Saturday 25 January 2014

Review: The Walking Dead: Compendium One

THE WALKING DEAD: COMPENDIUM VOLUME ONE
Published May 19th 2009 by Image Comics

Goodreads synopsis: Introducing the first eight volumes of the fan-favorite, New York Times Best Seller series collected into one massive paperback collection.
In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living. With The Walking Dead #1-48, this compendium features more than one thousand pages chronicling the start of Robert Kirkman's Eisner Award-winning story of zombie horror, from Rick Grimes waking up alone in a hospital, his band of survivors seeking refuge on an isolated farm and the controversial introduction of Woodbury despot, The Governor.

My review: I will start by saying that I am a huge fan of the show, I don’t know why, because every season the writers find new ways to break my heart. Maybe that’s why; the show makes me feel all the feels, all at once. Good shows make you scream at the TV, hide behind the coach and leave you in a snotty, sobbing mess on the floor after mid-season finales. So, with that being said I will inevitably compare the books to the show.

 I picked up the comics simply to tide me over till season four starts up again. I needed a Walking Dead fix. Boy, am I glad that I did – they are so good.  The books are a whole different animal to the show, sure, the basic premise is the same and so are most of the characters but they are different enough that the books do not spoil the show or vice versa.

The stories are faced paced and the characters are three dimensional. A word of warning – do not get too attached to any of the characters because horrible and horrific things happen to all of them, and not just at the hands (or teeth) of the zombies. You think the characters on the show suffer but the guys in the books get it worse.

I liked some of the characters much better in the books than in the show, like Lori and Andrea. There are a couple of characters from the show that I miss and that is Daryl and Beth, as they have showed such great character development that really adds to my enjoyment of the show. Speaking of character development, Carl in the books has none and remains a child almost uncorrupted by the fallen world around him. Whereas Carl in the show has come on in leaps and bounds – from an innocent little boy to an annoying brat in need of a good hiding to a young man who has become an important member of the group.

Then there's The Governor, I have never in my life, hated anyone as much as I hate that man. The fact that I hate him so much makes him such a great character – in the books and on the show. I can’t even form words to express how much I hate him, I can only growl and clench my fists, grrrrrr. I hate him so much that if I were to meet the lovely David Morrissey, I would require inhuman amounts of self-control to not punch him in the face. The cruelty in this man is just unbelievable (the governor not David). I can’t even fathom how a person does the things he does to another human being. The worse thing is that others stand by and do nothing as he commits his cruelties or they even help him.

These stories highlight the lies we tell ourselves and the blinkers we put on just so we can live comfortably and stay safe in our little bubbles. They also demonstrate the lengths and depths we will go to, to protect the ones we love. They show that even the best of us will do the wrong things for the right reasons and that doing bad things does not always make us bad people. The stories also reveal that those who want a zombie apocalypse are straight up crazy and would probably live in Woodbury with the crazy ass governor.

These comics are not only perfect for those who love AMC’s The Walking Dead, but for anyone who loves a good zombie horror. Even if you have never cracked open a comic book before and you think they are just for teenage boys and geeks, you should definitely give these ones a try. I am a thirty-something female and I adored these comics, they are only the fourth comic book/graphic novels I have ever read and I plan on reading many more. Such a great reading experience.

FIVE STARS

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