The Walking Dead

Issues 7-56

Image Comics 2005 - 2008

Creator, Writer and Letterer -  Robert Kirkman

Penciler and Inker -  Charlie Adlard

Gray Tones -  Cliff Rathburn

I did mention that my first review of this series was continuing? And it's not quite done yet.  But thanks to a wonderful man down at Mind Over Matter Tattoos in Peterborough, Ontario, this review is that much closer to a wonderous conclusion.  Or something of that nature...

It's Zombies, they might jump out of the pages and eat my brains before I'm done.

Robert Kirkman never fails in his ability to bring the evolution of the Zombie full circle.  In "The Walking Dead" we are faced with the odd manifestations of our fears about our mortality, life after death and even security.   As I pointed out in the original review of issues 1-6, this is more a tale of survival than a Zombie epic.  We have no superheroes, we have no caped avengers or villians.  Not even irradiated chickens.  There is only us and them.  

And I'm not talking about the Pink Floyd album, obviously. 

In many ways, reading through this series is like going over every aspect of a well thought out Zombie Apocolypse Survival Guide.  What will work, what to look for, what you must remember.  What George Romero and Max Brooks forgot to teach us, Robert Kirkman is there to fill in the blanks.  That great housing development for the wealthy elite who want that country feel but don't feel like leaving the gated community behind? Not the best place to seek refuge. 

That self-sustained farm with a state of the art security system? Excellent plan.

But it was my plan before Robert Kirkman wrote about it. 

Part of the beauty that can be found in any good Zombie tale is the socio-political commentary.  How society would change, how even our religious beliefs would change in the light of this.  And we are not left wanting.  Robert Kirkman has no issues in tackling the subject.  What if there was no more government, no more television? What if we had to learn how to live off the land and survive by our wits rather than our money.  How far would we go? How long could we and would we survive?

With a self-questioning dialogue that at times truly makes you question your own survival traits we delve further into this world.  Where, there is no world.  There is no heaven, no hell, no after life.  There's only undeath. 

But what is the idea of the walking dead, really? If the Zombies are the creatures that have awoken after being dead, then what does that make us? Will the bite turn us if we're turning into Zombies once we die, regardless of how? These are all questions that have previously gone unanswered.  Left hanging like so many other things in the Zombie genre.  And I'm talking about entrails. 

For instance, what happens to these character we're introduced to? How do they deal on base levels with the ongoing stress? How do the survivors handle being exactly that? It wouldn't be like surviving a nuclear apocolypse as we see in the stark renderings of so many of the panels.  The hordes of Zombies pushing forward against chain link. 

A mindless horde that runs in a primal tenacity. 

I keep wanting to see a little chat bubble float up that reads nothing but, "Braaaaaiiins."

Robert Kirkman leads us to ugly places, much like Joss Whedon, we grow to love these characters and we don't wish harm on them.  But just when you think that things may look up he's going to do the most horrible things he can think of.   And it works, it grabs you and holds your attention.  It also leves you to wonder, who is the enemy in this seires.  Is it really the zombies? Or are we, like we are at all other times, our worst enemy?

The brutality of the story comes through rather vividly in the artkwork and panelling.  The penciled lines drawn together with the black and white imagery truly adds to the grit and desperation of the story. 

And no, I'm not getting into the story.  It's a Zombie comic, comon. 

This is a must read series for any Zombie fan.  Hell, any comic book fan.  Between the story, the art and the sheer invocation of fear, Robert Kirkman has solidified his place in the Zombie Storytellers hall of fame.  Hang a picture.  This work is incredible. 

Now, go read.  I'm not going to hold your hand and review every last issues of the series!