Robert Kirkman

Cliff Rathburn

Rick mounts a mission to rescue a crashed helicopter but discovers that another group has beat him, while back at the prison, the group tries to restore electrical power by siphoning gas for the generator from abandoned cars in the parking lot.

The best defense. Volume 5

The Walking Dead

Police officer Rick Grimes and a few human survivors battle hordes of decomposing zombies.

A Continuing Story of Survival Horror. Book 1

valerie

Geoffrey Froggatt

I really liked The Walking Dead television shows, and some of their seasons (in all of their shows) have been some of the best zombie storytelling I have ever seen, so I knew I wanted to see how the original comics held up. With the deluxe editions coming out with the comics in full colour, I knew I wanted to jump in. I’m sure everyone will already know the basic premise, this graphic novel series follows Rick, who awakens from a coma to find the world as he knew it gone, finding a post-apocalyptic world filled with the walking dead. Immediately I’m comparing the television show to the graphic novel, and I’m surprised at how well they’d adapted certain scenes and changed others. I was surprised by how the characters and rules of the world were changed. I thought that it was interesting that even though the characters shared a baseline foundation with their television show counterparts, they felt like entirely different characters in spirit. A big moment that made me realize this was going to be much different was when Rick and Glenn use the zombie guts to pass through a city of walkers. In the show, the characters could walk among the undead if they smelled and acted like the undead, but here, they can act human and do things that would attract attention so long as they smell like the undead. I think that fans of the television show, casual or otherwise, will have a decent time reading the series from what I’ve read here. Despite hitting a lot of the same story beats, the characters feel different and there are some major deviations from the television show, which makes it much easier for fans to enjoy this as a separate story. There’s plenty of dialogue here, so expect a lot of huge speech bubbles occasionally. I liked the coloured artwork that comes in the deluxe editions, although I admit that certain characters did look the same, especially the blonde women. That being said, I do love the artwork and the art style. The storytelling was faster than I expected here, I was always so used to the television show’s snail pacing from the later seasons, but a lot goes down in this first volume, setting up some character arcs for later volumes. There were three major character deaths here, two I felt were done well, and one at the very end that wasn’t as drawn out as it should have been, and that was probably the one moment I thought was done better in the television show. I was surprised with this, and I’m excited to continue forward. If you’re a fan of the television shows who hasn’t read the comics but are on the fence, this is your sign telling you to try out this first volume.

The Walking Dead, Book 2

Lara Engle

Drama in the prison! With a little privacy, everyone's getting it on and getting into life and death situations that have nothing to do with zombies and everything to do with humans.

Each oversized volume features twelve issues, along with the cover art, of the hit horror series--a never-ending zombie movie on paper.

Safety Behind Bars

The Walking Dead 3

These are eventful issues! Divergence from the TV show has definitely reached a critical level. No clear winner in which does it better at this point.

A Continuing Story of Survival Horror

The Walking Dead Book Five

Wandering about, finding a new crew of old and new companions, Rick suffers a crisis of faith in himself. So why is he still so bossy? Abraham is willing to take some responsibility, while Dale is still convinced isolationism is going to work out for him and his cobbled-together family.

The Walking Dead, Book Four

Buh-bye prison ... and several key characters. 😢

From meeting Gabriel, to being hunted by cannibals, to joining the community of Alexandria, things are moving fast for our survivors of the zombie apocalypse. As always, the artwork expresses gore and emotion with nuance. Will our survivors assimilate well into refined living or is there more danger around the corner? I think we all know the answer to that.

The Walking Dead #144

Dimitris Papastergiou

HOLY SHIT. What? What just happened? It's going DOWN.

The Walking Dead #145

This issue was.. Too Fast Too Furious. Well, no. Not furious at all. No one. After the events of the last shocking issue, we get an issue which reads so fast that after you're done you're going to wonder and be like THAT'S IT? Not because of the events, but because we don't get anything rewarding for the stuff that happened last month. 

No real progress, and Rick is once again second guessing his leadership. That's bullshit and you know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. But that's not what was sad. But that there was no progress in the story. For 20+ pages we were there at the moment of last issues events (I won't spoil) doing well, barely nothing and just everyone in the group suggesting stuff that won't really matter and there you have it. That's all. It's like a whole issue was dedicated for a 10 minute talk of 5 characters with no outcome.

The artwork of course stays at its best and what can we do but wait for the next issue.

The Walking Dead #146

It goes like this:

SAD....

SAD....

SAD....

R E V E N G E ! 

Yeah. Lots of sadness because of everything that happened 2 issues ago... and of course now people want to take matters in their own hands, and Rick fights with (view spoiler)[ Maggie  (hide spoiler)] Oh boy. And, Rick is being.... New Rick. And I want Old Rick back. I bet we all do. But I can understand how he thinks. We also see some really nice character development on Eugene's part. Oh well, it was about TIME for him to start being a man, huh? 

Charlie is still like.. surprises me, after all this time, being used to the artwork (which is great) but you know, there's times that you stare at a splash-page and you're like Daamn Charlie, that's REALLY nice. That's beautiful. Anyway, can't wait to see what' going to happen next!

We're left on one REALLY tricky cliffhanger... there's 2 ways that's gonna go down next issue, though I doubt it's going to be the shocking way, but with Kirkman, oh well, you never know. 

Also, I think Walking Dead it's currently the only title that EVERY SINGLE DAMN MONTH is leaving me wanting MORE. After I'm finishing every issue is making me be like What? THAT'S ALL? I want more pages yo. Bring me more. Where the good ol'days of the "Extra Double-Sized Special Issues" at?

You should be reading this title is what I'm trying to say.

The Walking Dead #147

Great issue. I just need more pages to enjoy it. It reads really fast dammit. Makes me wish they released walking dead every other week instead of once a month.

So.. After what happened and what Eugene "suggested" in the last issue, Rick takes repercussions after that with the only possible solution. Things get heated and it looks like a new problem arises, although the we don't get much developing on what the Whisperers did.. But it's fine by me so far, it was a solid issue with some great artwork. 

Last page was a cheap shot, I don't think anything is going to happen... And meh.. It's like, relax drama queen.. People are trying to help you and you flip out? Screw that. I just don't really care for this "new" add to the group.

The Walking Dead #151

YAY it's still building up shit......

ALSO.... it shows us Rick as a helpless dude against a zombie... GREAT. Like, seriously?..Oh Well, that sucked.

And we get what? A bunch of people training against zombies... shooting zombies.. and training against that for what?! To go against an army of people. The whisperers, who basically LIVE with zombies, and they kill without second guessing shit, plus the best one over there sends her daughter away like it's nothing and cuts throats of her people like it's Monday morning after coffee. GAH!

Anyway... let's hope things pick up on the next issue and that we'll get some progress on the whole "let's attack" thing.

The Walking Dead #150

Well, it was ok. I liked it. It's building story, but being the #150 I was expecting much MUCH more than just building story and talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk..... DO SOMETHING! TAKE ACTION. MOVE. 

oh well.. it was good. Rick is having a plan to go against the Whisperers... We'll see!

The Walking Dead #149

We're going to warrrrrrrr bitchessss!!!

Rick is going to strike back.

There was a conversation between Rick and Negan that it was just lovely. Fucking Lovely.

Can't wait for what's going to happen with Negan in the distant future.

Other than that, it was a calming down before the storm issue... it was nice. That's all. 

So now next issue is promising lots of stuff and since it's the #150 it better deliver.

The Walking Dead #148

** spoiler alert **
           Oh man Oh man!

That would be 3 stars I swear, if not for the last page, and if it's not what it promises to be and turns out that Rick's backing off of that last page sequence, then I'll rate the next issue -1 star. But DAMN that was NICE.. and unexpected?! 

 So our people are trying to figure out what to do with the Whisperers, and Rick has a plan but most of the people doesn't like that plan cuz the whisperers killed their loved ones and whatnot, and they just want to march over there and kill everyone, so there's a fight going on between everyone really.. that was nice. Well, nice for me, the reader, not nice for the group. 

Woah, I said too much, I'll hide it for spoilers I guess.. 
Anyway, good issue. Off to the next one!

The Walking Dead #153

Ah.. was expecting more. A little bit too short. Just finding out what Negan is up to and talking about it and how are we going to stop him for 20+ pages is NOT enough. But oh well... waiting for the net one. 

Really liked every single panel with Negan though!

The Walking Dead #156

The Walking Dead #157

Ah.. and it finally starts here.

Whisperer War Part 1.

I have to say.. I would give this one 2 stars because from the looks of it...  Rick... well is not gonna be involved much in it. I hate of what he slowly becomes. Like he's an old man or something. Sure, he's absolutely beat up, walking with a damn crane, no hand and he's barely doing anything at all besides giving orders. And that's just SAD. 

IF.. all of this shit that's happening is for The Walking Dead to be a comic that I'll have to read about Dwight's and Jesus' and Michonne's badass action-packed moments.. then all of it is going to ruins faster than I thought.

Rick Kirkman. RICK. We can't watch the main protagonist be a secondary character who says do this and do that and what should I do? Have I made the right decision? This is what's been happening this far with Rick and nothing else. All the tension and fun is long gone.

Yeah, the new arc sounds nice, yeah, the Whisperers ever since they showed up, I couldn't wait to see what happens and it was a really smart and fresh idea to bring to the series, but where's Rick's involvement? Rick has become the old man who yells "get off my lawn" tells his kid to do this and not do that and at the end of the day not much else is going on for him.

Sad.

I hope it gets better. For Rick.

PS. Negan is still awesome.

The Walking Dead #158

I have to say beforehand that this issue gets 3 stars for the artwork alone.

The art in this one is simply amazing. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. 

The Jesus/Michonne full page had me looking at the page for far too long. Just great. 

Charlie Adlard is the SHIT.

Now, to the story.. we get a cheap WOW moment just for shock value at the very start of the issue with a well known character. I, I... I don't like that. I used to. But not anymore. It was ok though I didn't have a problem with that at all, I was even like "ouch" out loud when it happened. 

The fight was awesome because--well-- Adlard. The whole battle, from every point of view. The action is the best thing in this one and you get lots and lots of it. 

Now, to the progress of the story-- not so much. I Still have a problem with Rick sitting this one out. It seems that all he does ever since the Negan days and what happened is all politics and talk talk talk. No action for good ol'Rick. 

I hate that shit.

And, finally the end was meh. I know it sounds promising but I don't really care that much. Oh well! 

Thankfully Adlard with his artwork is keeping it very interesting and beautiful!

The Walking Dead #159

Dwight you dog.

Nice issue, really liked the battle. Negan freaking out with what happened was a nice touch too. I like what's happening and the artwork is amazing. Solid stuff.

One complain that keeps being a problem for awhile now and I won't stop saying it is how Rick is doing NOTHING. Absolutely NOTHING. Main character of the series... doing.. Nothing. 
They go to war and Rick is doing... Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.-

That sucks. Big time.

Oh well.

The Walking Dead #160

Fast-paced one. 

Good one too. Lots of things happening. Michonne being a badass is one of them!

The war against the whisperers continues, lots of good scenes, especially with what our group does to get rid of them.
 
Meanwhile Vincent is going back to Rick and the others to tell them they're not getting any help from the others over at Alexandria? The Kingdom? I can't tell the places apart, but yeah, I would love it for them to go to war against the "traitors" too. Mix it up a little bit.

Also, where the hell is Negan yo?

Oh, Dwight had a nice moment in it too. Artwork is basically what's the best at this whole war/chapter whatever you wanna call it.

Just waiting for the next one!

The Walking Dead #172

Another day on Downton Abbey. This sucks so much. SO much. It's sad. 

They're rebuilding Alexandria and apparently we have to see everything of how they're building the whole damn town of theirs with pointless words and dialogue from Carl and some others which add nothing to the damn story or make any progress at all. 

Again with the same bullshit we dealt with earlier of Carl wanting to live again and not be in the same place as Rick and Rick being fine with it and what the fuck Kirkman? You're not writing a teenage drama series?! Ugh. It's sad and I'm here waiting for it to be interesting again...

..and at the last page it finally GOT interesting and I hope it continues like that on the next one without giving us a great cliffhanger and disappoint on the next issue!

The Walking Dead #171

Guess what? 25 pages and.. Nothing happens!


The Princess: Boring. Wanna-be Deadpool in a realistic post-apocalyptic world? Looking things from the bright side when everything and everyone is lost? And what the fuck is up with what she's wearing?! Really? REALLY? NO. 

That's fucked up and if you rated this 5 stars there's something seriously wrong with you, or you just picked up walking dead for the first time... this is sad. What this series have become in the last couple of issues. Drama teenage romance jumping at the band wagon with the rest of society of 2017 concerning all that bullshit.

The Walking Dead #170

There's nothing happening besides reading what would be like Desperate Housewives the comic or some shit like that... lots of bitching lots of pointless "macho men" exchanging words and making threats with nothing happening, and lots of gay/lesbian talk because this is 2017 and we have to go with the trends and the whole diversity thing and include everything that's currently trending. What the hell happened to Walking Dead? I dunno. But it sucks right now...

Also the new character? The Princess?... give me a break.. that's like introducing Deadpool to walking dead. Fuckouttahere. 

Nothing interesting. Nothing new. And that's coming from someone who loves this series.

The Walking Dead The best defense. Volume 5

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