By Matt Molgaard
Season 4 of The Walking Dead is set to premiere this fall on AMC. If you’ve been following the show, then you’ve probably already started counting down the days until it airs. It’s a fascinating read that anyone who loves the genre should check out. That being said, let’s acknowledge that The Walking Dead has its roots in print comics, which dominated comic book store shelves before the wildly successful remake. Since the show’s launch, every major storyline has been collected and turned into a graphic novel. In preparation for the start of season 4, we’re revisiting each of the graphic novels. Here’s a synopsis for the first book!
When Rick Grimes wakes up in the seemingly abandoned Harrison Memorial Hospital, he’s naturally confused. Where are the nurses? Where are the other patients? Why is this damn place so quiet? After some exploration, these questions are answered when Rick opens the wrong door and discovers a pile of rotting corpses, stumbling, grunting and groaning. An attack from one of these nasty creatures ensures they are not friendly, and the world takes an abrupt change. Rick is about to embark on a journey he never imagined, one that will test not only his physical fortitude, but also his mental strength and his overall limits.
If The Walking Dead remains a mystery to you, then you haven’t been paying attention to the quality novels that have been under your nose for years. Image Comics’s work is a masterpiece, and the book’s longevity speaks to the quality of its content. It’s a riveting story that you don’t want to end—thank you, Robert Kirkman—and the ordeal Grimes is forced to face is heart-wrenching. But it’s important to know that this heart-wrenching isn’t developed purely out of fear, it develops because it’s an awesome character study that forces all of us to look at ourselves. What would happen if we woke up in Rick’s shoes? What would happen if we were forced into a leadership role, in a life-or-death crisis, completely unsure if we wanted to shoulder the burden of keeping multiple people safe?
I would never accept Rick’s stance and never feel responsible for a large group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world where one pulse equals one meal. That’s a heavy thing to be held accountable to.
Most people don’t expect to see much depth from a graphic novel (at this point, everyone should It’s not often that this happens, given how the market has changed over the past few decades, but that’s exactly what The Walking Dead brings us. It’s a richly layered story, and as Rick navigates the corpse-strewn streets – battling the walkers and himself – the enormity of the story begins to sink in. This isn’t a mindless comic book, this is a work of art that’s primarily concerned with the human mindset and the ability to endure under the harshest conditions.
The first story arc is an introductory one. It’s all about getting to know Rick Grimes and getting to know him in depth about everything he’s been through lately, except for the zombie invasion, of course. Rick is a new father, and after growing up in a virtual ghost town, he sets out on a mission to find his wife, Lori, and their child, Carl. Atlanta, Georgia, seems like the logical destination, since Lori’s family lives in this metropolis. But when Rick arrives in Atlanta, he doesn’t find the organized safe haven he hoped for, instead, he finds zombies, and more zombies. But luck favors the hero, and Rick meets Glenn, who rescues him and takes him to an isolated camp full of survivors. Luck favors Rick again: his family is alive, and so is his partner, Shane. But Shane and Lori have a secret, and jealousy causes tension between Rick and Shane. What happens next is both disturbing and a little heartbreaking.
What’s great about this book is how efficiently Kirkman introduces us to the key characters of the story and is able to focus on the major conflicts within the group of survivors. You could say he kills two birds with one stone, the way he brings the characters to the forefront of the story is remarkable. The walking dead are always scary, but the real highlight of this book is the focus on the living. There are some interesting characters involved in the book, and the audience really gets a chance to immerse themselves in their mannerisms without wasting time. If you want to talk about the perfect combination of story depth and direct action, this book has to be mentioned.
There are countless worthy graphic novels on the market. But few can rival The Walking Dead. This book is truly special and has just the right balance of tone. I am so pleased that AMC chose this book because it brings Kirkman’s vision to life in live-action.
You can get it here.
grade:5/5
