The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

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NSpan
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The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by NSpan »

With the upcoming season, I figure this thread will come up sooner or later.

I read The Walking Dead Compendium Vol. 01 which consists of the first 50 (or so) issues. To put that in perspective, the series is up to around #90 right now. And it was around #65 during the production of the first season of the show.

Things may come together eventually... but the first compendium is certainly not a "complete" story in itself. Plenty of subplots have come and gone, and a pretty major event happens in the last few pages, but it's mostly just a lot of STUFF going on. Maybe someone who has read the next 40 issues will have a different perspective, but I don't think the author had any clear idea of where he would take this story when he first began.

It reminds me of Lost in that the planning apparently stopped right after coming up with an intriguing premise. It's actually somehow even LESS than Lost because the zombie apocalypse scenario has already been done to death (literally). It's almost as if these writers were caught off guard by being asked to write more than a setup.

For as much that does happen in the comic, it's odd that the TV show makes use of so little of it. There are countless cues in the comics they could use an starting points for plots and subplots, but the show opts for going with mostly original content. In fact, one of the strongest ties the show has to the comics (aside from the name) is a general lack of direction. The way the characters were in and out of the CDC bunker like that was a little too reminiscent of a certain hatch.
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numbersix
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Re: The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by numbersix »

Hah! Good point about the bunker episode.

The show does share what you criticised about sub-plots being left hanging. Remember the hillbilly that hacked his arm off? Frustrating to not see him return this season (also doubly frustrating that his brother seems to get over it conveniently quickly).

I haven't read the comics, though the series didn't impress me. Characters didn't seem believable to me, storylines weren't particularly strong, and that sense of desolation that Romero got so right in the first two films just isn't there. I'd say cartoonish if I didn't know it was based on a comic.

I've probably said this before, but any fans of the zombie sub-genre should check out the UK mini-series Dead Set, written by acerbic journalist Charlie Brooker. Brilliant stuff.

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ARoode
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Re: The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by ARoode »

Heard good things about 'Dead Set' but I missed it when it was on tv here. I'll track it down on the interweb.
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W
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Re: The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by W »

You know, I didn't see this thread until just now and I, myself, just finished the compendium (it's 48 issues, eight chapters, four books) as the first real comic (besides Bazooka Joe and Sunday morning) I think I've ever read. I sped through that one. I think he knows where he's going, just only a book or so ahead. I actually kind of like it that way. It really makes it feel like it can go anywhere at any point in time (I mean, they kill off Lori). And though there's major differences, I think in the broad scope of things it follows the comic. The first episode is pretty much word for word, Herschel's farm, prison... Really the only major differences are the addition of Daryl+Merle, no Tyreese (though he could come later), the CDC, Shane being killed later in the series (because he is such a good character when played by Berenthal), Sophia's death, no Donna/Allan/twins (though that Latino family may have replaced them), Andrea/Dale's relationship, Dale's death, oh, and the existence of T-Dog (but who really cares?).

The prison is going to be ominous in itself. They got this guy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0607375/ to play The Governor (Tom Savini wanted the role, John Hawkes said no to it but would have been perfect). Merle's going to be back (maybe as The Governor's right hand man, I'm just speculating myself). This chick is going to play Michonne: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1775091/. And I wonder if we're getting any of the four prisoners.

It's going to be a good season 3.
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numbersix
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Re: The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by numbersix »

I don't know, a TV show consisting of a ninja woman with 2 toothless gimp zombies chained to her might be just around the time it becomes too silly for its own good. Season 3 will probably be my last.

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Re: The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by W »

It's a little better than that. If it's like the comic, they'll be gone in the first five minutes (they're her boyfriend and his best friend and they're like that for an obvious reason). She's really just a disturbed lawyer that was on the fencing team at her Ivy League school, found a samurai sword, and decided the skills transferred over. It is a bit better than shooting zombies, attracting even more zombies, shooting them, then attracting even more.

I don't really know if those spoilers will spoil things for anyone, but they're there just in case.

And the main villain should be pretty damn good.
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Re: The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by NSpan »

Tom Savini playing the governor would've brought me back to the show. Still haven't watched Season 2.
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Re: The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2 and the Graphic Novel)

Post by silversurfer19 »

Despite a very slow start, I think I much preferred Season 2 to the first one. At times, yes, it was brain numbingly dull, while at other times the plot holes were staggering. But still, it was definitely for the most part at least intriuging.

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