Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artists: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn (colors)
Publisher: Image Comics
If you are a fan of the zombie genre or have a friend who is, most likely if you aren’t reading The Walking Dead then someone at some point will tell you that you must pick it up. However, this book is very different than what you are probably familiar with, which is both good and bad.
Zombie movies, which introduce most people to the genre, usually have a simple but enjoyable formula. A group of diverse people get trapped into a claustrophobic situation, besieged by zombies. From there it’s from one frying pan into multiple fires until the climax, which as often as not, ends with everyone dead. Kirkman once described The Walking Dead as a zombie film without end, so that last bit doesn’t really fit the book, and this is what separates it from the other zombie shamblers. While there are definitely still moments of high suspense and action, a good deal of the book surrounds the day-to-day survival of the people involved.
Issue #38 is a good example of this. Rick, the main protagonist, and the band he has thrown in with, are all dealing with the stresses of the zombie apocalypse. Just about everyone’s lost someone, but they’ve only recently had time to properly mourn as they’ve found sanctuary inside an abandoned prison. While Rick and his wife deal with complications of their own, not the least of which is her pregnancy, others focus on finding rations, weapons and other items essential to survival. On one hand, all of this gives the reader a much better look at the characters than can be provided by a relatively short film. Kirkman has created a fairly interesting cast of characters here, with strengths and weaknesses; there is no one shining hero who saves the day, but rather this is a group of survivors that must stick together, regardless of whether or not they like each other. This can make for some interesting human drama.
Unfortunately, if you are more accustomed to the fast pace or constant tension of a zombie film, it can also be boring. While this issue does end on a cliffhanger, a book that continues to run simply can’t be constant zombie hordes at the gate, treachery or collateral accidents. While in many ways, Kirkman has overcome this by constantly seeding the book with new twists, new readers who jump into issue #38 will most likely be pretty bored as this issue deals more with existing characters they won’t be familiar with. However, constant readers will find the book to be of the same high caliber that they’ve come to expect from The Walking Dead.
If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author’s work at http://madbastard.hypersites.com
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!