both serviceable at best, and on the whole Kirkman isn’t doing anything original with the zombie concept that we haven’t seen before. And, man, is this is a miserable comic! It’s an complete downer from start to finish (and what an insane finale!).
It’s a decent start to the series but not an amazing comic by a long shot.
It’s taken me a while to get around to actually reading the world’s most popular comic (The Walking Dead #115 was 2013’s bestselling single issue comic and the trades dominated the top 10 bestsellers list!) and it’s mostly because it feels very unoriginal. Robert Kirkman’s other creator-owned series, Thief of Thieves, reads like a shameless re-telling of Ocean’s 11 with generous helpings of Elmore Leonard (Out of Sight in particular).
The Walking Dead feels like every zombie story ever plus some scenes are lifted wholesale from specific zombie movies. Rick waking up in the abandoned hospital is identical to the opening of 28 Days Later, while escaping the zombie hordes in the city is like that George Romero picture, oh what’s it called, oh right, ALL OF THEM!
That said, despite all of that, I was drawn into the book. Kirkman knows that zombies are always second to the characters in every zombie story, and he focuses instead on building them up. The relationship between Lori and Shane is a brilliant touch that works perfectly in this scenario, bringing their situation and the trio of characters vividly to life. The zombie action is handled really well too as Rick and Glenn’s forays into doomed Atlanta are very exciting.
Kirkman’s approach to the writing of this series is akin to classic horror from the 90s and beyond, incorporating schlocky horror movie jump scares, and artist Tony Moore’s preference for wide panels adds to the cinematic flavour of the comic. In this sense I find the comic somewhat annoying as it’s like it’s not using the medium to full effect, choosing instead to adopt a storyboard-type aspect that makes it feel like the comic was a natural stepping stone to the more lucrative medium of film (or, as it turned out, TV).
I’m conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I’m interested in the characters and what they’ll do next. Parts of the book were exciting and enjoyable to read and I’m going to pick up Volume 2. Moore’s art isn’t bad but he’s not producing amazing panels. And on the other hand, there were parts that felt recycled, the art and writing were both serviceable at best, and on the whole Kirkman isn’t doing anything original with the zombie concept that we haven’t seen before. And, man, is this is a miserable comic! It’s an complete downer from start to finish (and what an insane finale!).
It’s a decent start to the series but not an amazing comic by a long shot.
March 2, 2021
I'm obsessed with this story 😍
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