Ant’s Rant: The Walking Dead

A few years ago, I really wanted to get into reading, but novels were starting to affect my vision and I was finding it hard to keep track of a story with my busy schedule. I introduced myself to Marvel comics, particularly Spider-man. Soon, I was told about a crazy side-series called Marvel Zombies and I dived right in and fell in love. I was really fascinated with zombies at the time and it definitely fit me as a Marvel fan. Eventually the local comic dealer pointed me in the direction of The Walking Dead. Skeptical it was just going to be another typical violent gore-fest with no real plot, I started with just the first volume. It didn’t take more than that to get me hooked on the character drama involved in this series. I was so drawn to each character I almost forgot I was even reading a zombie comic.

The story is about a police officer from Kentucky named Rick Grimes who awakens from a coma to find himself alone in a zombie apocalypse. Waking up in a hospital completely overrun by zombies, he escapes to find that his wife and son are gone. Assuming that the safest place his family would go would be the nearest major city, he heads to Atlanta, only to find it completely packed wall-to-wall corner-to-corner with the undead (military and all). Leaving Atlanta, he finds his family at a camp on the outskirts and discovers his wife’s pregnancy. The camp is full of friendly people, especially his former partner on the police force Shane Walsh. Tensions rise regarding what should be done about the camp being so close to a city of the dead. The camp packs up in an RV and begins moving from place to place trying to find sanctuary and protection from the undead until they can be rescued or a cure can be released. After a long time of hunger and desperation, the group finds a prison to call home. Little do they know, their new home isn’t the only safe place for the living, and this mistake soon costs many of the survivors their lives.

The series became a favorite of mine because of what sets it apart from most zombie tales. Most plots in this vein tend to be about one main character finding a spot, holding it out until the group he meets finds a way out, and then going off into the sunset with the undead shambling behind. The characters are never of importance, and the only thing that matters in these stories is just how much violence and graphic content it can get away with. They’re usually all shock value and no substance. The Walking Dead has it’s shocking moments, but they’re not as frequently common as they could be because it’s not really necessary when you’re trying to make the characters convincing and the story compelling. Each character can be related to, and you’ll rarely find a stereotype or cliché. Kirkman goes out of his way to keep this story as original as possible and keep the reader interested. Main characters die, but not until you’ve invested a decent amount of time in them. None of the characters that should be respected or liked die off prematurely, and have a decent enough lifespan for the readers to form attachments. Some of the shocking moments aren’t just shocking, but completely unpredictable. Sometimes the shocks even push the envelope, be it the graphic nature or the subject matter. For instance, one of our characters ties up a psychopath and tortures him with a drill, a hammer, a burning hot spoon, and a katana.

The TV series is set to start on Halloween night on AMC at 10pm EST. I haven’t had the opportunity to see the NYCC screening (that Slick and I waited 45 minutes in line for), but I did see the original teaser and Scream Awards footage and from what I can tell, it looks like a very faithful adaptation. The production team promises that the series is going to stretch the limits of what can be aired on television with this show (kind of like what “True Blood” and “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” have been doing), and I think that’s a great thing and not just a gimmick. If it didn’t push the limits, it wouldn’t be doing the comic series justice at all, and would be too watered down. Too many movies and TV shows are getting lower ratings than they should be just to appeal to a larger crowd and generate more money. What the film industry seems to be forgetting is that a lot of people don’t want to pay for watered down garbage, the more they can get from their money, the happier they are. No more PG-13 horror films please, keep that stuff rated R and pull out all the stops!

Honestly, I wouldn’t promote very many other zombie stories, especially since they’re all getting to be basically the same crap but with different characters. I’m happy to say The Walking Dead tries some new stuff and does it in a way that doesn’t shove itself down your throat. The TV series looks to be a smash hit waiting to happen, and it’s generating so much buzz that I can’t see it possibly failing. Give this stuff a go, I promise if you’re not satisfied with the comics you can at least give the TV series a go and not have to pay anything.