The Walking Dead: Book One by Robert Kirkman. graphic literature, zombies, survival horror, adventure 304 pages.
I realize that by submitting this blog post, I have officially broken the oath that I made in front of a few fellow staff members to read the most pages this month without any more graphic novels. While I am ashamed that I am going back on my oath, it must be known that we are in the midst of an INTERLIBRARY competition, ladies and gentlemen, a competition that, as of last month's result submissions, we were NOT winning. So I ask myself, is it dishonorable to read the occasional graphic novel to keep my numbers high (and transitively, keep our library's numbers high) by reading the occasional graphic novel? Absolutely not! Let's be honest, people. We might say that this book challenge is about creatively sharing our opinions on what we've read, or getting to know the people we work with better, or some other cliche rationalization from happyland, but the truth is that it's about good ole' fashioned WINNING and proving we're better than everyone else. I refuse to lose and I hope this post serves as a rallying cry to every other UCPL staff member out there who's not sure if they have time to read that one extra book and blog about it. Hunger subsides, you can sleep when you're dead, and families are for losers...but GLORY lasts forever.
Oh yeah...I had a book to post about.
I have always been intrigued by Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" franchise. Zombie movies have always been an interest of mine, not just because I like watching reanimated corpses tear people limb-from-limb, but also because I believe that this genre, better than any other, paints a vivid picture of human nature. When the rest of the world has gone to hell and only a rag-tag group of survivors remains, how will they handle the crumbling world around them? How will a diverse group of survivors that are only loosely united against a common enemy react to each other? How will these people act when they realize what they are capable of when their survival is on the line? The first hardcover volume of Kirkman's zombie adventure, which features the saga's first twelve issues, answers these questions and more.
The story manages to capture all the familiarity of the zombie franchise while still remaining totally original. The characters are deep with unique motivations and personalities and by the time the first book is finished, you'll find yourself picking out a few favorites that you REALLY hope don't die (my personal favorite is Tyrese, professional football player-turned-bouncer-turned-zombie-killer). There are quite a few characters, so it might be a good idea to occasionally look back and make sure you've got everyone straight, but i'm sure as I read more, keeping track of everyone will only get easier. My one criticism is that I'm worried that Kirkman is going to run out of steam. SO MUCH happens in the first book that I honestly find myself wondering if he's going to have enough action, adventure, and drama to keep the story interesting for the 5 more 300+ page books that are currently out. Obviously, it's a successful franchise, so I can't wait for book two to prove me wrong.
One more thing that I feel I must mention is the artwork. In the other graphic novels that I've read, the art was childish and simple (Scott Pilgrim) or rough and unpolished (Hellcity). The Walking Dead is EXTREMELY well drawn, and I find myself overwhelmed by aspects of the art such as shading and detail. The shading, especially, must be applauded, because nothing adds to the ambiance of a zombie attack like an overabundance of shadows.
If for some reason you haven't picked up the Walking Dead yet, then I insist you start right away, whether you're a fan of zombie stories or not. This epic adventure is just too good to NOT pick up.
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