| Title | : | Miles Behind Us (The Walking Dead, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1582404135 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781582404134 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Comics |
| Number of Pages | : | 136 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 2004 |
Miles Behind Us (The Walking Dead, #2) Reviews
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NEWSFLASH #1 There are A LOT of books about zombies.
NEWSFLASH #2 There are A LOT of books about zombies sporting whole bags full of suck.
NEWSFLASH #3 This graphic novel (what we superhero nerds call comics to sound less spandexy) is completely devoid of suck and is among the best written, most intelligent zombie stories ever.
NEWSFLASH #4 I really, really like it.
It’s a pretty basic set-up. Some mysterio plague-like phenom has caused zombieitis to break out and turn most of the world into mind-less mind eaters. Society has broken down and the cities are not safe because lots of used to be people means lots of current dead-heads.
A group of survivors led by former small town police officer Rick Grimes are traveling around in search of food, water and a place to “start over” while having to overcome the zombie obstacles wherever they go. Like I said, pretty basic as far as general set up.
But just like the human skull, the yummy is on the inside.
While the zombie-folk act as an ever present threat and provide a common enemy for our survivors, they are really not the focus of the story. The real story is this group of people and the daily struggles they face, both physically and emotionally, as they try to make sense of what has happened and figure out how to move forward. Some people have stepped up and become better people than they ever thought they could and others have watched their moral compasses break down along with society.
To give you an idea of the kinds of issues the people face, here is a list of events that occur in Volume 2 (I will be fairly general and not put names to the events, but the following is still going to contain some spoilers so I will cover a few with tags):
1.
2. A husband loses his wife and becomes so overcome with grief that he contemplates suicide, despite having small children that depend on him.
3. .
4. A sad, reclusive boy who never really cared about life finds true love and a reason to live.
5. Two people who have both lost spouses find each other and start to “rebuild” a life together.
6. A parent’s grieving over the loss of a child leads to a unique solution to the “zombie” problem and sparks a philosophical debate about the zombies’ right to unlife.
This is a terrific series. I don’t read a lot of zombie stuff and don’t generally go lady gaga for it, unless there is an interesting hook. This series hooked me. The writing is excellent, the story is engaging and I am really coming to care about the characters and what happens to them.
Oh...and a quick word about the art. It’s black and white and understated and so perfectly suited to the tone of the story that I think it deserves serious propers.
This is a quality series and one definitely worth checking out. Your brain will thank you, though the bleakness of the story might have your heart looking for a little alone time when your done. 4.0 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! -
The Walking Dead continues!
This is the second volume of the softcover editions of "The Walking Dead", collecting the comic book issues from #7 to #12.
Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Illustrators: Charlie Adlard
Additional gray tones to inking: Cliff Rathburn
Chapter Two
MILES BEHIND US
Okay... What the hell are we going to do now?
The body count started on the first chapter making them to realize that ANYBODY may be the next one to fall, no character is truly safe here.
No one is safe in the dark new world of The Walking Dead!
Ammo is scarce, so that’s why that being able to shoot and doing it with precision becomes a vital skill where, Andrea, a young blonde woman, is showing to be the best shooter of the group.
Rick’s group is on the road, trying to find some safe place to survive in this nightmare that it’s their reality now.
However, that seems to be an impossible goal since there are zombies everywhere!
Any potential paradise reveals a hidden biting snake. -
With the deadly end to the last volume the small group realise that they need to start moving; getting on the road. As the cold weather seems to subdue the Zombies the group feel safer, not realising that the bigger danger will be other people!
Fan fave Maggie and her family appear for the first time as Rick and co. desperately look for anywhere safe. Kirkman and Adilard manage to successfully characterise such a large cast and make me care about them! 8 out of 12, Four Star read - good, but not as good as the previous volume.
2019 read; 2017 read; 2013 read; 2011 read -
Insanity is clearly going to be a major theme through this story. I really like the way everyone’s stability is being tested. These graphic novels aren’t just a simple zombie beat down, they’re that too, but the real story is with the characters; it’s about how they learn to carry on and cope with their probable deaths at the hands of a pack of hungry zombies.
Simply put, those that are weak will not survive. Only those that are willing to let go of the past, and live in the new world, have any chance of continued existence. Family and friends are dying left right and centre; there is no real hope of sanctuary on the horizon: there is only fear, anger and uncertainty. A hardened heart and a will to adapt are the only things that are going to see the characters through.
Everyone is behaving in irrational ways; they are becoming violent and quick tempered. The group members are lashing out on each other, as the situation becomes more and more hopeless. They’re also forming odd attachments; one’s that would very unlikely have existed in the previous life. No doubt, in the future, this is only going to get worse. I think the incident at Hershal’s farm was really quite significant to the overall story. It has been established very early how crazy this situation is, and it needed to be done to create the uncertainty that runs through this story; it is impossible to, as clichéd as it sounds, predict what happens next. Anyone can be killed off in an instant.
The insanity is an appropriate response to the situation, and one that makes this an interesting story to explore. Admittedly, this is so much better than I thought it would be. Without this element this series wouldn’t be half as good. This particular volume was a little slow, and a few characters annoyed me with their ridiculous hope when they stumbled upon a temporary haven. These same two characters are very slow to learn, act far too passively and are the embodiment of those that cannot let go of the past. They’re realistic people, but such fools. As a harsh as it sounds, they really needed to go. I wasn’t overly disappointed with the outcome. I think I’m going to really enjoy reading the rest of this. I want to see how far the characters are going to be pushed before they break. -
This one starts during the holiday season. How fitting. There is nothing like people being killed by zombies, to put one in the Christmas spirit. :)
Meeeeeeeerry Christmas!!! -
Oh my goodness, so much happens in this! Lots of new characters, lots of death, some close calls, and a big reveal, make this a very crazy ride. Again, you never know who will die, who will hook up, or who will make alliances. Every one is just trying to survive, but throwing so many new people in the mix, especially people who are related, makes for a whole new dynamic. I still hate Rick's wife. That's only getting worse, in all honesty, but I do love Rick and his son. The other characters are just there. We all know they will die eventually. Well here's to Vol. 3!
-
4.5 stars
Really, really good! I still think these comics are much better than the show... I didn't like the artwork as much in this one, however? Is this a new Illustrator? Excited to continue on and read more! -
Just as good as the first comic, this is fast paced, tense and filled with drama. Again, it’s the social commentary on an apocalyptic world that elevates this above normal zombie fodder, with morally ambiguous characters that play fast and loose with life and death. In this instalment we see deaths, and also the introduction of some great characters - including Hershel, Maggie and co. on the farm. The action doesn’t drop at all, with weeks sometimes passing in a single frame as we follow the group on the move away from Atlanta.
Rick, as always, is the one holding everyone together here. He’s the instigator of movement, the director of choice and morality. Without him, the group definitely wouldn’t survive, and would most certainly end up walking that tight line between what needs to be done and common decency.
As the momentum builds, this series gets better. Yes, I’ve watched the tv series, and while this is similar, it also distinctly has it’s own voice. I’m acutely drawn in, and fascinated to see where this group go. -
BANG! POW! SHAZAM! Who wants a gun?
We do!
You’re babies and convicted felons!
We don’t care! There are zombies! We need to kill humans!
Wait, but you said the guns were for the zom . . . Oh, whatever, okay, here are your guns. BUT WHATEVER YOU DO DON’T TAKE THEM OUT OF YOUR HOLSTERS!
(scene)
(people make chagrinned faces.)
(zombies say, “Gar.”)
Not that you would know what to say anyway, but I’m going to make a long speech about feelings right now, so don’t interrupt me because we’re all old men here, except some of the pregnant ladies, and we know that means no interruptions. Okay, where was I? . . .
(chagrinned faces)
(zombies say “Yaurighura”)
Oh yeah, I was going to talk about love. Sometimes people are in love, and I’m happy. We say congratulations and nice to meet you when we are happy. But other times I’m sad, and when I’m sad I TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT IN ALL CAPS. And I spit on things or people. When people die, I am sad because I love people, but if people try to kill people or rape people and then we kill them, I am not sad because they deserved it unless they didn’t mean to kill or rape people in which case we should say we’re sorry and ask them if they want to talk about it. But they don’t. But, if I am sad about people dying I TELL OTHER PEOPLE TO FUCK OFF WHEN THEY TRY TO BE NICE TO ME.
BUT, WHAT ARE WE, CRAZY?
And women. Women are sassy. Sassy, sassy women. But this is not about women’s rights, dammit! We could all die! I am also happy about babies, and I am sad about babies. Because does that baby know how to shoot a gun yet? And, also, is it a bastard? Sex out of wedlock is bad, and that is how babies get made! And babies make us happy and sad and have incredible marksmanship, but are unpredictable with guns.
(scene)
(chagrinned faces)
BLING! SHAWING! BLANG!
Oh my god! What are the babies doing with guns? I will never forgive you for this! AND THEY ARE NOT EVEN YOUR BABIES!
NOOOOOO. Do you mean you had an extramarital affair???
(thought bubble about how it was with his best friend, but she will never tell because she just couldn’t do that to him.)
OH NO! The babies and convicted felons shot all of the canned goods! I never thought they would take their guns out of their holsters!
I hope they didn’t shoot the pickles and canned pears because I am a pregnant woman and must eat pickles while I have morning sickness and do the laundry!
(zombies come out of nowhere saying “Gak” and “Xylophone.”)
WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?! Bleeeaaaarrruuuugghhhiiiiiyyyyeeeechhh.
ZIP! PING! SCHLAKK!
(scene)
(people walk over a hill into the sunset with their guns by their sides and their arms around their women, who are also people.)
(chagrinned faces with a single tear on each of their cheeks)
THE END
_____________________________
How bad does this story need a sassy gay friend? Real bad. -
I admit it: some of
Robert Kirkman's dialogue is crap.
I admit it:
The Walking Dead descends into cheesy soap territory from time to time.
I admit it: some of
Chris Adlard's art seems sloppy and rushed.
I admit it: the AMC series adapting this into something even better than its source material.
I admit it: I am a massive geek.
BUT ...
Every once in a while Kirkman hits a patch of dialogue, almost always at a critical character moment, that rings emotionally pitch perfect. Take this moment between our "hero," Rick (could he be any more annoyingly one dimensional?) and Herschel:Rick: And you're keeping those ... THINGS in your barn -- on your property -- right next to where you sleep?
I can feel how expected, how trite this seems, but I can also see someone doing something as stupid as Herschel does, and I can see it happening for that very reason, and at the heart it rings true for me. I love these moments. And I think it is why Kirkland's comic has lasted so long and become such a hit on TV. It resonates.
Herschel: Yeah, we're keeping them in the barn until we can figure out a way to help them. What have you been doing with them?
Rick: What do you think we've been doing with them? You said yourself they should be dead. Shooting them in the head fixes that. We've been killing them.
Herschel: Killing them?! You've just been killing them?!
Rick: We're putting them out of their misery ... We should go in that barn right now and shoot every GODDAMN one of them in the head. It's nto safe for them to be here! We need to kill them before they kill us.
Herschel: My SON is in there GOD DAMMIT!
AND ...
You know, the soapiness is just fine by me because it offers something that no other Zombie tale has ever offered -- potential longevity. Why is this important? Because all of the movies we see, most of the literature we see, are at the beginning of a Zombiepocalypse or an explosion of the undead.
The Walking Dead started the same way, but the longer it runs the mroe fascinating it becomes. What does a Zombie infestation look like 6 months later? A year later? 5 years later? A decade? A Zombie soap opera can explore that, and it is right now as we speak.
AND ...
Even though Aldard's art can be sloppy at time, he's penciled some absolute gems that stick with me from this second graphic novel. The best is the cover to issue # 9:
[image error] -
Bueno seguimos con el grupo de Rick, siguen buscando un sitio donde poder dormir que tenga comida y les dé algo de seguridad.
Parecen encontrar un barrio residencial, con casas en principio deshabitadas y con mucha comida en lata, vamos el paraíso, pero el paraíso guarda sus terrores ocultos y todo se desvanece cuando una de los integrantes del grupo es atacada y con el disparo empiezan a salir muertos por todos lados.
Siguiente parada, una granja que encuentran en difíciles circunstancias, ya que por error Carl es disparado, es llevado allí para que un veterinario, dueño de la granja, intenté salvarlo.
Luego de ser acogidos hasta que Carl se recupere todo parece ir sobre ruedas pero...
Todo se vuelve a torcer teniendo que volver a salir a la carretera.
En la granja se queda un integrante del grupo original Glenn ( se ha enamorado, que se le va a hacer).
Buscando nuevo refugio descubren...
LA CÁRCEL -
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I liked this comic less than the first one. The thing is that I can't stop myself from comparing it to the TV show and it didn't live up to my expectations. There will be spoilers of both the TV show and the comics below.
What disappointed me the most during my reading is the relationship between the characters. It felt either botched or false. I couldn't connect to the couples, not to the new ones, nor to those that are actually developed in the TV show.
* Andrea / Dale *
Those two are actually part of my favorites in the TV show. I liked how Dale helped Andrea coping with Amy's death, how both were struggling to feel better. I picture Dale as my grand-father, a good ear, a support. I loved the friend/family relationship between them. Hence the fact that I can't stand the romantic turn the comic took.
It gave me an incest vibe because I couldn't stop picturing them as family, as they're supposed to be in the TV show. Also, Andrea is kind of useless in the comics, total opposite from the show where I loved her. Dale is still insightful and useful but I can't esteem him anymore.
* Carol / Tyreese *
Once again, there is something wrong about this relationship. Well actually I don't loath Carol in the TV show but I adore Tyreese in both the TV show and the book. Here again I don't understand why it was needed for the author do add romantic interest between those two. They don't seem to click. It was just like "hey, we're together in the same room, let's have a relationship!"
What I reproach to Carol in the TV show is her way to be always complaining, having an opinion on everything and everyone, to consider herself better than the other and so on, here on the book, she is close to useless (like all the girls in the comics). She is Tyreese's girlfriend and not a person of her own (at least, yet).
* Maggie / Glenn *
Once again, it felt fake.
The scene was literally
"- The world is ending, let's have sex"
*Hershel walks into his daughter and Glenn both naked in bed*
"- But dad you don't understand, we love each other!"
Please no, don't do that to me...
I think that if volume 3 disappoint me again, I'll stop my reading there because the prison is my favorite season (and *crossing fingers* Michonne is supposed to come, and I need a badass woman character!)
-
***4 stars***
The comic books are different enough from the TV show to keep you excited, while they still have all the awesomeness that you would expect from The Walking Dead. It's interesting to see how some of the events on the show are related to events in the graphic novel and I loved to see the characters I know and love in situations that are familiar to me from the show, but also in all new scenarios.
This volume continues the tale of Rick and his company, as they're working to find their way through the zombie apocalypse. We meet Hershel and his family in this volume. Some people from the show die earlier than I expected. Some people from the TV show don't even exist in the graphic novel and vice versa.
The artwork is brilliant and the story lines are gripping. The only thing I didn't like is the way Rick is portrayed. Comparing him to TV show Rick, here he is weak at first. He hasn't really ever fired a gun before the outbreak and seems weirdly scared most of the time. I'm not used to this Rick, but I suppose he'll assume the role of the leader and the strong character I love soon enough. -
![[S] Bibliophage](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1517936499i/11854153._UX200_CR0,52,200,200_.jpg)
Still haven't got the chance to watch the TV adaptation of this comics series but based from several reviews, the comic version is much better. So, I'm trying to read this series because I don't want to set my expectations in the TV series.
Rick and his pack continues to find a safe shelter in this volume. It's understandable that they were just trying to make their shelter safe. However, there are several instances, notably in the old penitentiary, that they were trying to take over the area. I can understand why those inmates react like that to their hostility because of how Rick's pack, particularly his cranky wife, behaved against them.
I still have a long way to go before I can finish the entire published volumes of this comic series. I just hope that I can finish them within a year, even though I also have a long list of to-be-read list of books and other graphic novels. -
second read: April 23, 2020
new rating: 3 stars
kind of the same thoughts as before—fast paced and all that. i didn’t love this but it does get gritty and show that anyone can die in a *snap* and you can’t control it. also, the tyrese’s daughters bf is super sketchy.
first read: March 8, 2015
old rating: 4 stars
Volume 2 contains Issues #7-12
I noticed that in the first two volumes of The Walking Dead, an entire season of the show has passed... It's really fast paced and i'm not even sure how much time has passed. It does give you everything that you need to know, and not any of the boring information. But for scenes like Glenn and Maggie exclaiming their love for one another, It seems like it happened so fast, like in a few days. More than likely they were at Hershel's for a few weeks, and their relationship expanded over that time. It just seems like it all happened so fast. That's the only problem that I could find in this Volume.
Let's talk about one of the new characters, Hershel. He seems like a respectable guy, instead of killing the already dead zombies, he has hope that these flesh eating things are just infected, and will heal soon, or the government and scientists and doctors will heal them all. He has so much good in him, and everything seems to fall apart so quickly that he snaps. He loses control of himself, and he hasn't really been exposed to the outside world. He let a group of strangers into his home while they fix Carl's wound and until he's healed. Everyone thought they were safe, that they found a new home. They had hopes, too!
Miles Behind Us sounds like a matching title, to me! This volume is basically where they leave camp, find somewhere to stay, having hopes to make the estates a new home for them, and then get mobbed by loads of zombies, and then find another place, Hershel's farm, and are kicked out, finally ending the volume with them overlooking a big prison. Also, Shit happens!I decided to take all the spoilers out, so I changed my review. -
Volume 1 finished with the gang leaving their campsite outside Atlanta following the showdown between Rick and his police partner Shane and Carl, Rick's son. Only two made it out alive. This, the oncoming winter and the realisation that civilisation is not going to just going to reboot itself.
So off they all go in the RV, the stinky overfilled beat-up RV. But it's reliable.
There are two story lines here. One where they come across something that seems perfect and the other where someone gets injured and it leads them to make new friends. But what happens when these friends have different views on the zombie apocalypse? Oh and Lori drops a bombshell.
My favourite characters are Tyreese, Glenn and Dale. Most of the others tend to be annoying in their own way. And Rick may be an okay leader, but he is so Mickey Mouse.
Food and petrol are tending to be scarcer to come by. -
Mucho mejor que el volumen anterior.
Hay momentos de pasividad, con muy pocas cosas pasando, y otros que son mucho más activos (y no hablo sólo de los zombies). La historia entro y salió rápidamente de la granja, lo cual me agrada porque estar en ese lugar seguro hace que realmente todo se torne en el estilo de telenovela (los dramas familiares toman fuerza, la personalidad de los personajes no cambia porque no hay razones para que lo haga, todos se emparejan) y la verdad es que eso no me interesa mucho.
Me encanto como paso lo de Donna, cuando mostraron ese letrero yo me quedé de
. -
2023 Update My re-read of this one was a little on the rough side. I didn't remember how dark this series was. If you're interested in checking out some more of my thoughts, I did a reading vlog on the first 16 volumes of the series. You can check it out here:
https://youtu.be/3P_wq4LPDgg
I’ve read this volume before but I really enjoyed re-reading it. It’s so dark and gritty but I think that’s definitely what comes with survival based books or comics. I’ll definitely attempt to be more consistent in my reading of this series. -
So the art changed in this book, and I am pretty sure the rest of the series is drawn this way. It is really something. I wish I had enough talent in me to draw.
Welcome to a version of season 2 of The Walking Dead AMC. Where the barn is full of walkers, Maggie is annoying as ever (she gets better, don't worry), and Hershel believes that everything is just a phase and a cure will be drawn up soon.
Maggie has a lot more siblings, Otis isn't cutely over weight, Shane is already dead, Tyreese has a daughter and she has a boyfriend (that got awkward) and Carl was still shot.
Maggie is as forward and annoying as ever...
I liked this version more than the show. No. I liked it differently than the show. I liked Hershel in the comics more. He was a little more vocal about his opinions than passive. You know, the strong silent type.
What I did miss about it though is the epic walker-take-over. The group splits at the end for reasons. But they find a type of salvation at the end which opens up the third volume for lots of activities -- and probably lots of deaths. -
Boy howdy, business really picked up in this one. There was tons of arguing, cussing, love-making, yelling, whispering, shooting, killing more zombies, zombies killing more people, etc. all throughout the book.
I think where this ends is about where I abandoned the TV show. This was a fast-paced page-turner, but I felt like the site dragged on too long. I'm anxious to see what happens from here since there should be some new storylines to uncover for the first time.
Boy howdy. -
There's always a crazy... *SMH*
It's been a little bit since I read the first volume, and so, as usual, I was a bit concerned that I might have forgotten stuff. And I did, a little... but it's still early in the series and we're still getting to know the main characters anyway, so there's enough info about them to get along with. I do think that I'm going to have to pick up the pace on reading these though!
Again I really liked the artwork - I love the black and white of the compendium - it kind of captures the bleakness of the situation, you know?
Some shit went down in this volume, and I'm definitely curious what's going to happen next. What's the deal with the two lovebirds? They're totally creeping me out!
Dun dun dunnnnnnn!! -
I really like this comic series. I like how it focuses on the people and the psychological side of how people could react in a zombie apocalypse. Everyone is pretty much having sex, getting munched on or shouting at one another and I think that's pretty realistic. The artwork in this volume was not as good as the volume 1 artwork by Tony Moore. I've gotten used to it at this stage but I see Tony Moore's artwork for the covers and I just want him back! I also wish it was in colour but that's just me.
Anyways I'm glad they are going to be staying in the prison for a while because I was getting kind of tired of them being in that RV! It's confusing because it's hard to know how long has passed, I thought days were passing by but it was actually weeks! I'm looking forward to reading more of The Walking Dead comics because I feel like things are going to get really crazy soon! -
I can't say I enjoyed this one as much as volume 1, but it was still a damn enjoyable graphic novel! It's so interesting to watch how differently the story unfolds from what I'm familiar with on the television show. I have to say that there are a lot of things I strongly prefer in the show (like, um, Beth's existence?), but I'll definitely be continuing the series to watch things progress in their original intended way.
-
3,5 *
Rick und seine Gruppe verlassen ihr Camp nahe Atlanta, nachdem die Bedrohung durch Streuner dort zu groß wurde und ihnen auch langsam die Essensvorräte ausgehen.
Außerdem ist Lori schwanger und Rick will ein geeignetes Zuhause für sein(?) Kind finden.
Nachdem die Suche zunächst erfolglos verläuft macht sich langsam aber sicher Verzweiflung breit. Dann kommt es jedoch zu einem dramatischen Zwischenfall, der die Gruppe letztlich zur Farm von Hershel Greene führt.
Wer die Fernsehserie kennt, dem dürfte klar sein wie es dazu kam. Alle anderen möchte ich hier natürlich nicht spoilern.
Auf der Farm kommt es jedenfalls nach und nach zu Spannungen, da Hershel einen anderen Umgang mit den Untoten pflegt als es Rick und seine Gruppe tun. Hershel sieht in ihnen noch die Menschen die sie einmal waren, mitunter sogar Familie, Freunde und Bekannte. Er hofft, dass sie nur krank sind und ihnen geholfen werden kann. Für Rick wiederum sind sie eine Bedrohung für seine Familie und Freunde. Können Hershel und Rick eine gemeinsame Basis finden die ein Zusammenleben ermöglicht?
Auch in diesem zweiten Band fallen TWD typisch wieder einige Figuren den Streunern zum Opfer und Kirkman beschäftigt sich umfangreich damit wie wir mit Verlust umgehen. Verlust von geliebten Menschen, aber auch des gewohnten Lebensraums und der Annehmlichkeiten der zivilisierten Welt. Wie verändern sich unsere Prioritäten wenn es wirklich um Leben und Überleben geht?!
Leider kann mich weiterhin der Comic nicht so sehr packen wie die TV Serie. In dieser wurde vieles dann doch etwas dramatischer präsentiert und außerdem haben sich die Macher (zumindest wenn man Band 2 mit Staffel 2 vergleicht) mehr Zeit für die Entwicklung zwischenmenschlicher Beziehungen genommen. Das war für mich dann doch eine Überraschung und kleine Enttäuschung. Es gibt schon einige emotionale Momente. Aber irgendwie fehlt es mir noch ein wenig an Bindung zu den Figuren. Und das obwohl mir diese durch die Serie schon bekannt sind.
Ich runde auf drei Sterne ab und lese weiter.
-
AARRRGH, the zombie apocalypse continues! Rick and his miserable band of survivors leave their camp outside Atlanta and potter about the devastated countryside looking for a safe place to stay. They find an abandoned gated community that looks safe… AAAAARGGGH! ZOMBIES!!! Then they find a farm that looks safe… AARRRRGH! MORE ZOMBIES!!! Then they find a prison that looks safe… probably AAARGH! EVEN MORE ZOMBIES (we’ll find out in Volume 3)!!!!! So yeah, pretty repetitive and predictable stuff - but actually not a terrible comic for all that.
The problem remains the lack of characterisation and the unremarkable dialogue – Robert Kirkman just isn’t much of a writer. He can come up with decent scenarios like putting the survivors into a gated community with some zombies, or the whole situation on the farm with Herschel, but he doesn’t have the ability to make you care about any of the characters. Characters die all the time and the other characters – usually a loved one like a husband – is absolutely devastated. But the reader? Completely unfazed. Oh – was that emotional for you to see that two dimensional cardboard cut-out of a “character” die? Maybe for the other “characters” but not for the audience. Oh look some new “characters” to fill up the numbers. They’ll probably die soon. Eh.
Most of this volume is full of cheesy melodrama. Lori’s preggers – but Rick’s only just come onto the scene, weeks after she’s been with Shane. Camera close up of boring Rick’s bland pained face - duh duh duuuuuuuh! And everyone’s getting it on. Dale – the retiree with the camper van? He’s sleeping with Andrea, a young woman roughly a third his age. What?!?! There are younger men around, Andrea – look at Glenn! Why go for the guy with the most liver spots?! Speaking of Glenn, he pairs up with Maggie, the farm girl. This series should be called “The Dead and the Restless” or “Zombie Dynasty” the way these guys carry on!
While I think Kirkman’s writing leaves a lot to be desired, he does manage to reach new heights with Herschel’s farm. Herschel’s been keeping his zombie family in the barn with the hope that a cure from somewhere will somehow bring them back to him. His conversation with Rick about their differing ways of dealing with zombies felt emotional and real. The zombie action is also pretty damn good – Kirkman manages to take these slow-moving rotting corpses and make them a viable threat to able-bodied people with weapons in some pretty decent set pieces. I think it’s just the sheer numbers that make them so terrifying. Sure you can shoot a bunch, but what happens when you run out of bullets?
The art remains unremarkable but serviceable enough for the story. It’s black and white look suits the story which is still gloomy as hell but the relentless misery hasn’t put me off the series yet. So far, The Walking Dead is an ok title but not a masterpiece by a longshot. Neither Kirkman nor Charlie Adlard are doing anything original, either technically or conceptually regarding the genre and the format, but they’re giving us a decent zombie horror story at least. I’m still on board for the series and hope that both creators pick up their game in later volumes. -
For much of the volume, this could just as easily be post-nuclear, or post-plague. That's a compliment, because The Walking Dead isn't as much about the zombies as it is about how people survive and adapt. The survivors find love and lose people they care for, and nearly lose them. They find safe harbors that aren't really, and wind up back where they began. It's all very realistically done, and I ended up feeling attached to these people, flawed as they may be.
But there are zombies after all. And they are frightening, gory, and everything that a good zombie should be. It can be hard to make a zombie scary. They're slow, unarmed, and dumb. The real horror, for me, is the thought of becoming like that, losing your mind entirely and going on and on (even completely frozen) unless somebody delivers a headshot. That is what's really scary to me. I mean, yes, eaten alive isn't exactly my retirement plan, but I think I'd rather that than to entirely lose myself. There is plenty of eating, though, and masses of zombies making surprise appearances. These zombies are very, very quiet.
The Walking Dead isn't just about scary zombies, or just about a band of survivors trying to negotiate a post-apocalyptic world. It's both, and it strikes a good balance between the two, and makes for a gripping read. -
***Horror Buddy Read with the Shallow Readers! This week's criteria: creepy creepers and walkers***
I really enjoyed this volume. For me it is a bit difficult to differentiate between the TV show and the comics sometimes, but I'm getting better.
While the artwork is sometimes a bit off for me, some scenes just bleed emotion. I feel their longing for survival, their grief over loved ones, their love and anger for each other. This is just as good as the show. I can see the hype that surrounds this entire brand. I am so excited for the next volume.
But I am so sad that Glenn stayed behind with Maggie. He's one of my favorites and I only had him for two volumes. God bless Hershel's pajamas with the butt flap though, even though he is Mega Dick in the comics. -
I love it. It's so good and gritty and real!
-
Still excellent even with a change of illustrator from Tony Moore to Charlie Adlard.
The art in this volume has a greater use of black with slightly less shading. The panel lines are thinner but still hand drawn rather than straight, which I think visually complements the underlying theme of a world in flux and uncertainty. The characters look slightly different - Rick a bit more "manly" and Lori more glamorous - but I adjusted as I moved through the story. The quality of the art remains very high, and although Adlards's style is a little different than Moore's, it continues to have the same rich and arresting feel of the first volume.
I like how quickly things are moving, although it's not always clear how time is passing in the story. -
The book is ALWAYS better than the movie (or in this case, the TV show), right? I thought so too, so after falling head over heels for The Walking Dead on TV, I had very high hopes for the comic books. I picked up Days Gone By, and was really let down. Reading it felt like watching Season One in fast forward. There's a real lack of story or character development. It's just this happened, then this happened, then this happened, as if the panels were rationed for each event. After finishing volume one, I was very happy to stick with the show, but all the references to the comics on Talking Dead roused my curiosity, so I decided to read Miles Behind Us. This book sealed it in my mind: Kirkman is just not that great a writer. The two main overlapping problems are his characters and his dialogue. Everyone in the comic sounds exactly the same. There are no unique voices- pay very close attention to whose mouths the dialogue balloons are coming from, because the words inside them will very rarely tip you off. Also, there is almost no character development whatsoever. You never learn anything about these people, other than what they decide to tell you about themselves- and this leads to some really horrible dialogue, with the characters saying a lot of awkward things that no person would ever say in real life. I know thought balloons are considered old-fashioned and cheesy in modern comics, but Kirkman might want to think about bringing them back- they'll help save his characters from sounding really silly, and save him the effort of finding another way to try and make these people three dimensional.
So, while I might get around to reading more of the comics to appease my aforementioned curiosity, I'm definitely in no hurry. If you've only ever watched The Walking Dead TV show, you can definitely skip the comics and not miss much. If you've only read the comics and enjoy them, I can't begin to imagine how much the show will blow your mind.
