4.35

4

Aug 12, 2015

Prison life suits you, Rick.



Ok, so this is the one where the group finds an empty prison, and decides to make it home. All they have to do is sweep it for zombies, secure the gates, and pick out a nice cozy cell to snuggle into.



Of course nothing goes according to plan, and the gang ends up losing a few members along the way. Oh, and also gaining a few members...



*cough*
And then losing a few members.
Wait, wait...they're gaining a few more!
OMG! Shut the gate! This chick is batshit crazy!



Basically, Prison life suits you, Rick.



Ok, so this is the one where the group finds an empty prison, and decides to make it home. All they have to do is sweep it for zombies, secure the gates, and pick out a nice cozy cell to snuggle into.



Of course nothing goes according to plan, and the gang ends up losing a few members along the way. Oh, and also gaining a few members...



*cough*
And then losing a few members.
Wait, wait...they're gaining a few more!
OMG! Shut the gate! This chick is batshit crazy!



Basically, no one but Rick (as far as I can tell) is safe, and everyone (including Rick) is losing their damn minds. I'm sure Apocalypse Living is a bit nerve wracking, but some of these folks need to get their priorities straight.
I'm looking at you, Rick!
Have things really changed so much that you can just go around shooting people willy-nilly?!
Ok, yes. Maybe they have.



Kirkman does another excellent job of pointing out that the biggest threat to humanity's survival isn't the zombies.
Loved it!

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3

May 05, 2013

Stopped for a quickie again (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...), and true to brand promise, found a similar experience to my prior Book One read.

One challenge in picking up a serial graphic in book form is that it's been a long, long delay since the The Walking Dead, Book One. I didn't recognize a couple of characters, and it was disconcerting to re-discover that the graphic versions don't always correlate with the actors, so I couldn't rely on clues from the series. At times, the Stopped for a quickie again (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...), and true to brand promise, found a similar experience to my prior Book One read.

One challenge in picking up a serial graphic in book form is that it's been a long, long delay since the The Walking Dead, Book One. I didn't recognize a couple of characters, and it was disconcerting to re-discover that the graphic versions don't always correlate with the actors, so I couldn't rely on clues from the series. At times, the drawings aren't well differentiated, so it continued to be struggle even after I thought I had identified everyone.



Once again, I found the most interesting aspect for me is exploring the 'origin story' of the show. While Book Two largely takes place in the prison, there were echoes of the themes and action in both Season Two and Three of the television show. I felt like it gave me more appreciation for the complexity of tv adaptation, since the show does not exactly reproduce the graphic. Book Two seems to correspond with Season Two and early Three of the show, pre-Governor appearance. The graphic was more able to sustain pace and plotting (such as it is) over a longer period of time, while the television episodes stuttered their way through the roughly similar episodes.

In the graphic, sexuality plays a major role in character studies, in contrast with the generally exhausted-appearing actors. Even creepy Carl manages to (passively) find a girlfriend. A moment that stuck out as disjointed was a lesbian kiss, unquestionably presented as male-gaze titillation instead of actual character development or plot point. Boo, Kirkman. While the show has some character-on-character violence, the majority is reserved for the zombies in Season Two and early Three. Here, human violence is upped with a suicide pact and multiple murders, basically continuing to up the ante in the concept of the 'man's inhumanity to man' theme.

Characterization of women continues to devolve. One of the least appealing parts of the television show is the character development/dialogue for the female actors, but sadly, the source material is worse. Lori continues to vacillate between fearful dependence and shrewish castigator, and while I didn't think it was possible to hate her more than I did the show character, apparently I was wrong. Even more unfortunately, her erratic behavior is entirely blamed on pregnancy hormones. Boo twice, Kirkman. Later in the storyline, women choose to bow out of the political process altogether, a development that made me want to brand a couple of equal signs on Kirkman's forehead. Really? Really? After making them out to be bossy shrews the prior ten installments? After Andrea continuously makes an issue of how she can shoot and she wants to be involved in defense/clearing the zombies? The female sex cannot win here. The characterization of Michonne in the novel was significantly less thoughtful and more stereotypical than the show--once again, as annoying as the show can be, clearly the source material is far worse. In contrast, I have to say the show is far more interesting in their treatment of her character. Although one might argue that the men are treated equally poorly, I'd disagree. Tyreese has an emotional vulnerability in his concern for his daughter, and his willingness to admit poor decisions, and to call out Rick on his hypocrisy. Dale actually suggests a killing, and we get to see more intimate sides of him with Andrea, so I'd say males in the comics are less one-sided and stereotyped than the women.



The philosophical question of humanity is raised in the last half of the book, bringing echoes of Dale at the farmstead from Season Two. Here it's Rick raising the question in one of the most powerful sections of the storyline. The entire group gets involved in the discussion, only instead of sitting around in a farmhouse parlor, they are talking about how to deal with a murderer. The ethical quandary was well done, much better than that of the show--having one character be the moral mainstay allows the viewer to marginalize it instead of grappling with the complexity. Rick's philosophical statement at the end is powerful, and encapsulates the ethos of the book much more clearly than any statement the television series has been able to make.

The book does answer a couple of the questions the television show never finished dealing with, namely, food supply and the intent to use the land around the prison as a food supply. I appreciate the nod to maintaining survival by the entire grew getting in on plowing and planting. A third boo to Kirkman for Andrea's sudden desire to make clothing for everyone. So now we're all comfortable in our societal-assigned sex roles, right?

Overall, a mixed experience. Drawing seemed to suffer in quality from the first book, failing to impress with the variety of perspectives or character detail I saw previously. Some of the violence and sex felt completely gratuitous, merely catering to a demographic. The philosophical struggles were well done, and felt both more realistic and less subtle than the book. Will I read the next one? Possibly, although it sounds like the storyline gets uglier and more sadistic, so I might have to pass.

Quite honestly, two and a half stars on the enjoyment scale. Without the oink, it might have scored higher.


Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
...more

3

Feb 28, 2017

Well, Book 2 sort of went downhill quickly.

It's dystopian drama. I get it. But damn, Kirkman, a little subtlety would have been nice. They're all a bunch of neurotic, homicidal, suicidal sex addicts now. It's like watching the movie Clue. Two minutes can't go by without someone dying or fucking. And listen, I understand that sex is a coping mechanism for trauma, and they are constantly traumatized. But it's borderline comical how much sex is happening.

The fast pacing I enjoyed in Book 1 also

Well, Book 2 sort of went downhill quickly.

It's dystopian drama. I get it. But damn, Kirkman, a little subtlety would have been nice. They're all a bunch of neurotic, homicidal, suicidal sex addicts now. It's like watching the movie Clue. Two minutes can't go by without someone dying or fucking. And listen, I understand that sex is a coping mechanism for trauma, and they are constantly traumatized. But it's borderline comical how much sex is happening.

The fast pacing I enjoyed in Book 1 also disappeared. They're in the prison the entire book. Killing zombies, fighting and screwing and killing each other, farming, and tons of discussion. They talk about what they're going to do more than they do those things. At any rate, Kirkman seems to dig his heels in at the prison.

The story isn't bad. In fact, it's still a page turner. There's action and violence. The dialog is...good...but very sci-fi hyperbolic. But the sex, drama and death have quickly become overdone.



I'll say it again, I don't like Charlie Adlard's work. You'd have to be crazy to prefer him over Tony Moore. It's like Da Vinci and a fanboy who follows Da Vinci around and also draws a little bit. The characters just don't have that epic feel to match the story. They often look sloppy, change from page to page, or look uncharacteristic for the scene. And the inks are so lacking this isn't even black and white, it's grayscale.

So yeah, a huge change from Book 1. Settle in for crazy killing and sex and hysterical drama in less than impressive gray illustrations. It's entertaining, but I'd prefer some more grounding in realism and better artwork. ...more

4

Feb 21, 2016

I had no idea that prison life is the way to survive a zombie apocalypse, but what I'm learning from this series is that the living are infinitely more dangerous than the dead and your nearest and dearest are a deadly distraction. Though I'm not convinced that the women are happy to let the men lead and also make all the decisions for the group. I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume.

5

Feb 24, 2015

ANOTHER great book in a great series. I was really surprised by how speedily everything moved in this book. I know that in the show things move at a much slower pace than the comics but I was still kind of taken aback by just how quick the plot progressed in this one. I loved the character development and some of the plot points in certain arcs. I'm really enjoying seeing the difference between the show and the comic. I can see why so many people love this comic series because it is just so ANOTHER great book in a great series. I was really surprised by how speedily everything moved in this book. I know that in the show things move at a much slower pace than the comics but I was still kind of taken aback by just how quick the plot progressed in this one. I loved the character development and some of the plot points in certain arcs. I'm really enjoying seeing the difference between the show and the comic. I can see why so many people love this comic series because it is just so amazing. I love how dark it is at times and how it is slightly more violent and stuff than the show. Definitely keen to continue reading. ...more

4

Dec 13, 2017

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Rick and the group are on the run after the prison was taken over. They meet up with someone who thinks they have a cure for the apocalypse. They ride with them and lose some people on the way. The meet new dangers out on the road, they also run into a herd. When they find out that the person with the cure lied, they go with a preacher to his church. Some bad people take a member of the group and eat him. Rick’s group retaliates and shows how far they are willing to go. They are found by a Rick and the group are on the run after the prison was taken over. They meet up with someone who thinks they have a cure for the apocalypse. They ride with them and lose some people on the way. The meet new dangers out on the road, they also run into a herd. When they find out that the person with the cure lied, they go with a preacher to his church. Some bad people take a member of the group and eat him. Rick’s group retaliates and shows how far they are willing to go. They are found by a recruiter for a town and are taken to the safe neighborhood. All of them have trouble fitting in for they have been on the road for so long. They then have a herd pass by and trap them in the walls. They fight their way out only to have a bigger threat at their doors they never knew about. ...more

5

Nov 15, 2011

I started reading The Walking Dead back before zombies was the cool thing to be into and way before the TV show. What I like most about the Walking dead is that it really isn't about zombies. Shocker! Yes, it is set in a post apocalyptic time where zombies roam the earth, but so much of this series is about human relationships. It is about what different people do in survival-type situations, how they react and how they treat other people. Who steps up to be the leader, who takes what role in a I started reading The Walking Dead back before zombies was the cool thing to be into and way before the TV show. What I like most about the Walking dead is that it really isn't about zombies. Shocker! Yes, it is set in a post apocalyptic time where zombies roam the earth, but so much of this series is about human relationships. It is about what different people do in survival-type situations, how they react and how they treat other people. Who steps up to be the leader, who takes what role in a group environment, who finds themselves better off in this life vs. the old life. Everyone deals with it in different ways. Some like to forget the past and move on, some like to hang on to the memories so as to give them hope that one day things could be normal again. Even though at times it is very dismal, it makes you really think whether or not humans will always survive, at least to some degree. It makes you think about what our legacy will be if a catastrophic event were to take place. Would the evil villain types be so concerned with their own survival that they would take over or would the benevolent group be strong enough to run the show? Even though I have never been a fan of graphic novels, I fell in love with the Walking Dead for its ability to make you think. ...more

4

Apr 02, 2010

As in Book One, Kirkman does an excellent job of imagining a chaotic world stripped of all law and order, where everyday life is distilled to its most simplest elements: hunger, shelter, and survival.

The characters are well realized and the black and white artwork sets the right tone. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I will say that some characters that you might expect to survive, don't, which gives the feeling that no one is safe. Then again, that's life isn't it?

2

Apr 03, 2015

This book was even more disappointing than the first. The characters are obsessed with sex. Michonne shows up, and I was super excited to read about her character after seeing her on the show. She's so strong and has such depth. But I should have known better than to expect much from the graphic novel. She comes on the scene merely to introduce a new sex partner, offer the men blow jobs, and cause drama between the women. The characters are all so shallow. Carol is acting like a nymphomaniac - This book was even more disappointing than the first. The characters are obsessed with sex. Michonne shows up, and I was super excited to read about her character after seeing her on the show. She's so strong and has such depth. But I should have known better than to expect much from the graphic novel. She comes on the scene merely to introduce a new sex partner, offer the men blow jobs, and cause drama between the women. The characters are all so shallow. Carol is acting like a nymphomaniac - she sleeps with Tyreese, kisses Lori, tries to kill herself when Tyreese cheats on her, and then kisses Rick. That's all her characters has to offer. Lori is played as a hormonal, pregnant, crazy woman. Maggie is there merely to have sex with Glenn. I still don't get how everyone is so horny all the time with flesh decaying zombies everywhere, and people getting their heads blown off, legs cut off, and guts ripped out all the time. The sexism in the book is so overwhelming that even the characters seem to have a hard time believing it. They form a four person "counsel" to make decisions and Rick can't believe none of the women are on it. Dale insists they don't want to be - they all want to be "protected" instead. Rick finds that surprising, and as a reader (and a woman) I find it enraging. Does Andrea seriously seem like the kind of woman who just wants to be seen and not heard? The writers make her a kick-ass type of lady who is the first to volunteer with her gun and her guts, but no, she just wants to let the tough, strong, manly men make all the decisions now. At this point, the only reason I'm still reading is to get some idea of where the show might go next season. ...more

3

Oct 14, 2014

Over the next eight weeks, I will be reviewing one Walking Dead book per week, to try and stave off the hunger for more episodes of the show. I will try and keep these a spoiler free as possible, but readers should be aware that a review may mention spoilers from previous books in the series.
Each one of these books comprises twelve issues of the comic.

Apologies for the delay in getting this one up; retail at Christmas is killing my review brain.

Review for Book One.


As the world continues to Over the next eight weeks, I will be reviewing one Walking Dead book per week, to try and stave off the hunger for more episodes of the show. I will try and keep these a spoiler free as possible, but readers should be aware that a review may mention spoilers from previous books in the series.
Each one of these books comprises twelve issues of the comic.

Apologies for the delay in getting this one up; retail at Christmas is killing my review brain.

Review for Book One.


As the world continues to go further and further to hell, certain members of the group grow more unbalanced, and the group dynamic can become… tense. But with so many people in the prison, new and old alike, and the roamers outside the fence, how can anyone really know where the danger is coming from?

This collection of walking dead issues opens where the previous one left off. Newly arrived at the prison, with so very many walking corpses to clear out of the grounds before they can stop sleeping in the crowded RV.

The rest of this review can be found here! ...more

5

Jul 25, 2016

Mah TWO HUNDREDTH book on my 2016 Reading Challenge this year of 100; I DOUBLED it and I have six months left! Hoo Raw!! Join me and see if I can't double it again...!
Walking Dead graphic novel hardcover bind up of several issues. #13-24...."a continuing story of survival horror." When I doubled it, I was listening to "The Walking Dead" soundtrack. I was listening to it again for 218, Boo Yaw, hahaha! I love this series and I hope you do too, who's your fave; Happy Halloween!

5

Aug 21, 2015

OHMYGOD THIS WAS SOOOO GOOOD! I enjoyed this waaay more than i did the first one, and i think that's because the comics have gone in a completely different direction than the tv show, which i have watched, so it was really really exciting reading this and not knowing what's going to happen. Even though i very much liked the first book, it was kind of similar to the tv show and therefore i wasn't that surprised by the plot twists and deaths and the storyline and all that but with this one.. i OHMYGOD THIS WAS SOOOO GOOOD! I enjoyed this waaay more than i did the first one, and i think that's because the comics have gone in a completely different direction than the tv show, which i have watched, so it was really really exciting reading this and not knowing what's going to happen. Even though i very much liked the first book, it was kind of similar to the tv show and therefore i wasn't that surprised by the plot twists and deaths and the storyline and all that but with this one.. i definitely was. Or maybe this one was just simply better, i don't know, it's hard to tell. But i did think that this one was more engaging and the character building and development was certainly on-point. All in all, this was such a fun read. I did have some issues with the characters themselves, (like Carol and Michonne) and i did think that their tv-show-self was better, and i thought that some parts were unnecessarily (sorry for that word) sexual. But that is literally the only fault i can find in this, to be honest, it was just so awesome and badass and fun. ...more

4

Jul 31, 2018

Wow. Well, this certainly was something. So much stuff happened in this, I'm kinda still in shock.

Definitely didn't foresee some of the stuff that happened, but everything with Julie and Chris I expected. Michone in the books is so different from the show though, that was a little upsetting.

The one thing I don't like quite as much about the books is that everyone is so focused on sex and "getting laid" and everything else. You're in a fucking apocalypse, people. We get it, it's the end of the Wow. Well, this certainly was something. So much stuff happened in this, I'm kinda still in shock.

Definitely didn't foresee some of the stuff that happened, but everything with Julie and Chris I expected. Michone in the books is so different from the show though, that was a little upsetting.

The one thing I don't like quite as much about the books is that everyone is so focused on sex and "getting laid" and everything else. You're in a fucking apocalypse, people. We get it, it's the end of the world, but stop making that your only priority.

Liked that ending though and can't wait to grab the next one! ...more

2

Nov 15, 2017

Two stars because I am flat out PISSED at Rick Grimes. And all that anger? Stems from part two aka book 4 aka The Heart's Desire.

Pissed off. I am pissed. I am a flaming rage ball. Can a damn zombie bite the annoying bastard that is Rick Grimes PLEASE.



Otherwise book 3 was good and I *love* the colored pages at the end. Who boy this book looks good in color.



In summary, fuck Rick Grimes. This would be 3.5 stars - probably 4 - if not for the absolute flaming asshat he is in book 4. The show Two stars because I am flat out PISSED at Rick Grimes. And all that anger? Stems from part two aka book 4 aka The Heart's Desire.

Pissed off. I am pissed. I am a flaming rage ball. Can a damn zombie bite the annoying bastard that is Rick Grimes PLEASE.



Otherwise book 3 was good and I *love* the colored pages at the end. Who boy this book looks good in color.



In summary, fuck Rick Grimes. This would be 3.5 stars - probably 4 - if not for the absolute flaming asshat he is in book 4. The show covered his descent into crazy soooooooo much better. I disliked him less in that format. Oh and those two people are, ya know, NOT FUCKING.

Okay I'm done now. Nobody talk to me about book 4 ever.

Thanks have a jolly day!





*whispers* fuck Rick Grimes. ...more

2

Mar 10, 2012

I'm pretty sure there is more to life than sex but you wouldn't know it after reading this. I cannot stand that everyone is coupled up all the time. There is so much more going on beyond that. It is amazing that Kirkman can make me hate almost every single one of his female characters. They are weak, whiny, whores (i say whores because sex seems to be the only thing they think about) They just want to be protected?! They don't want to be part of the committee?! they just want the men to make all I'm pretty sure there is more to life than sex but you wouldn't know it after reading this. I cannot stand that everyone is coupled up all the time. There is so much more going on beyond that. It is amazing that Kirkman can make me hate almost every single one of his female characters. They are weak, whiny, whores (i say whores because sex seems to be the only thing they think about) They just want to be protected?! They don't want to be part of the committee?! they just want the men to make all the choices and decisions, what the hell! That pissed me off, A LOT!

Since there is no narrative to these you have ALOT of characters giving soliloquies, the only problem is Kirkman is no Shakespeare, the writting is awful!

I am trying to look past all of this and enjoy the story, it's ok, I was entertained. I'm holding out hoping that it gets better. ...more

4

Feb 10, 2019

There was so much going on in this collection of issues . . . I was so engrossed in what I was reading, I ended up finishing it in one sitting. Which is rare for me.

I’ve surprisingly stopped comparing to the show, which really helps with getting into the story. Obviously I notice differences but I’m not steadily comparing.

There’s plenty of violence in this one. A lot of action and violence in the storyline. There’s not much else going on, though, and I think that’s what made it a page turner. I There was so much going on in this collection of issues . . . I was so engrossed in what I was reading, I ended up finishing it in one sitting. Which is rare for me.

I’ve surprisingly stopped comparing to the show, which really helps with getting into the story. Obviously I notice differences but I’m not steadily comparing.

There’s plenty of violence in this one. A lot of action and violence in the storyline. There’s not much else going on, though, and I think that’s what made it a page turner. I won’t complain too much in that regard.

Nothing shocks me, since I’m not comparing to the show but I do know bits of what happens. I lied . . . what does shock me is how sex craved everyone is. Here we have a group of people trying to survive, lots of violence among themselves let alone with the dead, and they’re sexing. Priorities. ...more

3

Apr 22, 2012

Originally posted: http://a-librarians-library.blogspot....

The collection of comics (graphic novel? I don't really know what to call it lol) continues with an interesting plot development. The group of survivors finds a prison facility and decide that it is fortified enough to settle in. When they get the yard cleared out of the zombies walking around, they begin to explore the inside of the jail. They open a locked door and discover...4 living inmates playing cards?! Yes sirree. The addition of Originally posted: http://a-librarians-library.blogspot....

The collection of comics (graphic novel? I don't really know what to call it lol) continues with an interesting plot development. The group of survivors finds a prison facility and decide that it is fortified enough to settle in. When they get the yard cleared out of the zombies walking around, they begin to explore the inside of the jail. They open a locked door and discover...4 living inmates playing cards?! Yes sirree. The addition of 4 new men to the group (and criminals at that) creates a dynamic that is a little creepy and a lot darker.

And do not fear, folks, there are a lot more zombie attacks, which is great for a Zombie series. But this second collection also contains a sense of the decay of humanity. That seems to be the struggle in this part. Now that the group of survivors has found a place that--for once--feels safe to them, each and every individual in this group begins to feel the strain of being alive in a world like this. There is suicide, there is murder, there is adultery, there is giving up. Even though they all live in a group, there is still an "every man for himself" mentality, which is understandable but does lead to a lot of extra stress and trouble in this zombie apocalypse.

Not gonna lie, at the end of Season 2 of AMC's The Walking Dead, a new character Michonne was introduced that looked TOTALLY AWESOME! So I was most excited to be introduced to her character in this series because everyone was SO EXCITED for her to be entering the show, including the producers. What I found in this series is that she is kind of a jerk. I mean, I understand that wandering around the outside by yourself with two "trained" zombies in tow might make a girl a little crazy, but I don't know if I like her. She is a hot mess, but she also has no regard for anyone else. Maybe this will change in Book Three,especially after she stole someone's man?

I did love that, after the degrading of women in Book One, some of the women in Book Two stood out as strong and fierce. Obviously Michonne is one of them. She is depicted as a ripped, in shape woman who is a force to be reckoned with. None of the men even question her true strength. But Andrea also proves herself to be strong and useful in this zombie-filled world. After escaping from the crazed psycho-killer and drawing him out in the open, she gains the respect of most of the men in this group and is allowed to start going on hunts and making plans. You know, the men's jobs from the last book. I am glad that women are starting to find their place!

Overall, I really enjoyed how the story continued. I think that not having any expectations from the show (and knowing that the graphic novels and the show are SO DIFFERENT) really allowed me to enjoy this book for what it was. And the ending speech by Rick was so epic that I will be reading Book Three very soon ...more

2

Feb 18, 2012

Update 10/2015: After having read this a second time I'm knocking a star off. I'm re-reading all the volumes I own in one marathon session and I'm not nearly enjoying the series as much as I initially did. What stands out the most is how godawful Robert Kirkman is at creating strong and intelligent female characters. I already mentioned Carol's clichéd and bipolar behavior in my initial review. But all the other female characters are depicted in a similar fashion. Carol is a hormonal nag, Update 10/2015: After having read this a second time I'm knocking a star off. I'm re-reading all the volumes I own in one marathon session and I'm not nearly enjoying the series as much as I initially did. What stands out the most is how godawful Robert Kirkman is at creating strong and intelligent female characters. I already mentioned Carol's clichéd and bipolar behavior in my initial review. But all the other female characters are depicted in a similar fashion. Carol is a hormonal nag, Maggie's only purpose is to be Glenn's fuckpuppet and the same goes for Andrea when it comes to Dale. Michonne is a rare exception, a tough as nails survivor, but Kirkman also manages to degrade her pretty fast. Kirkman doesn't respect these female characters and it shows.

Another thing I've come to reconsider is my appraisal of Charlie Adlard's artwork. I absolutely loved Tony Moore's work for the first few issues and was pretty disappointed he was replaced by Adlard. His character design is not on par with that of Moore and some characters are even hard to keep apart. Dale, Hershel and Otis all pretty much look the same, except for different hair.

It's a shame really. I'm now rereading the third book which I have issues with as well and am trying to decide if I should continue with this series at all.

----------------------------

05/2012 review: The epic story of survival continues in this second hardcover book collecting issues #13-24. I read the first book of "The Walking Dead" last year after watching the AMC series and was surprised at how good the graphic novel was. Unfortunately this second collection isn't as good, but it still a hugely entertaining read that's hard to put down.

In Book 2, the survivors have found an abandoned prison and decide to make a new life for themselves. Protected by the prison walls from the hordes of undead surrounding the building, the survivors soon realise that the threat doesn't come from the outside, but from the humans inside.

As in the previous book, the story's central character is former police officer Rick Grimes. As an officer of the law, Rick has become the leader of the band of survivors that have fled Atlanta. But as the threat level mounts, Rick finds his role as leader weighs heavy on his shoulders and it is pushing him to the breaking point. His is a compelling story. It is a shame therefore that the other characters in this volume are getting the short shrift by Kirkman (especially Carol has stopped being a character and has become a plot device).

But despire the soap opera elements and the sometimes less than consistent character writing, The Walking Dead tells a gripping story that trancends its genre. Last but not least, the artwork by Charlie Adlard remains excellent and is at times quite disturbing. ...more

1

Mar 20, 2015

Although I find many of the depictions of women in the show to be disturbing, particularly in the first two seasons, the level of sexism in the comics is astounding. I will leave out the worst moments in Book One and focus on Book Two. First of all, the women are often portrayed as sexual beings before they are portrayed as anything else. And their sexual choices do little to further our understanding of the women or their desires, they are mostly used to further the plot line of a man, or to Although I find many of the depictions of women in the show to be disturbing, particularly in the first two seasons, the level of sexism in the comics is astounding. I will leave out the worst moments in Book One and focus on Book Two. First of all, the women are often portrayed as sexual beings before they are portrayed as anything else. And their sexual choices do little to further our understanding of the women or their desires, they are mostly used to further the plot line of a man, or to show a male's reaction to the relationship. Their sexuality is only important insofar as it pleasures a main male character. The only thing that we know about Maggie is that she likes having sex with Glenn, and that she is afraid that her father will find out. Michonne, who is supposed to be a badass woman who survived on her own for quite a while before finding the group, simply gets on her knees and gives Tyrese a blowjob because she thinks he looks stressed. When Carol sees them, she tries to save her relationship with Tyrese by also going down on him. When that doesn't work, she tries to kill herself. Andrea, who knows how to shoot and can protect herself pretty well, is in a relationship with a much older man who's reaction to her strong affection for him is “Sure, we get along well.” Throughout the entire comic, the women let the men make all of the decision. Again, Andrea is portrayed as at least a somewhat strong and independent women, but when Dale tells her that he is thinking of leaving, she simply tells him that she will go where he goes, even though she clearly thinking that leaving the group is a bad idea. The one time that Lori dared to disagree with Rick, Rick merely had to remind her that she was his wife and he needed her support. She immediately backed down and blamed the existence of an independent thought on being pregnant. Lastly, and this is totally ridiculous, when the group picks a council to run the prison, every member of the council is a man. When Rick mentions this, Dale explains that the women wanted it that way. The women, he explains, just want to be protected. He also points out that “If Donna were here, it wouldn't be pretty.” Oh, haha, it's a good thing that silly feminist was killed in the first book. ...more

5

Dec 26, 2011

The second book of the Walking Dead comics was AMAZING. Better than the first one by a long shot and if my uncle does not finish the third book soon, I am going to go all zombie on his butt and bite his head off so I can read it.

The second book sees the introduction of fan favorite Michonne (which I still don't know how to pronounce). I can see why she's a fan favorite. The woman is a bad *ss. I mean, she walks around with zombie pets. How freakin' cool is that? The group doesn't trust her yet - The second book of the Walking Dead comics was AMAZING. Better than the first one by a long shot and if my uncle does not finish the third book soon, I am going to go all zombie on his butt and bite his head off so I can read it.

The second book sees the introduction of fan favorite Michonne (which I still don't know how to pronounce). I can see why she's a fan favorite. The woman is a bad *ss. I mean, she walks around with zombie pets. How freakin' cool is that? The group doesn't trust her yet - not that I blame them - but I'm hoping they will warm up to her because I really like her.

We also see a few ridiculously cute scenes between Dale and Andrea and Glenn and Maggie, and Sophia and Carl. I love those couples. Sophia and Carl are my OTP, just so you know. And they're dating! In a 7 year old, cute way, but still. I love those little moments. I think they are just as important as the big moments, because life still goes on, even when the dead are walking, and it's nice that the writers of the Walking Dead realize this.

Rick and Tyrese pretty much lose their minds because of all the stress. This leads to a huge confrontation, and then an amazing speech about who the real Walking Dead are that made me stop and go, "DAMN." I canNOT wait for that to come up on the TV show. That will be amazing!

And I know a lot of comic book fans were peeved that they changed Carol so much. I like the change. I hate Carol in the comics. She's a pushover and she's too vanilla cookie for me. We've already got Lori playing that part, we don't need Carol doing that as well. I like that Carol in the TV show has layers. The Carol in the comics is just...I don't know...too nice. Which is a mean thing to say, but it's true. Even Glenn, who is pretty much the nicest person in the world, is more than just nice. He's got uses. Carol is just kind of useless. But I'm rambling...

In Conclusion: The Walking Dead is amazing and realistic (as realistic as a story about zombies can be anyway), the story is getting better, and I may possibly need to kill someone to get the next book. ...more

3

Aug 24, 2011

I didn't like this one as much as the first hardcover. I think it does a good job of portraying what this type of zombie apocalypse would do to one's sanity though, and how different people would react to this new messed-up world. Lori and Rick started to really annoy me (she is constantly screaming and bitching about everything; he's always running around doing whatever he wants without thinking about the consequences at all), so I was really happy that several new characters were brought in to I didn't like this one as much as the first hardcover. I think it does a good job of portraying what this type of zombie apocalypse would do to one's sanity though, and how different people would react to this new messed-up world. Lori and Rick started to really annoy me (she is constantly screaming and bitching about everything; he's always running around doing whatever he wants without thinking about the consequences at all), so I was really happy that several new characters were brought in to shake things up. I'm looking forward to seeing how the second season of The Walking Dead translates these new events. Most of this book takes place in a prison compound so I'm thinking they'll probably continue to tweak the story line quite a bit to keep things exciting and interesting enough for TV. Looking forward to it! ...more

4

Jan 28, 2011

While I still enjoyed reading The Walking Dead, it seemed like the writing suffered some in this volume. There are rough transitions between scenes, and I asked myself if I missed something? Were the pages glued together? Nope, Kirkman's writing is loose and he forces the reader to fill in gaps. Overall, still a fun series.

3

Oct 16, 2010

I read this series awhile ago, but now I'm reading the collected volumes and trying to catch up for the AMC show.

I liked this much better the second time through although aspects of this volume annoyed me. Like the random badass chick and how the guys are completely in charge of the women and the women apparently like it that way. Ugh.

5

Oct 15, 2017

This is really a fascinating read so far. I'm enjoying the story and the artwork as much as I enjoyed the tv series. And I LOVE that the plot has changed so much from the series. I wonder though...will Darryl play a part in the GN?

4

Oct 28, 2016

Yaay. Just what I expected .. Yaay. Just what I expected ♡.. ...more